DR. WALLACE: I was out with a friend of mine the other day when something came up to cause friction between the two of us. We are both seniors in high school; he's 18 and I'm just 17.

We both have driver's licenses, but he has a car and I don't. We agreed to meet at a local mall on a Saturday evening, and I got a ride there from some other friends of mine.

When I got to the mall, we hung out for a few hours, but I could tell that he had been drinking alcohol prior to my arrival. After a few hours, he threw me his car keys and asked me to drive him home. But this made me extremely nervous as I had never driven his car and I have limited driving experience anyhow. On top of that, he was drunk and I felt extremely uncomfortable getting into his car with him not knowing what he might try to do, since he's prone to taking reckless chances and engaging in rough horsing around most of the time he's out with friends like me.

I told him I didn't think it was a good idea, and he literally thought I was kidding him at first. Later, he realized I was serious and he started getting quite angry with me. To make a longer story short, I called my friends who dropped me off at the mall and they picked both of us up and dropped him off at his house before taking me home. He did have to leave his car at the mall, and apparently he got into trouble with his father over that weekend, so my friend is now upset with me.

Should I have driven his car home like he wanted me to, or did I do the right thing to not take the wheel? By the way, I have no idea about his car insurance, his parents' car insurance or what liability may have existed had I driven that car. I only know that my father's insurance policy lists me as an extra driver and I can only drive with another adult 21 years or older in my father's car. — I Was in a Tight Spot, via email

I WAS IN A TIGHT SPOT: I feel you did the right thing given the circumstances you found yourself in. He did not ask you the day before or even that afternoon to plan to drive his car.

He also made the decision to drink alcohol even though he's only 18 years of age. At least you had the good sense not to drive his vehicle, as safely delivering his vehicle to his house is his responsibility, or his family's, not yours.

You used your mind to think rationally during a difficult time, especially with peer pressure being placed upon you. You did the wise thing to call other friends who could safely deliver both of you to your respective homes. Leaving his vehicle locked at the mall was also another correct decision. Whatever consequence he currently faces with his father is his own doing.

When you do get the chance to speak to him again, tell him that you were approaching the situation with everyone's safety in mind. You don't need to make excuses for him, nor do you need to feel bad that you made a correct and rational decision that was in your — and his — best interests.

WE EXIST IN PERPETUAL AMBIGUITY

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 19-year-old female college student and I have a male friend who's been close to me for three years, dating back to my high school days. We both attend college, but our colleges are about 40 minutes apart from each other. He often calls, texts and even emails me from his city, and it feels like we have a romantic relationship, even though we don't.

Then we occasionally make plans to get together, but when we do, he treats me as just a friend even though his communications with me when he is out of town are flirtatious. I'm quite confused by all of this and I'm wondering what I should do next. I don't want to lose him as a friend, but I sure would like to feel at least a bit of an "in-person" romance so that we can see if we would actually be a comfortable couple together. — Completely Confused, via email

COMPLETELY CONFUSED: That's quite a long period of time to not know where you stand! I suggest that you become proactive and ask him how he feels about you. You can smile and use a good tone of voice and inquire as to whether he would like to date you the way other couples date, or if he simply views you as a platonic friend. Put the issue out there!

It could be that he's nervous to make his move toward actually asking you out, so by cutting to the chase you have an opportunity to bring things to a resolution at this time. And as you have this discussion, let him know that you're interested in dating him if he feels the same way, but follow that up by saying that you never want to do anything to jeopardize the excellent friendship you have. That will serve as an icebreaker for him in case his feelings match. If they don't, he can let you know that in his own way as well. Either way, you will finally know where you stand.

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: Julian Hochgesang at Unsplash