“Okay, wait,” said Caitlin. She had knocked back her entire serving of triple sec and was already looking bleary as she poured herself another. (Caitlin was such a lightweight.) “I know for sure that you have never been to China.”

“I could have gone to China,” said Destiny. “I didn’t meet you guys until we were ten. Maybe I went to China when I was seven.” Destiny had moved to Newburyport from Nashville in the fourth grade.

“I’m pretty sure you would have mentioned it,” said Caitlin. “So that’s a lie or a truth? I have never been . . . A truth. Okay, let’s see. And you would have absolutely told us about Shane Miller when it happened, right?” Destiny’s face gave away nothing. “Alexa? Would she have? What do you think?” Without waiting for Alexa’s answer Caitlin said, “So that’s a lie. Right? That’s a lie. Which means that you did cheat on your Spanish exam?”

Destiny’s head made a tiny nod and she said, “Amber’s older sister sold me a copy of hers from the year before. I aced that thing.”

“Aha!” cried Caitlin. “Drink!” Then, “Wait. Who drinks? Me, because I figured it out? Or Destiny? Because I figured it out.”

“I guess all of us,” said Destiny. She tipped all of the triple sec into her mouth and made a face. Alexa pretended to take a sip of hers and wondered if she could excuse herself to go to the bathroom and pour it down the sink.

“Your turn,” said Destiny, pointing her glass at Alexa. The wind huffed and puffed some more, and Alexa wondered if it might actually blow the house down. Had her mom made her special Dutch oven popcorn with plenty of salt and pepper?