Coming home on June 22, 1998…

Dear Breakup Girl,

I dated this guy for a year and a half, and for months he has not been speaking to me, I finally blew him off in a letter (no other way when I’m at school, he’s never home, and of course won’t call me back), saying that I never wanted to hear from him again, not that I ever thought I would. Well, someone had to cut the cord.

All well and good, right? Well, it’s summer, and I’m dreading coming home (I’m going to summer school here partly to avoid him — but I’ll be home half the summer anyway) because I know I’ll run into him (we live in one of those towns where you run into everyone eventually). My mother just told me that she’d run into him a few days ago (he looked embarrassed — he should).

Which leads me to wonder: how should I act when that joyous moment occurs? What I am planning to do is when I see him (regardless of if he sees me or not) is to turn and walk away — what else is there to say, it’s not as if I’m trying to preserve a friendship or that I’m even remotely friendly anymore. But some people I’ve talked to think I should be friendlier than that — some think I should say hi, how ya doing, then leave; some think I should just smile, whatever. I don’t see why I should be friendly to someone who treated me like crap and couldn’t even be man enough to dump me. What do you think?

— Disillusioned Nice Guy Dater

Dear Dis,

You should be friendly to someone who treated you like crap. Why? Two words: moral superiority. He no doubt expects you to be Huffy Turn and Walk Away Girl … but no. You are polite and dignified at all times. No melodrama, no small talk. Just Hello…Goodbye. You’ll keep (a) your pride, and (b) him guessing.

Love,
Breakup Girl