Where's my letter jacket?

Goodness, I thought I'd already graduated high school.

This evening was a celebratory happy hour for my departmental manager at work. She recently tested for a major professional certification and passed, so we're all really happy for her and wanted to go out and congratulate her. But hanging out with most of the people I work with during my off hours is just .... forced at best, painfully awkward at worst.

My office is just so clique-y! There's the 'cool kids' clique, the nerdy clique (my own social setting) .... it's like high school all over again. And it travels down department lines, pretty much. There's the 'cool kids' over in the engineering department, those that can do no wrong, or if they do, they aren't gonna get chewed out for it. Spoiled little darlings. It's like the football or basketball team, without the athletic physiques. Then there's the environmental departments (my own setting), the nerdy little bookworms who don't bother playing the politicking games. They do their work without being recognized, and get beaten up by the popular bullies at regular intervals. Then there's the social rejects, those so awkward that they don't fit into any particular setting, but make all around them uncomfortable. Yeah, we've got a few of those too (two at the moment).

I just thought that we'd outgrow these games eventually, or at least that it would be a different sort of kissing up and political games. But it really feels sometimes like it's the football team beating up on the math club. I'm the youngest in the office, and I''m mid-20s. Most of these people are 30s and 40s. Why do we still feel inclined to play these games? I wonder sometimes if those in the 'cool kids' clique realizes that they are and how they act, or if it's only something we see as a 'have-not'?

I feel like I should be heading into pep rallys sometimes...
wait, that's what the marketing meetings are, aren't they?

Go team!