DR. WALLACE: I'm dating a really great girl who also attends my same high school over this past school year. We're both 17 and close to finishing our junior year.

We met by sitting next to each other in our history class, and we later discovered we also have a mathematics class together. I'm a stronger student in math, and she is a fantastic history student and a very smart girl overall in all of her classes. So, early on we agreed to study together for these two classes so that we could help each other.

We started out as study partners, and slowly but surely, we began spending some social time together as well. I feel it was a very natural progression and we really got to know each other well for many months before we even went on a formal date together.

Right now, we alternate study together four nights per week, Sunday through Wednesday. We alternate studying at my parents' house and her parents' house. When we have a study night at my parents' house, my mom and dad make her feel very welcome and they always smile and talk to her a lot about school and how things are going for her and her family. My mom also runs around bringing snacks and fruit juices for us to eat and drink while we are studying.

But when we go to her parents' house, her mom and dad don't even speak to me! They might say hello or goodbye when I arrive and leave, but they do not smile or talk to me about anything at all! And, needless to say, there are no snacks being brought to us either. They usually just stay in their den watching television or reading newspapers and magazines.

Should I try to break the ice with them and maybe ask them if they approve of me? I'll admit I often feel quite uncomfortable on the evenings that my girlfriend and I have study nights at her house. There are two completely different atmospheres depending on which house we're at on any given night. I feel that since we've been a couple for just about a year now that her parents should be more accepting of me. — Still Uncomfortable There, via email

STILL UNCOMFORTABLE THERE: First of all, you should realize that not every adult, or set of adults, has the same personality types. It could be that your parents are more outgoing and her parents are both more naturally reserved.

You mentioned that you and your girlfriend get along very well, and I'm sure she communicates this to her parents when you're not there. Instead of comparing your atmosphere at your home with the atmosphere you notice in her home, I suggest that you look at the positives here.

The first positive is that you've maintained a long-term relationship with your girlfriend, and her parents obviously know this. Second, they do welcome you into their home because, if they did not want you there, they would definitely tell their daughter that you are not allowed to come over and study at their house. This means your mere presence in their home is a reflection of silent approval on their part. Focus on that perspective and I trust you'll feel much better overall about the situation.

And if you do wish to break the ice sometime, ask your girlfriend what her parents enjoy doing and what foods they like. Perhaps you could arrange to bring them a small gift for their home or a plate of one of their favorite foods one evening. This may give you an opportunity to interact a bit more with them with a very positive and comfortable undertone attached.

I THINK I SAW TOO MUCH, NOW I'M STUCK!

DR. WALLACE: My older brother plays sports at our high school, and he's a pretty good athlete. Many times, he has talked at our dinner table about his team, his coaches, his teammates and the rules they must follow.

One rule they have during their sports season is that no player is allowed to consume any drugs of any kind, and all players are absolutely not allowed to consume any alcoholic beverages either.

Well, this past weekend, I personally saw two members of his team breaking both of these rules in a big way. Not only were they drinking alcohol but I saw them taking illegal drugs, and it upset my friend and me so much that we left the party that we were at within five minutes of seeing that. Now I have a dilemma. Should I say anything to my brother about this? I'm worried because if I tell him, he might feel obligated to have to tell his coach this information and might worry about any blowback that could come from him turning in one of his teammates. On the other hand, if he doesn't say anything at all after I tell him, it might put my brother in the position of being compliant with their transgressions. Either way, I feel it is a lose-lose situation for my brother, and I don't want to put him in hot water. Should I therefore just forget about what I saw? — I Saw More Than I Wanted To, via email

I SAW MORE THAN I WANTED TO: I do see a way out for you, and it's designed to spare your brother from having to be directly involved. Since you're the person who witnessed this event, you should be the one who informs the head coach of your brother's team. Do this anonymously via a note to the coach that you can address to him directly at the school's office. Explain exactly what you saw and mention that you are a student at the same school. Provide the time, place, date and all details.

You owe it morally to your brother and to his team to deliver this information to the coach. The coach will take things from there, and your mind will be eased by knowing that you did the right thing and kept your brother out of the situation as you did so.

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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