We've all been there... falling in love with a best friend. I'm one of those girls: I like hanging with the boys. When you're taken though, this becomes harder to do because suddenly many of the people in our lives who we thought were platonic, start showing us a different side.

When this happens, it becomes a problem.

If you're the one on the other side (debating telling someone that you like them as MORE than just a friend), please reconsider if they are taken. If they're single, don't wait — learn to differentiate so that you're not disrespectful or effectively putting an end to the friendship as you know it.

Rejection sucks, but learning to tell these signs for what they really are — that friendship is becoming more — is sure to save you from much heartache.

If you're a man lusting for a woman, but she's your best friend, make sure the lust is not fleeting.

This is because if it turns into a friends-with-benefits type of situation, it might lead to more or it might explode — and in either case, it is difficult to recover. At best, your friendship will never be the same.

If you feel an emotional bond with your best friend, and you feel that it is mutual and has potential to last 'forever'... be prepared to face rejection and possibly lose him or her. However, if it's really THAT strong of a connection, then it'll be reciprocated, which might make it all worth it.

Sometimes, this is your only choice... the only remedy. Because if you're crazy about someone who was once just a best friend, you won't want to be in the friend-zone.

If you feel that it's not mutual, though, and you value having the person in your life by any means, don't act on it and wait it out — maybe it's just a temporary confusion.

Maybe you just have a strong emotional bond, but it doesn't mean that you're IN LOVE with the person.

If it does become a relationship, prepare for the dynamics of the relationship to change entirely. It likely won't be as laid-back as the friendship; jealousy might come into the mix; and if either or both of you are dramatic or very sensitive, prepare to face the music.

If you choose to cross this proverbial line, you have to be smart enough to weigh all the possibilities, both negative and positive.

Be honest and upfront with yourself. Sex should be the last act on your mind when you're with your best friend.

Don't ignore any potential red flags you see pop up here and there during your friendship. If you notice small problems now, they will become bigger problems later with the emotional baggage added in.

Don't you think that it is often best to save your friendship, which can last a lifetime, rather than trading it in for a fleeting sexual moment? Plus, do you know how hard it is for a man to just be friends with a beautiful woman without wanting to sleep with her?

It's really hard. In the back of every heterosexual man's mind is the thought of what it would be like to sleep with a woman who is his friend. 

You've heard the stories such as, "We came home drunk last night and ended up sleeping together." If a guy finds you remotely attractive, well... Believe me, these actions are often a result of the desires and curiosities already stored in their subconscious minds.

The liquor was the excuse needed to perform the act — or the 'object' that pushed them over the edge. Do what you must, but consider the difference between best friend and girlfriend before you screw up your friendship.

So to make sure you're not riding that (really thin) lin between friendship and romance, here are 18 friendship and relationship tips to keep you on the straight and narrow:

1. A man's best friend can call his girlfriend if he is in trouble.

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A man's girlfriend will not be offended by the phone call if she truly knows you're his best friend. But if she feels like you are hiding your feelings behind your "best friend" title and it later comes out, she will feel betrayed by you.

So get ready to be on the next episode of "Jerry Springer" or "Maury," because that is the road you are headed down by crossing that imaginary line, without being upfront and honest with all parties involved. 

2. A man's best friend can hang out with his girlfriend or potential girlfriends.

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But obviously, if you're his best friend-turned-girlfriend, he will not feel as comfortable about you knowing about or hanging around with other women he may find or has found attractive. This will undoubtedly create uneasiness in your relationship.

3. A man can tell you about women he's interested in.

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Men often confide in their female friends in order to get a woman's point of view. Should he proceed or not? Telling his girlfriend about other women he likes may not work so well, unless you have an open relationship or these are women you both would not mind getting to know mentally and physically. 

4. A man can listen to a mouthy best friend because you are not emotionally connected.

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You can always hang out and speak up with your best friend and let an intense situation cool, with no love lost. It's not quite that simple if the person is a girlfriend, especially if you live together. Every decision you make becomes critical and one you have to face because of the physical and mental connection. 

A man can't run away or dismiss himself from a woman he is in love with. He loves his best friend, but he is in love with his girlfriend. So whether he likes it or not, he will have to deal with a mouthy girlfriend, which takes the tension to a whole new