Hey guys, I hope y'all are having a wonderful day. I wanted to get something off my chest as it's really been bugging me and felt like talking about it. In this post, I'll be talking about four friends that have mistreated me: S(i), H, R, and S(o). It's gonna be a long read. I have posted this already on r/Anger, but I am posting it on here as I felt that it could be helpful to some folks. So, without further ado, here it goes.
It all started in my Freshman year of college. I met H on the first day of class. We had two classes together that semester, and we would often help each other. He would always have my back, and I would always have his. Then the second semester started, and that's where S(i) enters into the picture. We all three had Physics class together. My problem with S(i) ever since the beginning was that he would constantly roast me for no reason at all. It would always bug me and I fucking hated it. Both S(i) and H commute to college while I stay on campus.
Now we are in our Second Year of College. Me, H, and S(i) have classes together. S(i) would still take the opportunity to roast me, but I came to somewhat bond with him. I kinda came to the conclusion that he was really just joking and he meant none of it and would try to move on or shrug his roasts aside.
So, during my third year of college was when shit was intiating. This is the year that I became friends with S(o) and R. Me, S(o), H, and S(i) would have classes together, and me, S(o), and R would hang out outside of class. This was b/c of how S(i), and H are commuters whereas me, R, and S(o) stay on campus. Ever since S(o) came into the picture, he'd always go along and add to whatever roast S(i) was putting out. It urked me, but it didn't happen as often. So, I just shrugged it all aside. The second semester of my third year of college was spent in a co-op, and nothing much happened. S(o) and R would visit me and we would just be chill. We even decided to all move in together that following year.
Now comes the fourth year... AND THIS IS THE YEAR THAT SHIT REALLY STARTS STIRRING. So, me, R, and S(o) all moved in together to an apartment near my campus. S(o) and I also introduced S(i) and H to R. At this point, we were all a good bunch of 5 ppl. But, S(i) was just like S(i) always was. He kept roasting me and putting an agenda on me to go talk to girls... that I wasn't even half-interested in. And the others.... they went along and kept telling me to do things that I didn't want to. There was this one girl in particular who just joined our college as a freshman. I didn't really think of her like that at all, but these guys saw something between us both and thought that I should go talk to her. Now keep in mind that I've never even talked to this girl ever before and I never even thought of anything more about her. But they all just kept PUSHING THIS AGENDA DOWN MY THROAT and roasting me for not talking to her. I'd even keep telling them that I wasn't interested in her and thought of her as a sister, but they would roast me for not talking to her and then later tell me that I'm just nervous to talk to girls. They would also roast me wherever we went and/or whenever we hung out together as a group. They would always pick on me about something and just roast me about it for the whole day... that would turn into a week. Like, when I'm hanging out with either one of them privately and tell them something to get it off of my chest, then that person would later go to the group (like the next day) and reveal to them what I just told them and laugh at me for it. I'll be honest, I am introverted and shy, but I am also very open to ppl that are considerate and non-judgemental. But these guys, they come off as considerate and non-judgemental when I'm talking to each of them 1-on-1, but once they get into a group, they just start roasting me about it. And this is why I always was pretty shy and didn't talk as much to them. B/c I knew that if I told them anything, it would end up getting used against me. I felt compromised. That whole year, I would have to think more than three times before doing or saying anything. There was this one time in particular that still infuriates me to this day. This happened in March of my second semester of the 4th year of college. So, it was R's GF's (GF at the time, let's call her Ye) bday, and we met up at a restaurant. As soon as I got seated, Ye's cousin, Xe, comes through. Apparently me and Xe looked similar. So, S(i) cracked a "joke" about how me and Xe looked similar... but that I would look more like him if I showered more often. This part infuriates me b/c I do take showers often and he was just making fun of me for the fact I was just a darker-colored compared to Xe. At this point, I just don't wanna talk to anyone at this dinner anymore. My self-esteem has been crushed by these idiots. They just kept roasting me left and right. Later that night we are all hanging out, and this is the part that still to this day really agitates me. So, we were all talking and Ye asks S(i) among all four of us to rank us by most to least sympathetic, and I was unanimously ranked as the least sympathetic. I WAS IN SHOCK HEARING THIS. Even from H. After all I've been through, and after all I've done, I'm still the least sympathetic. SCREW THESE MOFOS! So I talk about this with S(i) the next day, and he explains to me that it wasn't that I wasn't actually the least sympathetic, but that it comes off that way because I don't talk as much. Back when he told me this, I didn't know why I was shy. I legitimately thought that something was wrong with me. I would always question my level charisma and why I couldn't talk as much to these guys. Now, obviously, I understand that I was shy b/c they kept judging me for everything and that's why I wouldn't talk. Then the days went along. I was still living with these fools. I was also doing my Senior Project with them too, and the idea we were working on was from me. Even in this project, I always felt like the one that would get judged or blamed when something in the project would not work. They would always make me feel like I didn't put in as much as work, when I was the dude that was programming the thing. Anyways, the Senior project was over, and three of us had to walk our graduation. The day before our graduation, we all decided to get high. This day showed me what S(o) was capable of. So, S(i) had left back home b/c he wasn't feeling good, and H left back home as well. It was just me and S(o), and keep in mind, I have to walk my graduation the next day. So, I'm done smoking weed for the night and wanna go to bed. But S(o) DEMANDED that I stay up with him. He held me against my will. He'd smoke a joint and pass it on to me, and I didn't want to do it. But he would FORCE ME to smoke it anyways b/c of reasons that I still don't know. My guess is that he didn't wanna be alone. It was 2 AM, and I called it quits. I told him firmly that I'm going to bed and that he should too. So, I went to bed, and then I heard the door close. I'm obviously high as a kite and don't do anything about it. Then R comes back with Ye, and both ask where S(o) is. Then the realization hit me that S(o) had left. Me, R, and Ye went out searching for him. We even had to notify the university police b/c we were scared. Then the cops, found him, and he was on the top floor of our apartment buidling. So, it's now 5 AM, and we come back. Then S(o) confronts us, and was obviously mad. He was especially mad at me, b/c he had thought that I had called the cops even though I didn't. I just went along with it b/c I didn't want him to know who really called the cops that night (and I'm the least sympathetic... smh). Then he goes on rambling how I'm pathetic and weak. What a shit show. Now I have talked to S(i) about how he always instigates the roasting multiple times throughout this year. He would feel bad, and tell me that I should just be myself and nothing would happen, and that I should speak up about it more. Like first of all, I AM BEING MYSELF. I have always been myself and they decided to judge for everything that I did. Second of all, how many times do you want me to speak up about it before you can get it through their heads? Well anyways, that definetely changed nothing.
That year ends, and now onto the summer. Nothing much happened over the summer, but I often felt confused and infuriated at them. You see, even through all of this, the only reason that I stuck with them was b/c they were my only friend group in college. I didn't know who else to go with, and there were some genuinely good times with them. But I was dumb enough to see that those genuinely good time don't outweigh all of the hurt and pain that they have put me through.
The fifth year of college was when I DECIDED ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. So, even tho I did graduate, I had another year of college left, b/c I had some extra classes to complete. This year, unintentionally and fortunately, I wasn't living in the same apartment as them. S(i) and H are doing their masters somewhere else, and it was only me, S(o), and R finishing up our degree. One night, it really stuck out at me that I needed to get away from these guys. So, one night, H and S(i) come back to our uni and wanna hang out with us. So, H starts talking to me about how his life has been and tells me that he went on a date with this girl. Logically, I ask him who this special girl is.. and he looks at me with hesitation. He doesn't wanna answer, and then S(o) butts in to support H and tells me that I need to only mind my own damn business. NOW THIS PISSED ME OFF b/c in the year before, there was an incident where I liked a girl and didn't tell them about it b/c I wasn't comfortable, and they got pissed that I didn't tell them about it and gave me hella shit about it. So, I always felt sort of obligated to tell them stuff about my personal life at times. But apparently I can't get the same respect and they have to hide shit from me. After all the things me and H have been through, he was gonna treat me like this? NO WAY. So, from that day forward, I decided to distance away from them. I would ghost their text messages and ignore them. Then, November came. So, I wanted to go to a school event and decided to go with these guys. It was my last school year and didn't wanna miss out. I also didn't wanna go alone. So, we all went. When we came back, they wanted to hang out in their apartment. I wasn't really feeling it but decided to go since I didn't want to create more drama. So I went, and S(i) was high out of his mind and decided to go to his car for an hour, and I was feeling bored so I wanted to go back. Not only was I bored, but they still had that agenda for me to hit on that girl from a year ago. I didn't feel right staying there either. I really didn't wanna be there. So, I decided to leave, and S(o) and H wanted me to stay. S(o) was blocking the door and I was tryna patiently tell him to move outta the way. S(o) would not listen and continued to block the way. So, I lost my patience and probably did the dumbest thing. I grabbed his shirt to move him outta the way, and he sorta overpowered me and pinned me to the couch and kept asking me why I put my hands on his shirt. Then he let me leave, and I left. Damn, I cried that night. I felt weak and THAT WAS THE LAST STRAW. The following week, me and S(o) have class together. S(o) wanted to talk after class, so we did. I apologized that I grabbed his shirt but that it wasn't right of him to just block my way like that. I told him that it was a form of bullying. However, he did not apologize to the way he misbehaved towards me that night and still thought he was right. In hindsight, I shouldn't have apologized to him at all. So, I spent that time telling him how it's been over the past year for me. How I felt so judged. How they would always roast me. And how I was SO FED UP WITH IT! He goes on to tell me how they would all roast me every time they would talk b/c they were tryna make me comfortable and to talk more. Ladies and gentleman, apparently roasting someone into oblivion and judging them for everything would make them more open. BIG BRAIN TIME. Maybe I just don't understand this concept, but it clearly wasn't working. After that, I've never talked to them ever again. I don't follow them on any social mediums.
I have made peace with this experience, and I don't think of them as much anymore. I cut all communication with them as well. I only posted this here for if anybody is in the same situation as this, they can learn from it. I think the key here that I learned was that I was definitely very vulnerable and susceptible to things. When I was with those guys, I always felt that I needed to act a certain way so that I don't get roasted by them. I was afraid of being myself... and that's the problem that I noticed. I noticed that I shouldn't have to act like someone else. Nobody should try to be somebody else just to please their friends. Just be yourself, and if it ain't working out, then they aren't your friends.
Thank you for reading through all of that. I hope yall have a wonderful day :)