Friendship can be a tricky thing. It can be tough when you become friends with someone but then realize that they are not really someone you want to be around anymore. It may be difficult to get them out of your life but once you do, you will be much better off. This situation has happened to me a few times but there was one friend who was particularly toxic.

To my toxic former friend,

You seemed nice at first. You had a few quirks and red flags but I foolishly ignored them because I like to see the best in everyone. That was my first mistake.

You practically forced your way into my life and I couldn't really stop you since I had to see you all the time and would seem like an awful person for being rude to you for seemingly no reason. I was too nice to you and you always took advantage of that. That was mistake number two.

You were getting more clingy and selfish but I was too busy and stressed out to realize just how bad it was getting. At the time, it was more annoying than actually problematic. I had to keep the peace and be civil with you.

The clinginess was at an all-time high now. You basically forced me to hang out with you and harassed me when I wouldn't text you back. I had foolishly hoped that giving you what you wanted by hanging out with you with some of my other friends would get you to leave me alone for a little while afterward. That was the third and biggest mistake.

That day was a disaster for me, but great for you. You screwed me over, used me, were completely ungrateful, made everyone wait for you, and you couldn't even make up your mind all day. I was done.

Of course, you could never take a hint and still texted and snapped me constantly even when I wouldn't answer. There would be times when you would leave me alone but then a couple days later, you'd slam me with texts, Snapchats, and Facetime calls. You were even reaching out to many of my friends asking them to hang out and following them on social media when they barely knew who you were.

I was desperately trying to distance myself (and I still am to this day) from you. I could never trust you again and I do not consider you a friend. I know what good, healthy, and supportive friends are and you were not one of them.

This whole saga with you reminded me to always trust my gut and to not ignore the red flags that some people have because it can escalate quickly. This toxic friendship with you also made me even more grateful for my lovely friends who are always there for me (even when I was dealing with you).

They are the people who actually treat me well. They don't get aggrevated with me when I can't hang out with them when I get sick, they don't use me, they aren't selfish, they don't harass me with texts, they understand that I'm busy, they don't only try to make plans with me at the last minute, and they were there for me when I went through a tough loss. None of those statements apply to you and that is why you are one of my ex-friends.

Sincerely,

Danielle