Through High School, I had a pretty solid group of friends, most of them were girls, that I hung around with and told everything to. I had guy friends too that were people I cared for but never really got super close to. They were the guys I would be friends with "if I was a guy" kind of people. I feel like this is true for most girls in high school, those guys you don't want to date but don't ever talk to out of your way.

But College changes your life around and now some of my girl friends are gone and my guy friends have become closer than I would have thought they would become. Three of them, Mike, Brad, and Jared, have somehow let me into their longtime standing "Squad."

Having known these guys for my entire high school career, never did I picture this happening, but let me just say that in 2019, having a boyfriend is out... being one of the boys is in.

Mike Megan Carmen

I never had planned on assimilating into "The Egg Squad," as it is now called, until one day I was a part of the community Spotify Playlist. It was kind of an impromptu thing, it just happened. Now I really do not know what I would do without them. I live in a dorm with five other girls, so having a group of friends to balance out the overwhelming levels of estrogen is always a good thing.

Jared Megan Carmen

There are a lot of neat things about having a group of guy friends. Things girls probably wouldn't even think about. For instance, It's funny to see them talk endlessly about the girls they like or the past relationships they've had in the same way girls do. It's fascinating to watch them get way too competitive over rockband for no reason other than just because. It's wholesome watching how they show their affection for each other in ways different and the same as girls typically do.

I like telling my friends that I love them because I think everyone needs to hear it and I just assumed that because they are guys they wouldn't feel comfortable showing emotions like that. I figured they'd slap each other's butts and say dumb stuff like "don't wreck on the way home" to show they cared... but while they do that, they say "I love you," too. When one of "the boys" leaves, there's an I love you. In the group chat, there's "love ya" or "<3 yall" stuff.

When one of us can't hang out there's a "we miss you bud," and it's true.

Brad Megan Carmen

In a way, it is refreshing to see that they, too, are insecure in the same ways I am about my body and about how people see them. They were appreciative of my candid pictures because, as all girls know, guys are awful at taking good pictures of themselves. Guys get a lot of crap for not being 100% confident, but everyone, no matter what gender, feels bad sometimes and that is okay, too.

Rockband Night Megan Carmen

There are some funny things about being friends with guys, too. They are always late, always. I've learned that guys are just not that punctual. Trying to get a picture of all of us was such a chore, that I ended up just having to photoshop Brad into the picture. The only time they are not late is when they show up (sometimes uninvited) to play guitar hero on my ps2. Riding in the car with the boys means loud bass and stick shift driving because as Jared says, "driving stick makes you way cooler than the rest of the peasants."

They treat me like a boy for the most part, and sometimes they look a little shocked when I mention a guy I think is hot or respond to their vulgar comments in an equally gross way. I think sometimes they are shocked that women think like that, too. They ask my opinion as "a female presence" on what pictures are good or what their Bumble profile should include.

Egg Squad Megan Carmen

When I told them I was writing this, they chuckled. Mike said, "write whatever you want about us." Jared mentioned, "I want credit for my quotes." Brad sent me a meme about girls and guys being friends without any romance being unacceptable to society. I don't know what they thought I was going to say about them, but it was never going to be bad.

So, guys, since I made you read this, I hope you get how much being one of the boys means to me.

Thanks for being cool.

Thanks for being genuine.

For anyone reading this without a strong group of guys by your side, go find your "Egg Squad" because the laughter and genuine affection is well worth all the bad dad jokes and the incredible amount of gas.