My best friend says my facial expressions made her uncomfortable, how would you handle this?
I went weekend away with my best friend and her cousin.
We got back Sunday night. & today my best friend called me to tell me that both of them had actually been uncomfortable with me during the trip cos app on the first day, we went dinner & I was giving attitude / being rude.
The first evening, we went to a restaurant. They got up to take photos on the balcony while I stayed at the table waiting for our drinks. The drinks came, and I waited around 15 minutes before going to find them. They were talking to a group of people, so I gave my friend her bag and went back to the table. App it looked like I was mad.
When they came back, my friend asked if I was okay. I said no, and apparently I gave her a rude look. And she was shocked to see this side of me.
By the time we had dinner around 9pm, I was exhausted and my social battery was basically gone.
Later that night we went to a pub. I didn’t really feel like staying there, was overstimulated, they both were both talking to some guys & I was just sitting there. so I ‘stormed’ off outside. They came out and my friend asked why I was “storming off.” I explained that there was no tension and I just didn’t feel like staying inside. I do have autism so I can behave erratic & people notice it & call me rude.
We then went to the club after we’d planned to go to.
At the club, I danced for a bit but eventually my feet were hurting, my social battery was completely gone and I wanted to sit down. I also had my foot stomped on and a guy kept smacking my ass, so I genuinely wanted to leave. I told the girls I was going and told them not to come because I wanted them to stay and enjoy themselves. Apparently the way I said this came across as me having attitude again.
We then spent another two days together and, as far as I knew, everything was completely normal.
The next morning, I actually hugged them both and separately asked if they were okay. They both said yes.
Fast forward to now, five days later.
My best friend told me she’d been feeling off with me throughout the trip. She had also watched videos/pictures back and noticed my facial expressions and “side eyes” towards her, which apparently reinforced her feeling that I was angry with her.
She also compared the way I was behaving to an abusive relationship, which really upset me.
I completely understand that I may have come across as rude or had an attitude. I can accept that. Looking back, I was tired, overstimulated, easily irritated and my social battery was DONE. I can see how my tone/facial expressions could have made them uncomfortable.
But I genuinely wasn’t secretly angry with my friend. I wasn’t holding resentment towards her. I didn’t know there was an issue.
What really hurts me is finding out five days later that they had both been feeling uncomfortable around me.
I’m now questioning whether I was actually behaving horribly without realising it, or whether this has become bigger because they didn’t communicate with me at the time.
I don’t want people to just tell me I’m right. I’m genuinely interested in an outside perspective.
AITA for my behaviour that evening? Was I being rude/creating tension without realising it, or is it reasonable for me to be upset that they didn’t tell me how they felt until five days later?
Posted Aug 12, 2026, 8:18 PM UTC