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"Best friends are, well, the best. They can be your number-one secret-keeper, your partner-in-crime, and sometimes even your part-time therapist. They have your back no matter what life throws your way, and you have theirs. But what makes your best friend so special? Below, readers tell us all about their go-to girls.\n\nWe just get each other.\n\nJustina, 16: \"You know when you meet someone and just click right away? That did not happen with my best friend Madeline. She absolutely terrified me! She had green hair, dressed in all black, and had a nose ring. Eventually her locks went back to blonde, I got over my piercing issues, and somehow we fell in with each other. For a long time, I struggled to find people who got me, from my fashion blogging to my homeschooling to my 4-H work. Madeline always has. She's absolutely hilarious, comes up with comebacks faster than Kim Possible, and is always down for a spontaneous adventure. Last September, she moved to London for three months, which then turned into six more. It was really hard for me at first because she wasn't\u00A0there to go on In-n-Out runs and thrift shopping trips. She wasn't here for my 16th birthday and will miss my graduation from high school too, but the Internet is a glorious and wonderful thing. We talk all the time, and when anything happens, she's still the first to know. In July she's finally coming home, and we already have new adventures planned!\"\n\n Madeline, 18: \"Through all my travels, I have yet to find anyone who comes close to being as unique and iconic as Justina. We've both gone through many stages throughout our friendship, from punk rocker chick (me) and outgoing hippie child (her), to world traveler minimalist and world-dominating fashion queen. This quote by Lucius Annaeus Seneca represents our relationship so well: 'One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.' Justina and I understand one another in a way that not many others in our lives can. Most people go to their best friends for comfort when they have their first heartbreak, but I went to Justina for a bit of a different reason. See, my best friend is blunt, to say the least, and she won't take unnecessary negativity from anyone. She made such a difference in how I coped with my breakup. Instead of eating ice cream with me and being a shoulder to cry on, she refused to let me be sad and lifted me up by telling me all the reasons why I'm a better person for not being with him anymore. She's taught me that I'm a strong person who has so many great places to go and people to meet. I'm beyond grateful to have such an unbelievably rad best friend.\"\n\nOur values are totally in sync.\n\nNinah, 19: \"Martha's my best friend, my confidant, and the person I go to for reassurance. In many ways we aren't very alike, but we're still so close! I know that I can trust her opinion because she has my best interest at heart, as I do hers. The values we share are similar, like our decision to save sex for marriage. Martha has been there through some of my best and worst days. My favorite part of our friendship is that we have the biggest dreams, and we both have such a love for life. It's refreshing to know that I have somebody I can share my dreams and passions with that will support them fully. I hope this friendship gets stronger and stronger because it really is a roller coaster of good times, great memories, and the craziest experiences.\"\n\n Martha, 19: \"Honesty is key to the success of our friendship. We tell our truths\u2014good and bad.\u00A0Ninah is the type of friend I can't stay mad at for even two hours because I have to tell her something important. She's the best listener and fashion commentator, and the most intelligent and truly beautiful girl I know.\u00A0After my mom, she's the first person I go to whenever I have a question about anything, and she almost always knows the answer! Ninah is awesome because she's been with me through it all. We know each other like the palm of our hands and even though we are totally different, sometimes we think and say the same things! We even have a journal together, and have plans that range from traveling the world to starting a charity. Cheers to many great years of friendship!\"\n\nThe ocean between us doesn't matter.\n\nChloe, 15: \"My best friend Adelaide and I have stayed very close even through some unusual circumstances. In 4th grade, she broke the news that she was moving to London. I remember that when she called, I responded, \"OK, bye.\" She was worried that I didn't care, but in reality I was really sad! Sometimes I'd even cry during the day. But when she left, I managed to visit London often since I have relatives there. We learned the importance of making the most of our time together, because unlike other best friends, we live on opposite sides of the world!\u00A0For high school, I made the decision to go to boarding school, which made it even more difficult to see each other. This has all definitely tested our friendship, but it proves just how close we really are. When\u00A0we see each other during vacation, it's like nothing's changed.\"\n\n Adelaide, 15: \"My best friend Chloe is awesome because we've managed to stay in contact during the many transitions we've had to face. She always makes me laugh to the point where I've actually peed myself once! We still get each other presents for our birthdays although we aren't able to attend one another's parties, and we still talk almost every day through messaging apps even though she leads the boarding school life and I live in the U.K. With our busy schedules, the 10 minutes we videochat for is cherished. I miss her so much and can't wait to see her this summer!\"\n\nWe balance one another out.\n\nMaddie, 19: \"I was a bit nervous about meeting my freshman year roommate. Moving from small-town Wisconsin to New York City to attend NYU was stressful enough without having to worry about getting along with a complete stranger sleeping in a bed four feet away from me! Luckily, I had no need to worry. Jacqueline quickly became the person I confide in, trust with every secret and fear, and turn to for a laugh after a long day of classes or work. Even though we are insanely different people, somehow our odd little personalities click and we've grown so close in the last two years. Recently my father was diagnosed with cancer and it was Jacqueline I turned to for guidance, compassion, and advice. I couldn't have gotten through my first year of college without her, I couldn't have gotten through the tough days of waiting for medical results without her, and I'm glad I won't have to get through life without her.\"\n\n Jacqueline, 19: \"Maddie keeps me grounded with her liberal leanings\u2014her playful mockery forces me to assess and reaffirm my conservative ideology.\u00A0Her brutal honesty, insane work ethic, and Midwestern upbringing paired with her charming wit have made her the perfect friend, roommate, and late-night political satirist. I admire Maddie's strength and perseverance during hard times; it's something that's inspired me as I approach my daily life. She's studying abroad right now, but the thousands of miles have only strengthened our friendship\u2014I'm finally allowed to have that Ronald Reagan calendar!\u2014and more importantly, we've developed a bond that transcends place.\"\n\nOur friendship has lasted a decade.\n\nAllanah, 19: \"My best friend Ann Marie is awesome. She doesn't have a filter\u2014I've always admired that she says what she wants. For every big event in my life, from when I went abroad my junior year of high school to when I went away for college, she makes sure to prepare the best care packages. She's definitely one of the most selfless people you will meet! Over the years, she's been a champion of the outrageous ideas I've come up with. She often reminds me that if I keep working hard, I will no doubt do great things in the world. Having a friend like Ann Marie is important because at the end of the day they'll always be there to tell you to suck it up and conquer your fears.\"\n\n Ann Marie, 19: \"I've known Allanah since the fourth grade! I don't remember much about how or where we met, but I do know she is as kind, caring, and smart as she was back when we were nine years old. Now that we've grown up and she's gone away to college, I don't get to see her like I did when we were going to school together, but we keep in touch and she's always there to listen to my problems. Even though she has a lot on her plate, it shows how loyal and sympathetic she can be. I know I can always go to her and ask her about life\u2014I always take her advice seriously.\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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