From then on, even if Toynbee seemed to be absent the rest of the day, he usually stopped by the tree during her study hall period.
"What do they call you?" he asked her one Wednesday, "Other than Elizabeth."
"Whisper," she replied, not thinking anything of it.
"Cool," he said, twisting a piece of grass in his hands.
"What do they call you, other than Toad?" she asked, curious.
"But nobody calls me nothin' but Toad anymore," he made a disdainful noise, "My fosters used to call me Morty."
"Oh," Elizabeth hesitated, "What's your middle name?"
He shrugged, "Todd."
"I like that," she told him.
He grinned, "What's your middle name?"
"Victoria," she told him, reluctantly.
"Eh," he looked at her for a moment, "You are more of a Lizzie. Lizzie the Lizard."
Elizabeth made a face, "Yeah, right."
She mimed hitting him in the head with her book, complete with sound effects. He pretended to be knocked flat on the grass, clutching his head, and it made her laugh.
"Hey, can I sketch you?" he asked, abruptly.
Elizabeth was immediately self conscious and flattered. She debated for a split second but she figured that it would help to encourage him to draw. She decided it was something she'd do as his friend, to be supportive.
"Sure," she shrugged. He grabbed his notebook and she tried not to squirm for the next twenty or so minutes.
"Where'd you get the necklace?" he asked, eventually.
"Oh," she looked down at the smiling sun with flames surrounding its face, "I've had it forever. my mother gave it to me."
"I didn't mean to make you sad," he told her, putting away his notebook.
"She died a few years ago. That's why I came to stay with the Professor," Elizabeth told him a partial truth. Really, she'd come to stay with the Professor after her mother had been murdered because her cousin, Laura, thought the Professor would be able to hide her and keep her safe. The fake identity Laura had given her said that Elizabeth Victoria Wilson was actually the daughter of Charles Xavier.
Toynbee-Todd- stood and Elizabeth put out a hand so he could pull her to her feet. He hugged her, gingerly, and she squeezed him back. Todd didn't say much after that but he walked her home that day.