Chapter 76 Observing Beatrice (1/2)

**Back to present**

Thinking about the rather quiet and 'keep-to-herself-most-of-the-time' classmate, Sam looked at Beatrice who was waiting for his response to her question.

”Siblings?” he repeated, then replied, ”I have three brothers and one sister.”

”Wow!” Beatrice exclaimed, surprised, ”How old are they?”

”12”

”Which one?”

”All of them,” he replied seriously.

”You have quadruplet siblings?!” Beatrice gasped and was completely amazed. His parents had him one year after having four at once? How on Earth did his parents handle it?

Sam didn't answer as he looked at her, then at the others in the class. Something then clicked in her mind and she frowned.

”You're talking about the other Elite Five, aren't you?”

Sam tilted his head and Beatrice could feel her eye twitch. How could he lie to her like that?

”I didn't lie,” Sam said quietly with conviction to her unspoken words as he looked at the Elite Five, ”They are my siblings, just of a different mother and father. We have a bond that is as strong, if not stronger, than blood.”

Beatrice was silent at that as she observed his serious face and she felt a bit ashamed. It was true. How could she simplify such a relationship between them? Just because they were not blood-related, did not mean that they couldn't see or regard each other as siblings.

”I'm sorry,” Beatrice said.

Sam replied, ”There's nothing to be sorry about. It's a common misconception.”

”Still, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and assumed you were lying,” explained Beatrice.

Sam was pleasantly surprised. He found out something about Beatrice from this. He had known she was a very 'straight' person - that is, following things by the book and tended to do things extremely formal-like. She was also a person who was open to her own mistakes and willing to own up to them. His respect and admiration for her grew.

”It's okay,” Sam said, ”I am truly lucky to have them. Otherwise, I'd be pretty lonely. What about you? Any siblings?”

”No,” Beatrice replied softly, ”But I do have a cousin-sister that I'm very close to. I wish she was my real sister so that we can be together more.”

”Oh?”

”Yeah,” Beatrice said with a smile on her face. Beatrice rarely smiled and when she did, it transformed her rather strict looking face into something softer.

”Tell me about her,” Sam encouraged, wanting to know more about this person that could make Beatrice give that expression. She seemed like she was willing to share but still shrank back to her shell after that initial start.

”Her name is Betty and she was actually named after me,” Beatrice said, ”But my Aunt didn't want it to be exact. So we practically grew up together since our mothers are so close. If it wasn't for Betty, I guess I would be quite anti-social.”

Beatrice stopped for a while and appreciated that Sam did not snicker or something like that. She knew that she was actually quite a hermit and didn't mix around but she never quite saw herself as being 'anti-social'. It was more like because she never found anyone who she really liked to mix with. All the topics or things they talked about were alien to her. What latest idol? What trendy music? What fashion?

Until now.

Well, other than the rather childish antics Kyle would often get up to, things were rather surreal in Sage Class. People actually understood her and were actually interested in the things she was passionate about. She also found their own research fascinating and it was all mind-boggling. To think that she would be with these amazing people for the rest of her school life was truly exciting.

As Sam listened to Beatrice talking (which was the most he had EVER heard her talk), Sam found that he had a lot in common with Beatrice. In terms of personality, that is.

Both of them were quiet and preferred to just 'absorb' the atmosphere. Both of them only talked when needed to. Both of them got caught up whenever they got involved in a project or subject that they were passionate about.

However, that was the extent of their similarities. While Beatrice tended to shy away from things, Sam was the type that wouldn't mind staying in the thick of it. While Beatrice seemed uncomfortable sometimes when Kyle got up to his antics, Sam actually enjoyed it silently. Then again, that could be due to the fact that Sam grew up with the silly people by his side while Beatrice had no one.

Would Beatrice be more like him if she had friends like he had growing up?