Annie said to Dean. She had decided to meet with him a couple of times a week for the rest of the school year. “You’re referring to Ellen saying you’re best friends? Or Connie?” “Connie. And she said it like she meant it, but I don’t know how I feel. I’m afraid maybe I just went along because it seemed like the right thing to do.” “You don’t like to upset people, do you?” Dean said. During their sessions recently, he had made a few comments about her, observations that she felt were very accurate, and this was another one. “No, not really, but does anyone really like upsetting others?” She was sincere, but he just shrugged. She’d caught on that he used this as a counseling technique sometimes, asking questions but not answering hers. “I don’t think I subvert myself. I just don’t think there’s any need to be contrary just to be...contrary. I liked Connie, I loved her as a friend, so why not allow her to say we were best friends? It didn’t seem...
