Going to high school is a unique experience for every teenager. With all of the classes, sports, and social aspects, it can become difficult to find a balance. It can all be overwhelming when adding teenage hormones and the social aspect of dating into the mix. High school dating is an adventure that can become either beautiful or devastating. But among the battlefield of relationships lies the most dangerous and depressing place of all: the friend zone.

The friend zone works both ways among the genders, but, more often than not, it is the girl trying to communicate to the boy that she is only interested in being friends and nothing past that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with just wanting to be friends and just enjoying each other’s company, but a problem arises when this desire fails to be communicated. The best way to communicate about the awkward situation is to honestly and directly let the other person know that you would just like to be friends. If one is too awkward or scared to do that, however, there are some things that can be done in order to avoid leading the other on. The EliteDaily suggests these steps to lightly deliver the friend zone: Drop subtle but obvious hints, always suggest group hangouts, and finally, don’t ignore but don’t give hope. The sooner the blow is delivered, the sooner everyone can move on.

Now, the opposite side of the spectrum is equally confusing. Being in the friend zone is a fear of all who pursue a risky relationship. The hardest part of all of it is realizing that you are or are being put in the friend zone. Casually Explained, a YouTuber who explains awkward society problems, laid out these steps to recognizing the friend zone,

Step 1: Denial; believing that one is not in the friend zone.

Step 2: Anger; realizing that you may be in the friend zone.

Step 3: Bargaining; desperately trying to escape the friend zone by trying to ask the other on dates.

Step 4: Depression; coming to the realization that escape is not an option.

Step 5: Acceptance; accepting the friendship or leaving it behind.

Pleasant Valley students have also weighed in on the despair of the friend zone. CJ Roethler, senior, said, “As soon as it happened to me, I had an epiphany and it completely changed the way I look at life. I fell into a dark, deep hole of my own thoughts. After a lot of deep thoughts and evaluation, I learned how to get out of the hole that is the friend zone.” Roethler is not the only one who despises the friendzone. Trevor Behan, senior, also added, “Feels bad, man.” The options for escaping the friend zone are extremely limited, as becoming more attractive is hard to do.

There is a simple solution to all of the drama. When trying to nicely friend zone someone, one must be honest about how they are feeling. On the flip side, one can ask their crush out on a date to get a straight answer from them. The friend zone does not need to exist, and many relationships can be salvaged by avoiding it.