DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and pregnant. My boyfriend (the baby's father) is 18. Even though we're young, we're very mature. We want to get married soon, and after we have the baby I will return to high school. His mother has said we could live with her and she'd take care of the baby when I return to school. My boyfriend has graduated and works for his grandfather, who owns a local grocery store.

My parents don't want us to get married. In fact, they want me to have an abortion and stop seeing my boyfriend. That is simply out of the question because we love each other very much, and neither of us would ever consider abortion!

My parents have already threatened to prevent us from getting married because I'm underage and they also think they will be able to force me to have an abortion.

According to his mother, my parents are just trying to scare us into believing them. Please tell me if my parents really can stop us from getting married and also force me to have an abortion. And please hurry with your answer. — Nameless, Little Rock, Ark.

NAMELESS: Your parents cannot force you to have an abortion. It would take a court order for them to get their wish and that isn't going to happen. The same is true for them trying to stop you and your boyfriend from getting married. But this is a very difficult journey for you to take without your parents' support.

I'd advise the two of you to discuss your situation with a member of the clergy and ask for guidance and support. If marriage is your decision, do all within your power to maintain a positive relationship with your parents. You will need their support and they will need love from their daughter.

YOUR OLD FRIEND IS NOT A FRIEND

DR. WALLACE: A girl and I have been good friends for over three years. We did everything together and had a lot of fun. I told her all of my deep, dark secrets and she told me hers. I thought we would be friends for the rest of our lives.

But a new girl started attending our school and she and my friend started hanging around together. Now my friend goes out of her way not to talk to me at school. She used to call me or I'd call her every night and we'd chat for 15 or 20 minutes, but now she never calls me, and when I call her, she always says she's busy and can't talk.

Today at school I found out that this new girl is moving out of town next weekend, and guess what? You guessed it; my old friend called me a while ago and asked me how things were going. Now she wants us to be friends again. What should I do? — Sarah, Columbus, Ohio.

SARAH: Unfortunately, your "old friend" has proven herself to be untrustworthy. If she ditched you once, she could do it again.

You should seek out new friends if you haven't already done so. Join clubs and participate in school activities. Volunteer your services in local charities. Do not trust your old "good friend" because she is not really a friend.

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.