Sofia would agree that Cedric was antisocial and could come across as foul-tempered, but underneath that gruffness was a kind young boy who had the unfortunate luck of being an easy target to bully, and his had missed him over the summer break. Fortunately, Cedric was prepared for the aftermath if he was unable to run away like keeping a spare uniform in his locker, along with three spare pairs of underpants – always have extra underpants, he told her.
As for more about the boy himself, he was born just before New Years, a whole ten months older than her and actually in the grade above her. His parents were from England, explaining his accent, but he himself had been born and raised here in the states. He did well in the academic part of school, loving science lessons most though he proved himself to be a rather talented baker in home ec. He was a little embarrassed to tell her that but after she was impressed with a small strawberry shortcake he brought in to share with her at lunch, his pride in his ability won out. As for his hobbies, he liked reading and building model planes, and over the summer he'd helped his mother out with gardening and decided to try keeping a plant all on his own… he'd killed two so far and was on his third.
"Maybe you should get a cactus?" Sofia suggested as they talked at lunch the following day, already quite comfortable around him while Cedric remained a little rigid, but didn't shy away from answering her.
"That sounds hazardous," he shuddered at the thought. "Plus, my sister is always sneaking into my room and taking things. It'd be just like her to prick herself on it and somehow I'd be the one in trouble for it."
"You have a sister?"
"Uh-huh. Cordelia. She's in kindergarten," he explained, divulging how the little angel could do no wrong in his parents' eyes despite demonstrating destructive behavior with little thought towards others. 'Just a phase', his mother had said, and apparently, it was a long one.
He didn't sound as enthusiastic talking about his family as he did other things, so Sofia moved the conversation forward. They both liked the color purple, although Cedric preferred more of a plum shade while Sofia fancied lavender – still, it was close enough considering it seemed to be one of the few things they actually had in common. She liked animals, he tolerated them. He liked science fiction movies while she preferred fairytales. And yet both were determined to find more things they liked doing together to make a friendship work.
September was almost through when another 'incident' occurred. Not anything outlandish as Cedric accidentally wetting his pants and getting gum in his hair, although it seemed to upset him more. He heard it in passing from two girls he didn't know as he was on his way to catch Sofia after class before they went home.
"That Sofia Winslow hangs out with the Goodwyn boy. Can you believe it?"
"There must be something wrong with her," the other snickered, not even registering that the Goodwyn boy had just passed them.
"Cedric?" Sofia was surprised to see him just standing in the hall looking down at his feet when she closed her locker. She knew immediately he was upset about something and hurried over to investigate. "What's wrong?"
"They… They're saying mean things about you now too…" he told her. "Wh-What if you start getting bullied cuz you're friends with me?"
"Then 'I'll sue!'," Sofia announced, mimicking a threat her step-sister often used, and then giggled. "If that happens, I'll deal with it. I'm not afraid of a few bullies."
"Y-Yeah, but I… don't like it…" he said sheepishly, fidgeting with his fingers. "And I'm not… I'm not brave enough to stand up to them…"
"That's okay," Sofia smiled, reaching out to hold one of his hands again. "You don't have to be. Just be you. That's the Cedric I like anyway."
He blushed and nodded, squeezing her hand as she pulled for him to walk her outside to await their rides.
"Oh! You're coming to my birthday party next week, right?"
"Oh… uh… well, I…" He wanted to tell her the truth, that he hated parties, especially birthday parties of his elitist peers. The few he'd been to were only due to the invite being given to his whole class and his mother insisting he get out and have some fun and make friends. He never did, but now here was Sofia, his first real friend who reached for his hand first and held it tightly so he couldn't get away from her. Someone who made him feel a little more secure with himself and liked him as he was. He hated parties, but he wouldn't miss hers for the world. "I-I'll be there."
"Yay! We're both gonna be 9 for a while!" Sofia giggled happily while Cedric's mind began a new dilemma.
What in Tesla's test tubes was he going to get the girl?
He hadn't a clue, but he knew where to start. He found his mother preparing dinner in the kitchen while Cordelia sat at the table coloring. "Mummy? Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, dearie," the stout brunette turned the heat down on the stove and smiled lovingly at her boy. "What is it?"
"Um, well, you know Sofia? Her birthday is the 6th and she invited me to her party next Saturday…"
"Oh, that's wonderful, Cedric. We can pop down to the mall after supper and—"
"No!" Cedric interrupted. "I don't want to get her some common place trinket. I want it to have meaning."
"Alright," Winifred smiled gently as she watched her obviously infatuated son fret. "Well, you have to think then Ceddy: what's something only you can give her?"
"I-I can bake, but I don't want to compete with a birthday cake."
"What else?" Winifred asked, encouraging her son to have a good think on it before she provided any further assistance.
"Um…I'm managing to keep my begonias alive… I could split the plant and give her half… Oh, but I don't wanna burden her with a responsibility! Argh! This shouldn't be that complicated!"
His mother smiled and patted his head. "I think giving her part of your plant is a fine idea, and very meaningful. It may require a little work, but if you two really are friends, she'll think nothing of looking after it."
"You think so…?" Cedric looked up, wide eyed and uncertain. "I never had a friend before. What if she hates it?"
"From what you've told me about this girl, she'll love it simply because it's from you," Winifred bent her knees a little to give Cedric a reassuring hug.
"Is she his girlfriend?" Cordelia asked. A month into school and already she had concerns regarding the social life of others.
"NO!" Cedric said defensively, though his cheeks turned pink. "She's my friend and she's a girl, but she's not my girlfriend!"
"Then why are you blushing?" The younger girl smirked. "I think you li~ike her."
"I-I'm going to get a spare pot and spade from the greenhouse shed!" Cedric announced, curtailing it out of the kitchen and out into the backyard.
"Cordelia, darling, could you not tease your brother about Sofia? You know he's had difficulty making friends."
"That's his problem," she answered callously.
"Cordelia," Winifred said in a scolding tone.
"Alright, Mummy, if you say so," she heaved a dramatic sigh before engrossing herself back in her coloring book.
Cedric quickly check his easy guide to planting to make sure he divided and transplanted the ornamental flowers with the greatest of care. He was happy with his work, and was oddly optimistic about gifting it to Sofia on the sixth. He went out and bought a simple lavender ribbon to tie around the pot to make it more present-like, and come the day of the party, he held it protectively on his lap as his mother drove him to the Winslow residence.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Winifred asked, watching him out of the car at the front gate and give his invitation to the security guard to check.
"I'll be okay, Mummy," Cedric said, nodding to the guard as he let him in before waving his mother off. "See you in a few hours."
"Have fun, dearie," Winifred called after him, but Cedric was moving a bit faster than his normal shuffle so she wasn't sure he heard her. That was just fine with Winifred who hadn't seen her boy this uppity in quite some time. Too few things seemed to make him happy, but ever since he met Sofia, his temperament was noticeably better.
Cedric hurried up to the front door, wondering if he was either too early or too late given the lack of traffic around the estate and no other guests in sight. He looked around for the doorbell, but didn't see one, and he was just about to knock when a tall man with well-groomed gray hair opened the door.
"Ah, Master Goodwyn. You got up here quickly," the man, whom Cedric guessed was a butler given his attire, smiled and adjusted the spectacles balanced on his nose.
"Oh, I…" Cedric wasn't sure how to respond.
"The guard always calls to let me know when a guest is on their way so that I may be the first to welcome them," he explained with a polite bow. "My name is Baileywick and I'm the head steward to Miss Sofia's family."
"Ni-Nice to meet you," Cedric bowed his head assuming he ought to mimic the same manners demonstrated to him. He may attend the same school, but he knew there was still a difference between Sofia's social status and his.
"Come right this way now," Baileywick ushered him inside and offered to take the plant, but Cedric insisted he carry it himself.
He was led out to the back patio where the Winslow family and two girls he didn't recognize were playing badminton in part of the large yard.
Baileywick cleared his throat to catch their attention. "Pardon the interruption, but Cedric Goodwyn has arrived, sir."
"Oh, marvelous!" Roland lowered his racket and caught Sofia's as she left their side of the court to hurry up the stairs to greet her guest.
"Cedric! You came!" She smiled, reaching out to hug him only to notice a potted plant would be an obstacle to that intention. "Oh! Is that for me?"
"Uh-huh," he nodded proudly. "It's part of the plant I've been tending to. I thought… maybe… you'd like a part of it to try keeping yourself."
"Oh wow…!" Sofia took hold of the pot to get a better look. "It's so pretty!"
"Yeah, the leaves will probably shrivel in a few weeks, but that'll be normal. Just keep it in partial sun and water every other day," he explained as the shadows of Sofia's parents cast over him.
"Welcome to our home, Cedric," Miranda smiled. "Sofia's told us so much about you. We're glad you could join us."
"Is… Is this everybody?" Cedric asked looking around at the 1, 2, 3… 8 people, himself not included, in the yard.
"I like small parties," Sofia explained with a warm smile, knowing he'd feel more comfortable as well with something lowkey, but it was also how Sofia preferred her parties as well. She'd wait until next year and her tenth birthday party to have a celebration with all the bells and whistles, and hopefully by then, more friends as well.
Still feeling like the odd one out, Cedric gravitated to Sofia's side most of the afternoon, nearly having an anxiety attack when the girl had to leave to go to the bathroom. Amber and James, along with Jade and Ruby, two friends from Sofia's old school and neighborhood, simply ignored him while they sat on the patio eating their cake and enjoying glasses of pink lemonade.
It may not have been the most fun party as far as he was concerned, but he was grateful just to be invited. He made sure to shake hands with Mr. and Mrs. Winslow before he left and intended to do the same with Sofia, but the girl wanted that hug and promptly latched herself around him for a moment, squeezing tight. "Thank you for coming. It really made me happy."
Uncomfortable with such physical affection, Cedric blushed and squirmed at first in an attempt to escape, but she wasn't going to let go until he hugged her back he realized, and so he did, slowly placing his hands on the small of her back and giving her a light squeeze back. "You're welcome. Happy Birthday Sofia."
"I'll see you at lunch on Monday," she waved as she released him and watched him walk to the circlet outside the front door where his mother had been let in to pick him up.
"Okay." He waved back shyly, his cheeks still red with color, but a small smile on his face wondering if he'd get another hug than as well.
There wasn't a hug on Monday, but he knew Sofia was excited to tell him something as soon as he saw her. She told him how after her guests had gone home, her parents gave her their birthday present to her: a rabbit rescued from the local humane society, a pet Sofia had wanted since she was small, but until now didn't have the means or maturity to keep one.
"He's so cute, Cedric! His name is Clover and he's gray and white with floppy ears," Sofia went on and on about her knew pet, honestly making Cedric a bit annoyed and slightly jealous, but he listened to her and reminded her that it was a common misconception brought about by Bugs Bunny that rabbits eat carrots.
"They really only eat the green tops," he informed her. "But you'd be better off giving him lettuce."
"You're so smart, Cedric," Sofia beamed, having just read that information in her rabbit care book the other night, not that Cedric needed to know that. "Do you have any pets?"
Cedric shook his head. "I want a raven though. They're really smart birds."
"…What's the difference between a raven and a crow anyway?"
"Not much actually, other than ravens tend to be a lot bigger and the beak is a slightly different shape. I want a raven though cuz I've really gotten into Edgar Allan Poe."
"That's the creepy writer, right?"
"He's not creepy, he's macabre," Cedric said in the author's defense. He was just starting to read the man's poetry and short stories and was completely taken with it. He lent a collection of works to Sofia who barely got through the Telltale Heart before giving it back to him with a pale expression. Perhaps it was best to wait before sharing that side of himself with her. They were only nine after all.
Author's Note: AU Cedric is gonna have a goth phase in case that isn't obvious. While I think he'd be too nervous for horror films at this age, stories on the other hand might be more suitable to him, so who better than EAP? (Anyone else now thinking of that South Park episode? XD) I imagine the location of this story is a north-east coast city somewhere in the Boston, Massachusetts/Baltimore, Maryland area. Not that it has much relevance really in the story, but we can imagine 13 year old lanky Cedric getting Wormwood and sneaking into the cemetery where Poe's buried to write his own overly dramatic poetry. Not sure if I'll take it that far, but fun idea.