How Can I Say it Nicely?

Ok first off I love your books,Alice is like one of my best friends.But I have a problem at school.Its my first year at the middle school and Im in 7th grade.I have a fair amount of friends and Im not too worried about that because Im new here.But there is this boy in my 4th period,lets call him Daniel,that I went out with for about 3 days.I just met him this year and he asked me out and I said yes because he is just a goofball like me.But I broke up with him because I cant get over my last boyfriend,plus nobody wanted to hang out with me because I hung out with Daniel,and he was extremely clingy and wouldnt leave me alone.I told him that I would sit by him at lunch sometimes but I was gonna sit by other people too.But he KEEPS sitting by me and he keeps telling me that he still likes me and I still like him but whats the point?Middle school relationships suck and they never last.I wish he would just leave me alone so I could make some other friends as well but no one really wants to hang out with me because Im friends with Daniel.What should I say to nicely let him know I’d like some space??

Phyllis replied:

Sometimes, unfortunately, “nicely” just doesn’t work.   It may be that you’re going to have to tell him, in private, that you don’t want to sit with him any longer, that it’s time you both hung out with different people.  Or, if you really still like him, you might say that you don’t want to sit with him more than once a week.  But with some people, it’s “all or nothing,” and he might find it easier, though more painful, not to hang out with you at all than limit it to once a week.  And because you’re still kind to him, obviously, and trying not to hurt him, he may not believe that you need space, that it is a compliment to you that he always wants to sit with you, which, of course, it is, but a clingy boyfriend is hard to take.  (Alice experienced that, as you know, with  Sam).  I’m afraid you’ll have to be more direct and to the point, and I hope it works.