I just moved here for college and know literally no one, so I went on Tinder hoping to make friends. But I accidentally matched with someone who turns out to be my ex’s roommate, and now they’re calling me a stalker and telling people I'm tracking them down. I swear I had zero clue. I'm terrified everyone will hate me before classes even really start. How do I fix this?

Stop explaining yourself to them immediately. The more you apologize when you did nothing wrong, the more it sounds like a guilty defense to someone looking for drama. College campuses—especially in the first few weeks—are full of people posturing and inflating minor coincidences into major spectacles. You swiped on an app in a town where your ex happens to live. That is normal probability, not an espionage mission. If the chat is still open, send one single, detached sentence: "Had no idea who you were rooming with, just swiped looking to meet campus people—unmatching so there’s no confusion." Then unmatch, block, and do not look back. If anyone asks you about it later, don't panic. A simple, slightly amused roll of the eyes and a deadpan, "Yeah, accidental swipe on an app, total awkward coincidence," will deflate their rumor far faster than a frantic defense ever could. Tinder is terrible for finding platonic community anyway. Put your phone down and go sit in the common room or check out club orientations this week.