I'll Be There For You | Reading Reddit Stories

24:50Saying this out loud kind of just made me realize he's manipulative. Oh, okay. So it's more than that. Yeah. It feels like no matter what, if you're asking something of your partner, and no matter what, they find a way to not honor that. That's besides any of that. I'm so interested. It sounds to me like, yeah, he needs Liam as like a safety blanket. but there definitely feels like there's a disconnect between their connection, OP, and the boyfriend connection. 100%. Like, what are they doing when they're hanging and watching a movie, like, at their home or apartment? Liam, why do you want to be there, though?

25:26I know. I think when you fall in ice so hard. Yeah, no, no. And someone picks you up. Right. Yeah, of course. And Liam maybe thinks that he has to save the boyfriend's life again. Maybe. Update. Okay. Okay, here we go. Oh, my God. This was posted the same day. Because she was on her way to break up. Yep, yep, yep. I broke up with my ex. I'm going to call him Xavier. I went to where we agreed to meet up, and guess who he brought with him? Shut the fuck up. You guessed it, Liam. Was it near an ice rink? I was very annoyed at this point. I told him I wanted to speak with him privately, and he brings fucking Liam.

26:05It's very uncomfortable to break up with someone in front of their best friend, but I was too pissed. I told him I said I wanted to speak privately, and he said, say it in front of Liam. What? Okay, so, okay. Xavier's got stuff. Yeah, get out of here. Eventually, I just get annoyed and say, that's it. I don't want Liam always here in our private life on dates everywhere. He basically said, remember what I told you about Liam's circumstance, blah, blah, blah. I said something like, I'm sorry, but I don't give a fuck about what Liam's going through right now. This is about me breaking up with you.

26:36Meanwhile, Liam is just standing there looking confused. I'll get back to this later. So we basically get into a fight in this park and it gets to the point where I tell him that he manipulates me into not kicking Liam out of our dates and about everything he told me Liam went through, like a brother to Xavier, save Xavier's life, dead mom, dad absent, no siblings, friends or girlfriends. And then Xavier looks like he got caught or something and Liam gets angry saying, what did you tell her? This is all really funny and really awful at the same time. It turns out none of what Xavier told me was true.

27:07Liam has a fiancé, has a real brother and sister, and his mom isn't dead. No! Ow! I was here with you. She yelled in my ear. That's not good friendship. Angela. Keep going. Okay, Zach didn't even point. No, no, no. Because Scott's used to it. He's got me on mute. So anyway, definitely broke up with Xavier. Like 40 minutes later, Liam DMs me basically saying that Xavier told Liam that I wasn't comfortable being alone with Xavier and that he thought I wanted him to be on the dates. Sir, what? He said the reason why he agreed is because his fiance is living in Europe to finish up her study abroad program and he had nothing better to do.

27:49So Xavier just flat out is a liar. Glad I broke up with him. Mad I got lied to. But oh well. This was honestly not a turn of events I was expecting and I have to get it out somewhere. Wait. What? This is. So, Xavier, Xavier, whatever, was saved on the ice. So, he was uncomfortable with his girlfriend. He didn't want to be alone with his girlfriend. So, he lied to both of them. Why didn't he want to be alone with his girlfriend? There's a lot to unpack with Xavier. I think Xavier's an interesting. I don't think Xavier's ready to date. I don't think Xavier, I don't know what Xavier's ready for. I don't know what he's ready for.

28:29He lied about everything that Liam went through. I wonder if Liam's still friends with him. Dude, if I found out someone was telling lies like that, I'd be like, hey, man. So Liam was doing it? Maybe I'm going to take a break, too. People are making lies up about me being like, sorry, she has to come. Her dad's dead. And I'm like, he's alive. What? Yeah, I would be so uncomfortable. This is really intense and weird. I don't know if you guys had this, but, like, it reminds me of, like, in middle school, I had a boyfriend that I was so scared to run into. Wait, you had a boyfriend that you were scared to run into?

29:01I was in middle school, so I was in middle school. I can relate to that. In middle school, the first girl I ever asked out, I was terrified. I was like, I have no fucking clue what I'm doing. I do get that. That is so relatable. There's actually a story in elementary school, a guy liked me. And I literally would cry if I was near him. Yeah. But this person is 22, right? Because you're not used to the pressure. Yeah, but he's 22. Okay. But to be clear, he's 22. He's 22. Scott, stop. You're not used to the pressure. Well, when you're little and you're just like, they like me? I understand what you're saying.

29:38Maybe there's something wrong with me because I would seek them out. I'd be like, where are they? They're down the hallway. There they are. Hey, babe. Amanda, who is 5 '10 in second grade. Where are they? Straight up. Where are you going? They were like, hey, do you guys hear that? noise? It was like, boom, boom. Where's my boyfriend? Where's little Mario? I smell him. He said he had a crotch. I smell him. I see his backpack. Where is he? I see his... Stop. I wasn't like that. That's crazy. You guys are sick. Not me. Jason, recess isn't over yet. I know. Can I just hide out here for like 40 hours?

30:22What do you mean he's with the school nurse? Jason! Can you send me to the principal's office? Hey, Jason! And Jason's like, can I just stand here for like 10 more minutes? Oh, mommy wants a kissy. For some reason I said I had a crush on her because I thought her hair was beautiful, but I didn't know her vibes were like this. Listen, I was really cool and very chill. You know what you need to do. You don't need to talk to them. I believe it. No, I'm going to talk to them. No, it does remind me, though, the first girl I ever asked out. It was in seventh grade. And I had such a crush on this girl.

30:54And I had a crush on her for so long, like months. And then I was just, I finally like had the courage. I was like, oh, do you want to be my girlfriend? And she's like, oh, yeah. And then I was like, I have no clue what to do now. It's so true. I was like, what do I do now? What happens now? You feel crazy. No idea. And it was just a weird week. And then it was like, I think one of her friends was like, yeah, I don't think she wants to be here. And I was like, I remember being relieved. I was like, me too. I don't know what we're doing. We didn't kiss. We barely hugged. I was just like, we just kind of had a title for a bit.

31:26Oh, God. In church, we would only do group hangs. So if you were hanging out or kind of dating somebody, it was in a group. It was never one-on-one. And then one-on-one, you're like, uh. You guys are crazy. I'm like, one-on-one, let's kiss for a long time. Okay, we have a little bit of an update in a comment. Okay. Okay. Did he, Xavier, ever explain why he did it? Are you still in touch with Liam? What is Liam's take on what happened? This was a little bit later, right? This was like a few, like a couple weeks later. OP responded, he never explained to Liam or me why he did it, but the vibe I'm getting from what Liam has told me and my own feelings on the matter are that he was trying to frame Liam into looking like Liam was on the dates with me so Xavier can show Liam's girlfriend photos or something to break up with Liam and his girlfriend.

32:15That's the second runner-up. I personally think that Xavier just did it for a sick game or something. As perfect as it would have been for Xavier to be gay for Liam, sadly. I don't think that's the case, but who knows, honestly. Me and Liam have talked every once in a while the past few days, but I'm definitely not friends with him. I'm not really sure if I can trust him because I don't know enough about Liam to know he is not a pot stirrer himself. Liam was definitely kept in the dark about a lot of things, so it's not his fault or anything. But I just don't know the friendship I walked into.

32:44Based on what Liam said, he feels baffled. When this topic first came up, he said he wouldn't know why Xavier would do something like this, but a tiny bit of him is not really surprised. I don't know what he did before that to be not surprised, because Liam never really gave me a straight answer. What I can take out of it is that he is really curious about Xavier's intentions. Hopefully this can answer any questions you might have, and if anything else needs more clearing up, you can ask. We have nothing more. I'd love to ask, but I really... Okay, so Xavier possibly wanted Liam to get caught in a photo with his girlfriend to make Liam's girlfriend, fiance, Matt.

33:21Okay. Yeah, okay. There's not really a good version of it. You could be scared, bro. You're likely scared. Yeah, I didn't just say you're scared. This feels... It's the problem with lying is that I'm just like, well, what are your intentions? But I can't trust your answers. This is a weird one. Yeah, super weird. Yeah. Anyways. Anyways. Moving on. Okay. This episode of Reddit Stories is also sponsored by Wayfair. Look, I'm a man who loves some balcony time and my outdoor space was overdue for an upgrade. I had uncomfortable plastic chairs, flower pots that were cracked and faded, balcony lights that weren't working.

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34:31I saved so much time, which means more time enjoying the outdoors. Get prepped for patio season for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com. Wayfair. Every style, every home. Wayfair. Every style, every home. Our next post comes from Am I the Asshole? Posted April, 2026. Am I the asshole for leaving my friend at a restaurant after she tested me? We got a friendship test. Here we go. Love it. Throw away because a lot of my friends are on here. So I, a 23-year-old woman, have a close friend, a 24-year-old woman, who we'll call Stella, who has this really annoying habit of doing little things to test our friendship.

35:16Uh-oh. She'll say stuff like, I just wanted to see if you'd notice I was upset. Oh. Or, I wanted to see if you would drop what you were doing to help me. This really pisses me off, and I've told her before that I would really love it if she stopped doing that and just talked to me openly if something was bothering her. Last weekend, we went out to dinner with two friends. At the end, we asked for separate checks. When it came to me, I noticed they had charged me for one of Stella's drinks. She had already paid, so I decided not to say anything then because I didn't want to complicate everything for the staff.

35:46I figured I would just bring it up later. After dinner, while we were saying bye, I quickly mentioned to Stella that one of her drinks had been charged to my bill and that I thought she had overlooked it. I said it really nicely and pretty offhandedly. However, after I told her that, Stella suddenly got really cold and just said, Oh. I'm a really awkward person and don't know how to handle people when they're being rude or standoffish, so I kind of let it slide. Later that night, she texted me saying she felt I had been acting selfishly and that she didn't feel appreciated in our friendship despite her doing so much for me.

36:18She said she had noticed the drink wasn't charged to her and waited to see whether I would offer to cover it since she had helped me move into my new apartment two months ago. Oh. I understand wanting to be appreciated, but I was honestly really annoyed. I don't think it's healthy to help your friends and expect something in return. That feels really transactional. I told her that if she wanted me to buy her a drink as a thank you for helping me move, it would have been better to say so two months ago. Instead, this turned something small into some arbitrary test of friendship. She replied that it shouldn't have to fall on her to keep reminding me to show basic appreciation.

36:53We decided to meet for brunch the next day to talk it out in person. I got there first and ordered a coffee. However, before I could even really say anything, she immediately started telling me how she hoped I had thought more about my actions. At that point, I just couldn't do it anymore. I was so frustrated that any attempt at having a productive conversation turned into me somehow being the villain. I just stood up, paid for my coffee, and left. I texted her afterwards saying that I was done participating in her little tests and that I can't be friends with someone who isn't willing to communicate like an adult.

37:23I just don't know how I can make her understand that she needs to stop testing people quite literally. Am I the asshole? There's an edit. I'm actually someone who hesitates to ask people for help because I hate inconveniencing others. So I didn't ask her to help me move. She volunteered to do it herself. And even then, it wasn't anything too crazy like big furniture. Just boxes I needed to transport over from my storage unit, which I was originally planning on doing myself anyway. and yes, I of course bought takeout for us after because I still would have felt really shitty taking advantage of someone even if they offered to help.

37:57Now I'm thinking maybe to her it felt like something I would have done anyway on a random hangout and didn't necessarily feel like an explicit thanks which I verbally said of course. I don't know. But overall, I feel like the whole situation was literally nothing significant to begin with so I have no idea how we got here. Thank you to everyone who shared their own experiences. You've all definitely helped me get some clarity on the whole situation. I think I just started questioning whether I had been too emotional at the time and should have given her some grace. But it's definitely taxing being her friend in the long run, and I genuinely can't do it anymore.

38:29Same. Whoa. Oh, my God. I am exhausted. Okay. I was exhausting. That wasn't funny. That wasn't interesting. That sucks. That's just a bummer. Dude, it sounds like this girl literally does things for other people just to be like, remember when I did that thing for you? Oh, my God. Those are red flag friends. It's manipulative. You can't have them. Yeah, people who keep track of shit and hold it over you, it's so exhausting. And I think there's the degree, I'm sure, within a lot of us where we're like, you keep track of things in the am I being taken, like, is this person taking advantage of me?

39:07Yeah. Like, I get that, and that is the case sometimes. But there are so many people out there who it's like, oh, like when you volunteer to do something and then use that as a chip against them. And she got her takeout. Like, girl, what more do you want? That tweet cancels out. Yeah. I also am, if we're going to get into that nature, and I am not this type, but if you are going to get into there, it's like, oh, like if you help someone move, the only expectation that I think I would justify is if later on they're moving and it's like of an equal caliber. I'm just like, hey, but it's not a transaction.

39:45It should just be like, hey, we're friends and we have each other's back when we need each other. Not, I did this, therefore, you need to do this. She not only tests her, but she's keeping score. Yes, it's the keeping score that's really scary. And like, I remember I had a friend in college that would do really nice things. Oof. And I never like saw it that straightforward, but then it took me a while to be like, oh, when she does this stuff that I don't ask for, it kind of makes me forgive her for stuff that she doesn't do. And that is, I think that that is actually a tactic. Whether these people know it or not.

40:19She's like, oh, if I drench her, it's a little bit of love bombing, but kindness bombing. Being like, I'm going to help you with your move. And now you owe me one. And it's like, I didn't get into that. And they're getting really lavish birthday gifts that you're like, whoa, this is so nice. And then their birthday comes around, and you're like, oh God, what do I have to do? Right, they put you in a bind. It's controlling. It's a very specific type of controlling. I'm a gift giver and sometimes I overdo it because I love gift giving. But then I'm thinking about doing something without making some, you could tell the heart behind a gift being like, I want you to have it because I love you and I love it.

40:58I don't feel anxiety when you give me gifts. When you give me gifts, I'm like, oh my God, this is so great. But what I'm saying is there's a different energy when someone gives you a gift because they want something in return. I agree. I know that you really, really like this thing, so I got it for you. I just thought of you. It's an instinctive thing. And then they tally something and they go, God, that gift. That made you feel a little bit higher than me. And it was just boxes. Yes, absolutely. Yeah, no, Angela, I feel like we all know. Because I feel like you'll give a great gift, but then you'll be like, oh yeah, but it's whatever.

41:27It's fine. Yeah, exactly. And then I give a gift to you. It's literally nothing and I don't even talk. I'm like, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. No, no, no. I'm actually leaving and I don't ever talk to you. I'm actually like moving. Don't see me. I'm actually moving to another country, so don't ever talk to me. So I tripped and fell on this gift for you. I'm just going to hand it to you. Something that really is tough for me is I'm not someone, I don't keep score. And therefore, I honestly don't like remember what I do for people sometimes. I don't want to brag about that. But people who keep score will be like, I did all this and what did you do for me?

41:58And I'm just like, I'm not thinking about that. When people are like, oh, I did that for you last year. It's like, no. You're thinking about that? Doing anything that's a giving mentality, like even buying a drink for someone, doing any of that with an ulterior motive is always gonna bring us. It's a little different to me. I really wonder if this person's family life had that included. Probably. If her mom went on trips and it's just like, how dare you do this thing? Because we just went on a trip. Oh, that is so real. It might be like parents, parenting or sibling. It could have been a learned behavior.

42:30No, for sure. I grew up around a lot of that too. I grew up around a lot of tests. Well, look how good you have it. I think it's very common. I do think it's a very common thing, but it's something like you gotta check in yourself a little bit. And also it makes me feel bad for the person who's testing because you can't just stand up for yourself. Like I know it's more vulnerable to be like, I don't feel loved by you. So I have to trap you into doing it and then go, put the lights on. Ashton Kutcher, come out. You don't love me. And it's like you just saying you don't feel that way is enough to the right people.

43:02Which is what I think OP was asking for. OP was like, listen, that hurt my feelings. Let's get coffee. And then Stella just completely derailed it. So she was like, okay, if we can't communicate like adults saying like, hey, I moved you and I actually felt like I really needed a little bit more, then it was like, okay, clear. I'm not able to give that to you. But instead, she traps them and then tests them. And then forces that. It's scary. It's so much better when friends care about you in response and you don't have to trap them into doing it. Yeah, exactly. Verdict is not the asshole. Comments, not the asshole.

43:40Tell her that the brunch was a test to see if she could communicate like an adult without playing mind games and girl tripping and she failed. 16 ,000 upvotes. Whoa. Gosh. Someone said, she sounds exhausting. Drop people that are energy vampires from your life. Someone said, okay, first off, I, 36-year-old woman, have been there before and I'll cut to the chase quickly. Let go of that friend. No matter how much it hurts, friend breakups suck or how much other friends will say you're being unreasonable. Let it go. It isn't worth being friends with someone who expects you to guess their moods and act accordingly.

44:11It also isn't worth constantly feeling like a bad friend. So you end up overcompensating later. Trust me, it isn't worth it. I also want to stress that this isn't about communication. It's 100 % about control. Yes. There may be a hole this friend is trying to fill that you just can't, no matter how hard you try. and the more you try, the worse it will get. You are not the asshole. A hundred percent. Okay, I like her. She's a good therapist, a Reddit therapist. To a certain degree, because I've heard of people being in situations where you have a friend who constantly is guilting you, constantly making you feel like you're not doing enough for them and stuff.

44:44And at a certain point, it's just like, hey man, I guess I'm not a good enough friend for you. Like, I guess we should not be friends. Don't you wish that you could say that to yourself back in the day and go, hey, drop this friend. But no, you go through this. they get you to a point where you feel so crazy. And you actually, I don't know if you've ever had a friend to be like, oh, well, you're not gonna be good without me. Or like, you'll never make it without me. And you've had so much time with them that you're broken down to a place where you really believe it. It's like, you look back on those friendships and you're like, whoa.

45:19Unfortunately, what sucks about it is growing up is you do, like your brain is so much smaller when you have only a couple friends. You're like, oh, I can only feel this way with this person. And the more older you get, the more you're like, oh. And then when friendships feel easier, it just takes them feeling harder for you to recognize, oh, that was so easy to talk to you and just be like, hey. You know what I mean? To immediately have healthy boundaries with a friend is just like unreal. And it's possible. That's the other thing. It's like when you only have a few friends, you're just like, oh my God, to have a friend that already has boundaries?

45:57How nice is that? Yeah. Or just like growing up, it's like who's in your class at school? Those are your friend options. Right, right. And you don't really have the like, and then as an adult, you go, whoa, I can kind of curve my time. I can decide who I want to be with and who I don't. Isn't that crazy when you give yourself that permission? I know, but growing up, you're like, well, we're in math class together. Well, we're in math class together, so yeah. Yeah. Well, good on OP, Forge Us. Yeah. Indeed. Our next story comes from Today I Fucked Up. Okay. Yay. Yay. Posted March of this year, 2026.

46:35Today I fucked up by kissing my friend because I was 100 % sure he was about to kiss me first. Ooh. Ooh, this is fun. Ooh. Ooh, your friend. Ooh, your friends. And you kissed. This happened three days ago, and I want to move to a different country. Oh. There's this guy in my friend group. We've been friends for like a year and a half. Nothing weird except lately it felt like something shifted. Or I thought it did. He was texting more, finding reasons to sit next to me. Did this thing where he'd fix my hood when it was half stuck in my jacket collar, which is like, who does that platonically? Who?

47:09That's cute. So last Friday, we're at a pregame at our mutual friend's place. It gets late, people leave, and it's just me and him on the couch. Close. Talking about nothing. And he gets this look on his face. Kind of soft, kind of serious. Oh, no. Leaning slightly and going quiet mid-sentence. I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I kissed him. He did not kiss me back. Oh, God. Not like he pushed me away. He just froze and then pulled back a little and did this sharp exhale and said, oh, one syllable. Oh. Oh. I wanted to dissolve into the couch cushions and become part of the furniture forever.

47:46Turns out he was about to tell me that he likes my friend. Oh, no. Crushing. Oh. That is crushing! Gag! Dead! Scarlet fever! On the ground! Bubonic plague! Bubonic? Bubonic! The plague has hit the town. He wanted my advice and was working up the nerve. That was the look. That was the quiet. He was nervous about talking about her. I had to sit there for another 40 minutes because I couldn't leave without making it weirder. We both pretended to watch something on his phone. I don't know what it was. I was not processing visual information at that point. He texted me the next day like, hey, are you okay?

48:31And I said, yeah, LOL, and have not opened anything since. I have to see him Friday, same friend group. They will be there. I am not okay. Oh. It's really sweet that he texted, are you okay? I know. See, I think that's sweet, but I also would hate him for it. Why? Yeah. Because you were like, don't be nice to me. I don't know. It's like you fall on your face and he goes, oof, you good? And he checks and says, you fell real hard, huh? I don't know. It's like embarrassing. But it's sweet. It's sweet. It's a nice guy. This is a. I don't know him, actually. No, I get it. He's your brother. It's nice.

49:05Okay, well, I don't have a brother. This is like the start of a pilot, I feel like. It really is. This is like the start of a protagonist's story. Because I'm like, man, that type of twisting of the heart of just like, oh, this person you like so much. and they're like, oh, you get so vulnerable. And they're like, no, I actually like your friend. Which is, nobody's doing anything wrong. Nobody's wronged her, but that is so devastating. But in every rom-com or whatever, that actually works out. And so when it doesn't, it's like, oh no. And then that smash cut to title, this is her story and she's alone.

49:43The Friends to Lovers thing, we've watched it a little too much. Where we're just like, you're like, well, You know, like, hey, whoa, hey. Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. In the games video we just did, Amanda and Chance got really close to kissing. Really? Yeah. And she, are you feeling okay about it? Yeah, are you all right? Yeah, it was like crazy. We like really almost Frenched. What about this that's a nightmare to me is like how sometimes having a crush gets your brain being like, They're sitting next to me. They love me. Oh, yeah. Yeah, you're so right. And it's kind of so horrifying. It's okay.

50:25The pillow just, like, shed on you. He wants to kiss you. Yeah, the pillow wants to kiss you. But it's like, that's what's so scary. Yes. It's like, because I was like, oh, did this guy do something wrong by hanging out with her one-on-one late at night after drinking and just, like, kind of talking to her? But I'm like, no, he didn't do anything wrong, but she interpreted it. Yeah. Like, he liked her back. Okay, but has it ever happened to you where, like, role reversal, where you've been the person, like, going out with a friend, and you're, like, and they're about to drop you off, and you're, like, okay, yeah, like, that was so much fun, and then they lean in for a kiss.

50:59Has that ever happened to you? No, has that ever happened to you? Mm-hmm. Oh, my God. I have had it with men where they, like, think, like, I was hanging out with someone, and they thought it was a date, and I was, like, oh, I thought we were getting coffee. Yeah. I didn't think it was, like. So I think it can get confusing because I think it's very easy. If you like the person, it's very easy to see exactly what you said. These moments of like, I hate when I do this, whatever. These moments where they say yes to something or they like are dropping you off or they're like getting a little bit close and you're like, oh my God, it's happening.

51:30But the other person is just like, yeah, this is a good spot. This is comfy. There's nothing about it. It's so scary and I don't know how you navigate it. Yeah, what is she going to do? I have no idea. Well, wait a second. Do we know anything? So he said he likes the friend. I wonder, is she really good friends with the friend or is that friend just like part of the friend group? I don't know. Oh, like how close of a friend is? Yeah, because then does she have to explain? It's got to be like a close friend. It's got to be like... And they're all hanging out again. It's got to be the most devastating.

52:02Comments, talk to him. Don't brush it off and act cool. Really talk to him. There's a 99 % chance that he also has no idea how to navigate this and he's just as embarrassed or confused as you are. Tell him it was a spur of the moment thought that you acted on because you think he's cute or whatever and you misread the situation. Let him react from there. Don't self-sabotage and be like, it was nothing, I don't actually like you, ha ha. Put the ball on his side of the court and see what he does. 8 ,000 upvotes. Someone said, the best is if you explain to him the misunderstanding. If he really is your friend, he will understand.

52:34Try to joke it off or eventually apologize. I also recommend learning the difference between care and love. No big deal. No worries. It happens to the best of us. I'm still learning too. For example, fixing the hood is actually showing care to one another. Not necessarily platonic, but for now, try to talk to him about it. No. If someone went like this. Hey, your hood. Well, I don't know if he's doing that. Also, it's a desert out here. The difference between care and love. Yeah, come on. We're just fucking trying to get by. If someone fixes your tag, you're like, what's your name? You're like, oh my God, kindness?

53:09We live in America, what? Like, my goodness. We can't, you can't, sometimes people do things. Kindness and love? Like, guys, it's a blurred line. That's like someone getting missed on them and going, that's not water. Whoa, what an interesting example. Whoa, okay. Someone's getting missed on you. Don't repeat it. That's not water. Hey, don't do what Opie's going to do. You've got to face it, girl. I don't want to face it. You've got to get missed it. You're going to get missed on you. That was a test. I wanted to see if you guys are listening. No! I wanted to see if you guys are listening. Don't test us, Stella!

53:43Because sometimes I think you guys are zoning me out. And I wanted to see if you guys are... I definitely don't zone you out. I literally heard you say missed. And I went, what? We both turned to you and asked what you just said. So I'm glad. I'm glad. Okay. Opie said, the hood thing was not nothing. I stand by that. My friend I told said, yeah, that's flirty behavior. So I was not completely delusional. I was maybe 30 % delusional, LOL. I keep replaying the O and I think about it and my stomach just drops every time. One syllable. He could not even finish a word. I don't know how to walk into Friday and look normal.

54:15I don't know what my face is going to do. Can I also say something? Beware of friends sometimes in this scenario because sometimes you'll be like, oh my God, he did this thing. They're like, oh my God, he loves you. They want to be supportive. They want to be supportive so they do actually support you in, like, not the right direction. But that's why you've got to be like, well, what do you mean? When I get missed on my face. Like, missed is what? If they've been friends for a long time, too, the line is very confusing and weird. And I do think, like, she went straight for going in for a kiss when maybe it's like you could put out feelers in a different way of being like, hey, like, we're friends, right?

54:56or like what's the, finding another simpler route because once you do the kiss, it's like you're in. Yeah, maybe be like, miss you. Missed you. Missed you. And then going like this. Oh. I think I would be like, toxic, like middle school Angela would be like, do you have any crushes right now? Is there someone that you're really into right now? Yeah. Or you just go like this. No, I'm not making a physical motion. I'm being like, I'm going, what does your heart feel? Oh, so that's... I'm not being like... Or like arms? No. Yeah. Get on an electric scooter and go really slow and be like, oh no, if you're standing right in front of me, I might accidentally kiss you.

55:47Better get out of the way. Get out of the way. If there was someone that you could kiss in this room right now, who would it be? That's a pitch that I've had. On a scooter? I've pitched this to Smosh. It's called kiss jousting. And two people get on electric scooters and they are blindfolded and they try to. You're going to fucking knock your teeth out. You drive very slowly and drive. From the producers of Who Slapped Me? It's kiss jousting. Yeah. And then Shane is also blindfolded. He goes, okay, I'm guessing who's jousting right now. Who's kissing. Okay, that felt like an Angela kiss. It feels like if Amanda was on a scooter, it would sound like she was moving really fast.

56:25Yeah, what if someone goes fast? That's going to hurt us. What the fuck are you talking about? So you're... You watch A Knight's Tale once. And you, like, are trying to kiss? Okay, but going very slowly. Like this? Just, just... We can't even light a candle in here without getting safety and control. You're right. You're right. We can't... People are going to have two motor-operated... If you want to have a birthday, you've got to go to the B room. Okay, let's pitch that. Last comment. Someone said, people send mixed signals all the time, sometimes completely by accident. It's unintentional. People misread signals all the time.

56:57People act on those mixed signals and misinterpretations all the time. You are human. Humans are going to be human. You'll be okay. Human. Thanks. Thanks, commenter. It's so true. I mean, this is such like real shit, but it's painful. It's painful, but this person will absolutely be okay. We've all kind of been there in a way. And now you got one. You did that. That's your big crazy story. You'll survive. Hey, I also think like you'll always have that story. Like, I, it's like, oh, you fucked up, whatever, blah, blah, blah. Whenever I hear about someone, like, shooting their shot, I'm just like, yeah, man, good job.

57:29Shoot your shot. Better to do that than to not. Not all shots missed. I've heard that. They're laughing. Not all shots missed. Not all shots missed. We should take you to a basketball court and see how many shots you missed. Not all shots missed. Not all shots missed. And it's just, like, challenge pit. Welcome to not all shots missed. It's like Angela has missed 500 shots. And in the background, you guys are on scooters. This episode of Reddit Stories is also sponsored by ZocDoc. This spring, my allergies have been flaring up. Tree pollen, flower pollen, dust pollen. My poor nose is going through it.

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59:11Back to the show. This is crazy. What is happening? I don't know. It's a Monday, by the way. Whoa, it is? Yeah. Our next story comes from True Off My Chest. I cut off my entire friend group because they believe I'm demonically possessed. I kept my side of the story in silence for over a year. It finally feels good to get it out, even if that means Reddit. Okay. What? It's been hard to share this. It took some time to get over the initial shock of everything. I, a 30-year-old woman, was part of a close-knit friend group for several years. We did everything together, and although many of them are non-denominational or fundamentalist Christians, we always got along just fine.

59:50I was raised Catholic, but no longer practice actively. Despite our religious differences, there was a mutual respect, or so I thought. One day, one of my closest friends in the group, let's call her Sarah, sat me down for what she called a heart-to-heart. She was clearly distressed and kept telling me she was worried about my well-being. Then she dropped the bomb. She believed a demonic entity was attached to me and that she had been sensing this for over a year. Oh, my God. She claimed the moment it started was a night we all took mushrooms together. According to her, a fundamentalist Christian taking mushrooms?

1:00:22Damn, that's a combo. What is happening? According to her, I somehow brought the devil into her home. She told me she saw the face of the devil in a photo taken that night, laughing and mocking us. She had even brought it up to her husband, who apparently saw it in me too. It turns out she'd also been discussing this with the rest of the friend group behind my back for months, and with her own husband for over a year. When she finally brought it to me, some of our mutual friends, including people I thought were level-headed, jumped on the bandwagon. She suggested I see a priest, get an exorcism, or go back to church for spiritual intervention.

1:00:54Even some of our extended friends who aren't even Christian seemed convinced something was wrong with me. As someone who still holds many core Catholic values, even though I no longer attend church, I was deeply offended. The entire experience left me feeling ganged up on and judged, not supported. Afterward, the group dynamic shifted. I felt ostracized. I noticed people giving me side eyes, making plans without me, and treating me like I was tainted or dangerous. They even criticized me for using sage or crystals for intention setting, calling it devil's work, and saying they were genuinely worried for my soul.

1:01:26Just to clarify, they never said the exact words, the devil's work. I was overgeneralizing in this statement. What she really expressed was more along the lines of deep concern that I was into that kind of stuff, and that she's seriously worried about me messing with sage, crystals, etc because that's the devil's temptation to stray you away from the lord these are her real religious beliefs eventually i told sarah i needed to take a step back her response was whenever you're ready to come back we'll be here with open arms she clearly believed she was coming from a place of love and i don't doubt her sincerity but i couldn't get past how hurt judged and betrayed i felt so i made a decision i cut ties with all of them i unfollowed and blocked them on social media, left the group chat, and blocked numbers.

1:02:08I haven't spoken to any of them in over a year. No explanation, no big confrontation, just silence. A few of the more distant friends who were involved but less intense have tried to reconnect, sending friend requests or messages, and honestly, I feel bad for some of them. I think they were just caught up in the group think, but part of me still feels like they had opportunities to speak up or think for themselves, and they didn't. Sarah and I had been friends for seven years. We were extremely close. Her intervention broke my trust, even if she truly thought she was helping. I haven't responded to her attempts to reach out since.

1:02:39I just can't. So Reddit, sometimes I feel guilty for cutting them all off without a word and choosing not to revisit those friendships. Damn. Whoa. So it's just a straight up confession about that they lost a whole friend group. Wow. I mean, this is really kind of heartbreaking, honestly, for this person. For your entire friend group to be like, oh, you're working with the devil? First of all, you see a lot of shit when you're on mushrooms. Like, come on. The being on drugs thing and going, we decided all collectively that you're a bad vibe. Yeah. Show us the picture. Where is the picture of the devil?

1:03:17I can't stop thinking about, like, insidious. That's all I'm thinking about is the guy's like. I just love, I love the fucking loops that some religious people jump through of, like, what they consider the devil's work and what they don't. Because I'm like, wait, hold on. Crystals are the devil's work, but you guys did a shroom trip, and that doesn't count. I'm like, what the fuck? And you saw visions, and that wasn't the devil's work? Like, what if, what the fuck? So the Catholic girl gave you the visions of the devil, not the drugs? Yeah, exactly. What? No, this is really sad. I also feel like we'll welcome you with open arms.

1:03:54To me, growing up in the Catholic church, I'm just like, this feels very familiar to me. It's very much like, oh, if you do what we don't like, you're out of here. Like, you're evil. But, like, when you're ready to accept that you're evil and change, then you can come back with open arms. It's so wild. The only demonic thing is ostracizing people. Yeah. You know what I mean? That, to me, is, like, the worst part of this. Yeah. Especially if we're talking, if the other friends are Christians, it's like, oh, if someone feels like they're, like, I don't know, you go towards them, I think, is, like, the idea.

1:04:28rather than like back off. Yeah. But like, but I respect people protecting their peace. Like, sure. Sure. But this just feels like they just ganged up on her because she's different. Totally. Totally. It's just controlling behavior and they... Also crystals, that's the devil's work? Since when? It changes all the time, I feel like, what they label as devil's work. Sometimes the things you don't understand and the things that scare you, don't... I feel like a lot of religions just label that like, go away. Go away. and when you've changed, when you've gone back to where we are, come back. It feels very clicky.

1:05:03And I'm very glad that this person actually cut these people out. Oh, they had to. Goodbye. Well, and it's like, it's actually, I'm like, you didn't necessarily cut them out. They were intolerant of you. Like, they're such an intolerant group and you kind of had no choice. Like, you weren't safe. But what the funny thing is about this is she did nothing. It just happened because they were on drugs and they all collectively had a weird vibe from her. They just, what, I really want to see this picture. If weird vibes were demonic, I'd have no friends. I'm not, yeah. Hey, I like demonic people, and you're one of them.

1:05:36I'm not fully buying the mushroom trip. I think this was just something, like, they were building up to, like, at some point. I agree. Like, maybe if someone's a bad vibe because they're mean, and they're treating people awfully. Well, they're hiding behind a really bad excuse. But she did nothing. She literally did nothing. She did nothing. But this is just controlling behavior. I mean, come on. In America, we see this literally every fucking day. It's just like going out of their way to try to control people who are doing literally nothing to them. And it's really heartbreaking because I think if you don't have a good support group, you can really feel like you are bad, that you are evil, that you are negative, that what you're doing isn't right.

1:06:14But it's like, to me, this person is actually doing things that makes her feel good. To me, it's like religion, spirituality, whatever it is that's gonna make you feel more connected to your inner self, that's the work that you should be doing. And we shouldn't be shunning people for that. Well, it's also like, they would say it all the time in the Bible too. Whereas like all the disciples, all the disciples would be like shunning people that were weird or sinful. And Jesus would love them and go towards them. And everyone would be like, what? So it's like, that is the basic thing at its core.

1:06:46Yeah. So maybe we got that, but. No, I think we keep that. It's true though. We keep that. That's legit. It's so true. And then it's the same pattern that a billion years ago was happening. That's still happening today where people are like, if I don't understand you, I can't love you. If I don't understand you, I can't love you. Exactly. Comments, why is she even judging you and stuff for not being fully Christian when she voluntarily took mushrooms with you? Didn't she even think it was the paranoia from the shrooms? OP said, it seems like she used the shroom trip to validate her own original suspicions.

1:07:18But yes, considering the paranoia from the shrooms is a very logical way to think. Someone said, the thing I'm stuck on is the assertion that using crystals or sage is not of God, but doing shrooms is okay. Like, Jesus is against rocks and harmless plants, but A-okay with technically poisonous psychedelic fungi. Lastly, someone said, and good riddance to all of them. Sarah was never your friend. That was a setup, and she used your faith to gang up on you. I can't. It's honestly what bad trips you're scared of. When you're doing drugs, you're scared everyone's talking about you and thinking to not talk to you.

1:07:50And you do see hallucinations. Sometimes you see people's face like totally. Totally. You're on drugs. Yeah, 100%. You're on drugs. Yeah. Sounds like the beginning of a song. Sucks. A church song. I don't think this person, this friend group, has ever in a moment in their life gone, maybe I'm wrong. No, never. Yeah. Never. And I bet they're like, well, shrooms are of the earth, so we could do them. Yeah. But that's the Christians I'm here. But rocks are not. But crystal meth, you made that. Yeah, exactly. But this is the earth. Yeah. They're minerals, by the way. Crystals. Just get out of town.

1:08:29We are not friends anymore. You've watched Breaking Bad. You know Hank Schrader. Oh my God, of course. He loves his minerals. God, we're on like the third Breaking Bad reference of the day. You haven't seen it. It's fucking great. It's 2026. If you have seen it, you would be on it too. Crystal meth. Meth. Our final story comes from True Off My Chest. It was posted only a few days ago. I saw a friend in the room. in the market and I can't stop thinking about how she greeted me. Okay. What market? What year is it? Sup, ho! Sup, stupid idiot. Sup, you slut! Nice ass, slut.

1:09:06It's like, thanks. Hey, my girly slut! You ass looking good! Woo! Woo! I'm heading to the B room! The demons are in there. That's where the demons are. The other day, my husband and I, this is a 57-year-old woman, walked into the supermarket, and there in the produce section, I saw a friend who I hadn't run into for years. We know each other in a professional capacity, more than a personal one, but we get on very well, even though we never socialized outside of work. So I see her standing there, and I'm so happy. I exclaim, is that Dina Piscayati? Not a real name. She made up Dina Piscayati. Is that my slut with that nice fat ass?

1:09:48Is it offensive if I say, Angela, do you know how to pronounce this? P-I-S-C-I-O-T-T-I. Is this your friend? P-I-S-C-I-O-T-T-I. Pissiotti. Pissiotti. Pissiotti. Is that Dina Pissiotti? With a huge smile. So this is what OP exclaimed. But that's not her name? No, that's not her real name in parentheses. I really enjoyed the way Shane said that, though. I really like. is that Dina Pissiotti with a huge smile she turns around and it takes just a minute for her to register my face and then she comes in. I thought we were going to do a friendly hug and a little squeal of delight but no. She grabs my shoulder and pulls me into a hug fully pulls me in and hugs me with a huge smile and a huge embrace and then pulls away laughing and smiling and then pulls me in a second time I don't think I've ever been hugged like this in my life.

1:10:43I've never been surrounded by such genuine joy and happiness to be seen. It was completely sincere and filled with joy. We stood there for a minute catching up, introducing her to my husband, excited small talk, and left with plans to meet for lunch, which we have scheduled for next week. I cannot stop thinking about that hug. Again, no one has ever done this for me. Not my parents, siblings, husbands, other friends, no one. It felt like pure acceptance and happiness to be seen in like a long lost family member. It was wonderful. Okay. Is that Dina Pisciani? Is that Dina Pisciani? I love you, bitch.

1:11:21Thank God I ran into you near the avocados. God, I've never had someone do that for me. I've never had someone manhandle me and call me. She's like, God, it's so good to see you. Yeah, it's me. Okay, so what's really funny to me is I misheard this, and I thought OP was talking about someone looking at her, calling her a full wrong name, going, is that Dina Pisciotti? Is that Dina Pisciotti? Why is this story so funny? And then Dina Pisciotti grabs her in, and you know that part in the figure skating where they, like, spin them around their torso? and she grabs her, hugs her, flips her around. I'm just like, whoa, what was this, was this woman, maybe she was like, maybe she just won a lot of money in that moment or something beforehand.

1:12:15Yeah, or maybe it was just like, she was like, that is me. I am Dina Pesciotti. That is me. You're goddamn right I am. You're right, you slut. Get in here. Because I think we keep saying this sentence, like, is that, like, really fun? but imagine it O.P.'s 56 or something and she's like, is that Dina Pisciotti? Yeah, you're damn right I am. Come here! And then she's like, I've never felt that way in my entire life. Yeah, whoa, what did the husband think? He's just like... He's like, I've never seen anything like that before in my entire life. I'm obsessed with Dina Pisciotti. He's like, who's Dina Pisciotti?

1:12:56Who is that? And she's like, Dina Pisciotti. She's like, Dina Pisciotti. I met her once. It's a market. She goes, years ago. Her and I. We used to have fuck. Yeah, her and I. We went down on each other for a long time one night. You'd think. Yeah, Dina Pissiotti. Is that? We went to France and oh boy. And we French. Or what if OP was like a normal woman? And she goes, she's like, yeah, honey. Oh, I'd love, let's get a couple of these. Is that Dina Pissiotti? Is that Dina Pissiotti? And she goes, holy, catch it in. Oh my God, is that Susan Brankoff? Get over here! And then the dad's like, what?

1:13:37What? There's a cart in between them, they smush it. It goes, all the groceries just splatter. My God, if that isn't the ass of Dina Pissiotti, then I am mistaken. I didn't realize I was in the cake aisle. Are we doing serpents right now? Then I am mistaken, the Lord has risen. In the name of the demons in the B room, is that Dina Piscayati? God damn it, it was her birthday and she can do whatever she wants in a banquet hall. Hey, so anyways. By the way, OP couldn't walk. After the hug, she could. She gets up, she goes,

1:14:22Dina, and she goes, yes, ma 'am. She goes, check your wallet. Check your wallet. There's$100 in there. Oh my God. That is Gina Pesciotti. I love this story. I love this story. But also though, it makes me sad that OP doesn't feel like seen or loved or hugged. Me too, even by her husband. Does her husband not grip her at any time? Are you, have you well? Let's talk about the ramifications of this situation. Like, God. This is a funny story to read because when I'm at the grocery store, I don't want anyone to talk to me. Oh, I've had like a couple of these happen to me at the grocery store. Where it's like, Amanda!

1:15:08You're fucking kidding! You're joking! Los Feliz! Bitch! You? No? Okay. No, it happens to me all the time. The problem is like, especially if you have perishables in your cart, you don't have much time. Oh my God! Is that what you're thinking about? You're such a hunter-gatherer. I have chicken breast in my cart. So I have chicken breast in my car. I cannot take a hug. I'm so sorry, Dina. Sorry. I can't say hi. I'd love to see you and squeeze that sweet ass. I got perishables in the car. I'd love to squeeze that sweet ass. I'd love to get that sweet ass on my palms. Well, is that Dina Pisiotti?

1:15:40I'm so sorry. I got eggs in here that are dying by the second. I'll see you later. I'll see you later. God, this market is fun. If I don't get them out of here, they're going to hatch. Anyways, goodbye. Jesus. All right. Comments. Update? Fuck no. A genuine heartfelt hug has been shown to prolong life. I know hippies get a bad rap, but some of the best hugs I've ever had were at Burning Man and lasted longer than 30 seconds. Okay, there's not just hippies there. Everyone needs to be hugged once in a while. What the fuck is happening now? There's not just hippies at Burning Man. Come on. They're architects.

1:16:10Yeah, they're all - They're builders. Yeah, they're all from Silicon Valley. Yeah. Someone said, there are a few people I've hugged in life who give mom-dad hugs. Like, I completely melt in their arms and feel safe, seen, and cared for. I did tell one lady this and she pulled me back in for another and told me I could have a mom hug whenever I needed one. Thanks for giving the best hugs, Jen. Someone said, I love this. I must admit I'm so jaded by my Reddit negativity that I assumed the OP was going to complain about overstepping boundaries or whatever. I had my pitchfork ready. It was such a lovely and wholesome surprise to read this.

1:16:42Lastly, someone said, there's not a lot of joyful, wholesome posts. I feel so negative for waiting for that. Thanks for sharing. we can all choose to be a light for others and ourselves. Dina Pistiati is a light. Dina Pistiati is a character we got to do now. Dina Pistiati. Whoa, she's changed. I thought she was like. Because we're doing impressions of OP. Because OP is who said, is that Dina Pistiati? You're right, you're right. Dina Pistiati turned around and goes, you got it right. Give me a big hug. Get the fuck away. Is that my best friend? Is that the only girl? You're getting my best friend?

1:17:15Is that the only one? And then she hugs you. She puts her cigarette out on your back. And I felt this heat on my back, and it was like, I'm ascending. She's like, is that my motherfucking sister? Hey, sister, come here. Come here, come here, come here. And then the shopping carts, the metal just melted. Hey, take a lemon on me. She's like, but Dina, you haven't been following yet. Dina, it's been so long. I know. Dina, wait. Oh, I remember France. No, Dina. Oh, yeah, Dina were out there. Oh, Dina, that was crazy. What was happening in France, honey? Oh, is this your husband? You're going to want to step back.

1:17:54Hello. I've never given her a hug like you've given her a hug. You know what I'm saying, Dina? Whoa. I can tell. I can tell. Before Dina was like that, we used to fuck a lot. Like what? Yeah, I figured. Yeah, yeah, I figured. What are you talking about? Dina, something has happened to Dina. I've ascended. I did true. Yeah, we know. I've been in this grocery store for two weeks. They won't let me out. Good time. Dina Pesciotti. She wins Reddit. Yeah. Yeah. We need her. Can I be honest for a second? In that delirious laughter, I thought we were at the old studio. Whoa. Whoa. Shane, we all. Remember where it is?

1:18:45And you know what I thought? I thought this was a haystack.

1:18:51I love this so much.

1:18:59This reminds you of a haystack. I cannot stop thinking about it, that this is a haystack. You know those that are rolled up in the farm? We have to get her home. We have to go home. I know, thank God this is the last thing we do. Is that a haystack or Dina Piscayati? I recognize that haystack anywhere. Is that Dina Piscayati? I only know one person built like a haystack, and it's Dina Piscayati. I recognize that bond anywhere, Dina. Oh, God, we got to cut this off, y 'all. Everyone's going to be like, this was not a good act. You know who I want to meet? Liam, because he could save my life one day.

1:19:35True. True. All right. Angela, Amanda, this one about how I expected it to go. That's what friends are for. That's literally. That's right. Thank you for joining me and thank you for watching. Boy, hey, hug your friend. Bye. See you next Saturday. Okay, bye. Hug your friend. Hug your friend. Let's go back to the B room. All right, we're going to the B room. Okay, this was the A room though. That's what you're not getting. Yes, yes, yes. This is A room. Yeah. So I was, oh, here. Uh-oh, haystack. Uh-oh, the birthday girl. Oh, look at that. There's a bunch of charcuterie over there. Is that Dina Pisciotti?