SHE WANTS GUY FRIENDS

Dear Jellybean,

Okay, I am returning to an old high school after moving away for a year. i went to that high school for 2 years, then moved away for a year, and returned my senior year. Before i moved, i was known bt not popular. i wasnt very pretty and i didnt have very many close friends and the boys pretty much ignored me.

but now, two years later, im more mature, way prettier, and the same boys who ignored me then,are tryna get with me. im not used to it at all so i dont know how to respond. i dont want a boyfriend, bt i really really want to have a lot of close guy friends. the problem is, when i try 2 talk 2 them as a friend[not flirting], they start tryna spit game and get my number. then they get mad that when they ask me questions like "so wats up with you and me?" i get sarcastic and i look irritated. then they just think that im a total snob and stop talking to me completely.

i desperately want guy friends, bt i dont know how to get them to look at me as just a friend instead of a potential girlfriend. How do i respond when they try to spit game at me when im tryna be a friend without being rude?

-Beautifully Cursed

Dear Beautifully Cursed,

Your goal of having lots of guy friends is worthy, but possibly not the most realistic. The sad truth is, a lot of teenage guys are just not mature enough to be friends with a girl who they find physically attractive. Their ego - or their hormones - make them act like a pack of wolves, even if it's just because they're trying to impress each other.

You're obviously a cute girl who is attracting lots of male attention. If a guy hits on you and you're not interested, ignore him or toss him a comeback. Don't try to convert him into a friend, though. It may be what you want, but it is not - as he has let you know already, by his behavior - what he wants (which is something else entirely).

For now, focus on cultivating good friendships with other girls, and know that great male friends are few are far between. If you're fortunate, you'll make some, but it will probably happen the same way many great relationships do - by accident, happenstance, and luck, rather than planning and intent.