Today we get a question from a dude bro who can’t figure out if his crush is crushing back or just playing games!

Hi Shallon,

Theres this girl that i like, she happens to be one of my good friends. We text sometimes and she occassionally sends flirty texts like “by the end of your training your gonna be like rocky with a 8 pack” when I told her I started boxing. But I’m not sure if she likes me more than a friend.  Also, I have a feeling she might like someone else…unsure tho.

–Kyron

Do NOT let yourself get here!

Dear Konfused Kyron,

Hmm…well I’ll tell you this: I am a VERY flirty girl but I would never ever send texts that are even REMOTELY flirtatious to a guy I wasn’t into. The last thing I’d want is to make him think I liked him, unless I was some kind of control freak sociopath. And who knows, she may be. One in 20 people are! Anyway, barring the sociopath thing, she probably is into you.

Paris Hilton is a sociopath. She is.

But she could also be into other dudes as well. In high school, girls (and guys) are just learning to use this weapon called flirting and sometimes they just wile out and flirt with too many dudes at once. But again, I don’t think that’s the case.I think she’s probably into you. But there’s only one way you can know for sure: ASK HER OUT.

What's the worst that could happen?

Yes, this will take guts, balls and other body parts but it’ll be worth it. If she says no, then boom, there’s your answer. Yeah it’ll hurt and feel gross but at least you’ll know! And then you can feel shitty for a week, sulk and then move on with your life.

But she could say yes. And how rad woud that be? But you’ll never know unless you just go for it.

XO,

I am, like, the worst blogger ever. I know this. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care. I’m just too lazy to do anything about it, usually.

I suck.

BUT, I’m gonna tryyyyy to answer way more of your questions. I’m also writing an advice column for the rad GURL.com called Straight Talk With Shallon that answers Qs from my AskShallon@gmail.com account, so keep those questions comin’! In the meantime, whatever I can’t address there I’ll try to blog here.

So! Yes! Question!

Hi Shallon,

I’m in grade 7 and there’s a guy I really like. We are friends so we talk a lot and we text each other a lot too. I wasn’t really sure if he liked me back  so I asked my friend. It turns out he likes a really bratty girl. He’s never actually had a conversation with her, he just based it on looks. I don’t understand why he wouldn’t like me when he said he trusts me. I don’t know how to move on from him. Please help.

–Mira

A very similar situation: a guy who can do SO MUCH BETTER

My Mighty Confused Mira

This is the thing with rejection–it doesn’t matter why. It really doesn’t. You will make yourself INSANE trying to figure out whyyyyy WHY WHY WHY doesn’t he want you when you are OBVIOUSLY so superior. And even if he turned up at your door with a list of reasons why he’s chosen The Skank over you, it wouldn’t make you feel better. I know this because it actually happened to me–I convinced a guy to explain, in agonizing detail, why he was leaving me for a stripper. Literally a stripper. And boy did he ever. And boy was it awful.

WHO would ditch Brandi for Leann?! It will never be understood and Brandi will waste her time trying to figure it out

But, if you’re reeeeaaaally looking for an answer, it could be that you’re too available. Available = not dateable. Boys LOVE the unknown. They love is at much as we hate it. We want to know know know KNOW if a guy likes us. They don’t actually want to know right up front if a girl likes them. They like the chase. They like to be frustrated. Everything we hate, they thrive on. It’s infuriating. So he’s known you for years–exactly the problem. He knows you. There’s nothing left to discover (or so he sees it, bc he’s an idiot). But The Skank is all sorts of interesting. Even her bratty attitude is intriguing. There’s something about a bitchy girl that reminds guys of sex. To them, bitch = sex. Don’t ask me why.

See what I mean?

I have a serious boyfriend and even now, I have to play a little bit hard to get. I’m not instantly answering texts. I’m not always down to hang out. I do my own thing. And he sweats me. Unfortunately, with so much history between you too, it’s kind of a lost cause to play hard to get now. He sees you as Just a Friend (again bc he’s an idiot) and it’s nearly impossible to change a guy’s mind on that front.

So. Getting over him.

The surest sign that a boy isn’t worthy is that he doesn’t love you. Think about it. I know a guy is quality when he has the good sense to ADORE me. If your crush had an ounce of good taste, he’d choose you over The Skank. But he doesn’t. And you can’t chance a person’s preferences. I’ve tried. Boy have I tried. And boy was it awful.

Remember this nightmare? My crush on Brody Jenner ended when he revealed himself to have such bad taste, he'd date AVRIL LAVIGNE. Shudder.

Make a list of all the things you kind of really don’t like about him. Maybe he’s short, or a ginger or smells kind of rank after gym class or writes like a serial killer. Whatever it is, write it down, tell your friends and make them remind you when you get sad. And STOP TALKING TO HIM. Don’t torture yourself. Who cares if he’s like “Um WTF”? Who cares?? Protect your heart, not his. He’s not your friend. You have other friends. And they are females.

girl friends > guy friends

Dear Shallon,

Im entering high school in Fall 2013 and I’m very, very excited. Since I havent lived the reality of high school yet, I was wondering what the cold, hard truth of boys in high school. I want to know if they are sex/girl hungry? Are they are neutral and chill and will go after a girl he actually likes? Or both? And how do you handle each group of boys?

Warning: The guys at your school will NOT look like Zac Efron :/

The biggest thing to understand about HS dudes is that they’re at all different stages in terms of physical and emotional development. Some are already super mature and able to have a GF. Some are barely hitting puberty and still punch girls in the arm as a way of flirting. Some are just looking for as much sex as possible.

Basically, they’re the guys of One Direction:

The Good Guy: Louis Tomlinson

Most good dudes won't actually be carrying koalas. But, a lot of them will be.

Louis is a relationship dude. He always was and always will be. He doesn’t have that itch to slay as many chicks as possible. It’s obvious in the way he speaks, his manners–everything. It just oozes from him, the way Harry oozes pure sexual magnetism. The Louis are patient, they are respectful. They meet your dad with a firm handshake. They ask you out on proper dates, not just text “Sup” at midnight. True, there aren’t a lot of these guys in high school but there are some.

The Sex Hungry Playboy: Harry Styles

Oh he's not charging you for the condom? What a prince!

Harry is not a boyfriend type guy, at least not yet. A man reaches his sexual peak at 18 (!!!) but women don’t until age 32. Not every guy is as obvious about his horndog-status as Harry is, so to suss out whether or not your crush is just out to get in your pants, bluff him. Tell him you do not hook up. No sex before college for you. And don’t say it in a flirty way, like a challenge, nor when you two are already rolling around making out. It’ll be hard to resist at that point. It’s like going on a diet when the cake is already in the oven.

Instead, bring it up on the first date, casually but firmly: “Do you watch Teen Mom? OMFG what is with those girls. I’m going to wait until college to go all the way, who needs the drama?” See what he says or how he reacts, not necessarily in the moment but in the days and weeks after. If he stops calling or pulls away, that’s your answer.

And it has NOTHING to do with you. Honestly, it’s his hormones. Like when you’re PMS’ing and choose cookies over broccoli. It’s not broccoli’s fault. It’s just your hormones pulling you in a different direction.

The In-Betweener: Niall Horan

Goofy, funny, cute, confusing

Not exactly a playboy but not totally the BF type, Niall is the kind of dude who clearly likes you but just isn’t quite ready to be your boyfriend. You, as a girl, are (and always will be) way more mature than a guy. At any age. So you are ready to have a BF and, HELLO he likes you WTF is the problem? He’s like a toddler who wants to run, but just can’t yet. He doesn’t know how. He simply lacks the skills to make it happen. So he kind of flails around–dates here and there, but also flirts with other girls–and it can really break your heart.

A guy like this is ready for GF/BF status around age 21. Seriously. If not later. So if he’s all over the place, keep him as fun dating practice, maybe a fun hookup, but don’t get too invested in him. And DEFINITELY don’t sleep with him. I learned this the hard way, darlings.

Dear Shallon,

Me and my boyfriend “broke” up on Friday. We were dating for 3 weeks, but his reason for initiating the break up was that he wants to be just friends until we build more feelings because he feels we rushed into the relationship. What can I do to make sure we get back together?

–Katie

If there’s one thing boys hates, it’s to feel pressured. I know, I know, you probably didn’t force him into a being your BF, but boys are wussy and like to complain, so he feels trapped and hey, why not blame you!

So, he’s backing away and using this “let’s build our relationship” crap as an excuse to have his freedom but still keep you on the hook. You know when you build a relationship? When you’re in the relationship. It’s like job training–you get it on the job. DURRR.

Actually you ARE getting back together, just follow my advice!

So, you need to call his bluff. If he wants space, you give him S-P-A-C-E. You respond to every third text with one word answers. You are busy when he wants to hang out. You do not speak about him to anyone. He must be absolutely convinced that you’re over it. Because if there’s one thing boys love, it’s a chase.

Seriously, dudes love this ish

Icing him out will take a serious amount of self control on your part but you MUST do it if you want him back, trust me. Only when he makes you an offer–of BF/GF status, or an actual date not just a rando “hang out”–can you soften up and consider it.

But, maybe then you won’t even want him anymore. Maybe then Harry Styles will be knocking down your door.

Oh calm down, he's legal

Hmm no that probably won’t happen. He’ll probably still be at my house.

xoxo,

Shallon

You can tell a lot about a person by the art in their house. I’m a big devotee of The Secret and they always say that you should decorate your house for what you want to happen, not what is currently the situation. Example: if you want to be married, leave half your closet empty. Park on one side of the garage, and most importantly, hang art that reflect coupledom and love. Now let’s take a look at what hangs in my apartment, shall we?

Is that me? Sure. Why not.

There's a she-wolf in the closet

I adore this. It’s a painting/college by me/Klo. In her house, she had made a series of collages that she then whitewashed over and then painted an animal outline on them. She’s a terrific artist, seriously amazing. So I “commissioned” her to do one for me.

I created the collage of pin up beauties and she painted a wolf. On the painting in tiny swirly script reads a line from Shakira’s “She Wolf”: A domesticated girl, that’s all you ask of me. Darling, this is no joke–this is lycanthropy.

I honestly wonder why I’m not married. 

xx

We’re flawed because we want so much more. We’re ruined because we get these things and wish for what we had.