to want to keep my "new life" private and secret?

[FionaGatwick]

I moved to another country almost three years ago, and have so far managed to keep what I've been doing to myself and a few friends from my "past" life.

One of my friends from my past life (not among the few mentioned above) is coming over for a work thing and asking to meet up.

I am very busy because it's exam season (I went back to school) and while I have agreed to a dinner, it seems she wants me to take her around, which I cannot do.

What do I tell her?

You tell her you are busy and can only manage dinner one night. If you don’t want to see her at all tell her something has cropped up and you can no longer meet up with her.

You say you are back at school so i assume you are studying/retraining in something? Is this what you want to keep secret?

Are you a... ... student?

blueskyinmarch

You say you are back at school so i assume you are studying/retraining in something? Is this what you want to keep secret?

Yup.

OP, have you had a sex change? Is that it?

Bloody students! shakes cane

Bloody students! shakes cane

Are you studying to become a lawyer?

I could understand why you'd try to hide it.

I have to agree, just tell her that you have no time to take her around but you're happy to meet up for dinner.

You really don't need to explain, even though she will doubtless ask, and possibly badger you - just say that your new job (and you don't have to tell her that it's study, not paid work) keeps you busy during the daytime, so you'll only be able to see her in the evening.
If she presses you for details, say it's really boring, just a desk job thing, nothing at all to discuss. (not too far from the truth - studying IS usually a desk job! )

If she gets too pushy, then develop a headache and go home early.

It doesn't matter why you want to keep things secret, that's entirely up to you - but you do need to learn some strategies on how to deal with these situations.

My mind is whirring, I can't imagine what you are studying that needs to be a secret?
Tantric sex, Mafia Studies, is Julian Assange your tutor?

Are you at Trump university?

Sex change?

All v cloak and dagger. Fun!

I was wondering if OP had joined the Mafia and didn't want to show friend around the area as they didn't want to have to explain why business-owners were pressing cash-envelopes into their hand.

Without having any more than your post to go on, I really do not understand your secrecy, but then I have always been an open book myself.

I confess to having looked at your thread from two days ago, OP (am terribly nosy). It's clear you are not very keen on this 'friend' - and she does sound like hard work, and rather unpleasant. Just decline, as politely as possible. I imagine you'll feel as though a weight has lifted from you, once you do so. Deep breath, then text "Sorry, can't do that week, super-busy". Press send. Then - aaaahhhhh....

now tell us what the course is

What on earth is the course?

As for the friend just say sorry, I'm busy.

You are giving her and the rest of ur family , friends way too much space in ur head. Meet her, tell her what ur doing as if u think she already knows and chge subject. Keep chging subject.

Can we know, though? If we promise not to tell anyone...

Why does you being at school instead of work preclude you from showing her around? . I think you're grossly over estimating how invested your friends are in what you're doing, tbh... What reaction are you actually expecting??

yep Acorn.

I know who your are OP but your secre'ts safe with me.