DR. WALLACE: I'm writing this letter to you in an effort to help other teenagers who may someday find themselves in the situation I found myself in recently. I'm 17 and not into drugs or alcohol and have not been at any time in my past.

A few weeks ago, my best girlfriend suggested we go to a friend's house to meet some new guys who would be there. We girls are both 17 and are in the "singles who mingle" stage of our social lives, so we have a lot in common, and we like to go out together whenever we can.

So, we went to this party together. We knew the guy who lived there and also several of the other invited guests. Of course, there was going to be alcohol there, but I wasn't going to drink, and neither was my friend. It was a hot summer night, and they had some ice-cold sodas and flavored mineral waters available, so that's what we drank. They were in an ice cooler all soaked in cold, icy water.

Since it was warm, we drank two or three bottles of cold, flavored mineral water each, and then, within an hour, we were really surprised we got tipsy. In fact, I had to call my mother to pick us up because we couldn't even drive. I was literally stumbling and almost falling down trying to walk down the driveway once we were leaving.

I found out later that the people who organized the party poured wine coolers into the flavored mineral water bottles and tricked my friend and me — and several of the other guests, mostly girls. I hope my letter can warn other teens to be careful, especially the girls. — Tricked and Tipsy, via email

TRICKED AND TIPSY: The world has its share of foolish people who enjoy pulling stupid pranks, regardless of how they might endanger others. Thank goodness you had the good sense to call your mom instead of driving home. I trust your mother was informed of the situation and what happened to you and your girlfriend.

In my opinion, a crime may have been committed. Giving an minor alcohol under false pretenses is a crime. It may not be easy to identify who pulled this ill-advised stunt, but your family should strongly consider contacting law enforcement. Not only would that reduce the chance that you would be put into jeopardy in a similar way in the future, but you might also save other young teens from falling into a similar trap — one that might have a much worse ending than yours did. And, after all, that was your original goal in sharing your story, wasn't it?

I'D LIKE TO POP HER NOSE

DR. WALLACE: I can't stand this girl who goes to my school. To be honest, I despise her.

She is conceited, tells lies and spreads rumors about my friends and me. Yes, I'm a girl, too, but I still would have loved to have punched her in the nose back when we were in school last year, but if I had done that, I would have been suspended.

Now, with all of us out of school due to COVID-19, I don't think I need to worry about suspensions! In fact, I've thought about it a lot, especially since a neighbor down the street said she sees this girl hanging out with another girl only a block-and-a-half from my house.

Should I use this opportunity to pop her once in her big nose while we're all out of school? I won't get this chance again unless a suspension is attached. — Want To Stand Up to Her, via email

WANT TO STAND UP TO HER: Based upon my experience, a school has authority over its students not only on the campus but also as they travel to and from school in the morning and in the afternoons. Now, in your case, nobody is going to and from school, but you two do attend the same school, and the dispute would be traced back there. If you initiate physical violence, you would eventually be disciplined, and you would suffer the consequences at some point. It's possible that, once your school does resume in-person learning, you could be suspended entirely.

Fighting is for the foolish; it will not solve your problem. Even if you don't get caught and punished by a school official, fighting this girl will only compound the bitterness between the two of you. It's always best to try to ignore a bully or a gossiping person whenever possible. If you do feel you need to take action, take the right actions that will protect you and your honor.

Discuss things with your parents and/or a trusted counselor to see if your grievance with the other girl can be settled any civil and nonviolent way. A good school counselor will work hard to diffuse this sort of situation and get a delicate matter resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

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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