diff --git a/app/serializers/friend_serializer.py b/app/serializers/friend_serializer.py
index e280c39..0c2b582 100644
--- a/app/serializers/friend_serializer.py
+++ b/app/serializers/friend_serializer.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from app.models.friend import Friend
 
 def friend_serialize(friend: list) -> Friend:
-    status = friend['status'] if 'status' in friend else 'null'
+    status = friend['status'] if 'status' in friend else 'pending'
 
     return Friend(**{
         "id": str(friend["_id"]),
@@ -17,23 +17,9 @@ def friends_serialize(friends: list, external_friends: list) -> dict:
     }
 
     for friend in friends:
-        status = friend['status'] if 'status' in friend else 'null'
-
-        serialized_friends["friends"].append(Friend(**{
-            "id": str(friend["_id"]),
-            "user_id": friend["user_id"],
-            "friend_user_id": friend["friend_user_id"],
-            "status": status
-        }))
+        serialized_friends["friends"].append(friend_serialize(friend))
 
     for external_friend in external_friends:
-        status = external_friend['status'] if 'status' in external_friend else 'null'
-
-        serialized_friends["external_friends"].append(Friend(**{
-            "id": str(external_friend["_id"]),
-            "user_id": external_friend["user_id"],
-            "friend_user_id": external_friend["friend_user_id"],
-            "status": status
-        }))
+        serialized_friends["external_friends"].append(friend_serialize(external_friend))
 
     return serialized_friends
\ No newline at end of file