Great At Everything, But Not Crushes ...

Dear Dee:
I'm in 7th grade and get straight A+s. I have never failed a test or quiz and I have played the piano for 8 years.

Anyway, I have never had a boyfriend or anything like that. In previous grades I've had minor crushes but nothing as big as this. I have this HUGE crush on a boy in my grade. We laugh together and have fun, but I can't tell if he likes me. He's dropped hints like smiling at me and talking to me frequently but I don't know how he feels.

Recently I helped him pick out his mom's Christmas present and I got butterflies! :) If he likes me I want to know but I don't want to ask him and feel STUPID if he says no. Please help me Dee!

Liking a guy and the way it makes you feel isn't something you can study for or ever prepare for. And your first MAJOR crush (as you put it) is magnified 100 times by the fact you are so successful at everything else in your life. Don't worry that it's thrown you for a loop. (Seriously, if these feelings were predictable and easily explained it really wouldn't be much fun ...)

So, play it cool. . While you could definitely read into the gift thing and the smaller hints, it's better to know for sure rather than guess. And hey, you're in control of your grades, your musical talents and all the rest, so why not this? Just ask him. Find out what's up. And if it turns out he's not into you, at least you'll know.

I suspect you have a pretty good gauge anyway. Instincts are usually correct about such things. So pay attention. Don't stalk him or anything, but be alert and aware of what's going on between you two. And when the time is right, just ask him to the movies or out for a Coke or something. If you already hang out, this isn't such a long shot. Then, while you're out try to gauge the interest level.

If you're not game for that plan, then you're just going to have to wait on him (which sucks) and see what happens. And we all know ... that could take FOREVER ...