I just got to pondering the question, is it possible to remain friends with one's ex? I do think a lot depends on the situation, and maybe also on whether or not you did the deed with that person. I'm still a virgin, so I don't know much about that part. I think a lot of it just depends on the grounds for the break up, as well as how close you were before you became a couple. Of course, if there are children involved, it's important to at least keep a civil relationship. Then there's also the question of what exactly constitutes a "friend".

That may be part of why many people are so reluctant about dating a close childhood friend of the opposite gender - or, in this day and age with much bigger acceptance of homosexuality, even the same gender. They fret about if they could ever go back to having the closeness they did before, should the relationship end up not working out.

I tackled that issue between William and Jennifer in The Missing Link - then, in the Trilogy and Haven Universes, I had Marty Jr and Harmony struggling with that a little. In Teen Wolf - Scott eventually ends up picking her childhood friend, Boof. This was sort of the case between Zack and Kelly in Saved By The Bell, but Zack seemed to have a crush on her since ninth grade.

Of course, it's common for little children to have "kiddie crushes" - but they usually don't last long. Sometimes, it even precedes the "girls are dumb" and "boys are gross" stage.

So what are your thoughts? Could childhood friends ever become a couple - and, should the relationship end up not working it, can they ever go back to having the same close friendship as they did before.

I'm sure childhood friends could become a couple, but I don't think it could ever work out. They often prefer being just friends. As for whether or not they could be friends after breaking up, I doubt it. A lot of my friends told me they could never be friends with their exes.

Saving yourself for marriage, huh? A lot more people should do that. That won't work in my case, because I don't think I'll ever be lucky enough to have a wife. A girlfriend, maybe. I'm 20 years old and I've never been in a relationship.

Right, yeah. :)

Okay, I few questions to ask you:

What if a couple breaks up, not because of any major fight or wrongdoing - but just because the "spark" is no longer there? That's why William broke up with Jennifer, Zach with Zoe, and Ellen with Goldie Jr. In all cases, they really dreaded losing the other person's friendship - so the hardest thing they had to do was be honest of how they felt.

The other one is, what exactly would you say constitutes a friend? Would you say friendly acquaintances are really friends, or not really? I personally consider consider them to a sort of friends - and, when you say somebody has "no friends", it usually implies that not one person even acts civil towards that person.

The third one is, even if one couldn't be friends with their ex - they wouldn't necessarily have to be enemies, would be? They could still be civil and courteous towards each other. This is especially important, if you still have to see your ex on a daily basis - or you and your ex happen to have some mutual friends, or be part of a same club.

They don't have to be enemies. And by friend, I meant good friend. I suppose they can still be acquaintances.

As for the first question, it beats the shit out of me.

I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that your friends maybe never had a break-up just over the "spark" no longer being there. That is a lot different from breaking up over a huge fight or wrongdoing.

Actually, a friend of mine dated a girl. She cheated on him and they broke up. He forgave her and they got back together. But they broke up again because the spark was no longer there.