LIFE

Dear Carol,

I’ve liked this guy for about a month, and now one of my best friends started liking him too. He’s my other bestie’s ex, so I already feel really bad for liking him. Nothing has happened between us since I don’t even have enough courage to talk to him. My friend is always hanging out with him and keeps flirting with him. That said, I think she likes him only because I like him, because she used to like another guy that our friend liked. Of course, I want her to be happy…but I don’t want it to be with him. I’m so mad at her for liking him that I want to scream.

- The Guy I Like

Dear The Guy I Like,

Don’t scream. Since he’s your other bestie’s ex, as you pointed out, it was already going to be tricky if you and he went out. Maybe that’s why you haven’t found the courage to talk to him. You know to leave well enough alone. Sure, they say all’s fair in love and war. But if you care about your bestie, hands off her ex, right? Especially when there’s more than one eligible guy in the world. Push yourself to say hi to two new boys. Talk, laugh, give a smile and a compliment. As for the girl who’s flirting? Annoying, but not much you can do, so try not to fixate. Change the channel in your head and use these last days of summer to bike, hike, swim, garden, read, write, sketch, dance. If you were a tourist in your town, what would you do? Do that.

Carol Weston is the author of 16 books, including Girltalk, Ava and Pip and Speed of Life, which is a novel about a 14-year-old girl who writes to an advice columnist. Check out carolweston.com and follow her on Instagram @carolwestonnyc.

Dealing with crush confusion? Read more Dear Carol here:
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by GL | 9/18/2024