Love Triangles

Most of the time when I hear about love triangles its in a book or a movie like the Twilight "saga" or The Hunger Games series.  Harry Potter, the other giant franchise I can think of, proves that you don't need a love triangle but they are one of the only ones.  99% of the books I read have one; the Fallen series, Immortals series, and wings series to name a few. 

What is it about a love triangle that is so appealing to teenagers and YA novel companies like Little Brown and Harper Teen?

I know It's not real life because I've never actually seen a love triangle in action.  Usually what I witness is more of a love square or dodecahedron. 

Sheila-Bill-Sandy-Jack-Cathy-Bill-Veronica-Jack*
*that's more like it.

Really, the love triangle in principle is all wrong.  Usually it is two guys fighting over one girl or the other way around so technically calling it a love "v" is more appropriate.  A love triangle suggests that Edward likes Bella who likes Jacob who then likes Edward?!  Not exactly...

Even if you do witness a love triangle (or love "v" as I call it) it usually goes like this...
Harry and Liam both like Julie.  Julie likes Harry so they start dating.  Liam is now irrelevant, jealous but, irrelovent.  It usually doesn't take real life Julie a year to deside who she wants.  By that time most of the guys I know would just move on.  But in real life there are real life woman stealers.  So if Julie desides that Liam actually is the better candadate then she will break up with Harry to be with him.  This whole senario can go on for months but unlike books, the particapants usually get tired of it before GRADUATION!

So in conclusion, none of my friends have been in that so called "proper" love triangle.  Most of the time it looks more like this:

Even Sherlock and Watson can't figure it out. ;)
So, how many love triangles, squares, or hexagons have you come across?  And have you ever been in the middle of one?
                     
                        XOXOXOXOXOXO Mel.