Stipulations, altimatums and out right threats

Thre things you should never be offered by a friend.  I have had a few friends shove one or the other on me – fotunetely, most weren’t god friends and i haven’t talked to them in years.

Unfortunately, one is my Evil Alaska friend.

What brings this up is Australia. I have wanted to go to Australia since I was about 10.  I have talked about it with many people and asked people if they would want to go.  But, you kow, when your 15 it isn’t really that real.

I guess though, two of my friends were fanatical about it.  They asked when i was going , how much did i have saved up and how long i was going to go for.  I had no idea. To this day i have no idea.  Both these friends were so adament abotu the  whole thing that they both said I couldn’t go with out them. 

That was years ago.  One went in college.  The other one – Evil Alaska Friend – is going next week.  

The threats thing though is from Evil Alaska.  A few months ago, she had been visiting and somehow she brought it all up.  I told her for the hundreth time that i had no idea when i could go and that i had other things i wanted to do first that were easier. She got irritated – as she usually does – and spat at me that if i went with out her, we would not be friends anymore.

Knowing how she is – I was perectly OK withthat sacrifice.  If a peaceful, not irritating, fun trip to Australia, free of rants and raves and arguing and her being pissed at me meant that she wouldn’t be my friend…I was ok with that.

But the funny thing is, it doesn’t seem to work both ways.  She can make that threat on me, but when she ends up going with out me, it’s ok?  

I realize I’m not as petty and crazy as those two are/were, but i am tempted to call to attention the time she said that. She’ll deny it. She never ‘remembers’ when she says shit. Like when she shouted at me to ‘Go suck a dick, because that’s what i do.’ in front of me and 4 of my friends, she denied ever saying that. It was and is still a joke among my friends and i and they are shocked she says things like that and i am still friends with her – proving to me that she did say it.

Anyway, i just wonder sometimes where I should draw my lines. I’m pretty damned loyal and i keep people around even when they do act like Evil Alaska.  But should i? And should i remind her what she said?  Just to do it?  She would have gone through with it. Should I?  I mean, it was her threat. Since she is going now, i’ll be going with out her – so does it still satand?

Those three things put a sour taste in my mouth. I don’t do well when threatened, coerced or pushed against a wall with an altimatum.  So, just to get it off my shoulders….figured i’d express those thoughts.