Most people are tired of hearing "We can still be friends" or "Let's just be friends" after a break up, as those words have become a cheesy line thrown out there to make the person feel just a little bit better – even though it is rarely true or meant. However, some exes manage to stay friends, even become better friends after the break up. Though many despise their exes, I am actually best friends with one of mine, and I couldn't be happier.

In eighth grade, I dated my "nemesis", not that he was actually my nemesis, but it was eighth grade, so you couldn't actually admit you liked someone without some backlash from your peers. He was my first boyfriend, and it was about as perfect a relationship as you could get, we held hands every once in a while, occasionally went to each others houses, and other than that, we avoided each other. What more could you ask for in a relationship?

However, tragically, five days before our six month anniversary we decided to break up because summer was ending, and 9th grade was going to be a busy year; plus who wants to be tied down that young anyways. The break up was amicable, and there were no hurt feelings in the matter. For a few months after, we pretended to hate each other (as 9th graders do after a break up), but then at some point we discovered it was dumb to hate someone for no reason and instead, decided to be friends.

From then on, our friendship only grew. Towards the end of high school we would hang out for several hours every Monday night after Student Leadership, and tell each other everything. We got to know each other better then than we ever had before, and discovered we worked better as friends than we ever did as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Flash forward to the future and we are best friends. We live in two different cities, but when are both home we always hang out. He's the one person I can always count on in life. He still gives me compliments and gives me his jackets when I'm cold. We can go days without talking, but pick things back up without missing a beat. He gets me like know one else because he has been there through all of my oversized hoop earring and blue eyeshadow phases. I love our relationship, and couldn't imagine life without him. I'm glad we decided we could still be friends.