Dear Miss Emily:

Well, I'm 14 and my boyfriend just broke up with me a few days ago. His friend asked me out today. He and I had gone out in fifth-sixth grade. I like him, but he dated my best friend last year and they broke up a few months ago. My friends and I have a girl code and the boys have guy code and one of the rules for both guy and girl code is that you can't date your best friend's ex without his or her permission. I want to get back together with him, but I'm not sure if my friends would accept me and him being together again. What should I do?

--------------------------Miss Emily's advice-----------------------

That's an absurd code, because it's based on jealousy/insecurity. Now if the friend was legitimately, emotionally damaged/hurt by this person, I could see where a pact to keep "hands off" would be appropriate. That said,  since you think there's merit to this code, all you can do is tell your friend he asked you out and take it from there. But be aware, although a friend may say "yes" she really mean "no" and, then, getting involved with the guy could end up the same as breaking the code without permission. Try having a heart-to-heart on this issue, and see if you're capable of finding out her true feelings. You went out with him in the fifth-sixth grade. That should work in your favor.