How Do I Get a Girlfriend? What teen guys need to know about dating.

You like a girl and you want her to like you back. You think you might even want her to be your girlfriend. How do you make that happen?
There's no one-size-fits-all formula -- every girl's unique, after all -- but you can improve your chances if you follow some simple suggestions.

Clean Up Your Act

Let's start with the obvious: Before you ask a girl out, take a shower so that you don't smell as if you’ve never heard of soap.
"It's a little bit of a stereotype that boys smell," says Wake Forest University psychologist Andrew Smiler, PhD. "By 14 and 15, most are showering daily and don't need to be told."
If you're always squeaky clean, cool. But a reminder never hurts -- better safe than sorry.

Dress to Impress

How you present yourself matters. Long before you get close enough for her to get a whiff of you, she'll notice that your hair's a mess and that you're wearing clothes that you yanked out of the laundry hamper. So put your comb to good use and pull on a pair of clean jeans.
Why? She wants you to make an effort. If you do, that will impress her.
"If you want to date someone who looks nice, you better look nice, too, because it’s clearly important to her," Smiler says.

Out on the Town

Girls like to be asked out on dates, says Maureen E. Lyon, PhD. (Of course, it's fine for her to ask you out, too.)
If you’re doing the asking, you need to decide what you’re going to do -- and you should also expect to pay for it.
"Dutch treat is just for friends," says Lyon, an adolescent psychologist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Don't know a girl well? Get together with some friends -- group activities are good ice-breakers, Lyon says. Invite her to a free concert with a bunch of friends or see if she likes to play sports and ask her along to a pickup game. Just don’t invite her over to your house to hang out in your room, Lyon says. That’s creepy.
And no matter what the two of you do, the date’s not over until you’ve seen her to her door.
"Don't take her out for coffee then leave her to find her own way home," Lyon says. "Give her a ride home or ride the bus or train with her. It's a nice thing to do, she'll appreciate it -- plus, it gives you more time to hang out."

Be a Friend

If you want a girl to like you, show her that what she says matters to you. How? Shut up and listen. Sitting still so that you can really hear what she has to say is a big part of dating.
Has she had a bad day? Let her tell you about it without interrupting -- just like you would with your best friend.
"When your best friend tells you he's got a problem that he can't figure out, you listen and don't cut him off, right?" Smiler asks. "Same thing applies to someone you are interested in. You want her to know that you get where she's coming from."

Say Something Nice

So, you've taken a girl out on a date and you've had a great time. You want to see her again. Make sure she knows that you like her.
"If you have a kind thought about her, say it," Lyon says.
For some guys, though, being up front about how you feel can be difficult. No problem. There are other things you can say.
"A girl will like hearing back from you," Lyon says. "If you have trouble telling her you like her, mention something special that you liked about the date or something funny that she said."

Little Things Matter

Don't let the movies or television teach you about dating. On both the big and small screens, most of what you see are larger-than-life moments. Real relationships are different.
"Dating's all about hanging out and talking," Smiler says.
The girl who you hope will be your girlfriend should be someone that you like to talk to, not just someone you like to look at. Most guys, Smiler says, already understand that.
"Boys choose as their dating partners someone they really like and are interested in getting to know better," says Smiler, author of Challenging Casanova: Beyond the Stereotype of the Promiscuous Young Male. "It's only a small percentage of guys that are dating simply for sex. Fooling around is not the driving factor for most boys."

She Likes You, She Likes You Not?

Few guys go through their teen years without their share of dating failures. The girl you like may simply not like you back.
How do you know in advance? You could get one of your friends to ask one of her friends, says Smiler. But the best way to get a straight answer is to take the direct approach. Ask her to an upcoming dance, for example.
"You usually get a clear yes or no," Smiler says. "A 'no' sucks, but you will recover from it. Rejection is part of this. It will hurt, then the hurt will go away."
Sometimes you're direct, but the girl's answer is vague. She says she's busy or has other plans. That might be true, or it might be what she thinks is a gentler way to tell you she's not interested.
"Be persistent, but stick to the 'three strikes, you’re out' rule," says Lyon. "If she keeps saying no, cross her off the list."
Remember, always respect her. If she says "no," let it go. She probably won't change her mind, and if you keep asking her out, it will annoy her.

Going Solo

Don't think you have to date just because all your friends are doing it. That's especially true if you don’t think you're ready or you simply don't want to, Smiler says.
Lyon agrees. "Don't freak out if you don't have a girlfriend in high school, and don't compare yourself to other guys who do. Be patient with yourself. It will come."
When you do date, here's a cheat sheet to help:

• Don't horse around with her like she's a buddy. She's not. She's your date.
• Look her in the eye. Don't stare at her breasts.
• Smile and act like you're interested in what she's saying. (You are, right?)
• Don't pick your nose or do anything else you'd be embarrassed for her to notice.
• Don't drink and don't do other drugs, either. That can really mess up your judgment. Bad idea.
• Be polite. For instance, it may seem old-fashioned, but hold the door for her as a courtesy.
• Slow down, and always respect her feelings.