Okay hear thee hear thee, this sector is for me to give the advice but today I need it. I have a serious case of toxic best friend right now. Let me explain. I used to be apart of a friend group with 4 other girls. I loved them all so much but the group was not a nice thing to be apart of. I valued every individual friendship but the group dynamic was not normal. I'm talking favourites, left-out-incidents, private hangouts etc. Therefore, I dipped; but I am not the type of person to just leave without explanations because that would drive a person crazy and I wanted to keep the individual friendships but not be apart of that weird ass group. My closest friend in the group (let's call her Eliza) does netball with my SECOND closest friend in the group (her name for now is Layla). That's just some additional context by the way. So the night I decided this friendgroup was WRECKING my mental health and I wanted out I put together a message to send to Layla because I didn't want her to overthink my decision or take it as a personal issue as I know that would 10000 percent be what she would think. The text read something along the lines "Hey Layla!xx Just wanted to let you know I won't be sat with you guys the next couple lunches and breaks because I don't think the group is the right place for me. I just wanted to lyk so you don't thing it's individually you I have a problem with, or anyone for that matter, it genuinley is just the group in general no actual people!" I ran this by my other completley seperate friend to make sure it sounded kind and didn't come across in a different way to my intentions. My friend said the text sounded great, got across what I wanted and what it needed to and that it didn't sound like a dig at all. Layla then replied, "whys that then" I found this respsonse super blunt but I ignored for the meanwhile and I responded "Just as I said, the groups been off lately and that's been super damaging to me as I'm sure it is you too." She then, to summarise, told me she agreed and me distancing was okay by her and she understood. Then at breaktime the next day I'm with Eliza (my literal best friend) and my sister. She approaches me and asks for a 'chat' I of course say that's fine and follow her. We go on a walk and she starts with an aggressive tone asking why I'm hanging out with everyone but her and that my decision was obviously personal (for context Ava, another in the group, I have maths with so I walked with her to math, and Eliza, my bestfriend, I was with to hand in our JOINT letters due that day.) I told her I am sorry if me walking to class with someone came across as ignoring her and she would not have it. She repeatedly told me 'nonono' everytime I said sorry - which was the only word she would let me get out, and when I actually tried to speak other than apologising to EXPLAIN she stormed off. Anyways, this got long and this is only a third of the story sooooo, SEE YOU FRIDAY FOR PART 2!!!