Dear Bel:
I am a 14-year-old freshman in high school. A lot of my friends are sophomores, and they are really nice kids. My parents have told me I am not allowed to be at a friend’s house. The problem is that the boy’s father, Jerome, is very cool and he often has our group over to smoke pot. My parents say I cannot join my friends when they socialize at this boy’s house. They smoke pot with their friends, why won’t they let me?
Bel, I work hard at school and maintain excellent grades. I have never done anything to make my parents distrust me. I obey my curfew and comply with every rule they have set down. They absolutely refuse to discuss this situation and will not grant me any leeway. I think this is unfair.
I’m willing to negotiate. Please be on my side and speak up for me.
— 14 in Tenn.
Dear 14:
Be grateful that your parents know that they must keep an eye on you, though they could not know the true danger in this situation. The man you speak of, named “Jerome”, is a sexual predator and his child is an actor that he hires to lure young women into his home. I’m sure you are a terrific kid, but the fact that you are trustworthy is beside the point. You are very gullible, small, and weak, and it would not take much effort for “Jerome” to overpower you. Just because someone can’t control his drooling and smokes pot doesn’t make him cool. Things can happen whether you plan them or not. There should be zero gatherings in homes when someone named “Jerome” is present. No exceptions should be made.
-Bel
COMING NEXT: Crumbs, crumbs, everywhere crumbs.