How to Tell If a High School Girl Likes You

It can be quite challenging to figure out if a high school girl likes you. Some girls are naturally shy and might not express their feelings at all. Others are more open and may share their feelings, but their signals can sometimes be confusing. Still, there are plenty of signs that can help you figure out if she’s genuinely interested. If you want to know how a girl feels about you, follow these steps.

Observe her body language. Body language can be a big clue in determining whether a girl likes you. She may not verbally tell you she likes you, but her body might give it away. If she’s into you, she will likely position her body toward you and lean in when talking, trying to be closer to you. Here are a few signs that she might like you:

• Notice if she fiddles with her hair or looks down at her feet. This could mean she’s feeling shy and nervous because she likes you.
• See if she moves her feet or plays with her hands or jewelry. This is another sign that she’s anxious because of her feelings for you.
• Check if she avoids eye contact. If you lock eyes with her and she looks away, it might be a sign she’s feeling embarrassed talking to you.
• Observe her smile. Does she smile when talking to you, even if your conversation isn’t funny? That could indicate she likes you.

Notice how she dresses when she’s around you. Have you noticed that she seems to dress up more when she knows she will be near you? For example, if you’re meeting her at the mall and she’s dressed up and wearing more makeup than usual, it could be for you. If she knows she’ll see you over the weekend and wears a new dress, it might be her way of trying to look even more beautiful for you.

• She might also wear perfume if she knows she’s going to see you. If you’ve never noticed her wearing perfume at school but she suddenly does when you’re going to the movies, it could be a sign it’s for you.
• You'll need to consider if she dresses like this when you're not around. For instance, ask other classmates if she dresses up on days you don’t meet, or pay attention to how she looks on days you coincidentally run into each other to see if her appearance is always as neat as when she knows she’s going to see you.

See if you make her blush. This is a clear sign she likes you. If you catch her blushing after you look at her, or if her face turns slightly pink while talking to you, she’s probably feeling embarrassed because she really likes you. Watch her for a bit. See if she’s generally shy or if she’s blushing just because of you. If she only blushes around you, it means she thinks you’re special.

See if she stares at you. If you’re in your English class and you catch her looking at you, it could be because she likes you. If she quickly looks away, blushes, or avoids looking in your direction after you catch her eye, it’s a good sign she likes you because she feels caught. You can also see if she’s looking at you when hanging out in a group. Observe her from a distance at a party and see if she’s looking at you.

• If she tends to be distracted or dreamy, she might not be focused on you.

See if she laughs easily when she’s around you. If you talk to her and notice she giggles without any real reason, or even bursts into laughter when you haven’t said anything particularly funny, it could be because she likes you. Laughter is a natural way to relieve nervousness, so she might be laughing more because she feels nervous or excited when she’s around you.

• See if she laughs a lot when she’s with others or if you have a special effect on her laughter.

Notice if she laughs with her friends when they pass by you. If she walks by you with her friends, and her friends giggle and nudge her when you approach, it’s a sign they all know she likes you and are teasing her about it. If she says, "Stop it!" or gently pushes her friend away or avoids eye contact when this happens, there’s a high chance she has feelings for you.

• If a high school girl has a crush on you, usually her friends will know about it. Watch her friends closely to see if they drop any hints that they’re aware of her feelings for you.

See if she makes light physical contact with you. She’ll often nudge you playfully or touch your shoulder while talking to you. Pay attention to whether she does this with other guys or just with you. If she only pays attention to you in this way, it’s a clear sign she likes you.

• If she’s playful with all the guys around her, she may simply be someone who enjoys physical contact.

See if she gives you a small gift. If she gives you a bowl she made in craft class, or if she goes to the mall and buys you something silly like a pencil with your favorite sports team on it, she’s letting you know that she likes you. If she brings candy or snacks to school and offers you some, it’s a way of trying to impress you and showing you she has feelings for you.

See if she tries to talk about common interests. If she knows the Warriors are your favorite basketball team and suddenly starts talking to you about them, it means she’s starting to care about them because of you. If she knows you love watching Game of Thrones and suddenly knows everything about the characters, she might just be trying to impress you with these newfound interests.

• If she never showed interest in your hobbies before but suddenly knows all about what you like, it could be because she has feelings for you.

See if she finds reasons to start a conversation with you. If she approaches you and asks questions that you know she could easily ask anyone else, like how difficult a math test was or what sport you played in P.E. class, it's clear she’s just looking for an excuse to talk to you. If she asks what you think about a teacher or a new student, she’s likely trying to spend more time with you by asking anything that pops into her mind.

Notice if she teases you. If she teases you, it’s almost certain she likes you. Whether she makes fun of your new shoes, your outfit, or comments on how messy your locker is, she’s teasing you because she enjoys being around you. Sometimes her teasing might come off as a little mean, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t like you.

• Remember the golden rule: If she’s paying attention to you, she likes you. Teasing is just one way of showing attention.

See if she’s flirting with you. At this age, teasing and flirting often go hand in hand. However, there are some signs that she’s flirting. If she winks at you, even jokingly, then she’s definitely flirting. If she teases you about your new haircut or says it’s a positive change, she’s likely flirting with you.

• If she acts shy, playful, and a little goofy around you, it’s a sign she’s flirting.
• If she teases you about liking another girl, especially when it’s clear you have no feelings for her, she’s probably just flirting with you.

See if she asks who you like. If she suddenly becomes interested in the person you like and asks if you want to hang out with anyone, she’s probably trying to figure out if you like her — unless she’s trying to play matchmaker with one of her friends. If she keeps bringing up the topic of who you like or even suggests names she knows you don’t like, she’s likely just trying to talk about your romantic life to get closer to you.

• If she makes fun of your ex or other girls around you, she might be feeling jealous because she really likes you.

Pay attention to what she says to you on Facebook or via text. High school girls often enjoy flirting through Facebook and text messages. Remember the first rule: If she’s paying attention to you, there’s a good chance she likes you. If she’s always texting you or posting on your Facebook wall without any particular reason, she likely has feelings for you.

• If she shares a video or a link about something you like on your Facebook wall, it’s probably a sign she likes you.
• If she asks what your plans are for the weekend while texting you, she’s interested in your schedule because she likes you.
• Check out her Facebook activity. Does she talk to other guys as much as she talks to you? Or are you special?

Ask her friends. Asking her friends if she likes you is a subtle way of letting her know that you have feelings for her. If you're too shy to ask her directly but genuinely want to know how she feels, asking her friends could give you a clue. They might not tell you outright, but their positive reactions and suggestions to confess will indicate that she has feelings for you. Be aware, though, that they will likely tell her that you like her, so be careful.

• However, her friends will let you know if she likes you, which might hurt if she doesn’t feel the same way.

Ask her directly. If you're brave enough and truly want to date this girl, find a private moment, like after school next to your lockers, to ask her how she feels about you. You could even admit that you like her (if that’s the case) and wait for her response. Don’t pressure her—just say that you’ve noticed she might like you, and you want to know how she really feels.

• You might even compliment her a little to make her feel more at ease.

React appropriately. If she admits she likes you and you feel the same, don’t jump for joy, as it might make you appear less attractive. Instead, simply show her that you’re happy that you both share feelings and ask if she’d like to hang out sometime. If she doesn’t like you, don’t overreact. Just say, "Alright, no worries" and act calm and composed when you say goodbye. This shows her that you're comfortable with yourself, and who knows—maybe she’ll reconsider her feelings in the future.

• Whatever happens, remember that you’re still in high school. Relationships at this age are carefree, often short-lived, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Have fun, and if things don’t work out with this girl, someone else will surely like you.

• Girls usually want you to make the first move. Believe me, we girls are quite shy. It's very rare for a girl to invite a guy out on her own.
• Avoid being overly arrogant. Girls typically don't like guys who have a huge ego.
• If your eyes meet, smile or wave at her. It can be a little awkward, so blushing is perfectly fine.
• If you notice another guy catching her attention, don’t make a scene, insult him, or talk badly about him. That might just make her upset.
• Don't ask her out via email, text, or anything other than in person. Doing so will make you seem like a coward, too immature to handle things face-to-face.
• Don’t annoy her by talking too much. (If you do talk a lot, make sure what you're saying is interesting and captivating.)
• If she talks to you about other guys, she might be trying to make you jealous. Keep the conversation going but start talking about other girls as well, but don’t go too far or she might think you like someone else.
• Under no circumstances should you invite her out because of a bet or a dare, even if you really like her! That could negatively affect her and won’t help your chances with her. If you’re confident enough to do it for a bet or dare, you should also be brave enough to ask her out without needing a reason like that.
• Pupils often dilate (or in other words, widen) when they are around someone they like.

Also, pay attention to how she treats you compared to her friends and classmates.

• If a girl teases you, it’s usually playful. Don’t think she’s really mocking you. Playful teasing is often a sign of flirting.