It's time once again for another installment of GuySpeak Vs. Lemondrop, the Internet's premiere source for guy/gal relationship banter. How does it work, you ask? We take one of your questions and debate it "he said/she said"-style with Lemondrop's esteemed relationship guru Emily Gordon. Sparks fly! Tensions flare! Grown men weep! (Sorry, Toy Story 3 on the brain...) 

I'm falling for one of my best friends. I don't know if he likes me but we had a discussion with friends about what we like in a girlfriend/boyfriend. He actually described a girl very much like me. Even silly things I do he said he found those cute in a girl. He never even compared this 'perfect' girl to me but still... what do you think?

Emily says:

Falling for a friend is one of the most deliciously excruciating things that can happen to you as an adult, so get ready to strap on your helmet and get messy.

Before I get into what you should do, let me first check to see when you started falling for this guy. Has it been on a slow burn for a while, but the heat turned up after this big "What do you want in a girl/boyfriend?" conversation, or did you notice that he was talking about wanting a girl similar to you and start seeing him in a different light? It's an important distinction, because I don't want you to dig someone just because there's a possibility that he's digging on you. So step back for a minute and start thinking about when your feelings for this guy started.

If we're assuming a slow-burn crush, my advice is for you to GO FOR IT! Maybe he described a girl so similar to you as a way of sending signals to you, because when friends fall for each other, everyone is scared to make a move out of fear of rejection. Maybe he wasn't talking about you at all, but would you be OK never knowing what could have been?

It's trite but it's true, life is short, and if you never risk anything, you stay safe, stagnant and full of regret. Our rejections strengthen us, and when we risk and it pays off, it makes us fearless. It's time to get out of your comfort zone.

So my advice to you is to approach this guy sweetly, confidently and directly. Tell him that no matter what happens, you'll remain friends, but that you have feelings for him, and you'd regret not letting him know. Maybe he'll react by taking you in his arms, maybe he'll be weirded out and excuse himself. Maybe things will be weird between you for a bit, but no matter what happens, be proud of yourself that you took a risk and did it on your own terms.

Nick says:

I want to buy you an ice cream cone. Something with sprinkles, or perhaps hot fudge. Because, as '80s hair-metal band Winger once said, you're headed for a heartbreak. You've been given the classic "I want someone just like you, only not you" line that is pretty much a one-way ticket to the "friend zone."

Basically, he wants someone who has all the qualities he likes in you, but who is not you at all. Someone whom he finds as sweet, caring, funny and giving as you, but whom he's also attracted to. It sucks, right? Believe me, I know. This sort of thing happened to me all the time during high school. For years, I would get "I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship" coupled with a little "Why can't more guys be like you?" (Oh, that one stings. I'm a guy like me! Right in front of you.)

If he was interested, he would have done something, anything, by now instead of just talking about the kind of girlfriend he wants right in front of you. (Which, by the way, is completely uncool if he shares even the slightest inkling of your feelings toward him.) He's not playing coy, hoping that you'll pick up on his none-too-subtle hints. He's -- how does that popular phrase go? -- just not all that preoccupied with you.

Also, is it possible that you're maybe reading too much into his description of his "perfect" girlfriend? Could it be that you so desperately want to believe that you're the perfect girl for him, that when he says he likes, say, sassy brunettes you immediately think "That's me!"? It's difficult to see through crush blinders. They're like 3-D glasses, only more headache-inducing.

The best thing you can do is take what he says as a compliment and move on to someone else. Clearly you're girlfriend material and just need to find the right person. You may also have to take a break from this friendship until you start dating someone and/or get over your pal completely.

Believe me, it won't get any easier. He'll date girls who are like you, only dumber and louder. They'll break his heart, and you'll be there, providing a shoulder to cry on. At best, maybe you'll have an awkward drunken hook-up that'll just make things weirder when he expects everything to go back to normal. It's best to focus your energy elsewhere, and accept that he'll always be, in the immortal words of Biz Markie, just a friend.