Hey Jherico; Boy Trouble.

Hey Jherico,

My entire life is falling apart. I’ve been crushing on this new boy in my grade ever since school started. He’s super cute, funny, and thoughtful, and recently we’ve been spending a lot of time together at lunch and studying after school. But, I finally got up the nerve to talk to him yesterday, and he told me he’s not ready for a relationship and he just wants to be friends. Now, I feel so stupid and embarrassed.

Plus, we have all our classes together, so I can’t escape him. To make things worse, I feel like I’m crushing even harder lately. I was feeling super sad about all of this, so I tried to talk to my best friend Lexi, but she’s stressed with her own boy drama and was barely listening. I feel like I have no one to talk to! What should I do?!

Sincerely,

Friend Zoned With No Friends.

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Dear Friend Zoned With No Friends,

Oh my lanta, that is tough. Also, are we related?! Your problem sounds weirdly similar to something I've been going through...anyway, I’m getting off topic.

Here’s what I think: Girl, you need to PUT. YOURSELF. FIRST. I mean seriously. It’s time for you to take a personal day and give yourself a vacation. Take a sick day (or a weekend if you can’t bear to miss school) and make a list of the 5 things that always make you feel happy. Long baths, face masks, massages, yoga, Olivia Rodrigo...whatever you need to relax, make it happen.

Once you’re all chilled out, you need to prioritize. I mean, how important is this crush?! You’ve only been thinking about this person since this beginning of the school year, and there are plenty of weeks left to move on. Your crush may seem super intense right now, but I guarantee you, these feelings will PASS. You could have a new crush before 2022!

Lastly, when it comes to BFFs, they are supposed to listen to your problems! If they don’t support you, then are they really your best friends?! Give your BFF Lexi one last chance to be there for you. If not, it’s time to give yourself the love you deserve and move on.

If you want my opinion, which you clearly do, this friendzoning is a golden opportunity to be YOUR OWN best friend. Forget about your crush and walk into class with confidence and a renewed sense of self. Maybe he’ll notice..but who cares?! You’re doing you from now on. And if you need someone to listen, I'm always here!

All my love, Jherico.