You and Gary say your goodbyes. Your time together is officially over. You grab your keys and your coat and leave. Then, it happens. Your timing couldn’t have been worse. You see Gary (again) walking out to his car, which unfortunately is parked right next to yours.

First and only option: pretend you don’t see him. There is no second option. Even if you accidentally do make eye contact, pretend you think he’s someone else. Seriously, if you’re forced into that post-goodbye goodbye, you will undoubtedly say something you’re going to regret, like “Back so soon?” or “Fancy seeing you here”, and you’ll attempt to give him the fist pound as he attempts the high five. Then your friendship with Gary is practically over. I’ve seen it a thousand times.

My advice? Skip goodbyes altogether. Some may call it rude, but I call it saving friendships.