Dear Panel,

I've been talking to a guy named Heath for about a month now. He's sweet and smart, plus he's mature. He hardly ever talked at first (extrememly quiet) but I kept talking to him until he warmed up to me. I'm a persistant person.

He told me the reason he doesn't talk much is because when you talk too much you usually end up messing up friendships.

He Said I'd Find Him Boring

Well, I still really like him, and I finally got up enough courage to ask him out. He took it good, and he kind of seemed shocked. He smiled and laughed (which he hardly ever does). Then he told me that he thought I'd find him boring and wouldn't like him.

I didn't want to pressure him by persisting that I wouldn't find him boring. So I just pushed his hair back (he has long hair) and smiled. He smiled and looked down at his glass of tea.

He Told My Friend He'd Think About It

Later, My friend Debbie told me that when she talked to him earlier that day he told her he would definitely think about going out with me.

I asked him about a week ago if maybe one day he'd like to go somewhere and hang out, and he said, "Maybe, yeah."

So, do I ask him to go somewhere and get to know him better, or just be his friend?

I would really like to date him. But I don't want to mess a good friendship up. What do I do?

I work at a State Park, so I was going to ask him down there one afternoon to just hang out. Would that seem okay?

Female, age 18, USA

Heartache, Ren, Elsie, and Tommy D answer this question.