A girls guide to friendship

There are certain rules to follow in order to maintain a friendship. For example:
-Don't talk smack behind your BFF's back
-Always trust each other
-Always be supportive
I know it sounds really stupid, but there are rules to always follow, like
DON'T date your best friends crush
Or even better
DON'T date your best friends ex
You see, I'm a freshman at North-Sea High School and until just recently, my friends and I weren't aware that these rules were so important. But I guess you could say we learned this the hard way.
At first it wasn't a crush. I had asked him to dance because I had never danced with a guy before (I know, pathetic, right?) but I was in seventh grade and I wasn't what they would call "attractive" in a way. It was April 16th and we were at the black and white dance at my former middle school. My friends and I were looking for someone for me to dance with. I turned around and I saw him, Joseph. He was surrounded by all of his friends (who just so happened to be all girls) and I walked up to him. I had talked to him before, once in the halls after school in sixth grade, and twice in seventh grade. After I had made my way through the sea of girls, I casually asked him, "hey, do you want to dance with me?" he turned around, after he finished talking to a girl, and after processing what I said, answered, "I'm okay". I had thought nothing of the answer, knowing That the only thing I knew about him was that he was in beginning chorus . I walked away to find someone else to ask to dance.