"Sure sure. Of course we're really friends!" he said, nodding as he took her out of the alley and back to the busy street. "And thanks. Yep, that's me, the birthday boy." He glanced around, glad to not see anyone who would be on his case immediately. "I'll whistle anything you like." He said, having no clue what he was whistling, but he would be ditching her soon enough, he was sure.

When she removed his arm, he immediately placed both hands in his pockets, trying to look casual. "I like candy too. But my favorite.." He looked around even though he already had a target in mind. "Tarts." He grinned and whistled again as he marched towards the closest bakery. "Come on Mable!" He said loudly, trying to look all the world like a happy go lucky boy walking with his friend to get sweets with the totally legally taken money.

"Tarts!" Mable exclaimed.  She didn't know what those were either, but she followed Edward at his call happily.  "What in the world is a tart?  Is it a birthday dessert?"

Edward's shift in attitude really was amazing to see, and Mable wasn't completely certain what to make of it.  They were friends now, which was nice, but the wat Edward was moving was so... fake.  She didn't have words for it.

"Are strawberry tarts a thing?  And - oh.  Edward, I have a very serious question to ask you, actually.  I've just remembered something..."

Mable tugged on the boy's sleeve, urging him to stop and face her.  She was biting her lip nervously.

Her question actually had him laugh. "You don't know what tarts are?! Have you been living in a cave or something? Tarts are the greatest thing ever that god made ta eat!" Edward said as he walked. He was going to blow her mind when they got their hands on some.

"Strawberry... of course they are! " He heard her saying something about asking him something. The boy expected her to just say it, but then his sleeve was tugged. He looked down about to jerk his arm free from her touch, but looked at her and stopped. He shook his head and sighed putting his hands on his hips. "What is it? You gotta use the privy or something?"

Mable didn't say anything about Edwards comment about her being raised in a cave, even though it was very close to truth.  A cave, a secluded farm, there were only so many differences.  But that just meant that she got to learn about everything when she was old enough to really enjoy them!  If she had been raised with tarts, she might not think they're so great, but Edward telling her about them now made her feel excited to try them.

"The privy - ?  What!  No!"  The girl's face colored with embarrassment at his suggestion.  "Rude!  No, I was going to ask... well."

Ugh.  Perhaps Edward would refuse now that she'd yelled at him, and she wouldn't even blame him.  Still, she had to ask just to be certain.

"I feel very bad asking this of you, especially because it's your birthday, even though I'm not sure if it really is," she started after a moment, her voice calmer than before, "but I'd like to ask you if you would mind very much buying two tarts for me..?  I know again that it's your money and your treat, but I'd feel very bad if I returned later today with no tart for my brother.  I'd like for him to try one too.

"And before you answer!  If you agree to get me two tarts, I promise I'll get you a wonderful birthday gift.  Maybe not today, but sometime very soon, as a thank you!  Um, so..?"

Edward snorted at her reaction to his mention of the privy. Was she rich? She didn't look it! He tried not to laugh at her embarrassment as he was still wanting to use her. "You're the one acting all nervous. What am I supposed to think you're trying to ask?"

He was about to keep walking and ignore her, but then she asked for another tart. Another! The pig! Oh, it was for her brother. He thought of his siblings, all at home screaming and crying all day. Ugh, he hated that place so much. He folded his arms and seemed to think it over. But she sweetened the deal with a promise of a birthday present. He checked the coins he'd already pulled out from his pocket. It was enough.

"Fine. But you made the promise!" He didn't think ahead enough to realize this meant he might need to keep pretending to be her friend. "I don't know why you'd get something for your brother though. Brothers and sisters are the worst!"

At Edward's agreeance, under the conditions of a promise, Mable held up a hand and a single pinkie finger out to him.  "I promise!  And a promise is a promise is a promise," she said.

The boys next words surprised her.  "Well, maybe your brothers and sisters are the worst, which I'm very sorry to hear, but my brother is actually the very best.  And I just happen to be the best sister, too, because I'm getting him a tart!"

It maybe was no right to brag about how wonderful her brother was to someone who obviously didn't relate, but Mable couldn't help herself.

"My brother would play with me everyday when we grew up, and he cooks for me too.  He always makes my favorite meal when he can, and its very delicious.  He's a man now, y'know, and he's going to get a wife soon probably and make her very happy.  He's a real gentleman.  You sort of remind me of him!  Not the gentleman part, though, more the part where he plays with me.  You're very fun to talk to Edward.  You even have a similar name to him, come to think of it!"

Well, Mable did not agree that Edmund was her brother's name, but it was something she was not allowed to discuss with other people, so Edward did not need to know that.

Edward rose a brow when she lifted her pinkie. "What?" He shook his head and wanted to keep walking. "Yeah a promise is a whatever...'

When she started to talk about her brother, he was going to correct her. His siblings only wanted to make him play whatever dumb games they wanted, but worse was the younger ones that needed to be fed or changed. He knew enough about taking care of babies and tiny kids to be a mom! And he hated every second of it. That's why he didn't go home anymore.

She was still talking about how great her brother was, and even compared him. She was totally clueless. He covered his ears. "Well my siblings would never give me a tart. So maybe you're an okay sister. But I don't wanna hear about it no more. Maybe when he gets married and starts ignoring you for his wife and future kids, you'll know. Siblings suck.'

Mable felt bad when Edward covered his ears to block out her words, and it was gone the second he opened his mouth.  She wanted to retort very badly, and yell at him again that her brother didn't suck, he never would, even if he was ignoring her, because that's what he was doing now and he was still amazing, but Edward didn't want to talk about siblings anymore so Mable wouldn't egg him on.  They were so close to tarts, too, she didn't want to ruin it.

"I'm also a very good friend, you know," she said, rushing to walk beside the boy again.  "if I were you, I would also get you a tart because we're friends!  That's how I know you're good.  Nice at the very least.  Have I thanked you yet, Edward?  Thank you!  What's your favorite flavor of tart?  Are there more than strawberry?"

Edward wanted to ask if she ever shut up. But he was trying to act like a friend and she had finally stopped talking about how perfect her brother was. He wanted to gag. Instead, he walked along and pointed out the bakery that came into view. "There. That's the place."

He shook his head immediately when she talked about being a great friend. "You are getting tarts because we have money. It's easy to act nice when people got money! You can't be expecting me to buy things every time we hang out."He didn't really want to hang out again except to get that birthday present. It wasn't like she'd find out his birthday was in September, there's no way he'd be able to fake it that long anyway. And she'd ditch him as quick as anyone when she realized he really was poor, having gotten her and that lame brother a tart already or not.

"Lemon. Those are my favorite." He said simply. "And yeah, depending on how fancy they are. If they get fruits from other places or things, they can have other tarts." She was really so easy to trick. He could tell her they had tarts made of honey comb and she'd probably believe him. It would be fun if he thought he'd get away with it for a long time.

"Come on!" He grabbed her hand and tugged her inside. "Remember, this is your money and you gave it to me so I could ask for it. You don't even know what tarts are!" he whispered before he puffed up his chest and went up, pretending to look at the displays. He could barely read, but he could identify what he saw. There were a few tarts but it didn't matter. He'd get the lemon and two strawberry and they'd be home free.

Lemon!  Mable recoiled at the thought, and somehow it was perfect for Edward.  Lemon candy was not something she enjoyed, but her brother always did, and it all fit together like a puzzle in her brain.

"Yes, you ask for the tarts," she agreed in a whisper, "if anyone gives you trouble, I'll charm them!"  She puffed out her chest in a similar way to her friend, feeling very important and excited as she watched him walk up to the displays.  After a moment, she followed, too entranced by the sight of so many lovely looking sweets, but she was careful to not look too amazed or clueless at them.

"Have you ever eaten an actual lemon?" she asked after a moment, still stuck on the thought.  "The fruit, straight from a tree?  They're very sour.  I don't like them at all, but my - I mean, sometimes, you can make them into a nice sweet drink, lemonade!  Are the tarts sweet like that?  They must be if they're your favorite, unless you don't like sweet things."

If she was aware of her rambling, she did not show it at all.  In fact, she turned to Edward and smiled at him as she spoke, oblivious to his annoyance.