12 awkward things that have to happen before you become best friends

Best friendship doesn’t normally happen right away. You need to genuinely get to know a person before you reach BFF levels, and usually you do that by showing your true, awkward selves to one another.

Even though it’s sometimes cringe-worthy, in the end it’s totally worth it, because you know you found a friend soulmate who gets you and accepts you for who you are. Here are some awkward things you need to go through with a new friend before you can call yourselves BFF4Ever.

1. They see you ugly-cry.

And even though they might not know how to comfort you yet, they still stick around and TRY. Even though it’s awkward AF.

2. He or she witnesses your parents give you major crap.

Mom and Dad! Not in front of my new friend!

3. You fart in front of them.

BODIES, amright!

4. You confess something a tiny bit shameful and weird.

Usually this happens after a glass of wine, and you’re at home and watching Netflix and that one crazy thing you did (steal toothpaste from a Tinder date’s house? Dine and ditched when you were a sophomore in college?) just slips out. And maybe there’s a little judgement there, but mostly acceptance because all of us have done something ~NaUghTy~ before.

5. They volunteer to be your bathroom buddy at the bar.

Maybe they also hold your hair while you puke up cranberry vodka.

6. They notice you bled through your jeans and not only do they have an extra tampon for you, but also an extra sweater.

May this heavy period at least bring your friendship closer.

7. You get into a fight with your significant other in front of them.

They heard all the name-calling and the petty accusations and they will most likely choose not to judge because all of us get into arguments with our loved ones.

8. You get into a fight with THEM and both of you feel awful because it’s your first fight.

Maybe you don’t speak for days, or weeks. Maybe it finally takes a brave Gchat to mend what’s broken. But once you get through it, your relationship is undoubtedly mightier.

9. The two of you spend the entire day together and only at night do you realize you had a huge piece of broccoli stuck in between your two front teeth.

Eventually, they’ll be comfortable enough with you to say, “Hey dude, you have a piece of floret stuck in your teeth.”

10. You go number two at their house and clog the toilet.

And yes they will awkwardly get you the plunger, and yes they will sheepishly find you the Febreeze.

11. After you become Facebook friends, you realize one of your mutual friends is a person BOTH of you dated or crushed on.

But because you realize friendship is much more important than any girl or guy you may have had feelings for a half-century ago, both of you laugh about it, and let it go (or at least try not to think about it).

12. You end up having a really intense heart-to-heart about family, or a relationship, or a very deeply personal matter for the first time.

And it’s probably in this very moment you know that you understand this person, and that they understand you, and that what you’ve been forming for the last few weeks has been real and awesome.