Thursday afternoon, Abigail and Etheldrea walked to the Gray's house. Abigail's brother followed behind them, but played on his phone, ignoring them.

As they walked, Abigail dug around in her back pack and pulled out an envelope which she handed over to Etheldrea.

"At the end of the March, I'm having a birthday party. I don't think a whole lot of my friends are coming, considering the drive, but I figured you might like that."

"I'll ask my dad, but I'm sure I'll be able to make it. Thanks."

"Thank you! Hey, when is your birthday?"

"November 11th."

"What do you usually do on your birthday?"

"Whatever I feel like doing. When I was thirteen, I managed to strike a deal with my Uncle. I'm completely free on that day, no matter what's going on."

"Free meaning he's not watching you?"

"Yes. What about you? Do you usually have parties?"

"Not always. Last year, Mom and I went clothes shopping. I had five hundred dollars at my disposal. The year before that, we went out to eat. It changes year to year."

Another ten minutes later, they arrived at the Gray's. Adam immediately went to his room. Mr. and Mrs. Grey weren't home yet, so Etheldrea couldn't meet them. They walked up to Abigail's' room, and she flopped on the bed.

Etheldrea looked around the room. A cluttered desk with tangled jewelry, scraps of paper, and broken pencils. One small bookshelf with more magazines then books. A rather worn book on Elvis Presley sat on the top. Above the shelf was a poster of the same man. In the corner of the room an over flowing basket of laundry sat. Next to it, a half empty cardboard box sat.

"Still unpacking?" she asked with a smile.

Abigail laughed and shrugged, "I'm lazy, and besides, what's so exciting about unpacking? It's boring at the least."

"I agree. My dad, John, and I are still sorting things around the flat. I figure we'll never be done."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Abby, mom says it's your turn to do dishes." Adam said.

"I'll do them later."

"She just called, she wants them done now."

Abigail groaned into her pillow, "But I'm hanging with Drea."

Adam groaned back, "I don't care."

He leaned against the door frame and watched as Abigail trudged to the kitchen. Etheldrea followed behind, but sensed herself being watched. She looked behind her and connected eyes with Adam.

"Abigail tells me you can read minds." He said.

"Not exactly."

"Then what is it you do?"

"Deductions. They're easy enough when you know what to observe."

"And what do you observe?"

"Everything."

"Alright then, what do you know about me?"

"You're a music lover. Obvious by how often you have ear buds in, the music collection that's all over your room, and the Beatles t-shirt you're wearing just adds to that. You enjoy the presence of people, but prefer to be alone or in a group of two or three. I've seen you walk around school with your friends, you hang in the back but you still talk with them. You have a slight social anxiety, judging by how fast you were to get to your room. It's not over powering, but it's nice to be able to be completely by yourself every now and then. I know the feeling."

He stared at her with a neutral expression, "Easy I suppose."

"Oh but that's not all." Etheldrea stepped closer and lowered her voice, "I also know that you lied about the dishes. You bite the inside of your cheek when you lie. It is your turn to do the dishes, but tricked you into doing them a couple days ago. This is your revenge, but don't worry, I won't tell her."

"Why?"

"She tricked you. As funny as I find it, house work should be equal among siblings if they are close enough in age."

He nodded, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

She turned to leave, but Adam grabbed her hand, "Wait. How'd you know Abby did the dishes a few days ago?"

Her hands are soft but dry. The soap you have is a moisturizer, but it has an alcohol base. If she had done them last night, her hands would just be soft, not dry."

He nodded again and stepped back, looking her over, "You got all that from looking?"

"Observing." She corrected.

"Right."

"I know. It's unusual."

"Honestly, it is. Sorry, but I don't find it as cool as Abigail. But it's not like you're killing people with it."

"Is that what they told you at school?"

"Not exactly."

"Normally I leave this be, but considering we'll be seeing a lot of each other, I'm not what the rumors paint me out to be."

"I never said you were."

Etheldrea nodded, and then turned and walked to the kitchen. Abigail was just finishing the dishes.

"Hey, I was wondering where you were."

"I was talking with your brother."

"I'm sorry, did he bother you?"

"No, not at all. He was very courteous."

"Adam? Seriously?"

"Yes. He had questions, I gave him answers."

Abigail shrugged, "Weird. Anyway, what do you think about the field trip to the museum tomorrow? I'm not too excited about it, but I'm sure you are."

Etheldrea nodded, "Yeah, I am. I've always found history fascinating."

"What's the exhibit about again?"

"Tea. There's going to be a demonstration there too."

"Tea, lovely." Abigail said sarcastically.

"What do you have against tea?"

"Nothing, I love drinking it. I just don't care about the history. Knowing that tea came to us from India isn't going to change its flavor."

"China, not India."

Xxxxxxxx

The next morning, the entire Year 11 class was loaded onto a bus and on their way to the Museum of Natural History. Etheldrea and Abigail sat near the front, watching the city roll by. Most of the kids were bored already, groaning about how terrible the trip would be. The two teachers chaperoning had already given up on trying taming them.

After a grueling twenty minutes, Abigail yelled freedom upon exiting the bus. Etheldrea laughed and rolled her eyes.

At the doors, an Asian woman met them.

"Hello, my name is Soo Lin Young. I will be your guide for the day."

The students gathered around and followed Miss Young as she showed them around. The first half of the morning was dedicated to the limited exhibition, and the rest would be free reign.

"The art of tea making began in Ancient China." Soo began.

While most of the student's and both of the teachers' faded in and out of the lesson, Etheldrea listened with interested. Abigail tried, and she did better than most, but she paid more attention to her phone than the tour.

Finally, it came to the demonstration. Soo had the students sit down in front of an empty display while she went to gather a tea set. She set it up and prepared a brew while she explained the art.

"Great artisans say, the more the teapot is used, the more beautiful it becomes. The pot is seasoned by repeatedly pouring tea over the surface. The deposit left on the clay creates this beautiful patina over time. Some pots, the clay has been burnished by tea made over four hundred years ago."

She held the pot up and spun it in slow circles to show the class. In the light, it had a dull shine. The demonstration continued with many yawns, sighs, and coughs. When the class was dismissed for lunch, they all but ran to the dining hall. However, Etheldrea waved Abigail away and walked up to Soo Lin Young.

"Miss Young, thank you for the tour. I found it extremely enjoyable."

Soo smiled, "Thank you. It is rare for someone of your age to appreciate the value here."

"I guess I'm one of a kind." She shrugged.

"I have seen you before I think, a couple months ago. You were here on your own."

"Historic places are often my haven. I try to come once a month."

"Then you know a lot of the history."

"Practically the entire museum."

Soo considered Etheldrea for a few moments, "How often are you free?"

"A considerable amount of time, why?"

"How would you like to be my assistant? I can't pay you, but perhaps you could work under me."

"Really? You wouldn't mind."

"Not at all, it would be an honor."

"Thank you! When will I begin?"

"Next week Monday, after school?"

"That sounds perfect."