n. def. "Summer lovin', happened so fast. Summer lovin', had me a blast ..." -Grease

XY: It's strangely liberating starting a relationship in the summer. Since you both know you're on the clock-and make no mistake, you're on the clock like the Minnesota Vikings on draft day-you don't have to worry about defining your relationship, becoming friends with your boy/girltoy's friends and especially meeting the parents.

XX: Ah, the summer fling. If only real life could be so easy! Everyone's had one (or five or six) and there's nothing quite like 'em. There's less clothing to take off, more places to make out and just enough time to make it worth your while. Investments, emotional and otherwise, are limited, and benefits-well, I don't have to tell you about those.

XY: Pray, do tell. What about finicky girls who are all uptight about giving it up? It's sorta hard to be like, listen, baby, you and me, we've only got two months; let's make the most of them. She's likely to say, I need more time to get to know you, trust you, blah blah blah. And truly, what's a summer fling without a little schwiinnggg?

XX: True, sexual expectations vary greatly, but by the same token, what's a girl to do if she doesn't know if he's staying faithful? "Staying faithful" may not even be the right phrase since the couple isn't necessarily boyfriend-girlfriend (or boyfriend-boyfriend, etc.). I mean, how do you know if the fling has seven other flings going on at the same time?

XY: You're really asking two separate questions: first, how do you know if the relationship is exclusive? And second, is exclusivity the norm? As for the first, impossible to say in the context of a column. My advice: go with your gut instinct; if he (or she) is really hard to get a hold of, that's probably a good indication your fling is flinging himself all over. But that raises a different question: why is he keeping it a secret? And, so what if he is?

XX: If you're sleeping with someone, you don't want him sleeping with anyone else. That's a given-

XY:-but in terms of less serious hooking up, do you particularly care-does it particularly matter-if the relationship is exclusive?

XX: I guess not, but if you're seeing someone, say, two nights out of three, and things become more serious, I think some sort of agreement is in order-notnecessarily bestowing titles, but a vague commitment, at least.

XY: Way to be monoganormative. (Yes, I made that word up.) Seriously, though, it's funny how in today's day and age, there really is no such thing as a "no strings attached" hook-up. Sobering, actually.

XX: So, in our final column of the year (don't worry, we'll be back in the fall-one more clue as to our identity,) we wish you all summer lovin', good tans and happy (and healthy) hooking up. And as your summer flings come to an end, shed no tears: The class of '08 awaits.