Frenemies

The term 'frenemies' is interesting me as of late. Frenemies = enemies disguised as friends... Urban Dictionary says they're a type of 'friend' whose words or actions bring you down (whether you realise it at the time or not. The type of friend you ought to cut off but don't, because... they're nice... good... you've had good times with them. You know... they're good people that you can count on to bring you down again sometime in the near future. The friend you may or may not have cornered about their quicksand like ways and keep around because 'it's in the past'...

I more or less agree with this description and i've been wondering whether it applies in my life. I've lways had the people that i didn't see eye to eye with. My 'nemesis' at school competed with me about everything; in debating, classes, sport... but she was only someone i laughingly refered to as an enemy.

These days, i've got people who i thought of as friends doing things that are decidedly un-friendly. Betrayal, murder, intrigue... or maybe something a little less dramatic. But i did head about the following conversation...

Friend 1: *companionable silence*
Possibly Frenemy: I know i treat Annabel like a bitch, and she knows it too, but i don't really care.
Friend 1: *stunned silence*

I'm thinking that these might be the words of a possible frenemy. As of yet, i'm undecided. And this is just one example, of many, from many different people.

The big question, as Urban Dictionary's lovely definition highlighted, is whether or not to cut these people lose. There have been many memories, and there've been lots of good times. It's just whether the occasional good times are worth all of the times that these frenemies make me feel like crap. I'm starting to think that they're not. But how am i supposed to cut people out of my life who've been in it for so long?!

It's a question that i'll leave for another day.