The way I see it, there are several categories of friends:

Acquaintances: The type of people who you have just met, or barely know. They have the potential of becoming really good friends, or your enemies. However, at this point they are just people who you find yourself having fun with whenever you meet them, and so far they seem pretty fun…

Friends: The type of people you’ve known for longer. They haven’t yet made it to finding out your secrets, but that’s the beauty of it. You can hang out with them without worrying about them spilling the beans about their lives and vise versa. They are just so fun to hang out with, and they have no obligations. It’s your decision on whether or not you hold their hair back while they’re puking during a party (although I’d always do that, because to me, it’s the right thing to do)

Frenemies: Same as friends but you have the liberty of insulting them without them getting offended, because they know you don’t mean it, and vise versa.

Close friends: The type of people who you trust just enough to get a glimpse of your life, and you’ll tell them certain things. They’re most likely on their way of becoming long term friends, but at this point you’re still not sure.

Temporary close friends: Same as before, but the sad truth is, you may never see them again. I’ve got a couple of friends like that, and I really care about them. But deep down, I know I’ll never see them again. And you have friends like that. And it’s a pain in the ass, and why can’t we be friends for a long time?

Best friends: People who you trust with your life and people who are ready to bail you out whenever. These are the people who will make decisions for you, whether you like them or not, for your own good. It’s just a matter of time before you realize that your best friend was not who you were expecting it to be.

Boyfriends: A whole new category of friends which kind of fits into all of the above. At first, it’s moving pretty fast (although, I know it’s not in every case). The way I see it, if you’re supposed to be with someone, it just happens. For me, it happened after a month of knowing this person. You don’t know if he’s a temporary close friend, or a permanent one (which can also mean if you break up you stay really good friends), and you treat him as your best friend. You tell him your secrets, you talk about random things. You also get a little bonus from him, something all of the above cannot do. But I’ll let that to your imagination.

In any case, these are the levels of friendship I know, and live by every day. I was inspired by a temporary close friend, but that’s what’s the saddest of all. I wish there were more people like her in my life that aren’t just temporary. I hope she falls out of that category, but at this point I don’t know.