DR. WALLACE: My best friend hosted a party for a mutual friend's 15th birthday. About a dozen girls attended. My friend's mother decided she didn't need to be a chaperone because all of the girls were "intelligent and good kids." The party lasted about three hours and we all had a wonderful time.

But all the fun ended when my best friend called and said that someone stole a ring from her mother's bedroom and that I must have taken it because I was the only one who was in the room. Her mother's bedroom has an adjacent bathroom and my friend said I could use it because the other bathroom was being used. I told my friend that I didn't take a ring and I was shocked and extremely disappointed that she would accuse me of doing so.

I told my mother about this and she and I went over to my friend's house and talked with her mother, who repeated the accusation: I must have been the thief, since I was the only one who had the opportunity to take the missing ring. Not only that, my friend told all of the other girls who attended the party that I had stolen her mom's ring and that her mother was going to contact the police. I was really upset and frightened and didn't know what to do. My mom even contacted an attorney, just in case.

Well, yesterday my so-called "friend" called and told me that her mother found her ring in a purse she seldom used. She said she was sorry for accusing me of taking the ring and that her mother was going to write a letter of apology to me and mail it that very day. My "friend" said that she wanted us to be best friends again because she missed being with me during the missing-ring episode.

Now, I don't really think that I could ever be best friends with this girl ever again. The hurt she and her mother placed on my family and me was unbearable. What do I tell her when she starts wanting me to do things with her, such as doing homework together, baking cookies and just hanging out? — Nameless, Jacksonville, Fla.

NAMELESS: Sadly, the friendship is broken and almost certainly destroyed. Even if you tried to pick up the pieces, things would never be the same. Be honest and tell her that the damage caused by the false accusation is irreparable and you will no longer be spending time with her.

Usually when good friends have a disagreement, I encourage them to patch up the squabble, offer apologies, and go on being good friends. But this situation is different, thanks to your former friend's mom. She bears the brunt of the blame. She forgot where she put her ring and started making serious accusations before she even bothered to look for it thoroughly. If she thinks a mere note of apology will set matters right, she's demonstrating her insensitivity yet again.

As it turned out, your "best friend" wasn't a friend at all. You are losing nothing by ending your relationship with her.

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.