EMILY ASKED:

so there’s this guy. and my feelings for him grow with each day. we talk on a daily basis, during the two classes we have together, but were not particularly close. However, i feel like i know him..well enough to find everything about him as a person absolutely amazing. i can find the beauty everything he does and i never really stop thinking about him.

but hes been in a relationship for a very long time. but the only way anyone would ever know they were together was if they checked his facebook relationship status because theyre never together and he turns his back toward(literally) any sort of conversation about her. everyone ive told about my crush on him say that shes terrible to him and that they want us together. but im not really one for ruining a longterm relationship.

theres also another problem. he likes all of the same types of music as me(hardcore, metal) but he LOOKS like your average jock, and im a little punk kid and i LOOK like a punk kid. i cant help but feel like that would get in the way. So this crush is getting to be painful. i find something special in everything about this boy and he has no idea. this fact is beginning to bug me but ive no idea what to do. help?

Alright Emily, first let’s focus on the last part of your story. Here’s a question for you: Do you feel like you understand this boy even though you come from two very different worlds?

Because if the answer is yes, then I think I’ve heard this story before. You know who else had amazing communication despite dressing differently and having seemingly insurmountable obstacles? THESE GUYS:

To sum it up, Dathon (wrinklehead) is a Tamarian, an alien race that only speaks in allegories. When the Enterprise encounters Dathon and his crew they can’t understand each other. In order to facilitate inter-species communication, Dathon beams Picard down to a planet where they have to go beyond words and work together to defeat a common foe.

Now, I’m not saying that your situations are EXACTLY the same. Alls I’m saying is that you might want to watch this clip a few more times and appreciate the special bond that happens when two people find a common language (in this case the language of extended metaphors and mythological references). Did Picard and the alien dude get hung up on the fact that they looked different and that one of them had very large nostrils and a wrinkly forehead? No they didn’t.

My advice for the “he has a girlfriend” part of your dilemma? Keep being his friend. Ask him about his relationship and find out exactly what the deal is there. If he’s in a shitty relationship he’ll hopefully realize that on his own and end it eventually. And once he does he might just fall for the person who’s been treating him with respect and who has impressive knowledge of Star Trek the Next Generation. YOU!

A.