HAVE A FRIEND CRUSH?

Here's why we obsess over certain platonic pals-and why it's completely cool to be smitten with your sidekick.

Sara C., 15, remembers her very first friend crush from third grade: her next-door neighbor Lily. "She was a couple of years older than me, and she always seemed so cool and fun," Sara reminisces. "I hung on to her every word." Since then, Sara's had plenty of other friend crushes.

Some have come and gone, like the lacrosse captain who always cracked hilarious one-liners on the bus. ("I was a freshman and she was about to graduate, so a real friendship never materialized," she reflects.)

Others have stuck around, like her current BFF Maya: "She was new to my school last year and liked the same music and books as me, plus she was into bands I hadn't even heard of yet," Sara explains. "Even though we weren't in the same friend group at first, I *had* to make the move to start talking to her-and our bond just kept growing."

CRUSH CRASH COURSE

Sara's not alone-many girls have been smitten by a potential pal at some point. You know the feeling: butterflies in your stomach, nervous jitters whenever you're around her. Maybe you ransack your closet for the perfect outfit to impress her or check Instagram to see if she watched your latest story. Sound familiar?

These feelings can be confusing because they're so similar to what you feel when falling for someone romantically, says therapist Dr. Carol Schwartz. And while you might perk up when you see her walk through the door in homeroom or get psyched when she texts you unexpectedly, friend crushes are more about seeking out a BFF than a bae.