My parents never fought….

          Let me start off with saying, I LOVE YOUR BOOKS! I feel like I am part of their world. I cried when —– was killed, I feel the emotions of Alice, when she has a crush in the book, it feels like I could like them too. When I go on your website I feel like you are the woman with all the answers. First of all, my parents never fought, last year my dad decided he wanted a divorce. Everyone was always asking how I was doing, I felt like no one asked about my brother. I guess it was because I am the youngest but now i feel like that I have gotten better, my brother doesent like my dad anymore. Is it weird for it to hurt me to see this happen to my brother and my dad.

         Next, I have had a best friend since first grade. When we are together we have so much fun. Now she has new friends and I feel like I come in second. She has started doing things that will get her in trouble and I am just not into that. After she stated hanging out with older boys, she has become very experienced. Is it bad that I am 13 and havent had a boyfriend, a kiss or anything like that.

         Last, there is a boy I like. I have a friend who likes him on and off. He likes her too and they had gone out about 5 months ago. He broke up with her because  they are such good friends it ws weird. I dont know if they will go out again but I dont think he likes me and its hard to get to talk with him. After  I figured out that i liked him, I found out I might like this other kid. He would probablynot like me, what should I do?

          Thank you for wrighting the Alice books, I dont think I would survive without knowing there is someone else who thinks like me. I mean Alice has helped so many girls figure out problems, if it wasnt for her, this email would have had a lot more questions.

It’s so hard to see problems in your family when you know you can’t fix them…aren’t really a part of some of them.  No, it’s not weird to hurt when two people don’t get along.  You want your family back like it was, or that you imagine it was.  But your brother is hurting too, or he wouldn’t resent your dad so much for wanting to leave the marriage.

Your parents aren’t perfect, even though you want them to be, and I don’t have all the answers, even though you would like to think that.  But I do know that people grieve in different ways, and anger is part of your brother’s grieving.  This doesn’t mean that he will stay angry forever, and perhaps he’ll understand your dad better as he grows older.    As for your friend seeming to like other girls more than you, that’s part of growing and changing too.  You’ll also have friends that you’ll feel close to for a while, maybe a long while, and then feel that you aren’t liking them as much as you used to, and you’ll want to move on.  No, it’s not bad that you are 13 and don’t have a boyfriend or haven’t been kissed.  There are SO many other girls like you.  The older you are when you do have a boyfriend and are kissed, the less awkward it will seem and the more you’ll enjoy it.  And regarding the boys you may or may not like, please don’t try to label how you feel about them.  Just try being friends, not boyfriend/girlfriend.  You’ll like them some days and other days you won’t.  You’ll like one better for a while and then he’ll do something crazy and you’ll change your mind.  You have a lot of questions about life right now, and that’s your job at 13.   You’ll be surprised at how often some problems just work out all by themselves.