Gears and Steam

Tea

Jules

"Edmund, you can't wear that into town!" Freddie exclaimed, wrinkling her nose at the oil-stained shirt that Edmund had on.

"Why does it matter?" Edmund grumbled.

"It just does! Go change!" Freddie insisted.

Still grumbling about it, Edmund went back into his room to change. He came out a minute later wearing a high collared white shirt, grey trousers, and a dark grey vest. I was wearing a similar outfit: a black ruffled shirt, grey trousers, and a silver vest. Edmund was still wearing his scuffed up work boots, which Freddie didn't seem to like, but she let it slide. He grabbed a rag of the kitchen counter and wiped the smudges off his face.

"There, I'm clean. Are you happy now?" Edmund pushed her hand away.

"Very," Freddie nodded. She went back to the newspaper she had been reading now that her job was complete.

I had to stifle a laugh. "Is she always like that?" I asked as soon as we were out of earshot.

Edmund sighed. "Pretty much."

"You do clean up nice," I said, the words coming out of my mouth before I could really think about them.

Edmund's face turned beet red. "Uh...thanks?"

I didn't say anything as we walked onto the street. This was going to be a long day.

...

Gears and Steam didn't own a horse or a legal car, so Edmund and I walked to the center of town. We were both nearly silent for the twenty minute walk. I would have liked to talk to him, but I had no idea what to say. Edmund didn't seem to want to talk to me.

Carts pulled by horses, mechanical walkers with grinding gears, and cars spitting out smoke barled passed us on the busy streets. I nearly got hit with one when I got distracted and stepped off the sidewalk. Edmund had to grab the back of my vest to stop me from getting crushed.

"You're so stupid," Edmund muttered, shaking his head.

I blinked a few times, very aware of how close I had just come to being trampled. "I...yeah, uh..."

"So stupid," Edmund repeated. We reached the center of town. "Which way is your house?"

"What?"

"You're going to your house, right? I would like to know what general direction you are going in, in case something happens to one of us."

"Oh, yeah, i-it's this way," I stuttered, pointing to my left. The police station was on the complete opposite side of town.

"Great, so is the store I need to get the parts at. I'll walk with you." Edmund started walking in the direction I had indicated, leaving me behind. He stopped walking after a second and turned back "Are you coming?"

"Yes, sorry," I said, quickly hurrying to catch up with him.

We walked side by side in silence once again. Soon, we were in a neighborhood full of expensive looking houses. The neighborhood I had lived in from age twelve to seventeen. Edmund raised his eyebrow at me but didn't say anything.

"Why are you still here?" I blurted. I realized that probably sounded really rude, but it was too late to retract the statement now.

"If you want me to leave, I can, but the store I need to go to is on the next street," Edmund shrugged.

"Oh, yeah, no, walking with me is fine." I ran my hand through my hair, feeling a blush creep up my neck. I probably sounded really paranoid and jittery. I was a bad secret agent and I knew it, but I was still young. I still had time to learn.