@Enchantingcatperson
Here are my thoughts on the matter and feel free to ignore!
1.) DO YOU LIKE THEM?
If you enjoy and wanna spend more time with them, then going out and hanging out would benefit that! By going out, this allows you to gather more information and see if you could ever see if you two are compatible or not! Furthermore , you can always just go as friends if you don't wanna date or don't feel attracted; going out doesn't always equate to dating.
2.) RASCIST?
The term rascist gets thrown around a lot and sometimes rumors can occur. If you feel like he could potentially be rascist, ask him his thoughts and opinions on topics and go from there. Furthermore, could just be rumors that he is rascist or things were BADLY taken out of context. If you feel like he has potential to be rascist, scope things out. Educate yourself. Don't go off of what your bestie said cause they could potentially be wrong.
3.) SHORT?
I am not on the short side of the spectrum but there's nothing wrong with short people lmao! They were probably joking but I find that funny!
4.) RUDE?
As long as you think they softened up and changed their behavior, I don't see the issue as just going as friends and becoming close again? This all depends on your comfortability with the situation and if they ever force you into something or become rude, you can always cut it off or take a long hiatus from that friendship
That's my two sense but I hope it helps