DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and have a 17-year-old brother. His best friend is our cousin who is also 17. This guy is my mother's sister's son. He spends a lot of time at our house and sometimes sleeps over because he's considered family.

Last night he slept over on the couch in the family room. At about 3 a.m., he came into my bedroom and sat on the end of my bed. I woke up and sat up and asked him what he was doing. He said he had just broken up with his girlfriend and was really depressed. He needed somebody to talk with and wanted to talk with me.

I told him I'd be glad to talk with him, but not at 3 a.m. I told him to go back to sleep. He continued talking about how much he trusted me and begged me to let him stay in my bedroom. I told him no, but instead of leaving he tried to crawl in bed beside me. I told him to get out of my room immediately or I'd scream. He did, but not before he tried to kiss me. I was so afraid that I cried the rest of the night.

In the morning, he acted like nothing had happened. He talked to me just the way he always talked to me. Now I don't know what to do. He's my cousin and I see him almost every day and he sleeps over at least once a week. But I'll never feel comfortable around him again.

I feel like I should tell my mother about this incident, but I don't want to start a family feud. After all, he is my brother's closest friend. Help! — Nameless, Brooklyn, N.Y.

NAMELESS: Tell your mother what happened immediately. It's up to her to make some decisions, including forbidding this cousin from ever sleeping over at your house again. Needless to say, never allow yourself to be alone with him — in any location.

I'm sure all of this will cause a certain amount of family conflict, but your cousin's unacceptable behavior must be addressed and curtailed.

QUIT SMOKING, THEN LOSE THE EXTRA WEIGHT

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and have been smoking for over five years. I'd really like to stop, but I don't want to gain any weight. My best friend quit smoking and gained 20 pounds in three months. I don't want that to happen to me. Why do people gain weight when they quit smoking and what can I do to make sure it wouldn't happen to me? I think I'd rather be thin and smoke than be smoke-free and 20 pounds overweight. — Nameless, Hammond, La.

NAMELESS: It's not unusual for an ex-smoker to gain weight. When smokers kick their habit, they often feel anxious and turn to another oral activity — eating. Hence, they put on a few pounds. This doesn't have to happen, however.

Stop smoking immediately, but to reduce nervousness and anxiety, exercise regularly and stay as active as possible. This will reduce the bulking-up effect. But even if you do put on a few pounds, this is a small price to pay. After you have gained your freedom from smoking, you can work on losing that extra weight. But first, quit smoking. Your body will thank you!

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. E-mail 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.