Being in a friend group is the metaphorical equivalent to picking teams for dodgeball in elementary school. You are standing there among your elementary classmates hoping and praying that whoever picks you actually likes you and that you fit in on the team. Once you have been picked you are so nervous you forget how to act normal and then have to hope to God that your teammates do not abandon you to be pelted by dodgeballs alone. But to your utter surprise your team not only accepts you but has your back no matter how bad getting hit in the face hurts. This metaphorical team is the basis for every friend group out there, every player has a role, the questions is which one are you?
1. Team Captain
The team captain is a natural born leader; they seem to always know where they are going and what they are doing. They are the first to react in the face of crisis and the last to leave when some one need them. But let me be clear there can only be one team captain in a friend group. More than one will cause an all out civil war within the group and much like the Civil War that divided the North and the South, there will be a divide within the group.
2. The Heavy Hitter
The heavy hitter is exactly what it sounds like. The heavy hitter is the friendship equivalent of an enforcer on the hockey team. They are protective of those they care about and are more than happy to get into a fight or two if it seems fit. They are tough and scrappy and are not afraid to get hurt physically, but emotionally, the heavy hitter is a mess. They spend so much time worrying about everyone else they forget that they need to take care of themselves sometimes.
3. The Quiet One
The quiet one is most likely going to be the last one to join the group. Not trying to sound harsh, but it is hard to get to know one well enough to ask them to join your group. The quiet one is a wallflower. They are always there but do not add to conversation very often, when they do it is fantastically funny or life changing. They feel comfortable listening and will most likely be shy, but once they do open up to the group, the dynamic will never be the same. They bring a uniqueness to the group that is hard to explain and even harder to lose.
4. The Best of Us
Now we all have one in our friend group and we all can not help but to want to protect and love them. The best of us is the best of the friends. They have their whole lives planned out, including the names of their three children, and two dogs that you know will be perfectly trained and groomed. You know the best of us will always have the right advice and knows when to tell it to you. They are the cutest, and sweetest person you have ever met and honestly might ever meet, so when you find the best of us hold on to them. They will always make room for you because that is just who they are.
5. The Hot Mess Express
Let me clear if you are the hot mess of the friend group, you are a fantastic human being and should never be ashamed to be who you are. Sure, you do not always dress appropriately, your hair may alway look like it needs a good brushing, and you may or may not have been drunk three too many times in the last week. But you are the life of the friend group. Without your stories and experiences, the group would fizzle and die. The hot mess express hates to be alone and will alway bring another member with them, no matter if it is shopping or peeing at a frat party.
6. The Patient
There is not much to be said about the patient besides the fact that they are always sick. They are really nice and you want to be with them as much as possible, but somehow they contract every sickness known to man and spent most of their time locked away with a gallon of orange juice and antibiotics. When they are healthy enough to hang out, they make up for being missing for so long, but it is inevitable that they will get sick again, so love on them when you can.
7. The Passenger
The passenger does exactly what is sound like, no one really knows when they became part of the friend group or how. They just kinda were there one day and no one questioned it. The passenger brings a calmness to the group, they are by no means calm but their reactions allow for everyone else to be calm. They honestly will go with any member anywhere because they are just there for the ride. They like to see people smile, and laugh above all else and when they feel tension in the group, they will fade away from the drama and ride it out till the storm passes.
A Word to the Wise: Do not be afraid to be one or all of these in your friend group. Sometimes the patient becomes the hot mess and sometimes the passenger has to step up and be the team captain. Your friend group is together because all the teammates are there but it does not mean you will always be the same one. So you be who are or who you want to be. Just don't do anything to be pelted by dodgeballs.
