(Girls preferably) Relationship help please! Serious answers and please be as specific as possible!?

[herald]

I'll start this off with a description of myself. I'm a 17 year old Caucasian guy. I'm 5'10", 160 pounds (used to weigh 215 a year and a half ago), medium build (not ripped but I have decent muscles with a little fat). I have dark brown, short hair with one of those wavy things on the right-front. My eyes are light brownish-green. They get greener the more tired I am. I'm not deformed in any way, I don't have acne issues, and I've been told by my friends "no homo" that I'm attractive. I have a great sense of humor around friends and am always making jokes, movie references, etc. I'm not always the most social, I have to become comfortable at first but once I am I'm really outgoing and can talk to literally anyone in the room. I'm also intelligent. I get good grades in very hard classes and I go to a really nice school. My family is upper-middle class, so we're not rich but have a nice house. I drive a used (it had 93,000 miles when I got it) 2007 silver Chevy Cobalt coupe that's in good condition. I'm into action movies and comedies, the TV shows I watch are The Office, Parks and Rec, Sons of Anarchy, and Breaking Bad. I like cars, Baseball, Football, and Hockey. I listen to Reggae, old-school Rap, Classic Rock, and lots of the in-between, Billy Joel, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran kind of stuff. I'm not one of those guys who wants to "just have fun" with a girl. When I want to date a girl, I make absolutely sure I'm in it for the long haul. I'm a serious guy when it comes to that sort of thing. I'm also a really moral person (don't worry, I'm not judging those who aren't). I've decided to save sex for marriage, if you haven't that's fine, but this is a commitment I've personally made. Also, I'm humble, so writing all that was really strange for me.

Now a little background info. As I've said, I get along with people well. Once I get in a comfortable social situation I'm actually a really social person. When it comes to dating and girls, however, I'm the king of screw-ups and awkwardness. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of friends that are girls, but once I view a girl in the "I want to date this person" lens, I have a hard time being around them and talking to them. I sort of go on like I'm just friends with them, but I can't shake the awkward feeling. For example, I had something happen with a girl who I was in love with, not just infatuated with. I know the difference. I felt that feeling when I was just getting to know her and the more I got to know her the more I felt it. I'll just say it ended horribly, she pulled the "still be friends" and "it's not gonna be awkward" cards, but I was still depressed for about three months, and I've still felt like crap every time I've been near her. Just writing about that makes me cry over it, and that was about a year ago.

Here's my current situation: I've come to terms with the fact that the situation with that particular girl is a lost cause, and due to the fact that I'll probably end up on the East Coast for college (I'm from southern California), most relationships with girls from where I live wouldn't work. I'm really looking forward to the clean slate I'll have socially in college, but the fact of the matter is that going into my Senior year of high school I have never dated and I have never kissed a girl. Sad, I know. So far in my life it's been a case of "good guys finish last." Rick Springfield's song, "Jessie's Girl" is a pretty good summary.

I've always been able to make friends. However, when it comes to taking the "next step" I'm hopeless. I can't flirt, I'm not very good at starting conversations or keeping them going when they hit an awkward pause. When it comes to getting girls to like me I'm hopeless.

So I guess my questions are these:

What do girls want to see in guys?
How do I get a girl's attention?
How can I tell if a girl likes me?
How do I keep a conversation with a girl going?
How do I transition from a normal conversation to flirting?
How do I flirt with a girl without going to far?
How can I tell if a girl is messing with me, using me, or just not interested in a serious relationship?
How do I let a girl know I'm interested in her without being super awkward?
How do I ask a girl out for the first time without being too awkward about it?

Whether you answer one of them or all of them, every little bit is an enormous help. Thank you and I'm sorry I made you read all of that.

[webb]

Good looks help but Personality RULES. Be Confident not arrogant. Getting a girl's attention.. a simple "hello" will do. You have too many questions, less is more. Also: when it comes to breakups, get over it. No need to cry. You're too young to be depressed over being silly. And always be a gentleman!

[unss94]

Good looks help but Personality RULES. Be Confident not arrogant. Getting a girl's attention.. a simple "hello" will do. You have too many questions, less is more. Also: when it comes to breakups, get over it. No need to cry. You're too young to be depressed over being silly. And always be a gentleman!

sorry I am a guy but
what I did was I broke the ice with a girl that I really liked with humour and went on from there I felt just like you, kind of hopeless
go out with them if they tend to be more superficial then they're just using you
(I have to go right now but I should be able to answer some more tomorrow unless you don't want me to)

[kienan]

aw man. i am a girl with a 17 yr old boyfriend and from ur description u remind me of him completely lol but anyway, ur giving it to much thought. yes it should b special but ur first kiss is never ur last and ur first kiss wont matter a few years from now when u get another first kiss that might be the one but ur probably almost 18 so get out there and yes practice on ur hand or mirror or a teddy bear but its not gonna b the same. just dont think about it jus let it happen and dont tell her until afterwards so she doesnt feel obligated to do it. but let loose and let it jus fall into place. promise ull say the same thing to some poor guy a few years from now lol. good luck dude!