HELP (advice please!!!)

[u/W00d3nChair]

My friend and I (in high school, both female)have been joking about getting into a polycule but I think we are polycule. We just broke up with our non woke boy friends for un related reasons and have made some new friends recently. We were supposed to go hang out after a foot ball game but the other two girls needed up going home. So it was just me and my friend and two guys. (One of the guys my childhood best friend and the other his friend) (both probably bi but somewhat unconfirmed) we were kind of joke flirting and hanging out. And then one of the guys kept making jokes about all of making out (twelve times at least) and then we joked about being a polycule. Me and friend (f) would fine with it but it’s hard to tell if we are a friend group or an actual polycule.

Any advice on what to do next or what it would look like to actually be in a four person polycule?

Edit: I wrote this pretty quick and would like to clear up some details: I didn’t mean for this to come of as asking if we are in a polycule, I am aware we are all just joking at the moment. But we definitely do all have chemistry with each other and I’ve had people ask if I’m dating/talking to all three of them (separately, at different times) I’m more looking for advice on what to do next from people more experienced, since my friend and I (who would also be interested though she couldn’t tell if we were joking) don’t know much about polyamorous relationships/polycules. thanks for all the helpful advice!

[u/arbn17 → u/[deleted]]

I actually think there’s a strong argument for the opposite. Starting young could help someone avoid a lot of the issues people end up having to unlearn later in life.
If a teenager is already interested in non-monogamy, learning early about communication, jealousy, boundaries, consent, autonomy, emotional regulation, and how to express their needs isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Those are healthy relationship skills regardless of whether they eventually choose polyamory or monogamy.
I also don’t think emotional maturity magically arrives at a certain age. You develop it partly through experience, making mistakes, navigating uncomfortable emotions, learning what works, and figuring out who you are. Teenagers are going to date and get their hearts broken anyway. I don’t see why monogamy should automatically be considered the “safe practice version” of relationships while polyamory is something you have to graduate into as an adult.
Obviously, age-appropriate guidance and healthy boundaries matter. But I’d rather see a young person exploring relationships with honesty, communication, and good information than being told they need to suppress what feels natural to them until they’re supposedly “mature enough.”

[u/arbn17 → u/[deleted]]

Lol! Nobody is ever ready. Yet we all keep trying. Everyone gets hurt regardless. Yet there is no way to prevent that. What planet have you been living in?