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.
This story is from the February/March 2023 edition of Girls' Life magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February/March 2023 edition of Girls' Life magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Now loading: Meditation mode
Haven't tried it yet? Here's your start-this-second strategy to find your center, no matter the strom.
Spread some cheer (here and there and everywhere)
You know that girl who's always bringing the holiday hype? Oh wait...that's you!
How to eat more vegetables (even if you truly hate them)
GOING DAYS—OR EVEN, YIKES, WEEKS—WITHOUT A SINGLE GREEN? THIS ONE’S FOR YOU.
THIS IS THE YEAR YOU CHANGE THE WORLD
It's exciting to be a part of the generation people say will transform the future.
NEW YEAR'S resolutions officially OUT
What's in, you ask? New Year's intentions, aka the strategy that'll *actually* make all your end-of-December dreams come true.
"Ugh! My family is so...
OK. we're just going to say it: It's valid to sometimes get furiously frustrated and downright disappointed with your nearest and dearest. (Take that as permission to feel *all* your feels rn.) Our gift to you? Breaking down these daunting holiday dynamics so you can get back to being a fa-la-la family again.
Dear Carol
CRUSHING ON A POPULAR BOY There is this boy I've been crushing on.
YOUR 2025 CONFIDENCE GLOW-UP
Sure, you could whisper some mantras, ask your besties to gas you up and listen to \"Bejeweled\" on repeat...or you could try these simple (but srsly effective) hacks for making 2025 your most confident era yet.
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK
Hunter L., 16, is really tired. Not the kind of tired when you stay up scrolling on TikTok, but tired of, well, being a teenager.
READ THIS before you hard launch
You and your crush are one what-are-we convo away from making it official...except for that one thing.