A funny thing happens to your high school friends once you graduate. All those people you promised to stay close to forever scatter and actually staying in touch becomes much harder than you thought it would be. Here are the 11 categories that high school friends fall into after high school.

1. The smile-and-wave acquaintances

This is the category most of your high school friends ended up in, and it’s probably for the best. Some relationships just aren’t meant to last forever. You’re still on friendly terms, though.

2. The party pal

This is the person you can always count on having a good time with when you’re stuck in your hometown on breaks. When small town life gets boring, the first thing you do is give this person a call. They never disappoint.

3. The bestie

Maybe the two of you went to college together, or maybe you live on opposite sides of the country for most of the calendar year, either way you’re every bit as close to this person as you were in high school. You have to be. They have way too much blackmail material on you at this point to let them go.

4. The friend-quaintance

For some reason you and this person just get along better when you only get a few weeks a year together. You love hearing about her life and catching her up on all the details of your own, but you don’t necessarily care about the ins and outs of her daily routine. You probably grab lunch with her twice a year and enjoy it a ton, but you won’t be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

5. The one who got too cool for you

Despite the fact that the two of you spent high school scream-singing the same stupid songs in her car, or checking each other’s teeth for food after lunch, this person hit her stride in college and instantly got way cooler than you. Now she probably models in Europe or is too busy promoting her bestselling novel to catch up. Guess the memories will have to be enough.

6. The reschedule friend

You were pretty close to this guy in high school, but now that you’ve both moved on to different stages in your lives, your in-town schedules just never match up. You’ve tried to get coffee a couple times, but you’re both quick to realize that it’s just not worth it. You bump each other into smile-and-wave territory before too long and never think twice about it.

7. The one who you forgot

The only time you really remember this person's existence is when you look back on your old Facebook photos and notice how many they’re in. You smile vaguely and silently wish them well…then go back to forgetting they exist.

8. The one who’s still in high school

Maybe she was a grade or two below you, or maybe she just needed an extra year to finish up her credits. Either way, meeting up with this friend is a surefire way to remind yourself how much you love college. Mostly because her stories still involve words like “curfew” and “mandatory attendance.”

You smile and wave. You probably even say "hi" and suggest grabbing coffee sometime, but deep down you’re secretly hoping you’ll never see her again.

Yeah, let’s just pretend he doesn’t exist. It’s less embarrassing that way.

11. The disappearing act

Someone told you this person went off grid and decided to spend the year fending for herself in the Alaskan wilderness. Someone else said she submitted herself for government testing at a top-secret lab in Arizona. There’s a rumor going around that she moved to Mongolia and became a cattle herder. Whatever happened to her, she’s not on social media, so your guess is as good as anyones.