Caleb paused and thought for a moment. “It’s more like, I’m grateful to take what I can get. I never got to go to college, since - “
He stopped abruptly and didn’t continue.
“Since?” I asked cautiously.
After a moment, Caleb said in a quieter voice, “Since my parents died. And they, uh, didn’t really have college funds set aside for me.”
My heart clenched. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged again. “That’s life. It kicks you when you’re down.”
The mood in the air soured and I felt like it was my fault. “At least you have your health now.”
Caleb turned to look at me with a strange expression. Had I said the wrong thing again?
“Yeah,” Caleb said finally. “It’s all thanks to Pierce. I really don’t know what I would have done without his help…”
“Pierce is kind,” I said. “He and Theo, they’ve always had a soft spot for humans.”
“And you don’t?” Caleb asked.
“It’s not that I don’tlikethem,” I explained, “but our lives are so fundamentally different. It makes it difficult to get attached.”
Caleb winced. “Oh.”
“That’s not meant to be offensive,” I added quickly, noticing his puppy dog eyes. “It’s just the reality of the matter.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
We drove on in awkward silence.
What the hell is going on? Why is everything that comes out of my mouth upsetting this boy? Is it me, or is it him?
I focused my attention on the road, my lips and grip on the wheel tight. This situation didn’t need to get any more uncomfortable.
We approached Caleb’s workplace, but I didn’t want to leave the tension in the air. I tried one last time to break it without hurting his feelings this time.
“You said your parents didn’t leave a college fund,” I began carefully. “Does that mean you would have liked to go to college, if you could?”
Caleb glanced curiously at me. “Um… I dunno. Since it was always out of the question, I never really thought about it.”
“Hypothetically, then, what would you choose to study?” I asked.
“Hm…” He put a finger on his lip in thought. “I liked science in school as a kid, but not math, and those two things usually go hand-in-hand, and I wouldn’t wanna work in a lab or anything like that.”
“You could go into biology and research things in the field,” I suggested.
“Maybe,” Caleb said without enthusiasm. “That’s still a lot of school, though.”
“This is a hypothetical conversation, remember? No need to hold back.”
Caleb laughed. “No, I mean, I’d get bored being at school for that long. Honestly, I’d want to go to college and learn a hands-on thing. Academic stuff goes over my head after a while.”
“I see,” I said. “What kind of hands-on subject were you imagining?”
Caleb suddenly went quiet. He ran his hand through his hair and mumbled, “It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“Nothing you learn at college could be embarrassing,” I told him. “What is it?”
