We all have certain “characters” in our lives. The people who are not necessarily friends of yours — you might not even know their name — but you still see them often. So often, that they are not necessarily strangers, but rather characters. Allow me to describe some examples.
- The people from middle school you still follow on Instagram or have as a friend on Snapchat — or worse, both! You know what school they go to now and where they went for winter break, but you haven’t talked to them since you had braces and rocked a side part. Interesting dynamic there — you have both seen the other at their all-time low. And now, the only thing you see is her “GNO!!” post from last Saturday night and the occasional sunset picture from her [insert any niche college town here] apartment.
- Those one or two couples on TikTok that you watch because they show up on your For You Page most days. Maybe you don’t actually follow them, but you see them enough, and perhaps even stalk them occasionally, and you know what they’re up to these days. Maybe they’re building a house, expecting a baby or walking from Mexico to Canada — these people are super committed to the cause, using a shovel to dig a hole to poop — while only carrying one backpack each. Whatever their “thing” is at the moment, you are relatively up to date.
- That one guy behind the counter of your most-frequented in-between-class lunch spot on Grounds. You recognize him, and you’d like to think that, deep down, he recognizes you, too. Does he say “Hi” to you or acknowledge your existence? No. But even stil you are saddened that you won’t see them until the following week when Friday rolls around. You feel excited to go back and get your usual meal after breaks or holidays because that means you get to see your friend — pal? Acquaintance? Who’s to say!
- People who were in a group chat with you and the group chat eventually died. Now, this is an interesting topic. Sometimes there are group chats that simply fade out — there’s no beef, no huge explosion between friends, no massive Hailey-Bieber-and-Selena-Gomez situation. It’s just a gradual fade. But every once in a while, you see people from these quasi-friend groups that split up long ago. And you pass each other, both knowing — awkkkkwardddd.
- The current person your close friend has a “thing” with. This relationship develops in stages. First, it starts with simple greetings and not much conversation. But, as that person begins to hang out with your friend more and gets to know your friends better, casual conversation begins. Slowly but surely, you enter the banter stage. After getting past the stage where you poke fun at each other, things start to feel more comfortable. Perhaps you say “Hi” to them on the way to classes, or maybe you start to build a mini-friendship with them. But, when this person and your friend purely remain a “thing” and not an official “relationship,” there’s an unspoken confusion. You don’t really know what they are and, let’s be honest, neither do they — resulting in your relationship with them to be just odd?
So, be prepared for when you see these people. They’re out there. And, unfortunately, I can’t save you from the inevitable awkward interactions coming your way. In that sense, we are all doomed!
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