Flirt alert: which signals are you sending? Do the boys you're chattin' up see you as a smart, sassy, together chick … or something else?

Girls' Life, Oct-Nov, 2003 by Lisa Mulcahy

Flirt much? Flirting is all for fun, and that's why such small talk should never be taken so seriously. Right? Still, you don't want to be an eyelash-batting giggle machine who pours on gallons of false flattery just to get a guy to dig on her. It's also good to know when you're laying it on too thick, acting all wallflower-y or being too much like your crush's bud-only, Break out the ballpoint, and take this quiz to get in touch with your flirty vibe. Then, read on for some mad new skills that'll make talking to guys a lot more effective.

1. Your crush Chad totally rocked the start-of-school spelling bee, coming in first place. How do you congratulate him?

a. You walk up to him at the bus stop, but you can't utter a word and your eye won't stop twitching. b. You run up behind him in the hall and leap-frog onto his back, shrieking, "You are so awesome--I can't even deal!" c. Next time you see him, you punch him in the arm and mutter, "Nice one." d. You bake him alphabet-shaped sugar cookies, give him props in a note and ask his lockermate to deliver the goods.

2. What's your take on dialing up a guy's digits before he's ever called you?

a. You're way traditional about this kind of stuff. If a boy's interested, he should be the one to call. b. You dial up guys all the time. Waiting for boys to make the first move is so a million years ago. c. You call your guy friends to see if they're up for a game of pick-up b-ball now and then, but that's pretty much it. d. You'd make sure your first call to him would be about, like, a math assignment. That way, you can sort of feel things out without seeming too forward.

3. Which one of the following celebs most influences your fashion style?

a. Mandy Moore. She's got that girl-next-door thing goin' on. b. Gwen Stefani. You groove on how over-the-top cool she looks and wear flaming red lipstick with combat pants in her honor. c. Missy Elliott. That girl can work an old-school Adidas sweatsuit like crazy. d. Kate Hudson. When you saw her trendy-but-tasteful polka-dot dress in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, you were instantly inspired.

4. You're crushing on a neighbor boy. He seems to like you, too--at least as a friend. He walks to school with you every morning and waits for you by your locker at dismissal. So how do you find out whether he sees you as a potential GF?

a. You discreetly fish for info about which girls in school he finds cute and then compare yourself to them. b. You straight-up say, "I totally like you. Do you like me?" c. You ask a few of his buddies what he really thinks of you. d. You casually mention that you got the new Lord of the Rings DVD and ask him if he wants to drop by Friday night to watch it.

5. You're at indoor track practice, running laps. You happen to glance over to the bleachers and notice that hunk on the boys' cross-country team is hanging out with his crew. He flashes a wide Colgate smile in your direction. You ...

a. figure he's getting a kick out of how stupid you look in your gym shorts. b. dash straight off the track and get in his face with a big ol' "hi ya!" c. glance over your shoulder because you're sure he has to be smiling at the girl behind you. d. wave and show him your own pearly whites.

6. Evan just transferred to your school, and every girl in homeroom--you included--thinks he is totally slammin'. How do you go about introducing yourself?

a. Approach him and talk about this week's bake sale until his eyes glaze over. b. Pass him a note that reads. "Yo, hottie! Whassup?" c. Say, "Hey," real fast before walking away. d. Time your exit so that, when the first-period bell rings, you're both walking out of class at the same time.

7. When you and your crush are just chillin', who dominates the conversation?

a. He does. You don't want to come off super-pushy, so you just pretend you're hanging on his every word. b. You do. After all, shouldn't he be fascinated to know your opinion about every single topic on earth? c. Derek Jeter does. d. It's a good balance of you being into what he thinks about stuff and him asking your take on things.

8. The Girls' Choice Dance is in a few weeks, and you've had your eye on that cutie Chris in the caf. How do you invite him?

a. You work up the nerve to ask him face to face but get a case of the giggles when you see him. b. You yell across the lunch line, "Hey, Chris! Go to the dance with me. How bout it?" c. You organize a group to go together and invite him along d. You stroll up to his table, ask if there's room for your tray and actually try to get to know him a little before popping the question.

9. Someone passes you a crush survey in sixth period. You write down "Josh," the dude you dig from afar, then try to slip the survey on to your girl Keisha behind you. But ... you drop the note on the floor and--horror of horrors!--Josh intercepts it. After class, he walks up to you and says, "So you like me, huh?" How do you deal?

a. Blurt out, "How did you know?" before racing from the room. b. Retort. "Yeah, you lucky fella!" c. Tell him, "You've been punk'd! Dude, it was a joke." d. Calmly respond. "What makes you think that?" If he seems game. cool ... but if he gets all obnoxious, you totally diss him.