"How are you?" "Fine"

Trick word.
If a friend asks how I am and I say "fine," I mean that I am alright, nothing big either good or bad. But if a boyfriend or a crush asks how I am, and I say "fine," yeah I don't mean fine. I mean something bad happened and I want you to ask. Because, guys, asking follow up questions to base questions make a girl feel like you care. Gasp!
The reason I don't come out and directly say what bad thing happened can vary. Usually it is because I want to know you care. Because if you don't care then why would I tell you about the shittiness? Other times it could be that I don't have the energy to talk about it, or I know I will get angry or really sad if I do. It is hard to tell what a girl means by fine over text, so a simple follow up of "anything big/important/unexpected happen?" (look a follow up question!) can coax out more info and you can figure out where to go from there. Face-to-face, Fine is easier to figure out. Does she look sad? Then her fine means something is upsetting her (try "you seem a little off, is there anything you want to talk about? I am here to listen."). Does she avoid eye contact? Then something is bugging her and she is having trouble concentrating on what is going on around her at that moment. It isn't that she doesn't want to be there, it is more that our minds like to multitask, so she is kinda there, kinda at school, kinda at work, and kinda at the mall/grocery store/online shopping. If you keep the conversation going, then she will become more mentally present at the current situation. AND if you keep asking follow up questions, she may open up to you and feel like you are the best (boy)friend in the world for caring so much.
But "fines," especially when used alone (see One Word Texts), are generally a bad sign. Delve, guys, at your own risk.

WARNING:
Some girls do not play the "fine" game. One of my best friends will use "fine" as its actually definition. She is actually fine if she says she is. To determine which kind of girl you are dealing with, use follow up questions the first handful of times she uses it, and if you never get her to retract the fine and replace it with a "bad" or "upset" then she is probably a straight shooter. Her "fines" will be literal.