She sighed and yanked the book back, pushed her hair out of her face, and crooked her arm over the next clean white sheet to start again.

Emma pulled the sketch pad away. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Okay, that’s clearly not true. Unless you meant to finish that out as a complete thought, as in Nothing that I want to talk about.”

Carly wanted to close her eyes and put her head on the table. But she was also buzzing at the same time as if she’d had a giant-size coffee. Her insides felt like pudding.

She hadn’t been able to think of any way to ask Emma for the ride. It would sound crazy or rude or both, and Emma might say no and not want to meet up anymore because Carly was weird. Or she might say yes. Carly’s stomach hurt to think of that. What huge problem was waiting at the end of a yes? At the end of that drive? How could she keep it a secret if it was bad?

Carly shook her head. Then made the mistake of looking Emma in the eye and blurted, “I can’t.”

Emma’s pulled back, and concern transformed her face. The mood contracted around them, suddenly dense and serious. “Hey, I want you to listen to me. You simply not wanting to talk about something is a perfectly acceptable reason not to. You don’t have to talk to me—or anyone—about whatever it is you choose not to discuss. Okay? I will never press you for more than you care to share. But can’t is simply not the case here. Do you understand? You don’t have to talk to me, but you absolutely can.”

Carly nodded, miserable. A sob pressed against the roof of her mouth. The nodding went crooked and turned back into shaking her head no.

“Hey. Hey.” Emma rooted through her purse for a pack of tissues and plucked one out for Carly. The small kindness was almost too much. Carly’s throat hurt from all the not-saying and not-crying that was stacking up and crowding out her breath.

Emma rubbed Carly’s shoulder. She’d never touched her except for incidental bumps and brushes in the close quarters of the drawing lessons. “Listen. I’m your friend, okay? I didn’t expect to be. It was a treat to find someone who I could work out my art geek on. It’s been a while. You’re a kid. But, you’re also a terrific person. Something special.”

Carly lost the fight and the tears ran down in sheets.

Emma swept a wider path over Carly’s back. “Wow. Honey. Hey. Whatever it is, you can tell me. If you want to. I promise, I’ll help. Okay? You don’t have to worry.”