DR. WALLACE: I was disappointed in your response to Devon in Dallas. You told him to dump the friends he's had since he entered high school because they were involved with alcohol and drugs. Never should a friend dump a friend for any reason!

The friends I have will be my friends until death do us part. I would be lost without their friendship. I actually spend more time with my friends than I do with my family. My parents are not thrilled with my choice of friends, but they also believe they should not choose my friends. I don't drink or take drugs and they trust me to remain alcohol-and-drug-free.

I'm positive that if you consider yourself a "perfect" human being, you won't have many friends. No one can live up to your standards.

I'm not saying that at some future date I won't drink or even experiment with a few drugs, but if that happens, it won't be because my friends are doing it or are pressuring me to join them in their illegal activities. I'll join them because I choose to. — Kyle, Tampa, Fla.

KYLE: I'm happy that you are drug-and-alcohol-free even though your friends are not. But I think you're kidding yourself if you believe the choices you make in life are 100 percent independent of the choices your friends make.

Avoiding people who engage in dangerous and illegal behavior doesn't require a person to be flawless or maintain "perfect" standards. For proof, I need look no further than myself. I have an abundance of flaws, most of which, fortunately, my friends have chosen to overlook.

I urge you to read the following letter, which gives a frightening example of the possible consequences of our choice of friends:

AT THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME

DR. WALLACE: Many of your teen readers seem to think that no harm can come to them when they associate with friends who have questionable and often illegal habits. One doesn't have to join in these habits to get hurt. Enclosed is a newspaper clipping where a teenage driver and his two teenage passengers were killed when their car struck a telephone pole. The teen driver was legally drunk, but his two passengers had no alcohol in their systems. They were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, with the wrong person. — Tina, Orange, Calif.

NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED

DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and my best friend is also 16. What is unusual is that I'm a girl and my best friend is a guy. We've been best friends for over a year. We met at a party and it was "best friends at first sight.' He is kind and caring and a real super guy. I can share a lot of my problems with him and he can share his with me. We also have a lot in common and talk to each other at least 30 minutes every evening on the telephone.

Lately, I have started to have romantic thoughts about him. I'd really like to go out with him, but I don't want to jeopardize the present relationship. I'd be extremely hurt if I asked him out and he said no. What do you think I should do? — Nameless, Tucson, Ariz.

NAMELESS: Romance can't turn into love and a long-term relationship unless the guy and the girl are good friends. You both are already there. Ask him to accompany you to a movie and a snack afterward. I'm positive the answer will be yes. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

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.

Photo credit: Jeremy Segrott