Dear Panel,

I am a 16-year-old girl who recently got physically intimate with my best friend. (Just for the record, we did not have sex.

He is now going around calling me a slut to everyone we know (we have a lot of mutual friends). I am so hurt by this and it is causing a major stir with all of our friends. No one knows who to believe. I don't know what to do.

I realize that we were both too immature to handle the feelings that came along with our actions, but I can't really turn back time and stop it.

Should I try to talk to him and reconcile our friendship or should I forget about the jerk? I must also mention that I never said a harsh word about him or thought badly of him after what happened.