DR. WALLACE: A so-called geek boy asked me out to a formal event at our school. This event is held at the end of January. I really want to go, but I'm not so sure that I want to be seen going out with a nerd. If some other guy would ask me, I'd go out with him, but no one else has asked so far, and I'm not sure anyone else will ask me before it's too late to plan for the event. At my school, most of the popular boys are dating cute, popular girls. I'm not overly popular, but I'm definitely not a geek either. What should I do? — Want to Go but Not So Sure, via email

WANT TO GO: Stop using labels — "nerds," "popular," "geeks" — and start gauging people by their character. You said you would like to attend the holiday formal; you even signed your letter "Want to Go," so I suggest you reread your own words. A boy has asked you to go out with him. My advice is to tell him yes! And when you go, don't slink in the corner as if you're embarrassed to be seen with him. Doing so would ruin the evening for the both of you.

Go with the determination to have a great time and enjoy your date's companionship. If you do that, you may learn something about who he really is, and my guess is you might be pleasantly surprised. Remember, this is only one date. Make the most of it, and have a good time!

I'M NOT A FAN

DR. WALLACE: A teen girl wrote to you that she had visited a fortuneteller at a summer carnival and was told that her boyfriend was going to break up with her in the near future, and she wanted to know how you felt about fortunetellers. You said that fortunetellers could not predict future and she was wasting her money listening to someone without the power to predict the future.

I don't know if the boyfriend fled the coop, but I'll bet that he did. I should know because I am a psychic. Fortunetellers or psychics who predict the future are only telling people what might happen, so if the news is negative, the person has the power to change his or her future.

Some people put down fortunetellers and psychics as people who con others out of their hard-earned cash. These are people who are afraid to peer into the future. — Proud Psychic, Providence, Rhode Island

PSYCHIC: I don't doubt your sincerity, and I'm well aware that many people put faith in reading crystal balls, cards, palms and even tea leaves, but unfortunately, I'm not one of them.

Therefore, my advice remains the same. I don't put any faith in the comments or predictions of fortunetellers; therefore, I do not advise readers to spend their money there because I don't think the return on investment is worth the capital outlay. The only person I saw who could accurately predict the future was the fictional character of The Godfather from the movie of the same name. He told slumlord Signor Roberto, "The dog stays," and from all accounts, the fictional Godfather character accurately predicted the future ...

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.

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