High School Dating Advice: How to Turn a Friend Into a Boyfriend

Getting your guy friend to open up to the idea of dating may require work on your part. You will have to make yourself available to date and show a romantic interest. While no friendship can be guaranteed to take a turn to the romantic side, you can't reap the rewards of becoming his girlfriend if you don't take a chance by either telling or showing your friend how you feel.

Friends act fundamentally different from girlfriends. Friends get together in groups, while girlfriends do things alone with their boyfriends. You can change how your friend perceives your relationship by acting less like a friend and more like a girlfriend. Suggest hanging out alone, as opposed to in a group setting, or going to see a movie together. Even casual events, such as studying after school or getting together to work on a class project, may provide quality time to test the waters.

Flirting is also something that friends don't typically do. Subtle flirtation, such as locking eyes with your friend for several seconds, can be used to gauge your friend's interest. Watch for return signs of interest, such as your friend making eye contact, leaning closer as he talks and smiling back at you. As your guy warms up, attempt more obvious flirting techniques, such as gently touching his arm, paying a compliment or laying your head on his shoulder.

There's a chance that just as you have feelings for your friend, your friend may also have feelings about you. Luckily, being in high school presents you with numerous opportunities to express your feelings. Football games, pep rallies and dances provide a natural backdrop to change the nature of your relationship from friendship to dating. Use an upcoming event as an excuse to ask your friend to be your date.

One of the most direct ways out of the friend zone is to clearly and openly communicate how you feel, writes psychologist Jeremy Nicholson in his Psychology Today article, "Avoiding the Friend Zone: Becoming a Boyfriend or Girlfriend." Be upfront with your friend by making a statement such as, "I really like you and want to see what it's like to date you." This clearly identifies your feelings. Rarely does friendship blossom into love without one friend taking initiative to change the nature of the relationship, Nicholson points out.