Thursday, April 12, 2007

Friend Poacher

What is it with these people? Am I the only one who has encountered this problem? I have a lot of friends. Part of it is my engaging personality, part of it my ability to adapt to new environments quickly and make friends easily. And I think it's great that my friends, who meet through me, get along. I mean everyone wants their friends to get along, right?

But what I don't want are people who surreptitiously forge friendships through me. How can I explain this? It keeps happening and there's more than one poacher but one who's especially determined to make all my friends hers. Poaching may be the wrong word because it's not illegal but it is socially repugnant.. to me. Allow me to elaborate.

We'll call her Clare like the fake poster who annoyed me to no end. Clare has reached out to every single girl that she has met through me and invited them to socialize in my absence. And most of the friends she's done this with have been gracious even flattered by her extending her hand on the heels of a chance meeting through moi. However, a few of them have thought it a bit odd that she would exclude me. At first, I didn't think much of it. But it happens a lot and she never mentions it to me. I find out because the girls she's contacting tell me. She even emailed my roommate. Then she texts my friends when they're out with me inviting them to hang out. Is this weird or is it just me? It's made me suspicious and, well, annoyed.

I know I may sound petty but there's something to this. Were she upfront about her activities, I'd be less likely to be irked but under the circumstances, I am. I think there's a line between being social and being sneaky and I feel it's being repeatedly crossed here.