It’s not until you finish high school that you realise you didn’t actually care about most of the people.

Your classes were full of non-people you hardly spoke to, never left an impression on you, and you forgot existed once school ended.

But then you bump into one of these people later in life. You spent five years with this person, you know them well enough not to ignore them, but not well enough to have a full on conversation. So what do you do?

Here’s how to minimise the awkwardness of bumping into people you don’t talk to anymore:

Avoid The Awkwardness By Saying Hello

If you’re thinking ‘Dear God, have they seen me?’ chances are they have and it’s too late to turn and run.

Whether you’ve seen them in the street, at uni, or they’re serving you at the supermarket, just be nice and say hello.

Saying hello deflates the tension around the two of you having this weird non-history. It’s much easier to just acknowledge each other instead of having a passing awkward moment.

Keep It Short And Sweet

Talking to them now will remind you why you never spoke in high school. Anything past small talk will cause you to crash into a wall of uncomfortable silence. Don’t try to push what never was.

At best, you’ll end up reciting your whole class role and asking if they know what that person’s up to.

Keep your conversation short and sweet so it stays pleasant.

Don’t Humblebrag

If the person you meet didn’t end up going to uni, don’t brag about being at uni. Remember that they’re getting real work experience while you’re quickly discovering it’s bloody tough to be a uni student in 2017.

If they are at uni, don’t try to play the ‘my degree is better than yours’ game. Remember that the saturated education system coupled with the erosion of entry level jobs means neither of you will probably get jobs in your field of study.

Be Nice, Even To The Mean Ones

If you run into the biggest bitch from high school, be nice. Even the mean people from high school mellow out over time.

Remember, they got thrust out into the same shitty world as you. They’ve realised how little being popular means after school and it’s harder for them because they had so far to fall.

Give them a chance – you’re both going through a lot right now.

Remember That It Gets More Awkward As Time Goes On

You think it’s bad seeing people from high school now? Wait five years when your lack of interest is so much more apparent.

However, seeing people from high school is nothing compared to the awkward meetings you’ll have when you bump into people who you used to work with.

You have even less in common with people from work, and you end up spending more time with them. Plus, the reasons you stop seeing people from work are a lot more awkward.

Wait until you bump into a guy you used to work with, who is old enough to be your dad, that got fired because he couldn’t meet his targets.

People from high school are the least of your worries.

(Lead image: Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion/Touchstone Pitctures)