Do I need new friends completely?

I think you should be finding new friends, ones who have similar interests and outlooks. It's near impossible to have fun with people who aren't interested in what you are interested in, especially if you think they're deadbeats

You sound more mature than those gals. (Identifying all the petty crap and not buying into the gossip)

Find new friends. What are you interested in? Attend a class with other people who have the same interests.

Hey guys, thanks for the answers. I am in fact a guy by the way.

Okay I think I'll do that, it's just a matter of finding the right people. As I only emigrated to Australia 2 years ago, I'm still adapting to the culture and although I've been pretty used to change all my life there are still major differences in the way people act here to people in England, which makes them very unpredictable.

I've started going to the gym recently so I've made a very good friend in a gym partner, I guess I just need to keep looking for the right type of people elsewhere other than at school.

Another thing, drinking is a very heavy thing here in the teen culture and I drank a fair bit last year and the beginning of this year until I got called an alcoholic. They may have been joking but it opened my eyes up to the idea of not wanting to drink anymore - not in moderation, nothing. And i'm happy with that. However, people around here don't want to invite me to parties anymore because I don't drink. Now, sure obviously they aren't the right people to be around but when they consist of basically the whole teen population here it's very hard to keep my head high type of thing.

Thank you for all your help by the way.

a friend in-need is a friend in deed i would like to suggest you that friendship is the name of trust and mind matching so make friend a person that is trustful and whose mind matches with your mind

Hi middybeast. Teenage alcohol abuse is everywhere in Australia. Probably the only place you aren't likely to find it is in health/fitness clubs (like hiking clubs, triathletes, cycling etc), and perhaps protestant churches (presuming you're not muslim or hindu). So if they have any organisations that cater to that sort of thing - that's your best bet. Gym junkies can have their own social 'issues' (many of them obsess over their bodies). Basically no where is perfect - you just have to find where you're comfortable.

By the way - an alcoholism is really someone who, once they start drinking - they can't stop. An alcoholic can go a year without a drop - and then binge. The other form of alcoholism is when you just can't do without drinking (usually is fairly large amounts - but not necessarily binge amounts) on a very regulalar basis.