What Would You Do?
Your friend borrows your hoodie/hat without asking and keeps wearing it around like it’s theirs, but doesn’t damage it or lose it. What would you do?
Say something directly but casually—let them know it’s yours and you want them to ask before taking it. If it keeps happening, set a clearer boundary so it doesn’t become a habit.
You see someone you know walking toward you in the hallway. You’re unsure whether to nod, look away, or say something.
Keep it simple—make brief eye contact and either give a small nod, wave, or say “hey,” then keep walking. Don’t overthink it!
You’re telling a story that you think is funny, but as you keep talking you notice people start looking at their phones, whispering to each other, and not really responding to you anymore. What might that mean?
It likely means people are losing interest or not engaged with the story. You should notice the cues and wrap it up or shift the conversation so others can join in.
You told your friend something personal in confidence, and a few days later you start hearing other students talking about it. No one directly says your friend told them, but it’s pretty clear the information didn’t stay private. What do you do?
Decide if you want to confront your friend privately. If yes, talk to your friend and let them know you’re hurt and disappointed that what you shared wasn’t kept private.
Two classmates are arguing and it doesn’t involve you. One of the students is your friend. Is this your problem?
No—stay out of it. If it escalates you can inform a teacher/ staff member
Your friends are making plans for the weekend and decide to go somewhere you’re not allowed to go. They start telling you to just go anyway and not worry about it.What would you do?
Stick to your boundary and don’t go. Tell them clearly you can’t and suggest another plan or activity you can do with them instead, rather than giving in to pressure.
You and your friend are talking during independent work time in class. At first it seems fine, but then you notice the room gets quiet and multiple people, including the teacher, start looking in your direction. What does that tell you?
It tells you that you’re distracting the class and the teacher has noticed. You should stop talking right away and refocus on the work.
Your friend keeps making jokes about you in front of other people. Everyone laughs and goes along with it, but it actually bothers. You are not sure if you should say anything.
Pull your friend aside to have a private conversation. Let them know the jokes bother you, even if others are laughing. Set a clear boundary about what you’re comfortable with.
Your friend tells you to “cover for them” and say they were with you last night, but they actually weren’t and you don’t know what they were doing. Is this your problem?
Yes—it involves you because they’re trying to use you to lie. You’re not responsible for their situation, but you are responsible for being honest and not putting yourself in something you don’t know about.
You’re walking through the hallway and you overhear a group of students who you are not friends with talking about you. They don’t realize you can hear them. What do you do?
You’re walking through the hallway and you overhear a group of students who you are not friends with talking about you. They don’t realize you can hear them. What do you do?
You go to talk to a friend who is usually talkative, but today they respond with short answers, avoid eye contact, and have closed body language. What is that telling you?
It likely means your friend is not in the mood to talk or something is bothering them. You should give them space and/or check in with them in a supportive, caring way.
You’re in a group with your friend and they keep interrupting you or finishing your sentences like they already know what you’re going to say. It’s small, but it makes you feel ignored. How would you handle this?
You don’t need to make it a big confrontation in the moment. A simple move is to calmly reclaim your space like “wait, let me finish”. If it keeps happening, it’s better to talk one-on-one with your friend because most people don’t notice they’re doing it until it’s pointed out.
A friend tells you something very serious and then says “you can’t tell anyone.” Based on what they told you, you feel like they might not be safe or might be in trouble. Is this your problem?
Yes — if you are concerned for your friends safety, tell a trusted adult even if they asked you not to.
You’re trying to jump into a group conversation, but every time you start talking someone else talks over you or the topic shifts before you can finish. You’re getting frustrated and feel like giving up or just interrupting louder to be heard. What would you do?
Don’t compete to get louder, Wait for a natural pause, keep what you want to say short, or address it calmly (“hold on, I was gonna say something” or “wait, I want to finish this real quick,”). If it keeps happening, it’s also okay to shift where/how you’re trying to join the conversation rather than forcing your way in.
You run into someone, start talking, and realize you completely forgot their name—even though you’ve met before.
Be honest but casual (“remind me your name again?”) instead of avoiding or pretending.
You walk up to a group that is already talking and you interrupt with something completely unrelated to their conversation. The group gets quiet and looks at you like they weren’t expecting that. What now?
Acknowledge it quickly (“my bad, wrong timing”) and either step back or wait for a better moment before joining the conversation.
You and a friend get into an argument because he took your bag of chips without asking when you went to the restroom. He thinks it’s okay because you usually share, but you were saving them this time. How do you move forward from this?
stay calm, explain your perspective using “I” statements (like “I was actually saving those today”), listen to your friend’s side, and set a clear boundary for the future—such as asking before taking something—so the situation doesn’t happen again.
Your friend tells you they cheated on a test by looking at your paper. They ask you to lie for them by saying you didn’t see anything. You didn’t even know they were cheating at the time. Is this your problem?
Yes—it involves you now, but you should not lie or take responsibility for someone else’s cheating
You’re in math class and the teacher tells everyone to move their chairs for partner work. Your partner moves their chair really close to you, so close that you feel uncomfortable. You’re sitting next to a wall, so you can’t move over. They don’t seem to notice they’re in your personal space. It starts to feel awkward.
You could say nothing and just deal with it, but if something is making you uncomfortable, it’s important to speak up in a respectful way—either by calmly saying, “Hey, can we scoot a little? I need a bit more space,” or, if it feels natural, making a light comment like, “Whoa, we’re kinda close here.”
A girl in your class is nice to you and laughs at your jokes, but she acts the same way with other people too. How can you tell if she’s just being friendly or if she might be interested in you romantically?
Just because someone is nice to you and laughs at your jokes doesn’t automatically mean they’re interested romantically—especially if they act that way with other people too.
It’s important not to assume; instead, you can pay attention to patterns (do they try to spend one-on-one time with you, start conversations, or show extra interest compared to others?), and if you’re still unsure, you can get to know them better and, when appropriate, respectfully ask to hang out to see how they respond.