By Cheryl Mattox Berry
Just when you’ve settled in to watch “Pretty Little Liars,” the phone rings. It’s your BFF, and she’s in crisis. Again. She’s sobbing and threatening to run away. You listen and try to calm her down. Before you know it, your favorite show has gone off.
You get angry with yourself because you’ve let her hijack your time again on something trivial. Her distress calls seem to come more frequently now and always at the wrong time.
She’s been your BFF since middle school, and you two have stuck together through thick and thin. You want to continue being her friend, but this act is getting old. Go ahead and admit it: Your friend is a Drama Queen starring in her own reality show, and you have become her audience.
Her life is filled with fights with her boyfriend, mom, sister, teacher, coach, tutor – everybody she comes into contact with. She thrives on conflict and having everyone within a 50-mile radius come to her aid after a blowup.
Whenever there’s an issue, you’re the first person she calls. It’s gotten to the point where you hate to see her name on the caller ID. The problem is usually resolved quickly but not before she has disrupted your day or night. Then, she laughs it off like it was no big deal.
Enough is enough. To get off this merry-go-round and maintain your sanity, you can impart some traditional “Dear Abby” advice or try reverse psychology. On a serious note, tell her that she needs professional help because her problems are way over your head and you don’t want to give bad advice. Then, refer her to a 24-hour help line, school counselor or therapist.
Option No. 2 might be more fun. Wait until your friend is in a good mood. Tell her you’ve been doing some research and think her life would make a good reality TV show because it’s full of drama. Give her a rundown of every crisis you can remember. Urge her to pitch a show based on her life to a TV production company.
Of course, deliver this suggestion with a straight face. She’ll either see that she’s been a pain in the butt and stop the drama or she’ll take you up on your suggestion. Either way, you should get some relief.