Don’t Be Bulba-Sore That I Got A Better Gift

At age eleven, a friend changes schools (without moving house), but we stay in touch for about a year after that and attend each other’s twelfth birthdays.

I know she is very into Pokémon, so for her birthday, I got her a pack of the cards. None of the other gifts she opens are Pokémon-related, so I start to worry she has lost interest in it. I am reassured when she gets very excited upon opening the gift from me, and further reassured when the cake comes out, and I see a picture of a Pokémon on it.

All three of the other guests are from [Friend]’s new school. I had never met any of them before and, to my knowledge, have never met them again. After the cake, [Friend] briefly leaves the room. Two of the guests are speaking between themselves. I am abruptly confronted by the third.

Party Guest: “Why did you get [Friend] Pokémon cards? [Name #1], [Name #2], and I all agreed not to give her Pokémon stuff. We’re trying to help her get over her obsession.”

Me: *Confused.* “I just got her something I thought she would like.”

[Party Guest] just looks at me for a moment, then walks away. In retrospect, I wish I had told [Friend] – or maybe [Friend]’s parents – about that conversation, instead of assuming her new friends were ‘well-meaning but misguided’ rather than bullies.