IN LOVE WITH BFF'S BROTHER

Dear Jellybean,

ok well i have a semi big problem, that i have had for a while. ok well first of all i am in love with my best friends brother. dosent sound like much but it is... ok well i have known them for my whole 14 years of life. (our parents ahave known eachother for a LONG time)ok well he is 3 years older then me. dun dun dun. But man i just rlly rlly like him, and i dont know what to do. sometimes it feels like he likes me back (but who knos with guys) but i have a feeling he dosent want 2 like me becuz of the age difference (its only 3 years, jeesh!)my best friend already knos that ive liked him a looooong loooong time. and i kno its not just a little crush, becuz i can just tell that i rlly like him, i kno not a good explanation, but u kno i just have that gut feeling. and i rlly rlly want him to kno that i like him, unless he already knos, but then i dont, becuz we see them alot, we're practicully family, and i kno if i tell him he probably wont tell me he loves me back, becuz thats just the way he is. and well, sry, anyway i seriously just need help! haha. ive tried to NOT like him, but i just cant. and most of my friends, dont take me seriously when i say i love him, some of my friends do take me seriously though. but he and i have known eachother a long time, so he knos me and my embaressing moments, and i know his.

Love,
Bestfriend-brother-lover

Dear Bestfriend-brother-lover,

Three years is a pretty big difference, but then again, you've known each other your whole lives, and your letter is pretty convincing, so I believe that you really feel love for this guy.

You say your BFF knows that you like her brother, but you don't say how she feels about it. Does she seem okay with the idea? Dating a friend's brother can create a lot of weirdness, so if she says it's fine with her, that's a big hurdle you've gotten over already.

Now to the guy! Even though you're sure about your feelings for him, it's not a great idea to just confess your love straight out. After all, even someone who liked you might be taken aback by that, and worry about your expectations. Instead, you need to take a more subtle approach.

So why not try this. When you're hanging at their house and talking with him, just bring up the subject of dating. Talk about a place you really want to go, or a movie you'd like to see, and say something like, "Maybe you and me should go see it together, like a little date." If he says yes, awesome, you've got a date! If he says no, or laughs it off or gets uncomfy, just play it off like you were kidding around.

Sure, you'll be nervous doing this, but if you keep the conversation light and don't make a huge deal out of it, you have an even chance of him saying yes. If he shoots you down, at least you'll know how he feels, and then you can stop wasting your time - and your friends who have been listening to you - being obsessed over him.

It's possible your friend's bro has been thinking about you this way too, but hasn't made a move because he doesn't want to freak you out, or bug his sister. So you make a move, and you'll know soon enough if there's a future between you and him.