i classify my friends....

i classify my friends....

i had this as a not way back, came across it again, and figured i would re-hash the past

cause they're just so true. 

1) Hanger-Oner

I had one of these in middle school.  Remember the Hanger-Oner? That kid who just would not leave you alone.  I mean, they were nice, and you liked them, but it’s called b-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g  r-o-o-m.

2) Frenemy

Maybe this is more of a girl thing than a guy thing, but there were definitely those people in High School who pretended to be your friend, and you pretended to like them, but in reality, you didn’t.

3) The You’re-Cooler-Than-Me Friend

I had (have) a few people who are friends with me and I seriously wonder why.  In my mind, they are way cool, smart, funny, attractive and certainly way cooler than me.  We are friends, and I am grateful, but you always hope you can live up to their expectations and coolness factor. (I am making this sound a little bit more pathetic for simply humor value).

4) Make-Me-Feel-Good-About-Myself-Friend

I was working with a teen girl client the other day about her friends and she said “well, then there is my pretty, but not prettier than me best friend.”  I was like, whoa, “what?!”  She went on to explain that in High School everyone has to have a friend they can do to when they need to feel better about themselves.  I chose to take this as more of a pep-talking kind of friend than an-uglier-than-me-friend.

5) Wingman or Wingwoman

Typically a best friend, which you of course can still have later in life.  I had a girlfriend in High School who I always went on doubles, blind dates and to dances with because we always got along well and most importantly, had totally different taste in men.

6) Homework Friend

This does not have to be someone smarter than you (or a cheater-friend), this is someone who teens all have to go to when they need to make a study guide, plan a study session or as a homework problem.  I had one friend in High School and we talked at least once a night on the phone, but never about anything other than school, yet they were one of my closest friends.

7) Secret Bitch/ Secret Bully

I have written about Secret Bitches before.  Secret bitches (female) or secret bullies are similar to frenemies in that they are nice to you in person, but are different because they don’t want to be your friend, they just want to know you enough to make fun of you behind your back.

8) PE/Math/Science Friend

This is the friend that you have in that one class or club and you hang out pretty much exclusively when you are in that environment, but nowhere else.

9) Family Friend

This friend is who your parents want you to be best friends with/marry because the parents are best friends or you are neighbors and it would just make it easier to carpool.

10) Used-to-be-elementary-school-friend-but-don’t-really-have-anything-in-common-anymore

Oh, these are awkward.  You used to climb trees together, you had a Ya-Ya Sisterhood handshake and have really cute pictures of the two of you in a bathtub together, but it just isn’t the same anymore.  They are a jock and you are a bandgeek, but you still say ‘hi’ in the halls and invite each other to your birthday parties.  Mom and dad will forever be asking you, “how is your old friend ___, you used to be so close!”