Imaginary Friends

In my mind, we're the best of friends. We talk constantly, tell each other everything without reservation, and we never judge each other by what we're discussing. We watch each other's backs. We support each other. In my mind, nobody could have a better friend than you.

In real life, things aren't quite as desired. We're too busy to talk to each other. When we do talk, we hold back. "What if she disagrees with what I say? Will I lose a friend? Better to not say it at all..." We're not in a masquerade. No, we're worse than that. We're more like the Phantom of the Opera--we have this half-mask that reveals our true faces, but cover the worst side of us. Hide the controversy! It's much more deceiving. We believe the other person is being true, because we see only the best, or only the good, or only the fine... we don't see the ugly, the bad. Yes, it's hinted at, but it's reigned in so well, the true person must be the one I see!

Do you think people have imaginary conversations with others they know? They discuss issues in their lives and things that bother them. They converse with themselves--behind a different-looking face--and make the other person think what they're actually thinking themselves. They, literally, put words in someone else's mouth. If you have this type of conversation with another enough, do you think people actually start believing that the conversation happened in real life? If you need an example to understand:

In Fred's mind...
Fred: Man, your girlfriend is hot.
John: Yeah, she is.
Fred: I'd totally take her off your hands.
John: Hey, man, any time! What's mine is yours.
Fred: Nah, that's not right.
John: It's fine! Go for it! She's hot.
Fred: Seriously? You don't mind?
John: Not at all.

In real life...
Fred: Dude, I saw your girl last night.
John: You ran into her at the club?
Fred: Nah, man, I took her to the club.
John: You WHAT?!
Fred: You said it was cool, don't be flippin' out on me.
John: !@&# you!

Alright, maybe that's passing over to borderline psycho, but you get what I mean? How awkward would that make conversations with your best of friends, whether or not you masquerade?