So, I (18M) won’t pretend I’m some innocent guy, but I’m not a monster either. Growing up, I dealt with a lot of issues that led me to develop a superiority complex and made me socially awkward—something I’ve been actively working to change.

There’s this girl I was friends with for six years. She had a rough time and would frequently threaten suicide because she felt like she had no one. For a while, she wasn’t getting much attention from others and, in hindsight, was emotionally cheating on her boyfriend with me. I now realize that wasn’t okay on my part, and I regret it.

This year, as seniors, we both joined our school’s color guard for the marching band. She started making new female friends, which was great for her, but she suddenly became really cold toward me. Eventually, she messaged me saying she didn’t want to be friends anymore because I was too awkward and made her uncomfortable.

As the season went on, our mutual dislike for each other grew. I don’t have an issue with the rest of the guard—they’re all fine—but I can’t shake the feeling of being excluded. They all hang out with her, and it feels like I’m on the outside looking in, especially since they have constant sleepovers at her house.