I made a mistake befriending her...

Dear Diana,
I'm a 16-year-old girl. I befriended one of my classmates as I found her to be a loner. But she's turning out to be such a nag. She keeps asking me where I am; what I'm doing and why I'm not replying to her SMSes. I have to be her at her beck and call. She's worse than my mom! I really don't want to be her friend and now I realise why no one else wanted to befriend her. She lives near me and attends theu00a0 same college, so I don't know how to avoid her.
-u00a0Arwa

Illustration/ Satish Acharya

Dear Arwa,
Your reasons to befriend her were genuine but now you seem to be thinking otherwise. Why don't you explain to her your predicament? Be honest and knock sense into her head as to why others shun her. Tell her it is her behaviour that makes people steer clear from her. If she understands, it will make things easier. She needs to realise that you went out of your way to help her, but now you want to run for cover. If she changes her attitude, good for you, if she does not, let her be just an acquaintance and nothing more ufffd more on the 'hi and bye' terms. You can choose your friends remember. You may be staying in her neighbourhood and studying in the same college, but you can still maintain your distance by talking only when you come face-to-face with her.

u00a0