INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If he tells you about his latest crush or what’s going on in his relationship, be supportive. You are a friend first and foremost. Focus on your hope for a romantic relationship. The worst that can happen is that you have a really close friend who you can happy for. For example, if he talks about his crush, don't start dissing her or talking smack about her. This won't out you into a good light. Having desire is fine, but acting on your emotions may lead to trouble. Make sure you have a firm grasp of how he feels before you put yourself out there or you may lose a good friend. Don't ask him to be your boyfriend right off the bat. Get to know him better and find out whether or not he likes you first. A lot of TV shows and movies portray romance between friends as being an embarrassing mistake or an awkward situation. If you don’t make the transition correctly, that very well might be the case. Keep positive that your friendship will survive any fling. If there are romantic feelings, awkwardness will be inevitable unless one of you addresses how you feel about the other person. Awkwardness is normal, especially if someone is shy or inexperienced. Be patient, calm, and understanding. Don't get frustrated. You don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. People may ask if you’re a couple when they see you alone together. Limit the time you spend alone in public together. Try to include other people when you can. Movies are fine but eating together may be questionable and get people talking. Boys can be brutally honest so be prepared for blunt opinions and harsh comments. For example, if you ask a boy how you look you may not appreciate his true opinion. Don’t make this a one way street. If he is brutally honest with you, you may be brutally honest with him. Put him at ease and let him know he can trust you like any of his male friends. Don’t give in to temptation and give him a hug or rest your head on his shoulder. If you get too touchy-feely you may give yourself away. Don’t blur the lines between boyfriend and friend. Wait until you’re ready and sure of yourself or you may make him defensive. For example, don't try to make-out with him before you know how he feels about you. Even if he does like you back, you have to make sure that he is comfortable with it. Boys don’t talk about the details of their romantic lives the way girls do so don’t expect him to open up. Don’t talk about your own romantic relationship because if he does have feelings for you he will become confused. Keep the conversations platonic. If you tell him about your romantic life he may think that you only see him as a friend. If he’s seeing someone you may automatically judge her and bad-mouth her. Don’t deny him a chance at romance. Don’t make him choose between her or you. Avoid doting on him or flirting, especially if you guys are not officially a couple. Let him know when he’s being a jerk or acting inappropriately. Compliment him when he’s being a friend and scold him when he’s not.  Acting like you are his girlfriend may also annoy him. He may see you as clingy and possessive, and he may try to avoid you as a result. Even if he flirts back with you, don't make assumptions. If you aren't sure whether or not you are a couple, ask him and respect his answer. If he’s going through a crisis in his life like a breakup or death in the family, don’t try to leverage his emotions into a romantic relationship. He will feel taken advantage of and angry. Unlike girls, boys may be flattered to learn that a female friend likes them. Girls may be upset and sad because trust has been lost. Don’t compare yourself to another girl that he likes or his current girlfriend. This will lead to a lot of anxiety and frustration. Don’t act like a jealous girlfriend when you are only friends. Don’t change who you are because you think that will win him over. You can’t make him fall in love with you. Save your dignity and be yourself. Don’t try to convince yourself of something that isn’t there. He may tell you that he loves you but only as a friend. He may also say that he can see himself with you but only as a remote possibility and not at this second. Save yourself from embarrassment. If he already has ambiguous relationships than he may “want to have his cake and eat it too”. Be certain that he doesn’t have another romantic interest or a serious girlfriend.

SUMMARY: Hide your true emotions. Don’t lose your self control. Prepare for awkwardness. Go out in groups. Prepare for honesty. Avoid affection. Don’t ask or give dating advice. Avoid acting like his girlfriend if you’re not. Don’t take advantage of his vulnerability. Avoid comparison. Never assume.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Starting the song is the hardest part. Try looking out past the audience. Find a spot in the back of the room. Concentrate on that spot and use it when you need to regroup. You can also close your eyes or imagine the audience is dressed up in silly outfits until you begin. Stand up straight. Open your mouth wide like a singer on TV would. Remember all you learned about how to sing. You want your body to stay expansive so you get plenty of air into your lungs. Make sure your voice resonates throughout your airways. Proper posture and breathing will make you sound better and also calm you down. When practicing the song, you should have developed an interest in it. Now it’s your turn to present the song so others can understand it. Another source of passion is your love of singing. Put emotion into your words and show the audience why you are performing for them. Once you get to this point, getting through the song is no challenge at all. Mistakes happen even to experienced soloists. Sometimes you’ll drop the mic, get feedback, or forget words. The best solution is to keep singing. Don’t stop and wait for others to help you out. Instead, continue so you put the mistake in the past. By the end of your performance, the audience will have forgotten what went wrong.

SUMMARY:
Distract yourself until you begin singing. Open your mouth wide and breathe. Express your passion for the song. Keep going when you make a mistake.