Dear Mike,

    My deskmate lately told me that there are a lot of people in my class who have hated me for a long time. I thought about how I've behaved in the past, but I don't think I did anything wrong. I feel lonely and sad now. What should I do?

Julia

Dear Julia,

    First, you should keep in mind that not everyone is going to like you all the time. Some people might even hate you for no reason at all. I know that sounds unfair, but that's just how some people are.

    It's not good to bear that your classmates supposedly(据说) dislike you. Why did I say "supposedly"? It's possible that your deskmate is lying to you. He or she might be the one who hates you. Your deskmate might be trying to trick you and make you feel bad.

    On the other hand, it's also possible that you did something in the past that you don't quite remember—something that made your classmates dislike you. Maybe you can have a chat with your teacher and ask him or her if you misbehaved or hurt someone in the past. However, I think it's more likely that your deskmate isn't being honest with you.

Mike