Facing the facts

It is now the second most wonderful time of the year, your favorite holiday-Valentine’s Day.  Get ready to hear friends complaining about not having a boyfriend, girlfriend or a temporary Valentine. Many would say it’s hard to find a good mate nowadays, but it doesn’t have to be.

Chances are, the perfect mate is your best friend. If you’ve been harboring feelings for the same person for weeks, semesters or years, it’s now time to let them know. What a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, right?

This friend has been telling you for years the ideal guy or girl they’ve been looking for. And you’ve been around to witness the heartache and drama caused by their ex(es).

You know what makes them mad and that one song that washes away all acknowledgement of mankind for three minutes.

Now that you’re thinking of that person and realize this article relates to you, gear up. It’s time to leave the friend zone.

The Approach

Letting your friend know how you truly feel about them can be nerve-wracking and out right intimidating. But it’s important not to forget-they’re still your friend. It’s all in your approach. And let me be the first to tell you, confidence is the secret to any success.

Start thinking of what you’d like to give your Valentine. Wait until the perfect time to give your present. Your gift can serve as a deal breaker. Once you have your gift, everything else should be smooth sailing.

When approaching your friend, remember to be as honest as possible. Now isn’t the time to let your pride stand in the way.  Don’t think too hard about what you’ll say because you’ll start blabbering off about every little aspect you like about them. Basically, you’ll just sound like a creep. So, keep it simple.

The Approval

They said yes! You dodged another lonely Valentine’s Day. Try your best not to get too cocky.

Just because you’ve sealed the deal doesn’t mean you get to post an overload of Facebook or Instagram pictures with “That bae” captions.

Whatever you do, try to keep things the way that they were. Don’t start acting odd or feeling obligated to do the things you didn’t do as friends. Keep the friendship alive at all times.

Sure, you might want to spice things up-given your new official title, but though you’ve been friends stay mindful that the relationship is new (refer to the last sentence in The Approach).

Let’s stay friends

Whelp, Eros wasn’t on your side this year. If you get turned down, there’s probably a good reason. Maybe a friendship is more valuable than a relationship that can end horribly.

It will be easy to avoid seeing their face ever again, but even if you really are hurt or embarrassed you must stick it out and continue being their friend.

No one likes awkwardness. Only you can make a situation awkward-it doesn’t have to be. Still go about your day with a smile. It’s a lot better to have asked and failed than to be stuck in the friend zone forever.

Besides, you no longer have to be burdened by the weight of those feelings any longer. And what better way to soothe a burned ego than with a huge boxes of Russell Stoverser? cream?