Malika Garib

They dump on me.

They tell me all their, like, like, they vent at me and they talk at me and then, like, they don't let me leave me any room to, like, speak.

And I think that it's because I'm way too nice.

And I don't have any boundaries with friendships, too.

It's like, I'll just keep hanging out with a person because I feel obligated.

So for this high school student, I spent a lot of time looking through all of our friendship episodes.

And I found the perfect advice for you.

I'm ready.

From an interview with the writer Rachel Wilkerson Miller, who wrote the book, The Art of Showing Up, How to Be There for Yourself and Your People.

And her advice was this.

Break up with a friend like you would break up with a partner.

Here's what you might say to this energy vampire.

Listen, I appreciate that you want to be friends with me, but I'm just not feeling the connection.

I know we're in a lot of classes together, so let's try to be cordial with each other when we see each other.

But for now, I'd appreciate if you gave me a little bit of space.

I hope you understand.

Oh, my God.

That's why I attract the energy vampires, I think.

It's because I think they can just dump on me.

But I think that I have to have a boundary.