“Dude, I know I’m not supposed to know everything, but tell me everything.”

“It was nothing. He was just talking about the speech competition.” David closed his locker and stretched.

“Speech competition? Why would he want to talk to you about that? It’s not like you’re going to do it. You hate talking in front of crowds.”

David reached for the back of his head and winced.

“Got another headache?” Nate said.

“Yeah, and I’m sick of them.” David moved into the stream of students.

“Dude, I’m telling you, it’s the science lab. It always smells like death on a cracker.”

David noticed Elizabeth and smiled at her as she walked between him and Nate.

“Hey! What’s up, Emily?” Nate said. “How’s it going?”

Elizabeth was past them when David said, “That’s Elizabeth.”

“I was going to ask her to prom.”

“You might want to learn her name first,” David said.

Nate checked his watch and turned quickly, hurrying down the hall to get to his next class. David shook his head, then put his hand on his neck to try to stop the throbbing pain.

CHAPTER 19

In late January, with the weather turning bitter cold, Melissa watched Courtney get off the school bus and trudge through the scattered snow. She slammed the front door behind her and kicked off her wet shoes, dropping her backpack and coat on the floor like they were sacks of rotten potatoes. She entered the kitchen without a word, grabbing cookies from the pantry and pouring a glass of milk before she sat at the table, her head down.

“Well, hello, sunshine,” Melissa said. “How was school?”

Nothing but a shrug.

Melissa had heard something on the radio about guiding your children through their preteen years and how important it was to connect with them each day. The psychologist had said that being available was the most important gift a parent could give a child, so instead of going back to what she was doing, Melissa pulled out a chair and sat.

Courtney looked up. “What?”

“Nothing. I’m just admiring the way you dunk your fudge-striped cookies. You seem to have it down to a science. All the way to the middle, then turn it and go to the middle again.”

“Mom, stop.” Courtney remained stone-faced and shifted in her seat.

“Now I get it,” Melissa said, nodding and folding her arms.

“Get what?”

“How it feels when somebody you love doesn’t smile.”

Courtney stared at her and finally understood. She picked up another cookie and dunked it.

Melissa took a deep breath and waited, which was hard. She wanted to be in motion. Get something done. Maybe there was something here she could learn about Courtney. She thought of how Shawn had waited for her to talk at different times and how the silence had drawn her out.