YOUNG PEOPLE ASK/Friendship or Romance? - Part 1: What Signals Am I Receiving?

You really like this  person of the opposite sex, and you're sure that the feeling is mutual. After all, you text each other all the time, you pair off at gatherings . . .  . , and some of the messages you've received from this person are downright flirtatious.

So you decide to ask where the relationship was going, just to be sure you're both on the dame page. The reply? "I view you just as a friend-nothing more."

How it feels

"I was so angry-angry at him and at myself! We had been texting each other every day, and he showed a real interest in me.  Naturally, I developed feelings for him." - Jasmine.

"This girl and I were chaperones for another couple. At times, it seemed as if we were double-dating.  The two of us talked a lot, and then we started texting a lot. It was hard to take when she told me that she just viewed me as a friend and when I found out that she was seeing someone else all along." -Richard.

 "A boy was texting me every day, and at times we were both "flirty."  But when I  told him about my feelings for him, he laughed and said, 'I don't want to date anyone right now!'  I cried for a long time." - Tamara.

The bottom line:  When you think you have a special bond with someone and then find out that the romance is one-sided, it's only natural for you to feel angry, embarrassed, and even betrayed. "I was devastated when it happened to me, and it really hurt my feelings," says a young man named Steven.  "It as awhile before I could trust anyone else." 

Next time: YOUNG PEOPLE ASK/Friendship or Romance? -Part 1: What Signals Am I Receiving? 

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