He asked me out! Was it just a joke?

Dear Advice Girl,

Today, in school, one of the guys I have a really big crush on asked me out. Sounds great, right? Guess again. :( I couldn't tell whether he was joking or not because he had a serious face but his friends were laughing hysterically behind him. So...I turned him down. Do you think I did the right thing?

Signed,
   Ashley

Dear Ashley,

Was your crush really asking you out? Probably not. Most likely he just wanted to make his friends laugh. In which case, he's a jerk, and turning him down was the coolest thing ever, 'cause now the joke's on him. Tee-hee.

But on the off chance that he really does like you, you'd better keep an eye on him. If he checks you out or flirts with you when his friends aren't around, he might be crushing on you. (Ask your friends what they think, too - they can be great boy-interpreters.) But if he just goes on acting in the same ol' jerky way, then don't do anything. You already did a great job of letting him know you're not in on his joke.

A word of (semi-related) advice: never, ever say anything important to a boy when his friends are listening. He won't tell you what he really feels - he'll only say what'll make him sound cool.