I am obviously uncomfortable with one of our colleagues. I’m introverted and my current constant company is my 1) one of the closet friend I made in college who is socially confident and just good at keeping with the flow with any group, and 2) a new friend whom I also became close with through our current group project. And her (friend#2) circle of friend are extremely extroverted. I normally don’t have issues with those kind of people because I seldom interact with them and am confident with my own friends’ company, but one of friend#2’s guy friend (call him Manny) has been getting on my nerves a lot.
The first time he interacted with me was when I’m with F1 and F2 and he approached me like we’re just as close as he is with F2, calling me names and both of them making fun of my obvious discomfort saying: “she’s getting irritated already” “she’s getting teary” “stop messing with her”, while laughing. I tried talking sometimes to brush him off and my social insecurity, but my energy just gets me too far and I just gave up and not say anything and just hope he leaves (or F2 finally get some sense to him) And I already told F1 about how I am genuinely upset on how Manny treated me and I don’t like him at all.
Now, I got on an unfortunate social “requirement” now to face him, now luckily I am actually busy doing something. F1 is there beside me and that’s why Manny and F2’s other friends are around me too and they aren’t talking much about anything other than ME! The moment I looked around and saw him the group immediately recognized/remembered that I “don’t like” Manny and started to make jokes about it instead. Like… He’s awkwardly scared to touch my laptop because I might get angry at him, or just nonsensically comment on how I program because I am focused and “how I’m good at it” because—insert things like ..I use the pad and mouse at the same time/uses split screen/not using AI or shit. And just kinda getting the air filled up with nonsense centered about my discomfort of him (and eventually the whole group of them) and I’m just more upset now because I thought I could handle socializing with him this time around but there’s literally nothing he talk to me about aside from the fact that “I am irritated with him”… Like he doesn’t treat me like a classmate. I’ve had conversations with some of the guys around us some time before and so I am fine to talk to them but HIM And his continuing “theme” of “She doesn’t like me but Im still making fun of her like we’re close” is getting into my confidence.
I’m kinda disappointed with F1 for introducing/reiterating that I’m irritated with Manny but I also expect myself to be mature and handle it better than the last time so I don’t have to face that discomfort again. I am dissatisfied with myself also on how I handled it: not talking/acting like I don’t hear them because I’m busy with program, and basically just taking it all in while they’re obviously and loudly behind me making fun of anything I do and with them just existing.
I don’t want to face him again (might be impossible) and I don’t want to be in the same situation with any other people ever.