This happened to me twice in high school somehow. The first time, this girl was a year older and probably one of the prettiest girls in the school. Me being on the other end of the scale, didn’t even really consider it a possibility till people kept telling me she liked me and she kept talking to me etc. So we talked, and she reallly wanted to date so I asked her out and it was cool for a very short period of time, but then my friends in her grade said the other girls were constantly shit talking me to her and saying she could do better etc and I guess she eventually realized or it became too much or whatever, and I got dumped quite quick lol.

The second time, it was with another girl who had been a really good friend of mine for a few years. Imo prettier than the other girl, definitely more popular, far out of my league. Apparently one day she started liking me like that, or atleast told people. For one I didn’t want a repeat of last time, but mainly I didn’t want to mess up our friendship :/ Whenever it came up I just tried to dance around it while being polite (compliments, her friends asking me who I liked, etc). So I had forgotten about all of this (or maybe just convinced my brain far enough that it wasn’t going to happen that I didn’t even think about I), and there was a dance thingy coming up - I didn’t plan on going, as id never gone to one - and one day in class she real quickly out of the blue said “are you taking anybody to the dance? nobody has asked me yet....” At the time I didn’t even know she was alluding to me asking her, so I just casually was like no I don’t think I’m going, her friend who was there like stared me down for a sec but I still didn’t realize till weeks later, massive L. We hardly spoke again after that day. I now regret it bc I really enjoyed being around her and would’ve gladly dated her esp if it meant we stayed like we were, but also don’t regret it because I knew it would end the same and that would’ve been more depressing and confirming.