[Solved] My friend and colleague has become very annoying

Hi, I will make this as short as possible, with just the necessary information.

I’ve worked at a company for 4 years. Me and my colleague started on the exact same day. We quickly became friends. But in the last year he’s changed towards me in very noticeable ways.

Now, these noticeable ways he’s changed are only visible to me, to anyone else, it’s just him being him.

He’s always been one to put on the “class clown” act in front of everyone; making stupid jokes, acting and behaving like an idiot, and coming out with ridiculous things and exaggerations regarding something that’s being spoken about, and this is what’s primarily becoming really irritating to me.

For example, the other day I was telling a co-worker about a business idea I’ve been working on. My “friend” walks by and hears the conversation. He stops and starts making derogatory remarks about my business and my business expertise in general, he said it in a “funny” way so that it’s all “HA HA HA I’M SO FUNNYYYY”..

I responded pretty cool but I have to admit he annoyed me and it was visible to the girls I had been telling the story to. I then said a couple of sarcastic remarks back to him about the fact that at least I was taking such action to trying and make something of myself..

Then he proceeded to go over to his team and tell them the “story” of me getting all worked up over “nothing”, and he also went over to another team in the office to tell them the story too. I’m just sat thinking, “what kind of an immature, retarded a-hole have you become? This is the kind of thing he does all the time and it’s become very annoying.

He is always undermining the action I’m taking, when a real friend would support you. I loved him but I don’t truly like him anymore, and it’s his own fault.

There are many examples just like the above. Now, I’ll admit his silly immature behaviour isn’t just towards me, he acts the class clown in general to most people, but I just have zero interest in complying with his complete stupidity. In fact it just makes me want to roll my eyes and tell him he’s behaving like an idiotic moron.

I’ve envisioned scenes where I crack and give him a piece of my mind, but I’m a very positive person and everyone in the office knows I am and they like this particular trait of mine. In fact I’m taking my “friends” criticism and using it to my advantage – because people who bring you down make you more determined to prove them wrong.

What would anyone do in my situation? Or has anyone perhaps been in a similar situation?

I do plan on leaving at some point as soon as I’m able to support myself financially, but I don’t want to have to leave prematurely due to my irritant friend.