DR. WALLACE: I've become best friends with a girl I met at the beginning of summer, about six months ago. Both of us recently turned 17 and we go to the same high school. Her family moved here at the end of the last school year. Our friendship has been pretty good, but a few of her actions have caused me to raise an eyebrow and wonder why she's doing what she's doing.

But this past week, she took things to a completely new level. She's been dating an older guy who is already out of high school and lives about 20 miles away. He has an industrial job in a factory and a car so she liked that he had the independence to take her wherever she wanted to go.

I also noticed that in the last two weeks, she's been flirting with a boy at our school heavily and she told me she really wants to date him. I asked her about her current boyfriend, and she told me she had already broken up with him! I asked her what happened and how come it occurred so fast and I didn't know about it.

She told me that she simply told the guy that she was pregnant and was planning to have his child! Apparently, the guy pressured her to get an abortion, they got in a big fight and agreed not to see each other anymore. All of this, of course, was a lie on her part.

Part of me wants to remain loyal to her and remain her friend, but another part of me wants to begin to cut ties with her, since her level of integrity and the values I hold are certainly in conflict. What should I do here? — My Friend Is Intentionally Deceitful, via email

MY FRIEND IS INTENTIONALLY DECEITFUL: Since we are heading into the holidays now you probably have another six months or so of your school year. You can certainly remain a friend to her but begin to dial back some of the time you spend together.

During this time, you can also gently bring up the topic of integrity and explain your viewpoint on things to see where she is mentally on your particular point of view. The fact that you've only known each other for six months makes this a different friendship than a friendship between girls that has lasted four years or longer.

The two of you are still in the process of getting to know each other better, and character is a big part of understanding who your friend is. My advice is to remain at least somewhat friendly with her, be there to give her solid advice if and when she needs it, but not to be drawn into her drama. At some point soon, the two of you will graduate, turn 18 and likely go on your own path in life. Until that time, as long as she doesn't cross any major red lines with you, keeping her as a casual friend is likely the best path forward.

I'LL BE LEGALLY ABLE TO DRINK ALCOHOL SOON

DR. WALLACE: I'm in college and will turn 21 in about six weeks. I've never tasted a drop of alcohol in my life, so of course I'm curious.

I've never tried alcohol for two reasons. One, because it's illegal at my present age, but secondly, because I've seen some people who struggled with alcohol, have it impact their lives in very negative ways.

My quick question to you is, do almost all people who start drinking alcohol at a young age eventually wind up with drinking problems at some point in their lives? — Curious But Concerned, via email

CURIOUS BUT CONCERNED: The good news is that not everyone who samples ends up with a problem right away or even later on in life.

But you are quite correct in that there are definitely people who struggle with alcohol at some point in their lives, even from the beginning. You may want to satisfy your curiosity, and that's fine, but do so in a controlled environment and maintain your wits about you by consuming only a small amount — if you choose to consume any alcohol at all. It is certainly your decision, and there's nothing at all wrong with deciding you're going to pass entirely on drinking alcohol simply because it's your 21st birthday.

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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