Too close for comfort? Spending 24/7 with your BFF seems like the ideal sitch, right? Maybe not.

When you and your BFF Hayley synched up your fall schedules, you were beyond psyched. Not only would you guys be taking every single class together, but you'd be on the same track team, doin' drama club as a duo and hangin' every weekend 'cause your 'rents are also tight. Now that fall's in full swing, though, ya gotta admit--being closer than this is getting on your nerves. Hayley's great, but you never have a second to yourself! If being with your best bud day in, day out is too much of a good thing, snag yourself some breathing room. Here's how....

BE ALONE TO DE-CLONE

Do you find yourself sporting the same Miss Sixty jeans as Hayley? Munching a salad at lunch since she always brown-bags one? Constantly saying, "Sweet!" just like she does? You may have developed the dreaded Twinsie Syndrome.

It's no wonder you and Hayley are looking and sounding alike, considering all the time you spend together. Sure, a big part of why you and Hayley became such good buds is because you've got tons of stuff in common. Don't forget, though, that what keeps a friendship fan and fascinating is the unique interests you each bring to the table (she turned you on to veggie pad thai, remember?).

So how do you get back in touch with you? Take an afternoon just to chill by yourself. Spin your American Idiot CD Hayley can't stand, and go through your closet and dust off those clothes that scream one-of-a-kind. Remind yourself that you're an amazing individual--not just one half of a dynamite duo.

IF SHE'S CLINCHING LIKE A PEACH ...

... Keep other friends in reach. Sure, Hayley's loyalty, is one thing you love most about her. Problem is, she's totally happy to stick like glue--just to you. You love her, but you'd like to mingle.

Your friendship could become mind-bendingly boring if you two hang only with each other. Say Madison, that cool chick from study hall, strikes up a chat with you about Mrs. Gerble being the meanest teacher in the history of your school. While there's no need to include Hayley in every convo, be mindful of not letting her feel dissed. You could say, "Hey, Hayley, you had Mrs. G last year--give Madison some tips on how to survive her class." Madison has one extra ticket to the Depeche Mode show and has invited you? Go! Without guilt.

Encourage Hayley to hang with new friends, too. Casually mention, "Hey, Lauren asked us to hit a movie tomorrow night. I'm having dinner at my grandma's, but you go." If you make it no big deal, guess what--it's no big deal.

SCRATCH THE ITCH TO SWITCH

You signed up for home ec because of Hayley's burnin' yearnin' to learn how to bake snickerdoodles and make minis out of her old Sevens. After a week of grease fires and pricking your digits with a sewing needle 'til your fingers resemble a cheese grater, you want outta this class.

Would switching to art be terrible? No. It's perfectly OK to drop out, even if Hayley is full-on crazy-for-crocheting. Just explain to her, "Turns out, I'm missing a gene when it comes to making my own toe socks. But you stay in the class and have a blast. I'd much rather do charcoal drawings."

You're not rejecting Hayley; you're dissing the domestics. As your BFF, she should want you to do the things you dig most. So make that switch! Not only will you get the chance to pursue your true passions, it'll give you a nice little chunk of "me time" to boot.

ESCAPE THE PARENT TRAP

You could set your Guess cuff watch by it: Hayley's 'rents appear in your kitchen every Friday at 7 p.m. sharp to grill steaks with your ram. On Saturdays, you all rent DVDs together; on Sundays, it's always a football-watching fiesta. It used to be tons of fun, but now, every time you see their SUV roll into your driveway, you just wanna scream. Enough with the same ol'-same ol' already!

You can't hide under your bed, so what to do? Your parents love hangin' with her parents, and you can't very well tell your folks who they can and can't have over. Plus, you really like Hayley's family--you just need space.

Here's how to get it: Plan an absolutely-gotta-do-it solo activity away from the dual-family clan. How to make sure this happens without Hayley thinking you're dissing and dismissing her? Tell her, "I really have to take some alone time to memorize my French vocab for a big quiz next week. I'm gonna put in a couple of hours at the library Saturday, so I'll catch up with you on Sunday." You'll get a break from the fam-fun-o-rama and get important stuff done. No hard feelings.

ONLY THE LONELY

Don't be surprised to find that once you've taken your little had-to-have-it break from Hayley, you actually feel a little lost without her. You're used to being with her around the clock, so it's totally normal to feel a void. But an advantage to spending some time apart is that you'll enjoy her company so much more when you do see her. You'll have tons to talk about and catch up on.

Missing Hayley doesn't mean you really didn't need the time away from her after all. It just means you appreciate how terrific she is. So resist the urge to go back to being Siamese sisters. Truth is, spending time with each other in smaller doses can actually make your friendship stronger than Super Glue.