Time Magazine takes a look into the odd rituals of adolescent girlhood. It's tough being a girl. You can never be thin, smart or kikay enough. Other girls will pick on you for having frizzy hair or for no apparent reason at all other than they randomly hate you. It's a freaking hormonal hell. But while girls can be mean to each other, it's still your bestest girlfriends you run to when the going gets tough and you need to get better: It's a complex relationship, one among girls:

The good thing about having female friendships is that there isn't any of that sexual tension involved. I mean, I have guys who I can cry to and have fun with, but it's not the same bond. A lot of the time, girls and guys become friends because one of them thought the other one was attractive. And there's none of that involved with being friends with girls. You can just be real.

Having female friends who you can have fun with and run around with and act all giddy with and then share your most embarrassing, real moments with is worth so much. And just being able to have people who can support your choices or, even when you f*** up in your choices, still love you through anything.

There's tons of drama in the relationships between girls. Girls have catfights and girls hold grudges. But when you have your best girlfriends who you've been through thick and thin with, you get past who looks better when and who gets what guy. With a boyfriend, you don't necessarily know if you're going to be with them in a certain amount of time. But you can be sure that your girlfriends will be there.

Here's where you can find the photo essay and the book review.