I always feel like an outsider

I know this sounds really trivial but it's something thats getting me down.

I'm in Year 9 and me and my friends hang round in a HUGE group of both boys and girls.

In our group are then smaller groups who hang out with each other out of school and are a bit closer, but there are no cliques or rivalries or anything like that.

Me and 4 other girls are supposedly 'best friends' but no matter how hard I try, I always feel like an outsider. I'm never involved in private conversations and rarely invited to trips out of school with them. I don't want to fall out with them or I'll have no friends left.

Help!! Thanks :) x

Lizzie, 14

Your thoughts:

Well if I were you Lizzie I would plan something to do with some other people or the 4 girls who you're best mates with.

Arrange a trip to the cinima and if they reject you, which they probably won't, ask around - you never know who could be your next bezzie!!

You just gotta work a bit harder to prove you're a brill person to be around and they'll see your true colours and ask you to go out with them more often.

If none of this works maybe you're better off with different best friends? Just start talking to everyone in your huge group, you could just click with anyone! :D

Hope this helps.. lou .. -x-o-x-

Louu, 14

Next week's question:

Hi! I have been trying to be confident. Like when I am talking in front of loads of people, I always plan what to say in front of them very well, but when I go up there I just go all jelloid.

My friends call me bonkers, but in a good way, as in like I do a lot of funny stuff and I can cheer people up easily. But when I am making a speech or something else in front of a lot of people, and I want to be the fun me, my confidence just goes to zero.

Please give me some tips on speaking confidently in front of so many people. :)

Cho, 14