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Some kids are so tough to faze, you can’t tell if they’re utterly cool or just clueless.

A few months ago, as my apartment building was being gutted to make way for condos, my neighbor friend and her college-age son moved to the building next door. During the holiday break, the son called a friend and invited him over–without remembering to mention that he and his mom had moved.

His friend arrived at the former apartment, which at this point was dark and reduced to battered-in walls and mounds of plaster and dust. I imagine he stood there a moment, looked around, maybe even scratched his head. I do know he got out his cell phone and called my neighbor’s son.

Totally casual, he declared, “Dude, your apartment is looking kind of trashed.”