Dear Dish-It, I'm Losing My Best Guy Friend

Advice for Teens on Friendships

Dear Dish-It, is here to whisper "ttyl after I've thought about this some more".

Dear Dish-It,

Hey, I've got a problem. My best guy friend keeps ignoring me. He hangs around the cool kids. I want to hang around him but all these pretty, popular girls just swarm around him and I don't want to be near them. I don't know why we have drifted so far apart. When he's at home, and when I'm at his house, he acts the way he always has - but when we're at school he acts so much different! I've talked to him on the phone, and given him notes on how I feel, but he doesn't take it seriously. He thinks I'm just playing around but I'm not! I know if I talk to him face-to-face I'll just cry like a big baby. Plz HELP ME!
Sk8er_Gurl1414

Dear Sk8er_Gurl1414,

This is obviously bothering you a lot. This guy is being a bit of a putz, but the friendship sounds like it's still a keeper, so here's my advice - talk to him. So what if you cry like a baby, maybe this guy needs to see that to understand how much he's hurting you. He's not getting it through notes, as you said. He's obviously getting all goofy over the attention he's getting from "pretty, popular girls" and it's clouding his judgement. Sure, he can be friends with more than just you, but he shouldn't diss the ones who've been by him through thick and thin, like you have. Tell him, face-to-face, how much his actions are bothering you. It's the only answer.

Dear Dish-It,

There are these 2 guys at my school... the three of us, along with 3 other people, are really, really good friends. Well, I really, really like this one guy (I'll call him Bob,) but I'm not sure if he likes me back. We flirt all the time and we spend a ton of time talkin' and bein' together and we tell each other all our secrets. The problem is that the other guy (aka Jim,) told me he likes me the other day. I don't like him back (at least not that way.) A dance is coming up and both have asked me to it but I don't want to hurt either one's feelings! What should I do?
Cheerchick07

Dear Cheerchick07,

If you truly don't want to hurt either one's feelings, you'd have to buck-up and go stag. You'd also have to never date anyone for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, I don't think you'd like that option. It seems like you've got a Friends dilemma on your hands. You're Rachel, and Bob and Jim are Joey and Ross. What's a girl to do?! Well, be true to your heart, go for the one you like but be kind and sweet to the one you just think of as a pal. These situations are a part of life and you might find yourself as the "pal" one day, so think of how you'd like to be treated if you were Jim. Explain to Jim that you only think of him as a bud, and that you're going to the dance with Bob. At the dance, don't flaunt the fact that you're with Bob in front of Jim. Keep it casual. Hopefully, everyone will be okay and your friendships won't suffer. Good luck!

So, ya gotta burnin' question? Need some love directions? Thinkin' 'bout stuff like depression, sex,how ya feel 'bout YOURSELF (that's called "self-esteem"), boyfriends, girlfriends, losin' old friends, bullyin' or peer pressure, but too scared to ask the parents? Don't be scared to Dish-It here. But 'member, if ya hang out in Chat with other Kidzworld members who know ya by your 'username', ya might wanna use a secret nickname when ya write in. That way no one'll ever know it's you. And, just in case ya don't know, Dish-It gets a lotta letters everyday, and she can't answer 'em all. So keep checkin' the column cuz she's prob'ly answerin' somethin' very similar to your question while you're out doin' somethin' else. K? And Thanks! Ya keep her outta trouble. Oh! And if ya've got words of wisdom you wanna share,We'll dish 'em up, too.