Dear Bunmi,

I’m 18 and I’m troubled by a girl who’s the same age. We’re both waiting to go to the university.

Two years ago, when we went on a school trip to a neighbouring country, she told me she fancied me. A few months later, she again repeated it. She began to spank my bottom, then laugh with her friends. I felt so embarrassed that I told ber I didn’t fancy her. She finally gave up and said she’d never really fancied me either.

A few months ago, my dad gave me my own mobile phone and I gave her the number. She started sending messages, saying, “I can’t stop thinking about you; and I love you.”

Now I’m beginning to feel the same way about her. I want to kiss this girl and hold her in my arms, but when I come close to telling her how I feel, I’ll back away.

Whenever I see her again, the feeling comes flooding back. I think she must be having me on. I wear glasses, though people say I look like a popular home movie star. But this girl spends most of her time with me now. She says she’s fallen out with

some of her friends. What should be my next move?

Abu, by e-mail.

DearAbu,

I give this girl of yours full marks for persistence in the face of your apparent unwillingness to become her boyfriend.

Girls are often more confident about their romantic feelings than boys of the same age. You are gripped by shyness and fear of rejection which is very common during adolescence.

Well, here is a tip: boys who dare to kiss the girls have more fun! The star’you see in your home movies are very attractive to girls and have a huge number of female fans.

If a girl tells you she fancies you, don’t question why. As you grow older, you’ll soon discover that girls want kisses, cuddles and love just as boys do. Dilly-dally no longer! Ask this girl to become your girlfriend, then seal the deal with the kisses that you’ve long been aching for.