I'm going to choose my friend over my girlfriend
That is insane to me. Why would you choose your friend over your girlfriend?
My friend was always there for me even when I chose her over my previous girlfriend.
Relationships shouldn't be a competition. It shouldn't be about who's better than who. You should strike a balance between your friendships and romantic relationship.
So I shouldn't put other relationships above my girlfriend?
Exactly. Treat each relationship differently. One isn't inherently more important than another.