You thought high school was over, until you were asked to join a bridal party that most closely resembles the popular Lindsay Lohan flick, Mean Girls. Suddenly you find yourself thrown into a series of unfortunate events involving a group of girls that make your skin crawl. Here's how to survive without losing your friend (aka the bride) or your perspective.

Rule #1: Never, Ever Join in the Gossip

Find me a group of girls that doesn't like to gossip and I'll introduce you to the leprechaun at the end of the rainbow. Translation? It will never happen. Get more than three girls together and you're guaranteed to end up with various levels of cattiness. Set the trend by being the bridesmaid who never calls out anyone, no matter how heinous or ridiculous the girls become. Instead, listen politely and change the subject when people try to encourage you to join in to their mean-spirited discussions. Eventually, some of the girls will start to gravitate toward you because they realize that you aren't going to join in the cattiness. If they don't, you'll still feel proud of yourself for not stooping to their level.

Rule #2: Don't Kiss Up

You might be tempted to curry favor by highlighting these girls' best traits by complimenting them on their various talents. This is a trap, however. The more you compliment them, the more simpering you will seem, until you get to the point where winning their friendship is more important than your own pride. Keep your compliments sparse and show your approval only when it is duly earned.

Rule #3: Don't Play Tattle Tale

No matter how hard it gets, even if the girls become intolerable, never ever tell the bride what you are experiencing. This will only make you look like a tattletale and will make the bride feel both frustrated and guilty.

Rule #4: If You're Stuck Doing All of the Work: Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

Every once in awhile you'll run into the situation where you're the only bridesmaid who gets any work done. Yes, this sucks, and yes, this isn't fair. But the reality is, you can't make anyone do anything they don't want to do without some serious friction and frustration. You have a couple of choices here. One, you can do all of the work and just bite your tongue when the bride thanks everyone for their hard work. Two, you can plan all of the activities and events yourself and then delegate certain tasks to each bridesmaid. Always have a backup plan ready to go in case the bridesmaid in question doesn't come through.

Rule #5: It Isn't Your Fault if You Weren't There

You may feel like the odd one out if you're part of a bridal party that used to belong to the same sorority, sports team, or college dorm. With inside jokes flying everywhere, you might be tempted to go hide in a corner as everyone else discusses their former Pi Phi cheers. First of all, don't feel bad. It's not your fault that you weren't part of the same social circle as the rest of the girls. Keep in mind that the reason you're all gathered in the same place is to support your friend. Since you all share this common bond, ask the other bridesmaids to share funny stories about the bride that you might not know. You may feel the ice begin to thaw as you all relax and discuss the person who brought you together in the first place.