You get text messages from her about 30 times a day…but they are all just inside jokes.

You helped her move a mattress into her new apartment…but it’s the only action you’ve ever seen in her bedroom.

You looked after her cat when she was out of town…but you’ve seen no ACTUAL pussy.

Sound familiar? It’s the friend zone. And it sucks. Most guys allow themselves to be swallowed up into the friend zone thinking it will eventually lead somewhere non-platonic and in panties. But the sad truth is, it is unlikely to assert yourself in a romantic way once you’ve been the sort of friend who has watched her walk out of an H&M dressing room and reassured her she doesn’t look fat. You’re her support. You’re her friend…face it.

But is there any way out?

Experts have long debated whether or not there is life after the friend zone. And if there is, is it even worth getting in to? For a few lucky guys, it has happened. But transitioning to friends, to friends with benefits or even boyfriend and girlfriend can’t be easy. You should definitely make sure it is something you really want before potentially ruining a friendship and adding another ex-girlfriend who might hate you to the list.

Things to consider…

Does she have her guard up? What do we do when we like someone? Typically we put walls up, we protect our image because we dont want our crush seeing anything that they might not like. So if your girl is feeling free to burp and fart in front of you, she’s pretty much sealed the sexual fate that it’s going no where. But if she is bashful or shy or insecure about anything when around you, it might mean she doesn’t want to be vulnerable since she likes you.

Was there a role reversal? If the roles each of you played in the friendship have changed, her perspective on it will too. If you were the guy who was always there for her when she needed, but suddenly your datebook is full with other dates and other ladies occupying your time; it’s only natural for the girl to wonder and think about you in a different way. It is always classic female tendency, to become jealous and compete.

Did the topic of conversation change? So she always talks to you about her interest in other guys or asks you for dating advice on dating. If she likes you, that will most likely stop. She obviously wants you to see her as available and open to the idea of starting something with you. She’s not gonna give off the vibe that she’s interested in other guys, unless she’s a sadistic bitch; if that’s the case, why would you wanna get out of the friend zone anyway? Sounds risky. But simply put, if a girl is interested in you, she will not talk about her interest in other guys. Obviously.

Has time past? The sure-fire way to get out of the friend zone is to let time pass, years even if need be. For instance, how much action did the school nerd get at your high school reunion? Probably tons. Fate is weird like that, but the point is that it’s standard for women to outgrow certain types of men and go for others, and somewhere within that growth, you could very well be eligible for consideration outside the friend zone.

So if any of these things have occurred, then there could be hope outside the friend zone. If not, then I wouldn’t consider your fifth trip to pick her up when she’s getting her oil changed any sort of progress…friend.