Dating is Tricky

Honestly, I have never had a boyfriend, but this is the accumulation of what I have learned so far in the realm of dating and relationships via books, pastors and other resources.

People hardly do anything rational when they're are nuts about someone (this one is kind of obvious).

You need to be careful, if you feel like you need a boyfriend or girlfriend as soon as possible then stop looking, you're not ready; the only thing you are ready to do is settle.

This is why dating in high school is so tricky and elusive.

Elusive (adj) - eluding clear perception or complete mental grasp

You see the person every day and get to talk constantly and that is an incorrect introduction to how the relationship will be when you're out of high school.
Unless you're both going to move into your mother's basement (which first of all, if he suggests this, RUN, NOW; what more will he have to work for? It will be too easy and he'll treat you like trash) and hang out constantly, you will never have the high school version of a relationship outside of high school.
Relationships formed in high school scenarios in which you see each other constantly are designed to expire. Frankly, it develops an intense dependence on seeing that person every single day for multiple hours; and real life, healthy relationships allow both members to be able to function on days where they can't see their significant other.
Your happiness can't be contingent on whether or not you spent loads of time with your boyfriend or girlfriend every day.

When you are joined relationally to someone, they are suppose to love you and invest in you and add to your value.
At church last night my youth pastor gave an amazing example : If some punk kid shows up to his door and asks if he can take his daughter on a date, he's not going to just hand over his daughter whose value surpasses one million dollars and let this boy spend her and then return her at the end of the night.
Even if this boy promises to move "slowly" and respect her boundaries and such, he is still going to be spending her value, he's just going to take his time doing it.

To rephrase this: Your father figure isn't going to hand some boy a million dollar briefcase and tell him to spend it wisely and cherish it.
Ladies, whomever this young man is, he is suppose to add value to you, not spend you over a period of time regardless of how "frugal" he claims he will be.

You are not a sum of money to be spent and ransacked, you are a person and you are meant to be invested in and receive guidance and leadership from who you date.
This goes both ways, guys, don't just look for a girl who has a nice face; the face will ditch the party much sooner than her character will. You need to look for intelligence, patience, wisdom, and kindness in a girl, even if she isn't the most beautiful creature you have ever seen. If character had a face, fall in love with how extravagantly gorgeous her character is.

Another quote from my youth pastor (Seth Trenda) - "Date someone when they can respect value"

If a fella asks you to be his girlfriend tell him this, "If you truly think I'm the right one, do me a kindness and spend the next week praying about it and ask me again"
If he refuses to do this, then he is far too much in a hurry to get into a relationship and obviously hasn't spent time thinking or praying about it in the first place. This is an obvious indicator that he doesn't value you and your rules as much as he made you think he does.

Do yourself a favor and don't make it easy, guys appreciate what they work for much more than what they receive without cost anyway.