DR. WALLACE: A guy and I had been dating for over seven months and we usually had fun together. We got on each other's nerves once in a while, but we always got over it. However last week it was different. We went to a movie and when I came out of the restroom after the movie, he was talking to a girl in the lobby.

Later, I asked him who the girl was and he said she was a girl from his church. I then asked him what they were talking about and he got angry and asked me why I was making a big deal about a casual conversation. Then I started to mouth off and said something he didn't like. One thing led to another and he stopped talking to me and took me home.

I slammed the car door when he let me out and when I went to bed I started thinking things over and realized that I had acted badly and that the argument was my fault. The next day I called him to apologize, but his mom told me he and a friend went fishing at their cabin for the weekend.

The next time I called him his mother said he didn't want to talk to me then but would call me in a few days. She also said he did not want me to call him in the meantime.

After three days he called last night and told me in a cold voice that he had decided that our bad times overpowered our good times and that he no longer wanted to go out with me. He said he had given this a lot of thought and that there would be no chance that we would get together again. He told me "goodbye" and "Please do not contact me again."

This really shocked me. I know we had our little spats, but we always kissed and made up again. I realize that this was my fault, and I'd like to make up and go on from here. But I live in a small town 25 miles away from him and so I won't even have a chance to see him at school to apologize and maybe get together again. I'd really like to win him back but I don't know how I can do this. Can you tell me what I can do to try to change his mind? — Nameless, Boise, Idaho.

NAMELESS: I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what not to do. Do not contact him. Do not sit at home and feel sorry for yourself. Do not try to find out what he is doing in his spare time. Do not spy on him to see if he is seeing another girl, and do not say bad things about him to your friends.

You made a mistake — you were jealous and possessive, and turned a molehill into a mountain. Realizing you made a mistake is called maturing. Congratulations. We've all gone through it.

If your ex changes his mind about you, it will only be on his own initiative, and he'll know where to find you. But do not wait for a call that might never come. Stay active, do things with family and friends and, when you're ready, start dating again. And, don't forget the lesson you've learned!

PARENTS HAVE REASON TO BE CONCERNED

DR. WALLACE: My friend has invited me to go with her on a trip to help clean up their church campground. We are both 15. My friend's 17-year-old brother will drive us there. It is about 50 miles from where we live.

My problem is that my parents refuse to give permission for me to go since this boy will be driving without his parents present. He is usually a safe driver, but they don't trust him for such a long trip. Do you think I should be allowed to go? — Lucy, Grand Junction, Colo.

LUCY: Your parents have every reason to be concerned. A 17-year-old driver may be technically proficient to drive the car, but sometimes a young driver simply lacks experience and in some cases, good judgment, especially in case of an emergency.

Your mom and dad have no way of knowing how good a driver your friend's brother is so they have chosen the "safe rather than sorry" philosophy, and I agree with them.

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.