When it comes to romance, at least.
I remember in sixth grade I told my "friends" that I liked a boy, I meant it in a platonic way, and yet they gave him a false love letter. They pressured me into saying I was his boyfriend, and the whole sixth grade knew it by lunch time. We "broke up" a few weeks later..Then a similar thing happened, but this boy was actually nice. I didn't like-like him though. I've never had a crush on anyone.
:/
In middle school "dating" was pretty similar to just being friends. You just said you were dating, and you acted more or less like friends.
I remember in sixth grade I told my "friends" that I liked a boy, I meant it in a platonic way, and yet they gave him a false love letter. They pressured me into saying I was his boyfriend, and the whole sixth grade knew it by lunch time. We "broke up" a few weeks later..Then a similar thing happened, but this boy was actually nice. I didn't like-like him though. I've never had a crush on anyone.
:/
In middle school "dating" was pretty similar to just being friends. You just said you were dating, and you acted more or less like friends.