Dear 2109,

I’m lonely and I don’t think anyone (friends included) like me. I mean, I have friends but deep down I’m paranoid that they all find me super annoying and weird. I love my friends and I don’t want to lose them, but I don’t know if its my brain playing tricks on me or I’m onto something. What do I do? 

Dear Lonely Lucinda,

I’m sure that you are not completely friendless. We all have times we feel insecure about our relationships. Instead of constantly stressing out, ask yourself why you have this reoccurring thought that your friends hate you. If you feel like they’re doing things to make think this then I think it’s best if you bring it up to them. Sometimes a little reassurance is all you need!

Dear 2109, 

I’m so single it’s really sad and I think that I’m going to stay single for the rest of my life, which I would prefer not to happen. Please help.

Dear Single Sally,

I feel you! Sometimes being alone can suck, and I mean SUCK, but it’s also not the worst thing in the world. You can be just as happy alone. Put yourself out there. Start approaching people you don’t normally talk to, even if it’s just in class. This might seem scary but just remember everyone is/has gone through something similar. But when it comes time that you’re getting into a relationship, make sure it’s for the right reasons, you should like the person, and not just date them out of loneliness, remember, no relationship is better than a bad one!

Dear 2109, 

I have mutual friends in this friend group with my close friends and they hang out a lot. When I ask to do something with them my close friends says that the mutual friends think I’m too “popular” to hang out with them. How do I make them see I’m interested in hanging out?

Dear Mutual Mayhem

I think that it is really important to make it clear to your close and mutual friends that you don’t view yourself as too cool to be around anyone. If your close friends still don’t think it’s a good idea, I would go directly to the mutual friend group and ask them to hangout! It might be a little more awkward than having your other friends help you, but it’ll show that you’re interested and want to build a better friendship with them.