Will flirting with your ex’s friend bring you closer — or further apart?

Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale -- his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens’ BFF — looked mighty close when they frolicked on a Malibu beach together over July 4th weekend. However, Zac’s touchy feely behavior was apparently a ploy to make V — who is currently dating Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson – come back. Is this kind of trick going to work or just drive her further away?

Zac and Ashley looked pretty into each other while attending a friend’s beach party July 2. She rode on his shoulders, they splashed one another in the ocean and they appeared to be flirting. While Ashley swears up and down that she thinks of Zac — whom she met on the set of High School Musical in 2005 with Vanessa — like a “brother” and tweeted that she was still as happy as ever with BF Scott Speer – V might think differently.

And Zac might be using his and Vanessa’s pal to make his ex jealous: he wants her back but she appears to have moved on with Josh.

“Zac is still not over Vanessa,” a source exclusively told HollywoodLife.com. “His heart is broken and he can’t get over her. He may seem happy on the outside, but inside he is hurting. He regrets ever ending his relationship with Vanessa.”

The source continued, “Seeing Vanessa with Josh Hutcherson just drives him crazy. He wants Vanessa back! Maybe his public flirting with Ashley Tisdale is his way of trying to get Vanessa’s attention.”

But will using your ex’s BFF bring him/her back? Answer: absolutely not.

My guess is that Vanessa was pretty furious at not only Zac, but Ashley, as well. This sort of situation can ruin friendships. If Ash isn’t careful (hence her damage control Twitter message) Vanessa is going to drop her like it’s hot.

Often when you’re hanging out as a big group, a guy’s best friend may develop a small crush on you — but don’t exploit that when you and your BF break up. You’ll just be harming his friendship and inevitably losing the friendship you’ve made with him as well.

There are other fish in the sea to flirt with – so find them, and keep away from your ex’s friends. It’s only going to cause you more drama, heartache and trouble in the long run.

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