DR. WALLACE: Mitch and I dated for over seven months and we were a great couple. Two months ago my dad was transferred to Portland, Maine by his company so Mitch and I agreed to continue to be a couple.

The trouble is that I've adjusted to living in New England and have made many new friends, but I miss going out with a guy. I've been asked out by two guys and both times I said no, but only because I have a boyfriend in Cleveland, Ohio. I thought that I would be spending some time in Cleveland, but the grandmother that I would have been staying with moved to Portland and is now living with our family.

What should I do? I like Mitch very much. He was my first love, but I don't know when we will be seeing each other again. Yet it would be hard for me to tell him that our relationship has ended. — Sophia, Portland, Maine.

SOPHIA: For teens, long distance romances rarely succeed. Contact Mitch and tell him that he is still special to you, but that it might be more beneficial for both of you to start dating others. Tell him that you want to stay in close contact with him and hope that in the future you both can spend time together. Make sure you don't tell Mitch that the relationship is ending, just that it is put on hold for a while. You never know what the future might bring.

ALL SUICIDE THREATS SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

DR. WALLACE: My 17-year-old cousin keeps telling his friends and relatives, including me, that he is tired of life and is thinking about taking his own life. His parents say that he is not serious about his threats and that he is just trying to draw attention to himself.

I believe that all suicide threats should be taken seriously, but even my parents don't believe that he will kill himself. They think that his parents know him very well and that he says that he is going to take his own life every time he does something wrong and is grounded. Do you think that my cousin's parents are correct?

We live next door, so I see him every single day. What are your thoughts? — Ann, Baltimore, Md.

ANN: The threat of taking one's life should be taken seriously! Your aunt and uncle should get a psychiatric evaluation very soon.

BE TRUE TO YOUR NAVY GUY

DR. WALLACE: I'm 18 and really confused. I'm going with a guy who is in the military and has been away from home for more than three months. He is stationed in San Diego, California, and he won't be returning home for another two months.

I miss him a lot, but I'm tired of staying home alone dateless every weekend while all my friends are partying. Last weekend my ex-boyfriend called and asked me to go to a movie and have dinner with him. I still have feelings for this guy, but I must admit that I like my Navy man better. Would it be wrong if I went out with my ex? - Debby, Tucson, Ariz.

DEBBY: Don't go out with your ex. Wait until your boyfriend returns home and then at that time make a decision on whether or not you can date others while he is away. Of course, if your answer is yes, your boyfriend will have the same opportunity.

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. E-mail 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.