The Daily Rant

The place I work is a manufacturing plant. At first I thought it was a really cool place. I tried to work very hard, thought I got along with everybody... even though I was told not to trust anyone there. "They are all backstabbers who will just as soon walk all over you than help you", my friend said. I didn't believe him; until now. I have been thrown straight into the middle of a gossip ring involving a female friend that started there about two months ago, and her boyfriend who has been working there about two weeks. One of the Leads told him that I had a crush on her! Thursday I got an IM from the boyfriend who said some not very nice things about me- to me. I thought these people were bad, but coming from the Lead, who was always "cool with me", a straight stab in the back!!! Now the boyfriend wants to kill me, the girlfriend wants to keep talking to me, and the Lead is just sitting back laughing, while still trying to be my friend (like I don't know it was HIM who started this whole mess!!! Any ideas as to how to deal with this?