DR. WALLACE: I have a nice new girlfriend as of this summer. She's friendly, funny and sweet. I'm 16 and this is my second girlfriend. My first girlfriend and I broke up at the end of last school year.

Well, my former girlfriend just found out that I am dating this other girl, and apparently this has made her furious. Unfortunately, my ex-girlfriend's parents know my new girlfriend's parents pretty well socially.

My ex-girlfriend had her mother call and tell my current girlfriend's mother that I often drink alcohol, do drugs and have even hit their daughter on several occasions. Absolutely none of this is true at all. The way I see it, it's purely jealousy, and I'm quite surprised that her mother would tell another adult these things without confirming that they are actually true. What can I do about this? Apparently, my new girlfriend's father said, "Where there's smoke, there's fire" when he heard the lies about me. My current girlfriend knows that none of this is true, and she keeps telling her mother that my ex is simply trying to break us up so that she can get me back. However, even if I were to ever break up with my current girlfriend, I would never go back to my ex-girlfriend. I caught her in several lies and that was the main reason I broke up with her in the first place. What can I do about all this? — Being Brutally Lied About, via email

BEING BRUTALLY LIED ABOUT: I suggest that you ask your father or mother to call your current girlfriend's parents and invite them over to your house for a discussion. Your parents can answer any and all questions about you and let these people know that the allegations being made are lies. Have your parents explain that you'd never go back for the very reason you left: your ex-girlfriend's lies. If you have provable knowledge of one or more of these lies, let your parents know the details so that they can explain it. You can also have your father tell your current girlfriend's father that if there was a random accusation made that your girlfriend's father was embezzling funds from his workplace and your father said, "Where there's smoke, there's fire," it would not make the accusations true. I trust her father is wise enough to understand the analogy and perhaps rethink his original comment.

Finally, the most unexplainable element of your situation is why your ex's mother continues interjecting herself in your current relationship to spew unproven and outrageous accusations. Perhaps this might be a case in which a tainted apple has not fallen far from a tainted tree.

SHE'S ALL ABOUT GHOSTS!

DR. WALLACE: My best friend spends a lot of her time worrying about ghosts! She tells me that even though she's never seen one, she feels they are real and that worries her a lot. What's strange is that this same girl does not believe in UFOs! She tells me that there are no spaceships coming here anytime soon from Mars, Jupiter or any planet for that matter.

I've spoken with the other girls in our group of friends, and all eight of the others think that UFOs could be real, whereas only one thought that ghosts could be real. How can my best friend have such opposite views from the rest of us, especially since she's grown up her whole life right here with us in our hometown? — A Confused Friend

A CONFUSED FRIEND: The subjects of ghosts, paranormal activity and unidentified flying objects have captivated the collective imagination of mankind for centuries.

It's hard to say why your closest friend has the specific beliefs that she has, other than to suggest to you that perhaps she saw, heard or read something at some point in her life that influenced her mindset on these topics. Family members also often provide influence in these areas. Imagine an uncle reciting a dramatic story about a topic around the Thanksgiving dinner table, and you can see where a young girl might be influenced to some degree.

Although many people believe in one or both of these phenomena, as of today no hard, tangible evidence of either has been presented to the public. Note the key words "presented to" as you ponder my reply.

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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