Dear Jellybean,
I have a big problem. I have had my best friend since grade 3 but, over the last year and a half, she has started to be really mean to me and her other friends. I tried to sit down and talk to her face to face, but she always makes me back down. I really need some help because I can hardly take it anymore. The silly thing is I still want to be friends with her. Please help.
-Desperate Pushover
Dear Desperate Pushover,
It's hard to talk face-to-face with someone who gets aggressive or mean. My advice is, write her a letter. Keep it short and don't put anything in there that you would be embarrassed about if your friend showed the letter around - because, if she's a mean girl, that could happen. Before you write it, think about what you want to say, and what you want the result to be - another conversation, an apology, a change in behavior, or whatever. That will help you focus your writing and get your point across.
