Dear Kristi,

I had recently been seeing this guy for about two months. He usually went out with me and my friends, but then he wanted me to meet his friends, too. I did my best to make a good impression on them, but they all acted like jerks the whole time and I was miserable. Since that night, the guy hasn’t called me or anything. I know it was nothing I did because I acted the same around them as I did around my guy, and he was happy up until that point. Why are guys so dependent on what their friends think? Are they all like that?

— Sick of Guys

Dear Sick,

You’re another unfortunate victim of the guy’s friend curse. The opinions of the friends can make or break a potentially great relationship.

If you’re going to meet a guy’s friends for the first time, it’s very important to do it the right way. It was good of you to act the same with them as you do any other time. Pretending to be something you’re not just to impress his friends is a bad idea. But if you notice they are into something that you’re also interested in, make it a point in letting them know. Then they’ll see that you’re easy to get along with, too.

Not all guys are overly concerned with what their friends think. Generally, they hang out with other guys who are like them, so most times the friends will like the girl, too. But there are those cases where for whatever reason, the friends aren’t as interested in you as the guy you’re seeing.

In future budding romances, the only thing you need to do when meeting your guy’s friends is be yourself. Hopefully they will see what he sees in you, too.