As the weather gets colder, students look for that special someone to keep them warm during the cold winter months ahead of them. This is a phenomenon known to many as “Cuffing Season.” Cuffing season is a portion of the year when men shed their summer bachelor skin and start to feel lonely as the weather turns colder. Much like hunting season, cuffing season involves a hunter trying to track down an innocent baby doe to take as their prize. Now you may be wondering how this relates to high school…so let me explain.

As each school year starts we get a new class of freshman- young innocent, weak and the perfect target for anyone looking to “cuff.” There are several ways that students claim their bae, one of which involves “sliding into DMs.” For my older readers who may not know, this tactic usually takes place on the hunting grounds of Twitter. For someone looking to slide into another’s direct messages (DM’s)  it must be done carefully, usually involving some kind of clever saying to draw the attention of the other person. These sayings can include things such as “I lost my number, can I have yours?” or “If you were a fruit, you’d be a fineapple.”

Depending on the availability of your target this may or may not have worked. If it didn’t, DO NOT KEEP TRYING. You may think you still have a shot, but you don’t. There is no need to make the situation worse by turning into some creepy stalker, trust me, just drop it.

But let’s imagine that it worked and she or he is interested. You now have yourself a BAE. With your bae you can do things such as text every day, start a Snapchat streak or even become cuffed and begin dating.

Rain Fisher, a senior who recently ended a long-term relationship, gave advice to people starting over with a new bae. “Don’t push it, and let things happen on their own. But that doesn’t mean give up – never give up.”

One of the most popular dates for couples these days is Netflix and Chill. We’ve come a long way from the “hot dates” of the 1980s-early 2000s to this modern-day craze. Now in order to Netflix and Chill, a good idea is to pick out a show, and then watch the whole series together. Top shows include One Tree Hill, Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. Once you have your show picked out, you need a location to have your viewing–preferably somewhere with a small couch and a big TV. The smaller the couch, the closer the love.

For a more romantic date, make it colder in the room so you can grab a blanket for some good ol’ cuddling.  Now that you are next to each other on a couch under a blanket, it’s time to make a move. Start with something small like a fake yawn to wrap your arm around their shoulder (classic).

Usually this is the part where I fall asleep because I am sucker for a good cuddle-sesh with my girl, but if you can stay awake, you can go in for the moment when sparks fly: the first kiss. Don’t let this worry you; it’s a completely natural thing that almost all high schoolers do. However, make sure not to set your expectations too high, or you risk being let down.

The best thing to do is to go in with the mind set of just watching Netflix because then you can ensure that you don’t end up in a situation full of awkward miscommunication. When bae’s in a good mood, you’re in a good mood. Here are a few tips on things that you can do to ensure that your bae stays happy while being cuffed.

Good morning text: just a simple text in the morning for your guy/girl to wake up to. It can be something as simple as “Good morning. I love you” or “You mean a lot to me.” It also will start both of your days off on a good foot.

Gifts: now don’t let this scare you – this doesn’t mean it has to be anything big. Sometimes giving something small and sentimental can mean a lot more to the person. Some gift ideas include snacks, socks, gift cards or anything homemade.

Bae Pics: Whether or not people admit it, one thing people always enjoy is when you post about your new relationship on social media. Now this is a very big step, but it is one the first steps to having a long lasting relationship with the partner of your dreams, so make sure you use a good filter, and a fire caption.

For more advice, I sat down with local celebrity, senior Courtney Brewer, who is famous for her fire blog “Behind Her Monogrammed MacBook,” and asked what activities she and her man, Hunter Bargo, enjoy. “I love going to dates at Keeneland,

Boyd’s Orchard, and going to UK football games.” You can tell love is in the air in Courtney’s house.

After reading this article, I hope you have a better understanding of cuffing, high school relationships and Netflix and Chill.

Until next time,

xoxo,

Gossip God.