Q - Dear Annabelle, There is this guy in two of my classes named Kyle. I really like him and I don't know if he likes me back. He asked me for glue and we talked a whole class period. He also asks me if I like his pictures we make in Sculpture class. Any flirting suggestions that I can do to make him notice me more???? A - Dear Brenna, Iāve always thought a really good fragrance for teenage girls would be one that smells like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or Oreo cookies.......(just a thought.) Actually, there IS a fragrance that smells like apple pie....itās a room scenting oil called, I think, ĪAppleJackā and a dab or two of that on a pulse point sends subliminal yummy messages. Teenage boys, just as are teenage girls, learning how to Ībeā with the opposite sex. Where, just a year or two ago, the opposite sex was Īyukkyā you now have to deal with a whole new viewpoint and most teenagers things everyone else is doing ever so much better at the process than they are. Truth to tell, almost everyone finds this a difficult time. One thing that teenage boys do like is a girl with a lovely sense of humor and a great smile. Remember, everyone starts growing and getting all gangly at this stage and boys have the added problem of having their voices change. Boy, is THAT weird! Now, having a cute girl around who has a nice smile and who makes them feel at ease is such a blessing that, if they find a girl whoās ok with who she is, and whoās fun to be with, not to mention someone who smells like momās cooking, that girl often has the most fellows who feel comfortable about approaching her and talking with her and asking her to dances and things like that. Real teenage difficulties just seem to center around how to deal with all of the physical changes everyoneās going through. Everyoneās ill at ease, so, if youāre easy to talk with and have an occasional chocolate chip cookie to share......well, that just puts you ahead of the game. Good luck, have fun, and try to maintain a sense of humor about this entire process. Those who can make it through this trying time with the most joi de vie seem to come out the other side most successfully. And, yes, it sounds as if he 'likes you'. - Annabelle Hey! Thanks for all that advice. That really makes me happy that you think he also likes me. Do you think I should say, "Hey" to him? Write back! A - Dear Brenna, Hmmmmm, (maybe Iām older than I thought)........whateve r happened to ĪHelloā? Careful......teenage boys also sp ook easily........stay low-key and donāt push. Remember, guys are the hunters, and donāt like Īpushyā girls. Yo ung ladies let the GUYS do the pursuing,........(until we catch them, of course!) - Annabelle Hmmm...yeah I know what you mean about "pushy" girls. I'm not really that Īcrazy flirty typeā of girl. But you think that saying ĪHeyā or talking to him in the halls is too outgoing and forward? Is smiling too much also? What are some subtle flirting techniques that will get his attention, but not be afraid to go near me??? Please help! I don't want him to be scared of me, I want him to like me. How can I get in touch with Kyle if I don't sit by him in class? A - Dear Brenna, Probably the best thing for you to do is, as I suggested earlier, just work on developing your SELF.....and, by that, I mean develop your social skills. (Go find the ĪHELPā formula in one of the other teen letters....learn that and use it with everyone you know.) This guy isnāt your future husband and you donāt want to focus on him to the point where heās uncomfortable. One, or the other, of you is going to find a new flirt interest in just the next few weeks.....thatās what these early years are, ......(theyāre practice for when youāre older). Let HIM show interest in YOU. Young ladies that seem a bit unattainable are ever so much more interesting to young gentlemen. Of course, smiling sweetly at him in the halls is a nice thing to do....but one of these days the teasing is going to start for one or the other of you and then the whole group is going to get into the act. Learn to keep your own council and attend to your studies. Donāt be led off the path of getting a good education by a fleeting interest in a fellow....that kind of thing is not in your best interests. Now, get your grades up.....ok? - Annabelle I THOUGHT YOU WERE NICE!!! IT IS A WEEKEND AND I DONT HAVE ANY HOMEWORK LADY!!!! YOU THINK IāM SOME FLUNK OUT OF SCHOOL? IāM IN ALL HONORS AND GET A'S !!! SO I WOULDNāT BE TALKIN. THANKS 4 BEING SO MEAN TO ME! A - Dear Brenna, Itās nice to know that there are 13 year olds who do take their schoolwork seriously. : - ) One thing you might want to learn is that SOME times you might give the impression of beginning to be a little Īboycrazy,ā and that SOMEtimes goes hand in hand with letting oneās grades slip. Too, if youāre as interested in this young man as you say you are, how do you think heād feel, (about you), knowing that you feel so free to speak rudely when youāve gotten into a bit of a snit? Young men tend to prefer young ladies who are as gracious as they are attractive and who, when something is said to which they take exception, treat everyone with respect, regardless of the provocation. (Even if they do sometimes remind you of your mom) Quick words and an angry retort have caused the loss of many a relationship. - Annabelle