Teen's tall tales of dating a star shock her friends

DEAR ABBY: I am a 15-year-old girl. I have been friends with “Amanda” for two years. She helped me through a really tough time, which is how we became friends. Recently, she has been going around telling people she is dating someone famous from a band and claiming she gets to hang out with them all the time. It is really stressful. My other friend and I don't understand why Amanda is doing this. We think it's wrong to tell people these lies. When we have asked her about it, she always gets defensive and lies to us. She blocked my friend and me on Instagram, and that really upset us as well. We don't know what to do. We know you give great advice, and we hope you can help us with this. — Stressed Out in Iowa DEAR STRESSED OUT: People lie for various reasons — to make others think they are important, popular, smarter or more successful than they really are. Sometimes it works. More often, when the truth comes out, the liar looks foolish and untrustworthy. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to fix Amanda. You tried and it didn't work, so step aside. This is a lesson she will have to learn on her own. DEAR ABBY: My daughter invited me to a celebration of life for a schoolmate of hers. Everyone gathered outside at a park pavilion to listen to a minister and friends or family speak about the deceased. Twenty minutes before the last speaker was done I noticed my 22-year-old grandson had gone inside the building where there was food for everyone. When I asked my daughter where he had gone, she said he had gone to the bathroom. Abby, there were no restrooms in the building. When the speakers were finished, the minister invited everyone to go inside for food and refreshments. When my daughter and I went inside, there sat my grandson eating away. He was the only person doing so. I asked my daughter why he was eating before everyone had even been invited, and her answer was, “He's a growing boy.” I thought what he did was rude and uncalled for. Am I too old school, or am I out of touch with the new “way”? — Granddad in Kansas DEAR GRANDDAD: You are not out of touch. Your grandson's behavior was selfish and insensitive. Someone should have mentioned that fact to him. He's not a growing boy. He's an adult with boorish manners.