When you start high school, everyone is going in different directions. You come to find that there are cliques forming and you’re not sure which “clique” to join. My best advice to you is to stay neutral. Make friends in all places and everything will work itself out. When I first started high school, some of my friends drifted towards the “preps” while others became total “jocks.” I tried my best to keep in touch with everyone and leave myself unlabeled. What ended up happening was no one could be unhappy with me. Typically, you could say the jocks don’t really get along with the drama fanatics or the brains don’t really get along with the preps. By avoiding one group and staying neutral I was always in good standing with all my friends.
Granted, your “prep” friends might be a little jealous when you hang out with your “jock” friends but it will pay off in the end. By letting yourself be labeled and sticking to one clique it’s harder to make friends because everyone will associate you with that group. You may find yourself so confused as to who your real friends are and that’s ok. The people you thought were always your friends may seem so distant now.
I hate to say it but if you’ve ever heard your parents say “He/she is trying to ‘find themselves’ too. Give him/her a chance,” then your parents are right. I thought my mom was crazy when she said that, but to be honest, I’ve realized what she is talking about. Someone who may seem so nasty or rude could come back to school the next day so polite and nice. It can be so annoying and you feel like you’re the only one who makes any sense. Remember what I said before though, staying neutral can make your first year/s so much more fun. My biggest advice is to try NOT to have a best friend. It’s fine if you do, but the second they turn their backs to you, you’ll find yourself so unbelievable irritated and frustrated.
Just think about who really makes you happy and who treats you with respect. Those people are your best bet. Try to spend more time with them, and soon enough you’ll see everything will fall into place. You may not have the same friends that you did in elementary or middle school, but that’s perfectly fine. Here it comes, the infamous quotes (but they are so true), ‘trust your instincts’, ‘follow your heart’ and everything will work itself out.
