My sophomore year of high school I was asked to prom by an upperclassman. I said no. Some of my friends thought it was mean but I feel it wasn’t. He was a nice boy and his ego was probably bruised when I turned him down. But the thought of dress shopping, having a whole bunch of pictures taken, and spending the evening with him was not for me. But this is isn’t necessarily about prom, it is some of my thoughts on friendship.

If you aren’t interested in being someone’s friend, don’t. There are billions of people on this planet. They can find others to bond with. You don’t have to exchange numbers, accept a friend request on social media, or go to an event they are holding. And if you try to be someone’s friend out of pity or “to be nice” as some people put it, it will end badly. Making yourself engage with someone you don’t want to be with is always uncomfortable. Just like going to prom with someone you don’t want to be there with.

So what do you do when asked? Say “No thank you.” That is enough. Explanations are not necessary. Vague excuses will get you into trouble later and cause a lot of drama.

As for the guy who asked me to prom, he went with someone else. And from what I hear, they had a very nice time.

THE END