Dating Two girls at Once

Question:

Hi Phyllis! I am currently reading, ‘I Like Him, He Likes Her’ the Alice three pack. I was wondering, what made you what to make Alice and Patrick break up over Penny? I understand that he likes her, but that’s okay as long as he isn’t dating her and Alice at the same time. And, why did Patrick want to date two girls at once?
Phyllis replied:

Not everybody wants to be a couple right off.   And I think that boys who are new at dating might not want to commit themselves to dating just one girl if another seems appealing.  Girls usually feel differently about this, and because Alice and Patrick were considered a couple before, this is especially hard for Alice to accept.