3. Boys, Boys, Boys

Are boys an alien species? No, although sometimes they act that way! Growing-up is hard enough without the whole boy-thing to complicate matters… but then again, boys can be a nice complication. Hmmm. Hormones have a lot to answer for!

One day, the mop-headed boy who sits behind you in maths is a major pain who flicks paper pellets at you with his ruler and teases you about your freckles… the next, everything has changed. Your cheeks flush pink and you feel warm all over and slightly dizzy whenever he looks your way. Your heart races at the very sight of him. Are you ill? No, just crushing on him, big style!

Falling in love can be the best thing ever, but it opens up a whole new box of tricks when it comes to problems, worries and heartaches…

First Crush

Dear Cathy

I am in love with a boy in my class, but he doesn’t seem to know I’m alive. He’s so cute and all the girls fancy him, but how can I get him to notice ME?

Sarita, age 11

Hello Cathy

I am obsessed with Robert Pattinson from the film Twilight. My room is plastered with posters and I watch the DVD over and over. I love him, but how can I ever get to meet him?

Alyssa, age 13

Please help me, Cathy!

We have a new French teacher who is really young and cool. I dream about him all the time and imagine what it would be like to be going out with him. Please don’t tell me this is a crush – I’ve never felt like this before!

Toni, age 12

What’s the difference between a crush and real-life love? A crush can be intense, painful, all-consuming – but it’s a one-way feeling. Often, the boy you’re crushing on has no idea how you feel, or, if he does, just doesn’t feel the same. A crush is a rehearsal for real-life love, a safe way to explore the feelings involved without acting on them. It’s a practice run for the real thing.

Sarita is crushing on someone in her class, but she’s in love with the idea of love rather than the boy himself. That’s fine, as long as Sarita doesn’t expect any more than that – the boy she likes may not feel the same way, and may not even be ready for a girlfriend.

Falling for someone can be a very random thing sometimes… the boy you like doesn’t even know you exist, no matter how hard you try to catch his attention. And all of that time, it’s possible a different boy is crushing on you – maybe a boy you couldn’t fancy in a million years! There’s just no logic in it… sadly!

Maybe the boy Sarita likes will fall for her too, but probably not… and there’s nothing she can do to change that. Sarita should enjoy the crush while it lasts… no strings attached.