I'm 17 (M) and have just finished school. Back in 2022, when I was in 10th grade, I became really close friends with a girl. We used to talk a lot—both at school and on Instagram/Snapchat.
Our friendship actually began with a lie—I told her I had a crush on her best friend just to start a conversation. She took it seriously and even helped me figure out how to approach her. But in reality, I had a crush on her from a long time, not her best friend. I just didn’t know how to say it, so I used that as a cover. I never told anyone about this—not even her.
We used to talk almost daily—an hour at home and a few minutes in school. I also knew another boy from our class talked to her sometimes on Instagram, but I didn’t pay much attention to it back then.
We took the same school bus, which brought us even closer. Most of our conversations still revolved around my “fake” crush on her best friend, but deep down, my feelings for her were real and growing stronger over time.
Things started to change when I couldn’t attend her best friend’s birthday party. Since they were close, my absence seemed to create some distance. Soon after, the board exams were near, so we stopped going to school regularly. Around the same time, she deactivated her social media and shifted houses, which meant she no longer traveled with us on the bus. That hit me hard emotionally, but I stayed focused and did well in exams—and so did she.
In 11th, she left the school, and I had no idea where she went. I kept wondering how I lost touch with someone who once felt so close.
In 2023 and 2024, we only met briefly a couple of times—usually outside her tuition center. One time, she even messaged me to ask about a friend of mine who had followed her on Instagram. That was our only interaction during those two years.
It was sometime in 2023 when I found out she was dating that same boy from our class—the one she used to talk to a bit on Instagram back in school. That’s when I realized the bond I once had with her now belonged to someone else.
Even though I had liked her for a long time, I’ve moved on from any romantic feelings. I’m not interested in that anymore. All I want now is to be friends with her again—just like in 2022. Nothing more. Just a simple, genuine, casual friendship without any expectations.
TL; DR – In 2022, I got close to a girl by pretending to like her best friend, but I actually liked her. We talked daily and shared a strong bond. Over time, distance grew due to exams, her moving, and social media break. In 2023, I found out she’s dating a guy from our class. I’ve moved on from any feelings—now I just want to be friends again like before.