It's hard to watch Netflix's The Kissing Booth 2 [1] without admiring Elle and Lee's friendship [2]. Their epic dance skills, video game podcast, and unwavering support for the other are a few of the highlights from the films. While they go through their ups and downs in both the original and the sequel, they've always got the others' back. In the latest instalment [3] of the streaming site's teen rom-com, their relationship is tested once again. Lee navigates boundaries between his first serious girlfriend and lifelong best friend, while Elle questions where her next step should lead — to UC Berkley with Lee, or to Harvard with her boyfriend (and Lee's brother), Noah.
As they face all these new challenges [4] and their senior year of high school, one thing doesn't change: their strict list of rules for friendship. Sometimes the cause of their problems, other times the solution, these governing laws have stuck with them since childhood — and there's a lot of them!
Maybe every rule doesn't need to be carried into adulthood, but there are some great reminders we could all take into account when it comes to being someone's BFF. So I compiled a complete list of all the rules we know so far from the first and second movie. There may be a few gaps, but the latest film finished with a cliffhanger, so who knows, we might be able to fill in the spaces sooner than we thought!
- Rule #1: Only your best friend gets to know your birthday wish.
- Rule #2: Never share our secrets with anyone else.
- Rule #5: Always do the thanksgiving wishbone with your bestie.
- Rule #6: If you can't tell your best friend about something you're doing, you probably shouldn't be doing it.
- Rule #7: No matter how mad you are at your best friend, you have to forgive them if they give you ice cream.
- Rule #8: Best friends must tell each other if there is something stuck in their teeth or on their face.
- Rule #9: Relatives of your best friend are off-limits.
- Rule #10: If one friend is sick/moody, the other one is responsible for bringing supplies to make them feel better.
- Rule #16: When your bestie needs you there, you need to be there for your bestie.
- Rule #18: Always be happy for your bestie's successes.
- Rule #19: Always go to the same school as your bestie.
- Rule #20: Terrible decisions are not to be discussed.
- Rule #21: If you see something awesome, show your best friend.