Dear Jenny: I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. About a year ago, I made the mistake of introducing my best guy friend and best girl friend. They hit it off right away, and since then, the two have hooked up repeatedly. It was going well for a while, but now she wants to end it, he's all torn up, and I'm stuck playing the middleman in a complicated situation, hearing it from both sides. Frankly, I don't know what to do anymore. What's my role here? How do I handle things? — Alexander, Seattle

Jenny says: You don't! Remove yourself completely from the situation. Neither of your friends involved you when they were hooking up repeatedly, did they? Why should you be the one to come back into the picture for damage control? Playing mediator is exhausting and can be tricky. It puts pressure on you to handle things correctly and, if you don't, all three of you could end up very unhappy.

Although you have good intentions, it is not your responsibility to solve your friends' conflict. Even if you wanted to, it would be very difficult to remain neutral and nonjudgmental, given you are friends with both. To stay sane and supportive, explain to both of them that it isn't fair they expect you to be the middleman — and then stay away from any situations or conversations that involve their relationship. Be clear that you care about them and hope for the best, but you do not want to be involved. Remain respectful and stay true to your word. In a situation like this, it's hard to win, so don't try.

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