Maybe you've had your suspicions for awhile, or maybe it JUST hit you that your friendship isn't just friendly — but when you realize that your friend has a crush on you, everything changes. This could be the moment everything becomes awkward, or it could be the moment you two morph into the greatest couple of all time.
1. They either respond to you right away OR really spaced out. If they think of you as just a friend, they respond at a normal pace. But if they have ~feelings~ for you, they either eagerly dash off a response and hit "send" 0.000001 seconds after you send your text, or they wait a calculated six hours and 39 minutes just to be like, "k" (as if that proves how chill they can be around you).
2. They send you more texts and snaps than you send them. And usually, they're the one to initiate the conversation.
3. They're always asking if you like anyone. This usually comes during late-night convos on Snapchat. Never IRL.
4. But they insist they don't have a crush on anyone right now. Because they only have heart-eyes for you.
5. They never approve of the person you have a crush on or the person you're dating. They even make little dagger eyes when you bring up their name. They insist that no one is good enough for you — when really what they mean is that they are the only one who's good enough for you. Shawn Mendes's new single "Treat You Better" is literally their life.
6. They invite you to hang out one-on-one outside of school. If your friendship has always revolved around hanging out in a group, and they suddenly invite you to come over on a Saturday afternoon, ding ding ding ding ding! That is called Feelings with a capital F. Group hang-outs mean they have to compete with other friends for your attention — if they want to spend the day with just you and only you, it means they want to soak up your awesomeness all by themselves.
7. Every once in awhile, they randomly give you the most intense compliment. You normally just talk about that one band you're both obsessed with, but one day, they're like, "Whoa, your hair smells amazing." And then they never mention it again.
8. They find lots of little excuses to touch you. When you make a funny joke, they punch you lightly on the arm. When they see you for the first time after a school vacation, they hug you super tight. Sure, they might just be a touchy-feely kind of person... or they might have a really good reason for wanting to be close to you.
9. People always ask if you're dating. Or they don't even bother asking — they just assume you're a couple.
10. One time, they jokingly brought up that you two should go to prom someday. They were like, "If neither of us have dates, wouldn't it be, like, kind of fun to pose for dorky prom pics and ride in the limo together and be each other's dates as, like, friends?" Spoiler alert: It was not a joke. They were watching you intently to gauge your reaction.
11. They ask to take a photo together. Is this a surefire sign they're in love with you? No, of course not. People take photos with lots of people. But if they throw their arm around you and later post it on Insta, that's a sign they really care about you — and maybe as more than a friend.
12. They do lots of favors for you. Like driving you home even if you live way on the other side of town and paying for your frapp at Starbucks when your wallet is way down deep in your backpack and taking forever to dig it out. Wait a second. They paid for your coffee. While hanging out one-on-one. Was that a... date?!
RELATED: Quiz: Does Your Crush Like You as More Than a Friend?
Hannah Orenstein is the author of several novels, including Meant to Be Mine (out June 7, 2022), Head Over Heels, Love at First Like, and Playing with Matches. She's also the Deputy Editor of Dating at Elite Daily. She lives in Brooklyn.
