April 24, 2019 WHEN YOUR CRUSH KNOWS YOU LIKE HIM Hey Nikki, I have this crush that is also my desk mate. He’s funny, cute, and nice to everyone. I’ve told my three BFFs and another good friend about it. Recently, my BFF told me that the good friend told my crush I like him. Then today he asked me, “Who do you like from our class?” I freaked out but acted cool and replied, “Nobody. Why?” He said I was lying, which I was, and bugged me about it. Finally, I gave up and replied, “Yes, I like someone. FINE.” And he went silent. I didn’t know what to say. Help me! What should I do to stop him from suspecting that I like him? Total Crushtastrophe Hi Total Crushtastrophe, I totally get why you freaked out. I mean, he kind of put you on the spot! But I think maybe you’re looking at this the wrong way. The fact that he asked means he’s curious if you really do like him. And that means he might actually like you back! So why bother trying to throw him off the scent? (No, that doesn’t mean you smell! If you haven’t heard this expression before, it means confuse him so he doesn’t figure it out.) Instead of being cool about it, I say be CUTE about it! Next time you see him, say, “You were right. I DO like someone. I told you a secret. Now you have to tell ME one! It’s only fair! Do you like someone too??” If he says no, then you probably want to end Operation Cute and say, “Do you have a pencil? Mine broke!” But if he says yes, keep going! You could then say, “OK, now I guess it’s my turn! The person I like is super funny. Now you tell me something about the person you like!” The cool thing about this is that you can keep the stuff you say kind of general, and you can stop at any time if you can tell he isn’t into you, or if you just don’t want to play this flirty game anymore. The point is to keep it light and easy, and to try not to take it all so seriously. This is your buddy, your desk mate, your crush. Be playful and have fun with it. If you can’t do that with your crush, then what’s the point of having one, right?! What do you guys think? Do you have any advice for Total Crushtastrophe?