DR. WALLACE: I met a fun guy at a friend's house and soon began going out with him. He was very cool, and although he was into drugs and alcohol, I found him to be an exciting guy. He was always full of life and energy. He was literally the life of the party when we went out in public together.

But things soon took a turn for the worse. One night, I came home from a date with alcohol on my breath and my dad got so mad! My dad and my dude got into a massive, heated argument. If it had not been for my mother stepping in to calm things down, I'm sure my dad would've gotten physical right then and there with my guy in our family's living room.

I'm going to be 17 in a few months and have been out with quite a few guys so far, but none of them turned me on more than this guy. Now I'm on restriction and have promised my parents that I will not ever go out with him again, and I won't do it because the consequences would be big. But I'll admit I do daydream about hanging out with him again.

How can I get him out of my mind? I don't want to get into further trouble, but I can't get his larger-than-life personality out of my mind. — Smitten by the Excitement, via email

SMITTEN BY THE EXCITEMENT: From my experience, I have heard from some girls who like wild boys, but they seem the be the vast minority compared with the other letters I receive from teen girls asking how to meet a quality guy who's dependable and respectful.

Most females who go through different phases in their dating lives and eventually grow out of some of the poorer decisions they've made in the past. This usually happens after one or more bad experiences with such guys.

I understand that you feel you miss the action this guy brought to the table, but the reality is you really don't miss him — as your logical comment to me about moving on indicates.

He allowed you to illegally drink alcohol on a date, and then he walked with you right into your parents' house into a big confrontation with your parents. That kind of "action" you can do without.

Guys like this offer the promise of adventure and romance, something your life had perhaps lacked previously. The sad reality is that guys like this usually soon create situations that lead to problems and, in some cases, misery.

My advice? Learn from your experience here, and do your best to socialize and network with other friends. You'll soon find a higher-quality young man to date who will provide you interesting times and respect for you and your family.

Consider yourself lucky. Some young ladies sadly learn this hard lesson well into their 20s or 30s, and usually with much more severe physical or mental consequences.

WHAT GIFT SHOULD I GIVE TO A TEEN BOY?

DR. WALLACE: I'm 15 and have my first boyfriend. My boyfriend's birthday is in a few weeks, and he'll be 16. I want to buy him a birthday gift that doesn't cost more than $25. Since I'm really not sure what guys like for gifts, I'm asking you for a few suggestions. — Gift Giver, via email

GIFT GIVER: For $25 or less, you can buy him some of his favorite music (maybe get him a gift card?), purchase a few of his favorite snacks, pick out an interesting T-shirt or buy him a gift certificate, especially one at a fast food restaurant or another store you know he likes.

The main thing is to make an effort to find something he would enjoy that would demonstrate you pay attention to his favorite things.

And, of course, you can top this off by giving him an electronic — or paper — birthday card. Go with the one you feel will be best received.

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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