Write an article based on this "Brace yourself for the sadness of a lost friendship. Contain your anger. Prepare your defenses for incoming passive-aggression. Accept the friends who don't take your side. Meet some new people"
Sometimes losing the worst people hurts you the most. You had good times, though. They were cool, fun, and funny when you were friends. Losing them, no matter how bad things got, is going to feel like ripping off a bandage. It hurts, and it stings in the open air, but it's for the best. Your friend might not take it well. One or both of you might end up crying, begging, or flying off in rage. But whatever the current emotions, they do not erase the reasons you had for ending things. You're going to feel guilty, end of story. Just remember that, no matter how broken your relationship may have been, it's normal to feel responsible for the death of a good thing. It will pass with time. It isn't doing you or anyone else any favors. Chances are good that your friend will be angry enough for the both of you. Hurt feelings morph quickly into anger, and anger leads to doing things you'd probably rather not do. If you feel tempers rising on either side, take a step back and get out of there shortly. Like cookies on a hot tray, you'll both cool off faster when you're separated. If your former friend tends to become aggressive when confronted, you should expect verbal or even physical backlash. End things in public, and bring a friend or write a letter if you're really worried. You're going to be angry for a while if your friend hurt you. It's normal. But don't let your anger pull you to the dark side, young padawan. Once you let the friendship go, let the emotions go as well. More likely than not, it's impossible to completely break it off, especially if you still have to see the person at school or work. Passive aggression, the great weapon of slighted friends the world over, can only hurt you if you let it. Get mentally ready to deal with some mind games in the months after you cut things off. The best defense is completely ignoring the attack. If your former friend is passive-aggressive, expect back-stabbing behavior after you break off the friendship. Try and remember that it is, in the end, kind of your fault for ending things and that you shouldn't strike back. You already ended the relationship. Don't make things worse by trying to sabotage or hurt them after you've already ended it. It's nothing personal. It is just hard for people to be friends with two people who are no longer friends for each other. People will naturally gravitate toward either you or your friend because playing both sides puts them in the middle of the war they want none of. Note, however, that this is by far the most melodramatic outcome. More often than not your social group will shift a bit and move on. and stop harping on the old. Meeting new people will signal to your former friend that you have a life outside of him or her. It will also help you feel better about the friendship's end since you'll have great new people in your life. Some fresh ideas will do you good - as long as you're on the lookout for behavior similar to the friend you had to leave.