Hello Brentwood! Welcome to my very first edition of “Ask Anonymous,” where you ask me questions, and I answer. On that topic, you may have many questions right now; who are you? How did you land this job? And are you even qualified to give advice? As flattered as I am by your interest in me, my identity is to remain a secret. Think of me as Brentwood’s very own Hannah Montana. By day, I’m just another student in the halls. By mid-day, my keyboard becomes my instrument as I play the sweet symphony of giving advice to my fellow peers. As Ms. Montana herself would say, it truly is the best of both worlds. As for my qualifications, I can’t say I have many. But isn’t that part of the fun? Amateur advice from a mysterious figurehead? It doesn’t get more fun and trustworthy than that! And now, with that long, convoluted introduction out of the way, let’s move on to our first question:

Dear Anonymous,

I have this friend, and I’ve had feelings for them for a while now. At first, I was pretty certain they didn’t feel the same way, but that’s started to change lately. I’m getting a lot of mixed signals. They’ve been reaching out to me a bit more through text and social media, but we don’t really talk in school.  I’ve tried to let go of the idea of anything happening between us, but these mixed signals are throwing me for a loop. What should I do?

– Doc McStuffins

Doc, you’ve come to the right place. I practically majored in the art of “they love me, they love me not.” And by the looks of it, things are working out in your favor. Obviously, don’t jump in head-first just yet, especially if they’ve just recently started reaching out more. But this is an excellent time for you to feel things out; notice how often they reach out and the things they want to talk about. If you guys are constantly talking about your interests and are getting to know each other better, then by all means, hold onto the thought of something happening. But if your conversations are as dry as the Sahara, then I recommend running for the hills. With that said, if you find yourself experiencing the good option, then I would 100% entertain the thought of you guys getting together.

As for the not-so-wonderful aspect of them not reaching out IRL? My best piece of advice is to wait it out. With enough thoughtful (and maybe even flirtatious) over-text conversation, you run a good chance of them reaching out in person more. And who’s to say you can’t be the one to reach out in person? Your crush might appreciate you being the one to make that jump.  And with that, I wish you good luck. I hope for many not-dry conversations between you and your potential significant other in the future!

Thank you to those who have submitted entries so far. If you have a burning question, email me at [email protected] for your chance to have your entry featured in The Nest. Remember, I’m not the only anonymous one in this situation; all participants are to remain under a pseudonym, so don’t be afraid to reach out. I’ll see you curious kiddos on the flip side!