Kiss, don't tell.

My dad acts weird about my boyfriend coming over. I told my stepmom I've kissed my BF, but how do I tell my dad without upsetting him?

Almost all fathers always see their daughters as little girls. Even by the time you're dating and driving, your dad probably will still think of you as the pigtailed 2-year-old he bounced on his knee. You could talk to your dad and gently remind him that it's normal for you to be interested in boys. Ask him why he seems so uneasy when your boyfriend comes over, and tell him you'd like it if everyone could hang together some of the time. It's great that you confide in your stepmom, and maybe she could help you have this chat with dear oi' dad. Filling him in on your life might keep him from feeling left in the dark. Still, you don't need to give him a play-by-play of every kiss you have with your boyfriend. Hello--TMI!

I go to a small private school, and there is always a bunch of drama. I try not to get involved, but I somehow always do.

Some people like drama because it can be exciting and routine-breaking. When you're wrapped up in the drama, though, things can get complicated. Anyone who's been entangled in a BFF conflict realizes a little bit of boring isn't always so bad. The next time someone at school gossips, asks you to take sides or otherwise pulls you into the soap-opera scene, remove yourself from the situation. You can say you need to review for a test and retreat to the library, or simply say, "You know, I'd prefer to stay out of it." If you need a drama-fix, turn on The O.C.

My mom always takes her bad moods out on me. I'm sick of her yelling. I tried to talk to her about it, but she wouldn't listen.

Often, we take things out on family members because we know they'll never stop caring about--us no matter how we act. Still. understanding why it happens doesn't mean you should be your mom's scapegoat. Since you've tried talking to her and she didn't get it. talk to someone else close to you two--maybe an aunt or good family friend. Explain what's going on and how it makes you feel. Hearing it from another person might help your mom realize how her actions affect you and. hopefully, she'll want to change.

My friends and I invited a new girl to eat with us in the caf. We asked her to sit with us once, but now she sits there every day. How can we tell her we don't want her to sit with us anymore?

Ouch. There's no nice way to un-invite her from the lunch table. Please, don't recreate that scene from Mean Girls. Instead, invite more kids into your lunch crowd. If the girl meets new buds, she'll have other people to eat with. Also, if the lunch crew grows so big it can't fit into one table, everyone will spread out over more tables and the arrangement could be shaken up a little.

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THAT'S A TOUGHIE ...

A boy at school is spreading rumors that I'm "slutty." I don't want to tell my parents because they'd tell his parents, and then he'd pick on me more.

This boy's behavior is unacceptable. You must tell your folks but, since you're nervous this will worsen the situation, schedule a meeting with a school official to deal with the issue. Many schools have protocols for addressing such matters. The only way to deter him is to involve people who have the power to stop it.