Ever had a group of friends? If so, how did they treat you?

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I can't remember ever having a group of friends, mostly I just had a friend that I was best friends with. I wanted to be in groups of people but I never acted right and people didn't really want me to be in the group.

I thought I had a group of friends. I remember thinking "Oh cool just like my brother". But it turned out only a couple actually liked me. Most were either indifferent or found me annoying. And a significant subgroup were bullies who picked on me and another socially awkward kid in the group. They made my life hell and still would if they could even though it's been over a decade since I talked to them and I've made it clear I want nothing to do with them.

I used to be so afraid of them that when I met autistic people who resembled me I thought it was my "friends" playing a joke. (And they could pull stuff like that too, very complex and cruel jokes.) I learned they weren't my friends after spending more time with real friends. The first one I called "exception" rather than friend because she was nice and "friends" weren't. The second one I kept waiting for the cruelty and it never came so I realized real friends aren't cruel and ditched them.

I have had groups of friends such as the high school basketball team, the local Democratic Party and the Unitarian Universalist church that I attend. I often feel that people like me, but again have not included me in any of the decision making, leadership, or internal workings of these organizations. I often feel a part of these groups, but again on the periphary.

I have actually done better with one on one friendship. Again, it took me a long time to understand that people could like me, but have other friendships that they cultivated.

as a young child, I mostly just had a few friends here or there, with one or two of them staying with me to this day, though we're not as close anymore.

Many of the friends I used to have turned into total pricks later on in life.

In my early 20s I did end up gaining a group of friends, and we'd hang out all the time. The leader was a total douchebag though, and a year & a half later we kicked him out and--prepare yourself for this--I became the leader!

Now before you all start downing yourself over this thought, relax: much like myself, they too were all social misfits. I was the only one of all of them who had the balls to stand up for what I believed in rather than being swayed by people, so of course they all pretty much just followed me.

I've also been told I have leadership skills, so that likely helped too.

Today, I'm room-mates--not to mention business partners--with one of the folks from that group; he and I work really well together.

We talk occasionally to our old chums, but he and I are two years away from 30, and are busy with other things now...like, oh I don' know...our girlfriends, for one...

All through elementary school I was effectively shunned by my classmates. Especially the 'cool girls', they made my life so difficult. I was afraid to go to school starting from grade 3 - grade 8 basically. (Even the teachers later said that my year of students was the worst in a long time.) But I did have a group of 'friends' that totalled 5; obviously I was always the one without a partner-friend within that group. But it was either those other 4 or the cool girls. Boys were out of the question to hang around with.
By grade 7 I wasn't really friends with everybody, except for conveniently when they needed help with music or French work. I did a lot of tutoring.

In highschool I had a group of 3 total. The other two came from the same elementary school. That went a bit better but in grade 10 some awful girl also from that e.school told them to stop hanging around with me for no reason, so I was all alone that year. I didn't have much success with the school bands either. I was involved in just about every ensemble I could be in (even the ones below my year; sometimes I conducted), but I only had 'friends' for my comic relief skillz.

In university, same deal. Kept entirely to myself because I'd been burned far too much to risk it, though I did make some friends in marching band. Comic relief again! (It managed to earn me the Awesomeness award though; I still have the proper plaque!) But I withdrew from them completely once I realized I wouldn't make it through the year.

So from then I've not really had any friends. My former church's youthgroup rejected me for unknown reasons, I guess I was too weird for them. And I love my current church, but there is no one my age, and I feel awkward socializing. So I don't. I have an excuse because I run the soundboard and the visuals. So I just look perpetually busy and people don't tend to bother me.

However, I have managed a boyfriend. He is also my best friend, so I guess I do better with 1-to-1, like many of the others here. I suppose the trick is finding someone who can put up with your oddities while you figure yourself out.