Hey Pandas, Have You Ever Become Friends With Someone You Initially Disliked? (Closed)

Well, he's my now boyfriend. But we started off as friends. We met through our ex girlfriend. (I am Pansexual) We were weary of each other for the first two months of school. I wasn't a big fan of him during those months. He's big, irish and acts like a redneck (I don't mean to offend anyone. He loves to work on cars, and loves monster trucks, country music, and cowboy boots.) He was a bit scary at first. But over time we grew closer and closer. We have been amazing friends since the end of September ish. We fell in love in May, the last week of school. Now we are happily dating.

Met a friend of a neighbor at the beginning of this year. Whole damn foot taller than me with total rbf, looked really scary and kinda like he could crush my skull like an empty soda can. Six months later and he's my best friend. Wouldn't trade him for the world.

I'm not really friends per se with the lady, but I had to work with her and it taught me the exact meaning of setting aside your differences. She absolutely did not like me and I did not like her, but I could work with her. She had a wonderful work ethic and she never let pettiness get in the way. She and I got some things DONE. It was the best working situation I've ever had to be in and I absolutely still do not like the lady personally but I would rather work with her than any other person I've ever had to work with before or since. So, not really a like/dislike situation, but a good example of how it is possible to set aside petty indifference and get a job done. I have the highest respect for her at least.

Sadly I'm no longer in touch with her but when I finished primary and moved up to high school, I lived in a town that was really far away and I basically had no primary school friends left, as they'd all moved on to others schools. Cue my rather unusual new friend, Svenja.

She'd gone to primary school with me in the same class (her mum was also the crossing guard) but I'd always considered her a bit (for lack of a better word), 'Chavtastic'. She loved to start fights and wind people up, was incredibly overconfident and outspoken, she didn't take s**t from anyone and despite being quite overweight, she never once let it get to her or allowed anyone to bully her for it. Basically she was everything I lacked as a person.

We became friends after she realised I was alone in town one day (I was also 'the only goth in the village', so was ostracised because of that) and from there on in, we used to walk her neighbours dog together every day or sneak off for f**s and cause trouble. She scared me sometimes but Svenja had a way of making me feel safe when I was with her and like somebody actually gave a s**t.

I always suspected Svenja might have been a bit fickle but I was proven completely wrong when at age 12, I was raped by my stepfather and ran straight to Svenja's house after a few hours of considering suicide. Not only did they keep me safe there, they also called my mum to tell her what happened. Finally, a year later, Svenja and her mum testified for me in court against my abuser (on her 13th birthday in fact) and he went to prison because of their testimony.

We were chalk and cheese as friends and as people but every time I think of Svenja, I smile and thank God for her and her family. Appearances can be deceiving.

Ten years later, her mum Karen also received a Pride of Britain award after saving six children on the crossing. One day during the school run, an old man blacked out at the wheel and ploughed towards the crossing but before he could hurt any of the kids on the road, Karen pushed them away and threw herself in the path of the car instead. She was injured horribly (they didn't expect her to survive initially) and has horrendous, painful conditions even 15 years on but the children were all alive because of her bravery.

Amazing family. I'll never stop being grateful for the friend I didn't know I needed.