Best friends often make life way more fun than it should be (let’s face it, things become pretty bleak when there’s nobody around to laugh at your terrible jokes). There’s nothing quite like having someone around who totally understands you and won’t judge you (or will judge you, depending on the situation). They’re brutally honest, interesting even after they’ve recited the same story to you a thousand times, and are aware of all the little inside jokes that crack both of you up no matter how many times you say them. Thanks to this close connection there’s a bunch of things that you’d only understand if you’re someone’s best friend, and I’ve listed a chunk of them below.
1. The look of abject horror on your best friend’s face when they see someone they hate.
Everybody hates somebody (insert laugh track here)! So it’s nice when your best friend is there to nod their head and say, “don’t worry man, I know exactly how you feel.” It’s even better if they proceed to join you in glaring at said hated person.
2. That hysterical expression you both make when you see the person who has been the brunt of your inside jokes for the past several years.
In my small little group of best friends we’ve been dragging along an inside joke that’s lasted for several years, and it’s all based around one particular (unintentionally) hysterical person. When we see him, we can barely control ourselves.
3. The fear and trepidation you both feel when arriving at a party that’s either full of creeps or people you don’t know.
So your best friend thought it’d be a good idea to drive out into the middle of nowhere and go to a party hosted by an acquaintance he knew in his freshmen English class a couple years back. You arrive and neither of you see anybody you know. Simultaneously, everyone in the party turns to glare at you suspiciously as you waltz in. You’re thankful you have a buddy because at this point you and your best friend might as well be (mentally) holding hands.
4. If you’re of the opposite sex, having people think one of you friendzoned the other.
Having a best friend of the opposite sex is often a bit of an ordeal, as you’ll get people saying that you’re perfect for each other or assuming that one of you secretly has a crush on the other. In reality, you’re as platonic as can be and would much rather go out and be each other’s wingman/wingwoman than to do anything freaky together! That being said…
5. Planning to marry your best friend in case all of your plans fall through.
Hey, you may not actually love your best friend in anything more than a “let’s drink beers and talk about Doctor Who” way, but it’s always nice to have a “we’ll marry each other when we’re 40” plan in place in the case that for some strange reason you’re both still alone!
6. Downing a lot of alcohol together before dealing with people you aren’t comfortable with.
Everyone’s been in this situation before. You’re in your dingy little college apartment, vodka in one hand, whiskey in the other. Your best friend looks at you with an “eh, might as well” expression, and you both proceed to down as much as you can before the annoying acquaintance people show up at your doorstep. After a few minutes of sharing bottles and patting each other on the back, you’re finally ready to treat the incoming outsiders as if they were family (no matter how much this may freak them out).
7. Feeling like you’ve just talked yesterday, when in reality you haven’t seen each other in months or years.
This is the mark of a true best friend! I often had friends go away in college for programs abroad only to pick up right where we left off when they got back. Same with my high school best friends: our relationships are almost exactly how they used to be, despite the fact that we’ve all been separated for multiple years due to college. You really can’t ask for more!
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