North grimaced, looking sympathetically at both boys, then reaching out to pat Dexter on the arm, "Thanks Dexter... That's really nice of you..."

She glanced at Thaddeus and tilted her head, "Sorry you're not feeling well... Is there anything we can do to help?..."

"No," he replied with a sniffle, shaking his head. "It's my own fault, I should be okay soon. Just need to be more careful where I fall asleep, that's all."

Dexter rolled his eyes a little. "I don't see why you did it. You've done it before and had the same result," he said in a tone that clearly said 'you should've known better'.

"Yes, I know," Thaddeus with a light laugh and a smile. "I didn't think I'd fall asleep though." He busied himself with digging through his lunchbox to fish out a nice homemade sandwich.

North tilted her head curiously, "Er.. what do you mean? Falling asleep gave you a cold? I'm not sure I understand..."

She pulled her lunch bag from her backpack and got out a baggy of grapes, offering a couple to the boys and pulling one or two out to eat herself at first.

"Oh, I was stupid and fell asleep on the fire escape reading a book after taking a shower. I fell asleep before I was completely dried off," Thaddeus said with another laugh, taking a big bite of his nice looking grilled chicken sandwich.

Dexter took the grapes North offered them, consuming a couple and then returning to the tater tots on his tray of food. "You forgot to mention that you fell asleep shirtless and in your pajama bottoms," he said with a sigh. "He was still asleep up there when I went to pick him up for school, and it got cold last night."

"I couldn't help it, Dex. I like resting up there. It's relaxing."

North chuckled, "Well I suppose that's what happens, then... It's a trade-off, I guess, for having a place you like to relax and read. When I was a kid, I sneaked out to sleep in my treehouse one night, and ended up with pneumonia... I can't say it was a very bright move on my part. But I doubt anyone's terribly clever at seven years old."

She went back to eating her grapes, watching the two, "So have you guys always lived here?"

"I've lived in this city my whole life," Dexter said with a slight nod.

"Ah..." Thaddeus thought for a few minutes about the question. "Well, really, I don't know where I come from. I don't remember anything before I was three, and I don't remember anything before my first day of preschool." He frowned a little. "I've been here at least that long. Sorry..."

North tilted her head and arched an eyebrow curiously, then smiled, "I see, well it's sometimes hard to recall things from the very earliest parts of life. I know I don't have anything clear from my first couple of years... but I know I've been here my whole life. It's a wonder we never met before now, actually."

"Everybody in the world has met everybody else. If only through someone else," Thaddeus said with a shrug, taking a huge bite of his sandwich.

"I have memories starting from around the time I turned one," Dexter commented, eating some more of his school lunch. He was clearly displeased with not having a lunch as good as Thaddeus'.

North thought a moment, then nodded, "I've heard that before, I think... well something like it. It's kind of interesting how it all works, really."

Finishing off her grapes, she reached into her backpack and pulled out a container of chicken and pasta salad and a fork, which she started eating, "So what do you two do during the weekend?"

"Read, watch movies, play video games," Dexter answered, finishing off his school lunch and wrinkling his nose at the taste.

"If I leave the house on a weekend we're almost always together. If not, I just stay home and read."

North nodded, "I stay home most weekends, myself... but I was thinking of going to the movies this Saturday. I guess I wondered if either of you were interested in going and hanging out or something."

She shrugged softly, digging back into her lunch, a little embarrassed.

Thaddeus exchanged a look with Dexter, both of them seeming unsure how to answer. "Well," Thaddeus began finally, "I don't get paid until next week, and I've already spent as much as I'm going to allow myself to spend..."

"If you want to go we can," Dexter told him. "I'll pay for you, seeing as I don't have anything I really want to save up for like you do."

North smiled gently, "I don't want it to be an inconvenience for either of you. I do have some half price coupons, if it helps. And I'll be happy to buy the popcorn! I saved up quite a bit working this summer, so it's sort of my 'fun budget' now."

She reached into her backpack again and pulled out the sports and life sections of the newspaper, shuffling around until she found the movie listings, chuckling to herself, "Thank goodness for paper mache day in art class. Is there anything you wanted to see specifically?"

"There's a new psychological thriller I'd like to see."

"I really prefer action over psychology..."

"Well, whatever we see, it'll be fun to be out and about."

North chuckled, "Well I like most movies, so I'm really fine with anything but a tear-jerking drama. Action sounds fine to me, though, if you're both ok with it. I just like getting out and going to the movies."

"I'll let you guys choose what we see."

Dexter looked over at North, arching a brow. "So then it can be action?"

North smiled and nodded, "Sure that's fine with me! That new action movie sounds like it should be fun to check out. Is there any specific time that works better for you guys?"

"My parents are really relaxed about a curfew, so it doesn't really matter on my end."

"Yeah, as long as I'm with Thad, my parents don't really care how late I'm out."

North nodded, "Mom just likes to know where I'm going and who I'm with. So I should be fine. Maybe we should aim for something in the afternoon on Saturday, before it gets crowded. Does that work for you guys?"

"Sure," Thaddeus said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a small notepad and a pen. Opening the pad up, he scribbled down something and tore it out, offering it to North. "Just give me a call when you want to meet up."

"Oi, gimme that," Dexter said, taking it from Thaddeus and then hijacking his friend's pen. He wrote down his number on the paper too, then put the paper in front of North.

North blinked at the numbers, then smiled and took the piece of paper, "Sure! That sounds great. I'll see if I can borrow my mom's car that day, so we don't have to beg rides off everyone."

She was just tucking the paper into her pocket when she heard the bell for class ring, "Darn! It's that time again..." She stuffed her things into her backpack and grabbed the remains of the pasta salad in their container, "I gotta run. But I'll catch up with you guys later, alright?"

She smiled brightly at both of them before trotting off, trying to down the last of her lunch on the way to her next class.

About forty minutes after school, Thaddeus and Dexter stepped off the public bus and headed towards the large apartment building half a block away. Thaddeus looked over at North, showing a little concern. "Are you sure your parents don't mind you spending time alone with two boys you hardly know and that they've never met?" he asked, arching a brow.

Dexter shrugged a little bit. "Even if they did, would it stop her if she really wanted to spend time with us? And at least it's us instead of some jerk that might try something."

North smiled, shaking her head, "It's fine. Mom knows I can take care of myself, and she'll come pick me up later after she gets off work. I have my phone and I took three years of karate, so I'll be fine."

She laughed and struck a cheesy martial arts pose, before smiling broadly and trotting to catch up with the boys.

Once inside the large apartment building, Thaddeus pulled out his keys and entered the elevator, pressing the button for the sixth floor. At the sixth floor, he walked out of the elevator and down the hall, unlocking a door near the end and letting himself in, Dexter following and holding the door open for North.

"Are you hungry?" a woman's voice asked immediately, approaching Thaddeus to take his light jacket if he wanted to put it away.

"A little bit, Mom," Thaddeus said with a smile at the red-haired woman. They looked nothing alike. "But I can get myself something to eat."

"Hey Mrs. Chass," Dexter said with a nod towards her.

North smiled warmly at the woman she assumed was Thaddeus' mother. She nodded politely and sort of bobbed in greeting, "Good afternoon ma'am."