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“BREAK OUT OF YOUR SHELL”
Heading back to school means all-new
everything: classes, friends, extracurricu-
lars—sometimes even a new school. But it
doesn’t have to be overwhelming to con-
nect with a new crew. Take Carolyn W.,
16, for example. For months, she had a
tough time making friends—until one day
she opened up and talked to a new girl
(now her best friend). “From that point
on, she basically dragged me everywhere:
lunch, parties, the movies,” Carolyn tells
us. “I met my closest friends that way.”
After a while, Carolyn became so comfy
around others that she was introducing
friends to her BFF. And, yeah, she’s not
going back to the shy life any time soon.“GET BACK OUT THERE”
The lazy days of vacay morph into the
crazy days of BTS...fast. In those moments,
it’s great to have a bestie who can keep
you grounded (and sane). That’s one reason
Taylor J., 14, is grateful for her optimistic
BFF. “Whenever I have a bad day, she
shows me the bright side of things,” she
says. That sunny influence makes stressful
days seem less intense and gives some
perspective when you’re turning a tiny
problem into a major worry mountain.“SMART GIRLS STICK TOGETHER”
OK, so your #1 also happens to be first in
your class. Instead of feeling bad about
your own mix of grades, see what makes
her so successful and then adopt those
same smart habits. Ari C., 16, swears
that having a brilliant best friend helps
her in the classroom, too. “I’ve learned
so much from her school habits, like how
she studies,” she tells us. “She inspires me
to do my best because she’s so focused
academically.” If your bestie’s a brainiac?
Stop comparing your report cards and
sidle up to her during your next study
session. Watch and learn, girl.“THINK ABOUT OTHERS’
FEELINGS”
On a Friday night when you’re at home
for family dinner, it’s easy to feel like
everyone else is at the party of the year.
(Spoiler: probably not.) But it’s inevitable
that at some point, you will, in fact, miss
something major. Janelle B., 14, wasdevastated when a soccer tournament
meant she had to miss a cruise with her
babes...but her BFF was a total sweet-
heart about it. “She called me as soon as
she got home, asked me how my tourna-
ment was and filled me in on the cruise so
I would know what everyone was talking
about when we got back to school,” says
Janelle. And if you’re on the other side
of that scenario? Addressing the issue in
a sensitive way (“We totally missed you
at Abby’s party last night!”) will erase
any potential awkwardness and keep the
peace between you and your BFF.“PERFECTION IS OVERRATED”
In this super filtered world, it’s easy to for-
get that we all drop lasagna on our new
white jeans at lunch or have bad hair days
that seem to last for, well, entire years.
And even if you show up to school sport-
ing two different shoes (hey, it happens!),
we’re betting your BFF will walk by your
side in the hallway—or at least let you
borrow her spare sneaks. Agrees Emmy
T., 15, “My best friend taught me that it’s
OK to make mistakes.” Knowing that you
can always go to your girl for support will
make the bad days more bearable—and
help you stop beating yourself up already.
(Psst: This is something to remind your-
self of on the daily.) Because real friends
accept each other, flaws and all.“BE PRESENT”
Between texts and Insta and classes, it’s
easy to feel like you’re with your BFF 24/7.
But the truth is, waving “hey” while at
your locker isn’t the same as really giving
your girl your 100 percent undivided
attention. Sometimes, that’s all she
needs. When Lena C., 15, had a death in
her family, she was comforted by the con-
stant presence of her best babe. “She was
there for me, bringing me my fave laven-
der oat milk lattes and cards, taking me
out to get my mind off of things and just
simply being the best friend ever,” she
tells us. We know it can be tough to deal
with the sad and stressful stuff straight
on, but really try to be there when your
bestie needs you. The easiest way to show
her you care? Just say, “I’m so sorry. I’m
here for you.” And mean it.