The Advice Column I

109

Advice Request
A girl goes up to the requester and says that she knows who they like. The requester's crush's friend claims to know who they like too. When this person asks how their crush's friend knows, he says that the requester's friend told him. When the requester asks their friend about this, she comes to know from her friend that the requester's crush was going to prank text her. The requester is nervous, sad and unaware of what to do.

Answered Submission

Hey!

Okay, this is the most confusing situation I've ever heard of. It can't be fun to be in the middle of this, I imagine, which is why my advice to you is to simplify everything.

First thing you should do is ask your crush in private if it was true that he was going to prank call you to pretend to ask you out. If he says it IS true, discontinue these steps and completely shut him out. If he is so ready to toy with your feelings, then he didn't deserve them in the first place. It is such a childish thing for him to do, and I personally believe you deserve better.

If he says no, and you think he is telling the truth, then tell him how you feel in person. It can't hurt since he probably already knows, right? It saves confusion, miscommunication, and a ton of energy spent from friends playing Chinese Whispers! Now, telling someone you like them can be nerve-wracking, but it can be worth it. So I just want to make sure you're comfortable with what you should do. Here are some tips for if you decide to tell him:

1. Make sure it's just you and him. You don't want anybody to be there influencing or pressuring him. Plus, feelings are very personal, and some people just don't like to share in front of everybody.

2. Be clear! No mixed signals or low modality (e.g. like, maybe, kind of, sort of, etc.). You want to be sure that he knows exactly where you stand.

3. Prepare to be rejected. Now, I'm not saying he's going to turn you down, but there is still a slight chance that he doesn't feel the same way. Therefore, be ready for anything, and don't have high expectations.

As for the blabbermouth girl (we have someone like that in my area), just ignore her. It's clear that she can't be trusted with personal information. And let's face it, who you like is between you and your crush; nobody else has to know or be involved if you don't want them to be.

Good luck!

The Advice Column Team