To the OP: You don't need to date anyone in HS to know that junky men/women exist. I am a guy who didn't date back then and I'm glad I didn't. Instead, I was authentic about who I was and who I wanted to be and that kept all the people that would have been wrong for me from me. That's not to say there weren't mutual attractions or even girls that tried to get my attention. But I think it's generally better to avoid getting oneself involved in relationships and messy situations when one doesn't even have one's own life fully together.
Romance complicates things, pure and simple. And anyone who thinks it doesn't is not experiencing true romance or maybe is sitting on the fence 'weighing options' and wasting someone else's time. Better to date in university, when people are generally starting to bolt their heads on right; yet even there, you will find many immature people.
The only way to get it right for yourself at any time is to be uncompromisingly authentic about your life. When you are, you will draw the right women into your network. Don't force yourself to sway in the breeze with every passing fad because you think this will make you attractive.
Don't be a weak PUA theorist wasting time with rehearsed openers and the occasional one night stand. Be a confident man. The former is weak, easily stymied, and always in search mode. The latter succeeds wherever he goes because he does things naturally. The two may act similar, but women can always tell the difference and test it out. Good luck.