dear sarah,

Your Question: My boyfriend's friends are always telling me that he is cheating on me and he barely talks to me. He is really shy so that's why I think he doesn't talk to me. Please help. I really love him but I don't want to get hurt. So break up or stay together??

Dear Reader,
There's an old saying: "Talk is cheap." But when it comes to relationships, talk is anything but cheap. And even though your guy is shy, this is one of those times when talk is particularly important.

If you're going to stay with him, you need to know for sure that he's not cheating. And if he's going to be your boyfriend, he needs to start acting like it. Boyfriends, even the shyest of them, talk to their girlfriends. If he's not acting like you're together in front of other people (and this might be what his friends are picking up on), it can be a bad sign.

Find a time when your (and his) friends aren't around and ask him straight up. He might act offended that there's even a suggestion he's been cheating, but he needs to acknowledge what you've been hearing and be honest with you.

Keep in mind that you might not like his answer. If he is cheating, you have a big decision to make. Remember that you deserve a guy who's going to treat you right. And cheating isn't right.

xxx
Sarah

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Sarah Burningham is the author of BOYOLOGY: A Teen Girl's Crash Course in All Things Boy and HOW TO RAISE YOUR PARENTS: A Teen Girl’s Survival Guide . A teenager at heart, Sarah enjoys a good door slam and stealing her sisters' clothes. She's appeared on the Today Show and speaks to teens at schools, bookstores and libraries around the country. She lives in Queens, New York, and drives a red Vespa.