Hooking up means different things to different people — from kissing to outercourse to having intercourse. If you're hooking up with a girlfriend or boyfriend, it may be a little confusing or weird at first — hey, no one ever said a relationship would be easy! But after a while, many couples usually get comfortable and familiar with each other and basically know what to expect with one another in the hookup department.

But when it's a hookup and there's no romantic relationship brewing things can get confusing in other ways. So whether it's with a friend, a crush, or some random cutie — hooking up can be really confusing! Does the following sound familiar?

I had so much fun with Nick tonight ... but what's going to happen when he sits down next to me in chemistry tomorrow? Are things going be cool or totally weird? Was this a one-time-only deal? Could it lead to a romantic relationship? Are we going to be "just friends" who make out when the opportunity presents itself, or is he going to be my boyfriend? Help!

Yes, there's another person and that person's emotions are involved, but you've got a lot of say in how the hookup situation plays out. Here's a quick rundown of how you may be feeling the day after, and what you might want to do about it.

Be Honest with Yourself

Before you start making any decisions about your next step, take some time to evaluate the situation. If you're not quite sure how you feel about it (and even if you think you are), give it a few days to sink in. Then sit down and think it over. You can even write about it. If you do, write quickly without editing yourself. You might be surprised at your true feelings.

Like, let's say you've been feeling that making out with the boy you've known since kindergarten was a really big deal, but then when you write about it, you find yourself thinking that maybe it really was nothing more than a fun time with someone you're always going to treat as a friend.

Part of being honest with yourself is admitting what your initial intentions were. As 15-year-old Elle advises, "Usually, I'm confused if I hook up with someone thinking that I'm going to make them like me. That never works for me."

It's also super important to pay attention to any uncomfortable feelings, like regret, that you might be having. Recognizing those feelings may help you make better decisions for yourself in the future.

Be Honest With the Other Person

Now that you have a better idea of how you feel about the situation, it's time to decide what you want. And don't worry if you don't want much of anything — it's okay to just chalk it up to experience and move on.

If you decide you want the hookup to lead to another hookup and to getting to know the person better, or even if you just need to talk about it, it's best to go straight to the other person. This is easier than it sounds — honestly! It's very tempting to put your friends on the case, or try to get info from the other person's friends. But you're probably going to get the best answer straight from the horse's mouth.

Here are a couple of suggestions for what to do:

  • Situation 1. As simply as you can, tell her or him how you're feeling. For instance, you're feeling a little weird about what happened — say, "I'm feeling a little weird about what happened; can we talk about it?"
  • Situation 2. If you're feeling like hooking up made you really like the person, and now you want to date him or her, say, "I had a lot of fun with you on Friday night. How do you feel about it?"

Keep in mind that most people usually feel better about having sexual experiences when it's with someone they care about and trust. But hookups are common ways of exploring options. Whether common or not, they should be emotionally OK for both partners, consensual, and safe.

Oh yeah, and a word about safety — random hookups may not be planned, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't come prepared! Latex and female condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections for hookups that end up going all the way. They also provide good protection against pregnancy. So be careful and don't take unnecessary risks!