Welcome to our special Valentine's Day issue of Ask The Mask, where every letter is a crush letter!
But first, a new staff question, this time from our beloved librarian, Mrs. Arguello:
If you have a wise and witty response for Mrs. Arguello, please share it here. We might publish your idea in our next issue!
Last week, Mrs. Abouav asked us whether a Swiftie and a non-Swiftie can be friends. Here are some of your responses:
- "No, friends must always have the same opinions."
- "That's like asking if two people can be friends if one of them is a dog and the other is a pelican!"
- "You could find a middle ground, like Olivia Rodrigo."
- "I had the same situation, and it made me more open-minded and not afraid to try something new. I hated it at first, but then it grew on me and I semi-became a fan of their music. It can be very annoying in the beginning, but your friendship becomes better and deeper, and you learn to accept your friend even if they listen to terrible music."
Dear Mask,
I'm a freshman and I had a girlfriend, but then she met some guy on Fortnite, and he was really good, so she ended up leaving me. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Wookie Pookie
Mississippi
Dear Wookie Pookie,
I’m so sorry that you are now alone. I recommend eating cookie dough ice cream and watching Gilmore Girls. You should also consider getting better at Fortnite so you can hunt this new boyfriend down in the game and steal his lute. I think that you will find a better girlfriend in the future, a girlfriend who will not leave you for some guy on Fortnite. Keep your head up!
See you on Fortnite,
Dear Mask,
I have a crush on someone and I sorta need to tell people and I don't know how. What do I do?
Sincerely,
Someone
Dear Someone,
It is good to talk to people about the important things in your life, so I get why you would want to tell people. Yet it can be hard to talk to them about this sort of thing. Having a crush is a completely normal thing, so your friends will probably be able to relate to you. It may be best to tell them somewhere that is not a public space, so only the people you want to know will know. To tell your friends, the best way is to tell them casually. Just ask them for advice like you would for anything else. I know this can be hard to do, and it will be a little awkward, but it is the best way to go. I hope it goes well!
Lovingly,
Dear Mask,
Everybody knows who I have a crush on now. Even my crush herself. I know why and how It happened, but I'm unsure how my crush feels about it. It's too confusing, and it’s making me murder all the garlic bread in my way.
Sincerely,
Garlic Bread Monster
Chickenwing City
Dear Garlic Bread Monster,
This is a complicated situation to be in. First, I recommend establishing whether she likes you back. One way to do this is to ask a friend who knows her well to ask her how she feels about you. Another way is to watch her body language. If you notice that she prioritizes spending time with you, has increased her eye contact with you, leans in when talking to you, or mirrors your movements, then she might like you back. Also, don’t murder garlic bread because that’s a crime.
Refreshingly,
Dear Mask,
I think I like a girl. I'm not sure though. I think she likes me back. I don't really know if I do like her though. All the books and movies say you feel something. Like you really want to be near that person. Or, like, a spark. But I don't know if I feel this. It's difficult because this girl is my friend. I can't tell if the feeling of wanting to be around her is just the normal friend kind of "I want to be around you." Also it feels especially weird because I am also a girl. I have thought I liked a girl before. But it turned out that I didn't. So I just don’t know. Please don’t answer with "Just follow your heart" or something like that. I want an actual explanation of what "love" feels like. I feel too weird to look it up. Also I don't trust the internet.
Sincerely,
Queer(?)
San Jose, CA
Dear Queer(?),
This is difficult. It can be hard not to know what you’re feeling, but I can’t tell you what you’re feeling either. Love feels different for each of us. You should know, though, that it’s totally okay to like a girl and be a girl, because romantic attraction isn’t always gendered. I know from personal experience that liking one of your friends can be awkward, but that doesn't mean you can’t still be friends, or even that she doesn’t feel the same way about you. If it is growing difficult to decipher your feelings, you can ask other people who have fallen in love what it felt like for them, but remember that their experiences all will have been different. If it helps, make a pie chart!
Lovingly,