It was lunch time and Sherlock sat by his lonesome, as he often did, outside on a bench in the schoolyard. Sherlock never ate lunch at school; digestion interfered with his thinking.
"You're all alone," said a voice from behind him.
"Apparently not," Sherlock said, turning to look at who was speaking. To his mild surprise, there stood before him a tall girl of about his age that he did not recognize. Yet, she wore the navy blue uniform...for boys. It was a chilly November day, but she wore a short-sleeve button-down with a necktie, and shorts that students were only permitted to wear in Spring and Summer.
"I'm new. The name's Irene Addler. Most people call me Addie."
"Sherlock," he offered. Addie sat down on the bench next to him. She noted that he never looked directly at her for more than a moment. He was very distracted, it seemed.
"What're you up to all alone out here? Aren't you cold?"
"No," Sherlock said.
Normally he would have sat inside, with John while he ate, but since John was no longer to be seen with him, Sherlock took his leave of the cafeteria. He had no reason to be there.
"Well. I dunno about you, Sherlock," Addie said, "but I haven't got a partner for science fair."
"You're proposing we work together." Sherlock said.
"Indeed I am."
Sherlock at long last turned to face Addie.
"You're from the south end," he perceived. "sixteen, no, seventeen. Only child. You're half French. Likely on your mother's side. There's a half-page of paper folded in your right pocket-that's your class schedule. You don't know it yet, so you only just arrived the beginning of this week, yet you have no new friends. Otherwise you wouldn't be asking me to be your science fair partner. Unfortunately for you, I've already got a partner."
"No you haven't," Addie said with a sly smile. "If you had, you wouldn't be outside sitting all alone, would you? You have no friends either."
Sherlock was impressed. She was sharp. Very sharp.
"How do you like the idea of differentiating between all the different types of London soil in footprints?"
"Sounds like a bore. When's your free period?"
"Don't have one. That being said, I'll meet you in the Chemistry lab after third period. "
"How did you know I have fourth period free?" Addie asked, a pleased grin on her face.
"Shot in the dark," Sherlock said. In truth, he saw that she had no book bag on her person, nor any books under her arm. The smarter students brought their third and fourth period books with them to lunch to avoid the risk of being late to class after rushing to their lockers. New kids nearly always had a free block their first semester in, and since fourth period was the most common for free studies, it wasn't that hard to figure out.