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wasn’t answering my calls. That didn’t feel right. I wondered if maybe she’d lost interest in me and moved on. When she finally did answer her phone, I asked her what she’d been up to.
    “I’ve been spending a lot of time on the Internet,” she said.
    “Doing what?”
    “Just having some fun,” she said. “Man, summer can be so boring.”
    “Not around here,” I said, and I told her all about our recent catastrophe. But I was afraid to ask her more about what she was doing on the Internet, afraid to hear what kind of scams she was up to.

Chapter Twelve
    Darren announced that he had volunteered Kyle, Noah, Connor and me to spend the next three days at a day camp not far away, working with little kids from disadvantaged homes. Connor complained that it wasn’t his responsibility “to babysit impoverished rug rats,” and we wasted an evening hearing him rant about it, but in the end he went along, even if he was a pain in the butt about it.
    All we did was kick some balls around and play games. I’d never really spent much time with younger kids, and I was kind of shocked that they treated me like an adult and that I was actually good at keeping them occupied.
    I talked to Lindsey on the phone each evening, and each time she seemed more distant. I wondered if she’d found a new guy on the Internet or maybe just lost interest or invented some new devious hobby to occupy her time. When I began to believe that I was losing her altogether, I got up my courage and asked her to meet me downtown. I said I’d buy her dinner at McDonald’s.
    “I’d like to, but I’m busy, Josh. I have some new friends that I’m getting together with.” We talked a bit more. As I said goodbye, I felt a sharp twinge of sadness. I was pretty sure Lindsey was slipping away from me. She’d probably realized what a loser I was and was ready to move on.
    I spent a couple more days at the summer camp, and I liked it even more than I had at first. Some of these kids were starved for attention. It wasn’t hard to get them smiling and involved in games. I told Darren I was willing to work at the camp as long as I could.
    Darren smiled. “Nice. I watched you. You’re a rock star to them. Keep it up.”
    My calls to Lindsey went unanswered. I’d get her voice mail and leave a message, but she never called back. I guessed I was ready to close that freaky little chapter in my so-called life.
    But then she called. It was about eleven thirty one night. Noah had already woken me up by shouting during one of his nightmares. In Noah’s mind, his father just kept beating the crap out of him, even long after he was gone.
    When I answered the phone, all I heard was sobbing. I knew it was her. “Lindsey, what’s wrong?” I asked.
    At first she didn’t answer. Just more sobbing.
    “Tell me,” I insisted. “What happened?”
    “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have called.” And she hung up.
    I called her right back. At first she didn’t answer. But finally she did.
    “It’s my brother,” she said. “Caleb. He fell. He was way up on the side of an abandoned warehouse.”
    “Is he okay?”
    There was a long pause. I heard Lindsey sucking in a breath. “No. He’s dead.”
    I didn’t know what to say. I felt frozen. I pictured a kid high up on the side of a building with a spray can of paint, leaving his silly nickname. For what? Just to say, Look at me. I was here. Aren’t I great? It made no sense.
    “Are you going to be okay?” I asked foolishly.
    “No. I’m not going to be okay. I lost my brother.” She now sounded like she was angry at me.
    “I’m going to come over.”
    “No.”
    “Are you home?”
    “Yes.”
    “How do I find you?”
    While I was putting on my clothes, Noah woke up. I explained what had happened and where I was going. “Don’t tell Darren,” I said.
    “No,” he said. “Tell Darren.”
    “What if he doesn’t let me go?”
    “Tell Darren,” he repeated.
    And when I told Darren,