So your girlfriend utters those three magic words no guy wants to hear... "let's be friends". In theory, it's not such a bad idea is it? You get to still hang out with her, talk with her, play email tag... it's a way of being around your girlfriend even after the two of you drift apart. But what if you want her back? What if you're not just looking for friendship, but a little something more?



You'll run across a hundred thousand articles showing you exactly how to stay friends with your ex girlfriend. And then you'll run across this one... the one article that tells you all those other articles are a bunch of crap. Because if you're looking to one day kiss your ex again on something other than her cheek? You're going to need to know why being her friend is the last thing in the world you'd ever want.



So wipe that phony smile off your face and throw away the small talk... I'm here to help you out of the Friend Zone before you even step foot within it's desperate boundaries.



After a girlfriend dumps them, many guys will cling to the idea of staying close to her. While accepting your ex's offer to be friends sounds like a really nice deal, it's actually not. The whole thing will end up costing you a lot more than you think... you'll develop bitter feelings of awkwardness and jealousy that you never imagined you'd have. For example, imagine your ex girlfriend kissing another guy. Pretty bad, right? Now imagine her kissing another guy and then telling you all about it. Now go even one step further, and imagine yourself having to clap your hands and act all happy for her because you're her "friend" and you wish her nothing but the best. Are you getting the picture? Good.



Any time a girl ends things with you, there are really only two choices. Either you choose to forget her and move on with your life, or you make a strong attempt to get her back. Winning back your girlfriend is definitely achievable, but you have to first make the conscious decision to try and do it. It's not something you "kinda" do from a friendship standpoint.



Oh, and all those guys who say you *can* be friends with an ex? They're liars too. Because they're sitting there doing the same thing you'll be doing in a few weeks or months: clinging to your ex girlfriend's table scraps while hoping that she'll turn around and miraculously decide she loves you again. Do you think being pals with your exgirlfriend is the same as putting your foot in the door to a future romance? Because if that's what you're hoping to achieve, you need to cash the following reality check:



Let's list the things your girlfriend gets when you agree to be her friend:



* A nice companion to bounce things off of

* The comfort of being with you, without being *with* you

* Someone to call and talk to whenever she's confused

* Someone to take her out whenever she feels bored

* A friend who'll do anything she wants, just to hang out with her



Now let's see all the wonderful benefits you get from the friendship:



* The eternal insecurity of her rejection

* The jealousy of watching her life move on without you

* Lots and lots of great small talk (you do love small talk, right?)

* The constant fear of her dating someone else

* Th