Navigating friendships and relationships during the holidays can be tricky.

This woman and her boyfriend thought they should spend New Year’s together just the two of them, but her friend got upset because she wanted to be included.

Read the full story below for more details.

AITA for making New Year’s plans with my boyfriend without including a friend?

I (26F) have been friends with Emma (25F) for about six years. We’re part of the same friend group, which also includes my boyfriend (27M), whom I’ve been dating for a little over a year.

This year, due to ongoing tension in the friend group, we’re not celebrating New Year’s together. Most of our friends already had plans, leaving just me, my boyfriend, and Emma without anything arranged.

Emma asked me a couple of times whether my boyfriend and I had plans. At the time, we didn’t, and I told her that. I also mentioned that most of our friends were busy, because Emma had previously said she’s uncomfortable spending time as a “third wheel.”

Earlier this year, she canceled a trip she had planned with us, another couple and a friend of hers, because she said she’d feel uncomfortable.

About two weeks ago, my boyfriend suggested that we might do something just the two of us for New Year’s, like staying in a nearby city. We started casually looking at options, but nothing was booked or finalized. I wanted a bit of time to think about it before bringing it up.

The next day, Emma texted me again asking if we had plans. I told her that we had started looking into doing something on our own, but that nothing was confirmed yet, and that I was open to hearing if she had ideas.

This woman’s friend created a whole drama about not being included.

She became upset, said I should have told her sooner, refused to talk it out on the phone, and left me on read.

After that, she messaged a group chat with another friend, Ellie (24F), saying she wouldn’t be available to exchange Christmas gifts. I later found out she had explained the situation privately to her.

I met with Ellie in person to exchange gifts, and she told me that, in her opinion, Emma was overreacting and not to think too much about it because of how she had treated me the past summer.

For context, this summer Emma found out her boyfriend had cheated on her. I was one of the few people she confided in, and I tried to support her by sharing my own experience with infidelity.

She repeatedly dismissed my attempts to help, saying my situation wasn’t comparable because my relationship was shorter and the cheating was obvious, at least according to her.

Since then, I haven’t reached out again, mostly due to the fact that she dismissed my offer to clear things up.

From my perspective, we didn’t have concrete plans when she first asked, and I didn’t expect her to rely on just me and my boyfriend for New Year’s, but I’m not sure if I handled this poorly. AITA?

Clingy friend needs to make her own plans.

Let’s read what other people in the comments are saying about this.

This user shares a personal opinion.

Here’s a balanced perspective.

Emma is immature, says this one.

People are taking the couple’s side.

And lastly, a simple but valid point.

Sometimes, the end of a friendship is a blessing.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.