The Teen Survival Guide to Dating & Relating: Real-World Advice on Guys, Girls, Growing Up, and Getting Along

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48 The Teen Survival Guide to Dating and Relating

your throat dry and your palms sweaty. These reactions are normal when you’re

nervous. So, say hi anyway! Give yourself a chance to get to know the person

you like, and give him/her a chance to get to know you.

Not so long ago, it was unusual for a girl to call up a boy or ask him out

on a date. Guys did all the asking, while girls did all the waiting. Things have

changed (and that’s a good thing!), so girls as well as guys know how scary it

is to make the first move. You can convince yourself that it will be like getting

a tooth pulled without novocaine, or you can take a deep breath (don’t forget

to exhale!) and just walk up to the person and start talking. If you never make

your feelings known, your crush might not notice you, and you might spend

the rest of forever wondering what would have happened if only you’d had the

nerve to say hi.

Look at it this way: you’ve got nothing to lose. If you let fear keep you from

getting to know someone you like, you’ll be left wondering “What if?” But if you

make the effort to reach out to other people, all kinds of wonderful things

might happen!

How can you tell if someone likes you?

Hey Terra,

My friends are always telling me that some girl likes me, but I don’t know how they can tell

when I can’t! Is there a trick to knowing if someone likes you?

Wondering Guy

Dear Wondering Guy,

There are two ways to tell if a girl likes you:

1. Check her body language.Does she smile when you look at her, or does she run away
   screaming? (Just kidding!) Does she act friendly or completely uninterested? Does she treat
   you differently than other people? Think of the ways you show people that you like them. You
   probably act friendly and interested in what they have to say. Does the girl you like act this
   way toward you?