I had four dates on Friday night.

Now before you go making any accusations, I'd just like to clear the record to say that I couldn't really turn any of them down. I mean, all of them were perfect. They were incredibly good looking, great conversationalists, and they all have that ability to make me laugh harder than anyone else. So what's a girl to do when every single one was the perfect date?

The solution: take `em all out.

It was one of the best nights that I've had in a long time. And it's funny that I say that because I had to pay for my own dinner, my own movie ticket, and no one held a single door for me all night. No one bought me popcorn, and I got no goodnight kiss at the door. By all conventional standards, it was an awful date.

But it was wonderful because I was with my girlfriends.

Friday night we piled into cars, clad in sweaters and jeans and sat mesmerized for two hours in front of the most hyped chic flick of the year — Bounce. We were incredibly cheezy, oohing and aahing every time Ben Affleck took off his shirt, giggling devilishly during the romantic scenes, and even shedding a few tears at the end. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to whomever was sitting in front of us, because I'm sure we ruined the movie for them.

But frankly, we didn't care.

You see, it's been months since the last time we've done this. It's been months since I've had these wonderful women in one place at one time, laughing at the same jokes, crying at the same prompts, and just enjoying being together. I don't know why we've been so negligent to each other for so long; I guess it just seems that sometimes, life gets in the way of everything that's important.

At least for me. I know that on a weekly basis, I spend more hours editing pages and writing stories than I do talking to my friends. I know that I spend hundreds of minutes and frantic seconds stressing over the next research paper that's due, the next statistics test I have or the next deadline that needs to be met. And when I finally finish everything that my life demands and have time to knock on their door, the dark window over the doorway reminds me that again, another day has passed where I haven't spent quality time with them.

I know that they don't know it, but these women keep me going. They keep me smiling when nobody else can, they pick me up when it seems like I'll never get up on my own. They bring me cold medicine when I'm sick, call me because they know I ignore my alarm in the morning and drag me to get coffee after an all-nighter at the office so that I'll make it through my 9:30 class. And they continue to be great friends, even when I'm not.

So, with all that in mind, you can see why my Friday night was so special. You can see why it was the best date a girl could ask for.

Even if they didn't hold any doors.

• The perfect date