Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} What’s the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with in high school so far? It’s not a five-page essay or a video that I gave up a night’s worth of sleep to work on. The hardest thing for me is having to deal with the complexity of teenage friendships. Some people go through life with a very close relationship to either one or two friends, but others have a large group. Then there are people who have friends within a few groups that aren’t all friends with each other. “I have my real close friends that I tell everything to, and I have other friends that I can trust, but I wouldn’t tell them my deepest, darkest secrets,” Junior Morgan Guy said. One thing that baffles me is the common belief that there is one person in every group of friends that no one likes- “The Karen,” if you will. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of a friend is a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. If that’s true, then why are people still calling each other friends when in fact they can’t stand the sight of the other? “Most likely because they don’t want to have to deal with the drama [of starting a fight],” said Crystal Hilton, junior. Sure, this is an easy, temporary route to avoid unnecessary trouble, but pretending to be someone’s friend for so long seems like it would be even more stressful. Friends are bound to get into fights and there is nothing wrong with that, but when every other day people go from being “besties” to worst enemies, that is not a healthy relationship. Everyone always says that the most important things in a relationship are honesty and trust. But then no one will be honest with each other because they fear what could happen. “It’s stupid and everyone needs to grow up. If they don’t truly like the person they are friends with then they shouldn’t be friends with them,” said Freshman Desiree Davis, “But don’t say anything to their face, obviously, because when you say stuff to girls faces it causes a big fight.” None of us realize how much of a hypocrite we really are. I don’t mean this in a bad way but just think about it; we complain about friends not “saying stuff to our face” and then when they actually do they’re considered a bad friend. Like I said before, I’m completely and utterly confused about friendships. With a paradox like that, you would think that there was a constant war between friends going on. But somehow, there isn’t. I don’t think I will ever actually understand how friendships are supposed to work, or how the general public tells us they should. The only advice I can give is to not worry about it. You’re going to fight with your friends; people change and everyone needs something different out of a friendship. If you really are in an unhealthy relationship with a friend, ending it does not make you a bad person. Friendships are not marriages, you didn’t sign any pre-nuptial agreements or make any vows saying no matter what you will be friends with that person forever. When it’s worth saving, you’ll know it and when it’s not, you’ll know that too.