We all know of the infamous “Friend Zone” and it is the only place colder than this polar vortex. The urban dictionary defines it as: “Usually initiated by the woman saying, “You’re such a good friend”. Usually associated with long days of suffering and watching your love interest hop from one bad relationship to another.” Okay. That doesn’t sound too great. Let me start out by saying that getting out of the friend zone is tricky and has the potential to get very messy. So, first make sure you really have these feelings and that you are completely sure that you want to act on them. If you have all the feelz for this friend of yours, you should really weigh your options before acting on anything. It could possibly ruin your friendship if you go about it the wrong way, so really think about how much you like this person, and if it is truly worth it to take action. Word of warning: if your only intention is to play tonsil hockey with this friend of yours, you probably shouldn’t do it. Is your friendship worth more than one or two hook ups? If you decide that it is, and you want to go for it, then you need to go about this carefully.
Here are a few tips to be a bit more smooth than Emma, and a little less stereotypical Northwestern:
1. DO NOT ATTACK THEIR FACE.
I know you see it in the movies and it just seems epic but that is not the way to go about this. It will most likely scare them and will lead to incredibly an incredibly awkward moment.
ESPECIALLY do not FUI (friendzoning under the influence); if you really like this person, you should be able to remember it the next morning. Instead…
2. Slowly break the touch barrier.
Now, this is an art. Instead of punching them on the shoulder like you used to, try touching their arm a little bit when they make a joke. This does not need to be awkward if you do it the right way. Don’t fling your body onto his or anything, but start out slow and your friend will begin to notice.
3. Separate yourself.
I know this sounds like the opposite of what you’re trying to do, but hear me out. Spend a little less time with your friend just hanging out doing nothing, and instead try doing stuff with a little bit of substance, such as dinner or going to see a show on campus. This will also let him/her miss you a little, so they realize just how much they love spending time with you. Going out and doing something rather than just hanging out in sweats will make the time you two do spend together feel a little more special.
4. Flirt.
Flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt flirt.
There’s no way around this one, you’re going to have to put yourself out there. Don’t know how to flirt? Watch The Ugly Truth.
5. Confess.
As the iconic songwriter and self-proclaimed love guru, Taylor Swift, once said, “Can’t you see that I’m the one that understands you? Been here all along, so why can’t you see-ee-ee you belong with mee-ee-ee.” You can even add a little dance move like T-Swift is doing here. Get it girl.
Your friend doesn’t read minds. He/she might not pick up on some of these things I mentioned, and honesty really is the best policy. Get it off your chest and be clear about what you want. You can acknowledge that it might be weird, but at the end of the day, the only way you can break defeat the friend zone is to just go for it.
Best of luck, lovebirds. I hope it’s epic.