Relationships between boys and girls are always tricky. There are plenty of duos out there of the opposite gender that are just friends, but what about the relationships where one person recognizes the other person’s great qualities and  starts to have romantic interests?

Sometimes this turns out great! The other person may share the same feelings… But other times it turns into a total train wreck; when the other person doesn’t like you back. If you’re stuck in the situation where you like them but you’re unsure of their feelings towards you, here are some tips on what to do:

“Just flirt with them a bunch and see how they respond,” said an anonymous contributor.

If they respond back with more flirting, it’s a step in the right direction. However, if they shrug off the flirting and are very light in their responses, the situation is not looking too hot for you, literally. If you feel like it’s okay to start flirting more, go ahead and do so. Just remember that it doesn’t leave a good impression if you are going over the top. Keep it more on the down low side.

“Be good friends with them,” said another anonymous contributor. “But don’t get stuck in the friend zone. Talk to them a lot and smile and make eye contact. […] When you guys are acquainted, give out signals, like a gentle bump while walking and see how they respond.”

People give out unintentional signals when they like someone. You can notice that if someone likes you they will look at you more often, try to get your attention more often and try to be around you. Don’t ignore these signs, but also, don’t play up little pieces of attention they may be giving you for something more grand you have in mind. Keep in mind the possibility that they may like you as just a friend. Being good friends first is always a great direction to go. The many benefits are; being more comfortable around them, knowing the other person in a deeper sense than “he/she is so hot”, and also being able to tell them things and know they will keep your secrets.

Never rush into a relationship with your friend, take it slow. I know it’s hard to wait sometimes, but in the long run if you wait and accept the other person for who they are and they can do the same back for you, then is a good time to develop the relationship into something more. No matter how you feel about your friend, it’s important to know that sometimes you will never be anything more than just friends and you can’t change the fact that they don’t share the same romantic feelings towards you as you do towards them. Never change yourself (unless it’s for the better) for someone else. Keep being yourself, because someone out there will like you more than a friend for just the way you are.