Teen "Should I Tell Him I Like Him?"

Dear Dr. TRuth, I have a crush on this guy, but I don't know if he likes me. Every time my friend e-mails him something and the there is a little thing in it about me he won't answer. She thinks he doesn't want his true feelings known. Also, he avoids talking to me on ICQ. I want to tell him, but I also don't want my feelings hurt. What should I do? Avoided

Dear Avoided: At this point, unless you can take the disappointment of him not liking you, it feels really risky to let him know. Whether or not your friend is correct, you are the one who has to take the risk. The best thing in a situation like this is to try to arrange some kind of group get-together or gathering and see how he acts in a situation like that. In the meantime, try to be patient and wait until life presents the opportunity for you to interact more casually. Anything more direct will be just too scary for him right now. On the other hand, if you can handle it and it would not be a huge shock if he doesn't feel the same way, talk to him, but my advice is to play it cool for right now. Sincerely, Dr. TRuth