The holiday season is right around the corner. For many, this means facing yet another year of being single. But what if the reason you are single is simply because you don’t know the proper stages of teenage dating? Fear not, this emotional roller coaster of a process just got a lot simpler. 

The first step is “meeting, in person or over text,” said junior Callissa Steel. This is the stage where “you get to know each other.”

This is also when “you become friends and then the flirting starts, flirting is very awkward but it does the trick,” said junior Carter Wood. Flirting is a necessary evil. Everyone thinks they know what they’re doing, but in reality it’s usually just a strange exchange of awkward laughs and hard to read body language. 

When this friendship starts to become romantic you have reached the “talking” stage. This stage usually consists of an increase in texting, face-timing, snap-chatting, etc. It’s when “you know that you like each other but you’re not dating,” said sophomore.

In all honesty this stage can be extremely confusing. You know you like each other but neither of you know who is going to make the next move. It’s basically a waiting game.

Awkward.

“Talking is the uncomfortable stage, the getting to know you to see if they like each other,” said Steel.

If you can get past this stage you have made a lot of progress. Now you’ve become a lot more comfortable with that person and you’ve probably even told your parents about them.

Progress.

The next stage is having a “thing”. According to Wood this is “where you’re basically dating but without a label.” Because if there is one thing that teenagers hate more than being told what they can and cannot do, it’s having labels.

“People have commitment issues, kids in high school don’t want to be tied down. When you have a thing you can still talk to other people and not get in trouble,” said Steel.

One common misconception is that all “things” lead to relationships.

False.

Remember, while you’re “talking” you are getting to know each other. To be honest, a lot of the time you realize that you and whoever you’re “talking” to should just be friends. Friend-zoning is often a PAINFULLY AWKWARD thing. It’s a weird transition that leaves each person confused and probably a little hurt. But this is usually for the best, as faking a relationship is just weird.

If your “thing” makes it through the weird “talking” stage and becomes an official relationship, pat yourself on the back. Take a nap, this process is exhausting.

If you do made it this far, congratulations, your hard work has paid off. However, your work is far from over. Now you have to show off your relationship, “you hold hands and post pictures on social media, basically telling everyone you’re taken,” said Wood. This is soon followed by meeting the parents, prom and much more.

Overall, high school dating is a confusing process. It’s filled with raging hormones, gossip and drama. Yet, if done correctly, high school dating can be a magical thing.