DR. WALLACE: I'm 15 and am a boy who is allowed to date. My parents got married at 18 and they see no reason for me not to be able to date now, and in fact they've already told my two younger sisters that they can date once they turn 15 if they continue to behave themselves. I should add that both of my sisters are good girls who don't get into any trouble.

But speaking of trouble, the very first girl who agreed to date me has someone who apparently does not like her. She and I have dated now for almost three months, but someone told one of my sisters that this girl is nothing but trouble and that I should get away from her as soon as I can.

I was surprised to hear this because she's a good student and the teachers all like her at our school. And not only that, but both of her parents are nice. My mother knows her mother pretty well, and Mom says they have a nice family.

I don't understand all of this. Is there some mystery reason I should be careful of this girl or even stop dating her entirely? I really don't want to drop her because I like her a lot. — Pretty Confused, via email

PRETTY CONFUSED: It sounds to me like someone is simply jealous of her or of your relationship with her. From the background you provided, she sounds like a nice person.

You are just starting out your dating career and one of the first things you should learn is to not trust the "rumor mill" that always seems to exist, particularly during the teen years.

My advice is to carry on as usual and not to listen to unsubstantiated rumors about your girlfriend. Judge your relationship with her on your personal experiences and give her every opportunity to continue to show that she's as nice as you feel she is.

GRANDPA SMELLS LIKE A CHIMNEY!

DR. WALLACE: My parents take us to visit my grandfather about once a month on a Saturday. We stay there for about three hours, and we have a large family lunch together.

My sister and I love our grandpa, but he has one vice we don't like: he smokes a lot. I once asked my dad how much my grandpa smokes, and dad said about a pack a day! We know this is likely true because when grandpa hugs us when we arrive, we both can smell a lot of cigarette smoke on his shirt.

He does not smoke while we are there, but it is obvious that he smokes a lot before we enter his house. I do notice that he has several windows open when we arrive, and they stay open the whole time we are there.

So, the question that my sister and I have for you is: Will we be in danger of absorbing secondhand smoke by breathing near his tobacco-laced shirt? His house overall smells a little smoky, but because the windows are always open when we are there, it's only a faint smell, not a strong one. — Two Worried Sisters, via email

TWO WORRIED SISTERS: Although it's not good for your grandfather's health that he smokes so much, I do give him credit and high marks for making his home as amenable to your family as possible during your visits.

It's unlikely that you girls face much harm, if any. The fact that there are not burning cigarettes present during the entirety of your visits cuts the risk down dramatically. Add in the open windows, and the quality of the air you're breathing there is maybe not perfect, but it's likely to be far from very harmful to you, especially on a long-term basis.

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 rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. 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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