DR. WALLACE: I recently graduated from high school, and I've had mixed emotions regarding this particular summer. Part of me is relieved that I have finished my high school academic days, but there's another part of me that has not been looking forward to the free time in the heat.

The reason for this is a guy that I met in early March and have been dating ever since. We've been getting along fine for the most part, but as the spring started turning towards summer, he couldn't stop talking about inviting me to go out to a particular lake with him and his friends. Several of his guy friends have girlfriends, so there would be a large group of perhaps ten of us at this lake outing. He also has talked nonstop about finally getting to see me in "my bikini" at the lake.

But here's the problem, I have no intention at this time of wearing a bikini at the lake outing in front of him or anyone else. To be honest, I'd rather cancel and not go to the lake that day, but I know it would cause tension if I didn't show up. What should I do? I'm definitely not wearing a bikini in front of him or his friends and their girlfriends. — No Bikini This Summer, via email

NO BIKINI THIS SUMMER: My advice is to plan to attend the outing, pack comfortable clothes that you do intend to wear and just relax and be yourself. If and when he makes any comment about your clothing, tell him that you didn't pick out his wardrobe for him, and you certainly didn't expect him to select your clothes for you.

His reaction to this will be a very good test for you, as you're still in a relatively new relationship. If he truly cares about you and respects you, he will not make a big issue about it and he will carry on and enjoy the day, acting naturally to you and everyone else. However, if he harasses you, prods you or keeps harping about you wearing a bikini, he's way out of line. A truly caring relationship partner would not press you or embarrass you in front of any other attendees.

I CAUGHT MY BROTHER SCAMMING OUR NEIGHBORS!

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 19-year-old girl and I live at home with my parents and my two siblings. My younger sister is 14 and she's a pretty good kid. However, my 16-year-old brother is always drumming up some sort of scam or money-making opportunity for himself. A week ago, I saw him riding his bike home with three bulging plastic bags attached to the handlebars.

When he got off the bike, I could see that there was clothing in all three of the bags. I asked him what was up, and he told me that he was collecting donations for Goodwill and the Salvation Army for a summer school project. But a couple of days after that, I saw him in his room on his computer, and he was actually selling these used garments on some website! I confronted him about the clothing, and he admitted that he told neighbors that he was collecting any old garments they didn't need anymore for donations to these organizations during summer school.

It's obvious that he's not giving any of the clothing to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, he's just making money for himself! Should I say anything to my parents about this, or just leave him be? He definitely lied to our neighbors to get these garments, but his claim to me was that they were going to throw them out anyway. — My Brother is a Piece of Work, via email

MY BROTHER IS A PIECE OF WORK: Yes, your parents should be made aware of what is going on, especially at his age. Although his desire to be entrepreneurial is admirable, he secured his inventory under false pretenses, even though he was given items that were not likely to be used again anyhow. But instead of making this a "gotcha" moment, perhaps mention to your parents that you see your brother as quite a talented budding business person, but that he needs guidance regarding his ethics and to not to cut corners clandestinely.

A good start would be for him to go back to all of those neighbors and explain what he's doing, and offer them 20% of the proceeds from selling the items online. He could also ask each person if they would like their 20% in cash, or if they would prefer their share be donated 10% to Goodwill and 10% to the Salvation Army. Doing this would bring ethics back into his endeavor, and he could make good on his claim of supporting both Goodwill and the Salvation Army, two outstanding American charities.

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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