So there’s this guy. He used to be in your chemistry study group, you’ve seen him occasionally on campus, at lunch, walking to classes, etc. You even saw him at a party the other weekend, said hello, and tried to be friendly. He eventually asked for your number and, of course, you gave it to him — harmless, right?
It seemed like a good idea at the time; he was nice and you thought you two could potentially be friends. Well, despite trying to make the friend zone line clear, he has not caught your drift. He persistently texts you, asking you to hang out at every waking hour. You know he is a nice guy, but you’re just not into him. The question is, how can you let him down easy and not be mean about it?
- Don’t answer his texts or calls. If he texts you, and texts you consistently, do not bother to answer him. If a boy is actually putting his time to text and call you so much, then you must realize that he has a thing for you. If you do not reply, the amount of text messages he sends you will decrease over time. And soon enough, he may not even bother anymore.
*Image from Men’s Fitness
- Try to avoid going to places at certain times where you’re sure to run into him. Maybe he goes to the Pit at a certain time each day, or studies at a particular floor in the library. If you don’t want to keep seeing him around campus, perhaps you can change your study area or lunch time, to reduce the chances of having to say hello. To make things blunt, it will basically prevent any awkward situations when you openly try to avoid him.
- If he happens to talk to you, keep the conversation short. After the chemistry lecture, he decides to walk back with you for a post-class chat. Now, don’t be mean and walk away from him. Instead, talk to him and listen to what he has to say. Do not make the conversation more than 5 minutes—short and sweet. The best excuse to end a conversation? Say that you have a meeting with your faculty advisor, or an appointment at academic advising. With the illusion that you have a busy schedule, you’ll be able to end things quickly, and you can be on your way.
- Confront him and tell him you just want to be friends. I hate to say it, but there is a possibility that this guy is really crazy about you, and he won’t give up without a straight up answer. It becomes inevitable that a face-to-face conversation needs to happen. Tell him that he should understand that you two do not have mutual feelings and that you just want to be friends. Keep it simple and short. He may be upset, and he may not talk to you afterward, but at least you have kept the conversation smooth and mature.
Until next time!
Aphrodite