I had to repeat myself twice before he understood what I was asking. It took him a minute or two to come up with an answer. I could practically see the cogs whirring in his brain while he tried to come up with the signs he wanted to use.

NEED GO TO GOOD C-O-L-L-E-G-E, he finally signed, reaching for another cookie.

I KNOW, I signed. Y-A-L-E.

YES. HOW YOU KNOW? Beau signed, his brows pulled together in confusion.

N-I-N-A TELL ME, I answered. TELL ME YOU REALLY SMART.

I had to finger spell the word smart for him, and he went pink in the face once he got it. His response was, MAYBE.

NO LIE, I signed, trying to hide a smile. YOU KNOW YOU SMART.

Beau shrugged, wiping a bit of frosting from the cookie off his pant leg.

I leaned over and nudged him gently with my elbow, wanting his attention. WHAT’S WRONG? I signed when he finally looked at me.

He immediately started to finger spell the word nothing, and I stopped him before he got too into it, showing him the proper sign. Nothing was kind of a weird sign; making the letter o with your fingers and shaking your hand back and forth.

Beau just signed it again, NOTHING.

LIE, I signed right back at him.

Why couldn’t he just tell me what was eating at him?

FINE, Beau signed quickly. NOT LIE. TRUE.

I pulled a quizzical face, channeling Sherlock Holmes as I narrowed my eyes and put my chin in my hand.

This made Beau laugh, and for one split second I wanted to know what that laughter sounded like. His dimples appeared, and I felt my stomach give a huge flip before the moment was over.

HATE SCHOOL, Beau signed once he was done laughing. DON’T LIKE.

SAME, I agreed. BUT LAW SAY WE NEED SCHOOL.

I KNOW, Beau signed. BUT I . . .

He paused, gnawing on his lip as he struggled to convey what he wanted to tell me.

“But what?” I said aloud because it seemed easier that way.

Maybe Beau’s signing wasn’t exceptional, but he was trying to communicate with me nevertheless. He knew more sign than Nina did. I could at least meet him halfway, right?

“I don’t know . . . I want . . . my life,” he said, looking agitated as he reached for another cookie. Our supply was quickly dwindling.

“You don’t know what you want to do with your life?” I repeated, hoping I got it right.

Beau signed, YES.