DEAR ABBY: I am 14 and a freshman in high school. I have been best friends with a girl I'll call Tracy ever since third grade.
Two years ago, Tracy's father was killed in a car accident, and it's like she hasn't grown since. My problem is, she treats me differently now. She has said it's because I bring back memories of her dad and it hurts her, but I'm the one being hurt.
Tracy and I have only one class together, but we see each other every day during lunch. She rarely talks to me when we're around my friends, and if she does, it's not always a nice comment. She admitted a few days ago it's because she thinks I am smart and she isn't.
My parents have asked me again and again if I really want to be her friend, and I have answered "yes" every time. But I'm tired of the way she treats our friendship. Is it time for us to grow apart? -- SAD IN OKLAHOMA
DEAR SAD: Let me put it this way. It's time that you accepted that you haven't been "best friends" for some time, and you have ALREADY grown apart. It is sad that your friend lost her father and that seeing you reminds her of her loss. But you can't change either of those things, and you deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. Because you're not getting those things from Tracy, it is time to move on.