I have been made a target by all my friends for doing the right thing.

[LostAngels]

I don't really know if this would be considered bullying, but it's a situation where I've been treated incredibly unfairly by my peers.

I'm 16, and currently attend a very largely populated high school.
When I was 13-14 years old, I was experimenting with every drug in the book, and was 'corrupted', as I call it, long before high school.

Over the last month, I've grown up more mentally than I feel I have in the past year. I've been putting so much effort in to my studies, and my primary focuses involve everything BUT my high school social life. Because of this, I have withdrawn from my friends, but nonetheless still love them and show them respect and kindness.*
I'm just not going out and drinking, I've shown more distaste for their constant pot smoking and class skipping, and spend barely any time outside of school hanging out. But I've explained to them all why.

Over the summer, I was drinking at my best friend's house. My boyfriend at the time and I accidentally broke a liquor bottle that belonged to her father, while we were trying to grab something to drink (non-alcoholic.)*
In our drunken state, we cleaned it up, hid the evidence, and didn't say a word.*
This was honestly the first real mistake I've made since I began high school last year.*
I noticed over the last couple of weeks, this friend and her boyfriend (also a great friend of mine), started acting rather distantly and coldly towards me. A few weeks after this initial observation, I finally asked why, and she explained my ex boyfriend accused of breaking the bottle, and she was irate. She called me a thief and said I was full of myself, and so forth.
We got in to a huge argument and I explained that though I made the mistake of not telling her, she's not someone I care to any longer have in my life considering our friendship was clearly so insignificant that she couldn't even talk to me about it.*
Within the last week, I've had all of my friends withdraw from me, and when I confront them, they call me a thief and tell me all these lies and rumors they've been hearing about me lately.*
I have never stolen anything from them, and because of this one accident, my friends have decided to make me a target and base their entire opinions of me on this, and have used it to define who I am now as a person.*
There's a multitude of awful rumors circulating about me, and the most disheartening part of this, is the fact that I have not had ONE of these 'friends' confront or ask me about it. They believe everything they've heard, and have had no desire to talk to me before treating me this way.

I am an incredibly independent person. I began keeping to myself because my primary focuses have been in regards to my future, and I have put all personal relationships on the back burner, except for a few. Because they waste vital time and energy of mine, and frequently result in unnecessary stress.*
I have been attending school, and keeping almost entirely to myself. I have absolutely no problem being a 'loner'; I have always been an outcast, and before high school I had never had many friends. But it's the fact that they are deliberately going out of their way to make my life difficult, and that's what I'm finding hard to cope with, because I do not deserve it.*

When I was younger, I was a horrible person. I lied, stole, manipulated, and worst of all, I was a bully. I have done so much to change, and I am an incredibly good person now. I was quite popular last year, and had so many friends.*
But I know that I'm an attractive person who has continuously been dubbed far more mature and intellectual than a lot of the people I attend school with. My current priorities involve getting in to law school, studying psychology of the criminal mind, (I write letters to serial killers as a hobby), and I've taught myself multiple languages.*
I know that jealousy is a very damaging emotion, and I feel as though these people have practically been waiting for me to mess up so they can now finally say I'm the horrible person they want me to be.*

The worst aspect of my problem, is how considering I am so entirely focused on larger issues in life than what any of my friends are, I'm constantly told to stop taking everything so seriously, stop being so uptight, and am continuously reminded that I 'can't change the world' so I should 'stop trying and chill the fuck out.'*
My friends are all so involved in their high school social lives, and see my values and perspectives as stupid and unrealistic.*
But I know, that though I may not be able to make that extent of an impact, I do possess the persevering and compassionate qualities that will motivate me to dedicating my life towards trying.*

I'm sorry this is so long, and I will be incredibly appreciative of any insight that anyone has to offer me regarding my current situation.*
I need some advice as to how I can get through high school, holding entirely different views from everyone that I'm currently associated with.*
These friends have made the assumption that I think I'm better than they are, which is not true.*
Yes, I'm always complaining about things I see on a daily basis that I don't agree with, and I often vocalize my contempt towards certain offensive/ ignorant behaviors, but NOT in a nagging or self-righteous manner. I don't understand how I appear to be the only one who holds these views, other than the teachers and other adults.*
I've just become entirely fed up and disgusted by a lot of things, therefor have tried to change them the best I currently can, through rational, respectful methods. But my friends just don't understand why I 'care' so much.

How can I live every day in a school where my positive view points and actions aren't appreciated?*
I'm not pretentious or arrogant either. I know that what I'm doing is right, and have the support from all teachers and staff. But my peers simply have very ignorant, close-minded mentalities.*
I don't know what to do, I feel like it is so unjust that I'm being hated for trying to do the right thing.
I can't fathom how many people think I'm in the wrong with my intentions or why..

Also, to display better understanding of the extent to my problem; I literally only have 3 friends now (at school) who haven't judged me or allowed other people's words to impact their opinions of me.

[Kate*]

I seriously understand exactly what you're saying. While I was never bullied for them and I didn't get rumors spread about me, I've always felt more mature than my peers, once I got to college we were more even, but I found myself thinking more in terms of "big picture" problems than my peers. I was lucky enough to have friends that found the balance between sharing my views and being relaxed and enjoying life.

I think a lot of this has to do with being in high school. Like I said, once I got to college there were a lot more people who I could relate to. Some of these people may eventually get it, just because everyone matures at different rates and some of them may never understand. As for what to do, hold to your views, don't change them just to make your life easier, that would actually make things worse for you individually. It must hurt that your former friends are buying into all these rumors without even asking you if they're true. That tells me that they are not the kind of people you want to remain friends with. It might be hard to let them go, but you don't need this extra stress. Keep the few friends you have and see if you can find others like them, not EVERY person in high school is like that, but a lot of them are. I naturally found friends that were like me because I had always been like that, it might be harder for you because you've changed to become this way.

Remember that you are doing the right things and if people can't see or understand that then they aren't worth your time, but don't cut yourself off from people completely because that's not good either.