Urban Dictionary defines “cooties" as,

"A way of little girls telling other little girls not to play with boys and vice versa. Ex: You played with little Jimmy? Ooow, you're going to get cooties."

Fortunately, as we grow older, we realize two crucial facts: First, never trust Urban Dictionary and second, a girl and boy CAN simply be just friends, maybe even best friends. If you are lucky enough to have a boy best friend in your life, here are a few things you probably owe him a thank you for:

Thank him for always being someone to talk to, or should I say listen to you, as you babble on about countless little things he has no interest in/desire to talk about. He sits there (blank expression on his face) and nods anyway.

Thank him for always answering the very annoying, yet commonly asked question, "Are you two dating?"

Thank him again after that for the times he does actually pretend to be your boyfriend, so that the creepy boy from your math class will stop asking you out and leave you alone.

Thank him for never judging you for how weird you are or more importantly how much you eat around him, even when it's double what he ate all day.

Thank him for always giving you his brutally honest opinion even if he knows you won't want to hear it. He just wants to see you happy because he knows you deserve it.

Thank him for letting you drag him around shopping and talking about a variety of girly things he probably could have gone his whole life without ever talking about.

Thank him for never caring what you look like and always assuring you that you look good, even on days you're certain your appearance is similar to that of someone who was recently hit by a bus.

Most importantly, as hard as it might be for you to admit it to him, thank him for being such a good friend.

Thank him for being someone who is always there for you.

Thank him for being someone that you can trust and someone you're lucky to have in your life.