THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9412010081
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEWELL BURCHETTE, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
NIKKI RUSHES home to tell Mark she was elected vice president of the student council. Before telling her mom or her girlfriends, she had to tell Mark.
They understand each other. This six-year relationship is definitely going to last forever.
Like Nikki Williams, a sophomore at Churchland High, and Mark Terry, a former Green Run High junior who now attends school in South Carolina, many people have a best friend of the opposite sex.
Some best friends dated first, and when it didn't work out, they ended up best friends. Others were drawn together by shared interests. Still others were drawn into the platonic relationship because people of the opposite sex seemed to be better listeners than friends of the same sex.
``I'm closer to my best friend, Mike, than to girlfriends because they (my girlfriends) think they're too cute,'' said Brandi Smith, a junior at Norcom High School. ``Or it's just certain things they don't talk about.''
Girls in these relationships agreed that guys sometimes take a lot of time before they open up. For example, guys usually won't admit how much they still like a girl who dumped them. They worry about their reputation. But after listening to the girl's problems, guys will open up.
``You feel like you can trust a girl more because it seems like she can keep a secret well,'' said Johnny Jones, a Norcom sophomore.
While sharing clothes is rare, friends of the opposite sex share Nintendo games, cars and other stuff. They share memorable experiences as well - from skating to shopping. But sometimes these relationships can lead to trouble. Dating a best friend can lead to an end of an important relationship.
``After I found out that she liked me, I was in shock at first, but then I got over it,'' one Kellam High student said of his best friend. ``I didn't date her because I was scared, because she was like a little sister to me. It would be like committing incest or something.''
They never date and are still best friends.
Beth Brantley, a sophomore at Ocean Lakes High School, had a similar experience with her best friend.
``He would always drop hints which sometimes made me uncomfortable,'' Beth said. ``At the same time, I didn't pay much attention, because he's naturally crazy.''
They, too, are still close friends. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Jewell Burchette is an Ocean Lakes High junior.
by CNB