The BFF in YA: A Character Study

Back by popular demand: another YA character study!

Generally speaking, high school can be a pretty miserable place. Without a best friend, it would be downright unsurvivable. No wonder best friend characters are so prominent in YA lit, right?

But what's in a BFF? They help flesh out the main character, and occasionally they even outshine the protagonist with their inherent awesomeness. Here's a rundown of common best friend characters, with shiny examples from movies and TV shows. And fun commentary.

The Bad Influence

Rayanne from MY SO-CALLED LIFE

Need cheap alcohol and sketchy guys to hang with? Rayanne's your gal. She's the epitome of a person with a good heart and bad decision-making skills.

* Pro - Bad Influences help define the protag because they bring up plenty of moral dilemmas.

* Con - Authors may use Bad Influences simply as a plot device to get the MC into difficult situation, which doesn't do this BFF justice.

The Geektastic Sidekick

Willow from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

She researches the best way to navigate the city sewer systems while hunting vamps AND helps you pass geometry!

* Pro - The brains behind any operation, the Geektastic Sidekick is super useful, and his/her various skills may include hacking, lockpicking, and fluency in archaic languages.

* Con - Teens can excel at a lot, but if the Geektastic Sidekick's skills are too awesome, then they're not the sidekick anymore. Plus, it all becomes a little far-fetched. 

The Frenemy

Chastity from TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU

Ultimate Frenemy Moment: She ditches her "best friend" Bianca at a party to hang with Bianca's crush, Joey Donner. Ouch.

(It's ok, Bianca, Joey's a d-bag anyway.)

Honorable Mention:

Tai from CLUELESS

"You're a virgin who can't drive."

Except she redeems herself:

* Pro - The Frenemy ramps up tension like no other. She gives you a manicure one minute and a stab in the back the next. Yikes!

* Con - If the Frenemy is too awful, it makes the reader doubt the main character's judgment and self-esteem. Seriously, if she has no redeeming qualities, dump the beeyotch.

The Sympathetic Ear

Rajah from ALADDIN

Sure, he doesn't say much, but Rajah's there with a furry shoulder to cry on when Jasmine blathers on about her lack of suitable boytoys.

* Pro - Your MC needs somewhere to go when the world sucks.

* Con - If the Sympathetic Ear is just that and nothing more, you might as well have the MC write in a diary. Snoozefest...

The Outrageous One

Romy from ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

When Romy concocts an epic scheme to invent fake lives for their high school reunion, Michele goes right along with it. Did you know they invented Post-Its?

* Pro - Everyone loves a crazy. The Outrageous One puts humor in any situation.

* Con - Did you create this character because your protag and plot are too boring otherwise? Are you using the Outrageous One to conveniently put your MC in stupid situations? Tsk, tsk.

The Balancing Act

Cameron Frye in FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF
Cameron tries his darndest to rein in Ferris's cockamamie schemes. He's just not very good at it.

* Pro - The Balancing Act highlights the protag's character traits via opposites. Opposites attract, right?

* Con - Be careful not to make the best friends so different that readers wouldn't buy their friendship as legit.

The Outcast

Janis in MEAN GIRLS
#1 hater of the Plastics, Janis shows Cady what it's like to be on the fringe.

* Pro - This can be especially interesting when the protag isn't an outcast but the best friend is.

* Con - The goth/edgy/emo thing has been done so much that if it's not done well... bo-ring!

The Partner-in-Crime

Cristina from GREY'S ANATOMY

Cristina (about Meredith): "If I murdered someone, she’s the person I’d call to help me drag the corpse across the living room floor. She’s my person."

* Pro - The Partner-in-Crime best friend will happily break into your ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend's house with you to steal back the necklace that you left at his house and he gave to her as a "gift." Jerk.

* Con - Be careful that the P-i-C has his/her own individual personality. We don't need a clone of the MC!

The Secret Admirer

Duckie from PRETTY IN PINK

Hey Duckie, we missed you. Sorry you didn't get the girl.

Honorable Mention:

Joey from DAWSON'S CREEK

* Pro - This definitely adds complications to any story. When the protag falls in love with someone who's NOT the Secret Admirer, does the SA support it, or did I hear someone say "sabotage"?

* Con - This can slip into cliche territory in about .5 seconds. And if the Secret Admirer's affections are so obviously not a secret, the MC can't legitimately be in denial.

What's in a gender?
Girl-Girl: Generally speaking, best friends for a girl are EVERYTHING. The emotional investment, the trust -- it's huge. Therefore, it tends to fluctuate insanely. You could love your BFF one day and wish her a long and happy life in the fiery pits of hell the next. Some girl friendships aren't so volatile -- think Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. But keep in mind that when most girls fight, it's war, and forgiveness doesn't come easily, though sometimes it comes abruptly. Sound complicated? Welcome to being a girl in high school.
Girl-Guy: Ah, the co-ed friendship. Too often does it turn into the Secret Admirer relationship. Occasionally one or both parties is gay (this doesn't necessarily preclude the aforementioned one-way crush). And every once it awhile it's plain old platonic. Either way, it's one of my favorite dynamics.
Guy-Guy: Best friendship between guys is a lot more low-key but no less dedicated than girl-girl friendships. They don't declare their love for each other openly, unless they're the bromantic types, but they still care. How do they show it? They're there for each other. Guys don't talk, they act. In the same vein, when they fight, it's physical, but oftentimes it's over once the last punch is thrown. It's just important not to underestimate the Guy Code and the relationship between guys in high school.

So that's the BFF rundown. Who's your favorite best friend in YA? Any BFFs I forgot?