DR. WALLACE: I'm an attractive, intelligent, 16-year-old young lady with, I'm told, a wonderful personality and great sense of humor. I've got many female friends, and I'm extremely popular with them.

Now let's talk about guys. First of all, a lot of guys want to know me better, but they think I'm a snob who is stuck-up and in love with herself. The reason is that I am very shy and uncomfortable around boys. I don't know why. It could be that I don't have a brother, but that's probably not relevant. I don't have a sister either but I'm popular with girls, so I'm not really sure what is going on.

I'd like to start dating, but I don't know what to do. I would feel dumb asking one of my girlfriends for help. — No dates yet, via email

NO DATES YET: Ask a friend who is currently dating to fix you up with a guy, and the four of you can go out on a double date together. A movie and after-movie snack would be great and would generate discussion about the movie you'd have just seen together.

You don't need an entire revamp of your personality; you just need a small nudge to get you started. Select a girlfriend you trust and respect to help you with your first double date.

If you really do have a reputation as a snob, you can overcome it by getting in the habit of smiling and saying hello when fate brings you close to a guy, or even to a girl, you have not yet met. In a short time, the guys will be asking you out, and you may find your circle of girlfriends expanding, too. A smile and a sincere "hello" spoken in a nice tone of voice goes a long way, especially at your age. When you're on a date, you'll want to keep the conversation flowing, so if you run out of things to say, just ask a few questions. Staying relaxed and confident around the opposite sex is actually pretty simple once you get the hang of it!

NOT ALL TEEN BRIDES ARE PREGNANT

DR. WALLACE: I've got a gripe I need to voice, so I'm going to tell it to you. I'm 20 and my husband is 21; we were married five months ago (when I was still a teenager, at 19!). It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a large reception. Large portions of both families attended, and some relatives even came from other states far from Arkansas.

What bothers me is that when a young couple decides to get married (especially when a teenage bride is getting hitched), a lot of people like to gossip about how they think the girl is pregnant and the couple is only getting married just to provide the baby a proper last name. There were so many unfounded rumors told about me, it made me sick.

Please inform everyone who reads your column that not every teenage wedding is caused by a boo-boo! And for the record, NO, I am not pregnant! In fact, we plan to wait several years to start our family, as we are now both college students who want to get our degrees and then good jobs first. — Not with child, Little Rock, Arkansas

NOT WITH CHILD: I don't need to! You did a splendid job of informing our readers of your position on teen weddings yourself. And kudos to you and your husband for having a life plan that you are currently working on. I wish you both a successful journey through college and into your chosen careers!

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.