“Nothing big,” Caddie said quickly. “It’s not like I have the Great American Novel hiding under my bed or anything. Mostly I write poems.”

Ben started to reply, but Caddie cut him off. “I’m not reading you any of them, so don’t ask,” she said. “Anyway, I didn’t bring any with me.”

Ben was trying to imagine this sullen, angry girl writing poems. He wondered what they were about. Probably about how much she hates me, he thought. He doubted very much that Caddie went in for rhymes about kittens and love.

“I was never very good at writing,” he told Caddie. “I could never quite figure out how to say what was in my head.”

To his surprise, Caddie made a sound that was almost like a laugh. She was nodding her head as if she understood what he meant. It was an encouraging sign, and Ben decided to keep going with the line of conversation.

“Science is a lot easier for me,” he said. “That I can write about, because mostly it’s all about facts and numbers. You don’t have to tell anyone why you think octopi are interesting.”

“I’m not good at science,” said Caddie. “I barely passed biology last year.”

“I could have helped you with that,” Ben said.

“You could have,” said Caddie, “if you’d been around.”

Her tone had cooled again. Ben, desperately wanting to avoid slipping back into frosty silence, began to speak rapidly. “Have you thought about college?” he asked. “What you might want to study?”

“Not really,” Caddie answered.

He could tell he was losing her interest, and racked his brain for something more lively to discuss. “Do you have a boyfriend?” he blurted out.

The question indeed got Caddie’s attention. “Are we back to the whore thing?” she asked. “That’s what you want to know, right? You want to know if I’m fucking anyone?”

Ben blushed at her emphasis of the word. For a moment he considered telling Caddie that he just assumed she was sleeping with someone. But he knew that was what she wanted him to do. He’d never seen someone so ready for a fight.

“No,” he said. “I was just asking if you have a boyfriend.”

“Maybe I have a girlfriend,” Caddie answered. “Did you ever think about that? Maybe I’m a big muff diver.”

“Are you?” Ben asked.

“Would you care if I were?” Caddie countered.

“No,” Ben said without hesitation. “I wouldn’t care. I just want you to be happy.”

“Happy,” Caddie repeated. “Everybody wants me to be happy. But no one seems to know what that is.”

“Even you?” Ben asked.

“Especially me,” said Caddie.