Can girls and guys really just be friends? Nothing more — no flirting, no sexual desires... just friends. It can be done, right? Wrong — or at least that is what one of my roommates says. She strongly believes that men and women being "friends" causes awkwardness and sexual tension, especially if one of them is in a relationship. Maybe she feels this way because of personal experiences, but I can honestly say that I disagree with her. Guys and girls can be just friends and I am living proof of that.

Since junior high school, the majority of my friends were boys. I know what some of you are wondering. "Why is she hanging with so many boys?" Or, "Look at that girl — she must be sleeping with the whole crew." Those are two of the many reactions I received from my immature classmates.

Here is my honest response to those controversial remarks: I click better with guys. Unlike the vast majority of females at my school, I was not focused on gossiping or having the flyest outfit. I was there for an education and that was pretty much it. Because of our differences, girls singled me out, which made the guys in class talk to me. After several conversations, those guys became my friends. They looked out for me and accepted me. I was never once interested in one of my guy friends, and as far as I know, they weren't interested in me either.

I have been friends with one guy in particular (let's just say his name is Drake) since seventh grade. Drake and I have never crossed the friendship line. Our friendship was actually tested when his snobby and overbearing girlfriend, who we will call Rihanna, decided that she did not want us to be friends anymore. Rihanna actually wanted him to choose to either be my friend or to have her as a girlfriend, which helps me understand my roommate's statement about the awkwardness.

Rihanna went so far as to accuse me of trying to steal Drake from her. Drake and I had to sit down with Rihanna and let her know that we were friends long before she came into the picture and that we would be friends regardless on how their relationship ended. Rihanna (who is now an ex-girlfriend) finally gave in and accepted our friendship.

My mother is another example who has an understood friendship with her guy best friends. In fact, they have been friends for 15 years! Multiple women and relationships have come and gone and their friendship is still standing. She had told me several stories about how all of their high school friends thought they were secretly dating, but they have never crossed the friendship line. That just goes to show you that opposite sex friendships can go a long way.

I don't want you to think my opinion on the issue is biased. Besides my roommate, I asked three guys what they thought of the matter. One of the guys agreed that men and women could not be friends. However, the other two guys said they thought the friendship could work. They believed that if a girl and guy genuinely wanted to be friends, it could work.

Here is what I have to say to those of you who believe that guys and girls can't be just friends. The bottom line is this: Whether or not men and women can be friends is based on the individuals that are in the friendship. If said male and female have established the boundaries of their friendship and have clear communication on whether it stands, there is no reason to suggest that that friendship can't be maintained.

In my honest opinion, I believe that the reason that people find this to be a controversial topic is because there is a lack of communication between the individuals in the friendship or that certain individuals have been betrayed by their significant other, who claims to be in a supposed "friendship" with a member of the opposite sex.