Friend of bully I'd avoided (8)
I believe the answer is:
intimate
'friend' is the definition.
(intimate can be a noun: a close friend)
I can't explain the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for intimate that I've seen before include "cosy" , "Friendly" , "Thick" , "Suggest to trusted friend?" , "state" .)