DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and so is my closest friend, Maria. We have been friends ever since we were in first grade together. My mother and father are excellent parents. They don't let me do everything that I want to do, but they do give me the freedom to make most of my own decisions. Maria's parents are very strict. They don't allow her to date or even to have a boyfriend. She is a beautiful girl, but they don't allow her to wear clothes that are in style. Tight jeans, low-cut jeans and low-cut shirts are not permitted.

Maria and Kevin are a "couple" at school. Kevin is active in school activities (politics, athletics, drama) while Maria does nothing, but she attracts guys because she is beautiful and has a beautiful body hidden under her clothing.

Maria's parents allow her to come to my house on a Friday or Saturday night. That's when she and I go to a movie that is approved by her parents or to a school function. Now comes the sticky problem. My parents take Maria and me to all movies and activities. But when we go to a movie or function, Kevin is notified and he shows up and he and Maria take off in his car and are gone for a little over an hour. She always returns before the function ends. So far she has never been late, thank goodness.

The thing that bothers my conscience is that her parents like and trust me and when Maria takes off with Kevin, I feel somewhat responsible. What do you think? —Nameless, Miami, Fla.

NAMELESS: This is indeed a sticky situation. Maria is using you to get around her parents' strict rules, implicating you in the deception. All you get is a guilty conscience and the chance to go to the movies alone, while she and Kevin have their surreptitious date.

I know you're simply trying to help your friend have a normal social life, but this way is not acceptable. Maria and you need to have a talk. Maria needs to understand that she has to find a different way to get together with her boyfriend if she wants to continue sneaking behind her mother's back.

MY BOYFRIEND ORDERS MY RESTAURANT FOOD

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 years old, 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weigh 123 pounds. I thought that I had the perfect weight for my height, but my boyfriend of six weeks doesn't think so. He said that he wants me down to a svelte 113 pounds. At first I thought he was kidding, but he continues to harp that I'm 10 pounds overweight. When we go out to eat, which isn't often, he does my ordering, and it's always low-calorie, low-fat foods.

My friends and family think I have a great figure, but not my boyfriend. I like this guy except for his stupid demand about losing 10 pounds. How should I handle my problem? —Rosa, Houston, Tex.

ROSA: It's time to lay down the law with your control-freak boyfriend. He has no business demanding that you lose weight and certainly no right to order your meals for you. The next time he rudely crosses that line, tell him to mind his own business. If this doesn't put him in his place, make it your last date with him. You deserve a boyfriend who accepts you for who you are.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.