A/N: Hey, guys! It's been a while, but Kevin and Alex are back. You know, these guys:
*How to Move a Refrigerator
*How Not to Close a Restaurant
*Goodnight Kevin and Alex
Anyway, I've waffled over whether or not this story would need a trigger warning of sorts; I guess you can consider this the equivalent of a cross-contamination warning, since someone with a highly severe sensitivity to certain topics might prefer knowing in advance that a female character is made to feel unsafe
Anyway, hope y'all enjoy! 
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How Minds Are Made----------
Kevin snuck another glance at Edwina as he wiped down the last few tables by the host stand. The unflattering apron that usually concealed her figure was back on its peg in the kitchen, and she had once again settled herself in the corner with her backpack. It lay open at her feet, books of varied sizes now stacked on a corner of the table in front of her as she contemplated a sheaf of loose-leaf paper. Her red hair, freed from the band now looped around her wrist, framed her delicate face with a curtain of fire, and the end of a pen tapped idly against her lower lip.
He managed to clear his throat. “So, uh, what are you working on?'
A pair of wide, green eyes flashed up at him before her features settled into a condescending smile. “Oh, it's just a paper for one of my college classes. We've been discussing ancient Greece, and—well, you probably wouldn't understand any of it.”
Kevin frowned. “I like ancient Greece.”
“I'm sure.” Edwina nodded agreeably, plucked a fat tome from the pile beside her, and very deliberately turned the pages. “However, this isn't like your easy little high-school assignments. I'm trying to contextualize the works of Plato, showing how the surrounding culture and environment shaped his thoughts.” Her smile widened. “You wouldn't really be able to appreciate it.”
The door to the kitchen swung open, and Edwina's eyes lit up at the sight of his brother. “Alex! Want to hear about the paper I'm working on? I bet you'll find it fascinating!”
“No.” Alex reached Kevin just as he was putting the cleaning supplies back in the cabinet. An odor wafted up from somewhere nearby. “I've found another discrepancy.” His voice had an odd quality to it.
Kevin winced. “Something else missing?” The smell was getting stronger. He opened the cabinet again, reaching once more for the bottle of cleanser.
“No. Something added.” The necklace that had once belonged to Alex's mother dangled from one hand, as usual; in the other, he gripped a plastic baggie containing a small piece of cardboard. “This was in our garbage.” He held the baggie out towards Kevin, and more of the eye-watering stench drifted towards him.
“What the—? ” Kevin stared at his brother, finally noticing the nose-plug clamped over the other boy's face. It answered at least one question, but still left plenty of others raised. “Why were you digging around in the garbage?!”
“Criminals often hide evidence in dumpsters and garbage cans,” came Alex's monotone reply. He held up the baggie again. The date had been neatly printed on it in permanent marker. “Case in point.”
Kevin squinted at the plastic bag and its cardboard contents. “That's a cereal box.”
“Correct.” Alex lowered the bag again. The thumb of his other hand ran over the beads of the necklace. “It's a single-serving box of a cereal brand we do not eat at home. We also do not sell anything like this in the restaurant, and policy forbids customers from bringing food in from outside. Employee breaks are generally not breakfast-oriented. Most importantly, the milk in the main refrigerator is lower than it should be by a level that would account for one bowl of cereal.”
“Eureka.” Edwina sat smiling at Alex, her chin resting in both hands.
His brother turned to face her. “I did not submerge anything in the milk. I used a ruler.”
Kevin blinked. “What?”
Alex turned back to him. “She was referencing Archimedes, specifically the account of his discovering how to measure an irregular object by submerging it in a liquid and noting the change in volume. It was used to determine whether the man who made the king's crown had committed fraud.”
Edwina gave a happy sigh, continuing to stare at Alex.
Kevin fought the urge to gag. “Anyway, if the milk is too low, how come you said nothing else was missing?”
His brother stared at him. “Nothing else is missing. Milk and tilapia shortages are already noted from before.”
Kevin sighed. “Of course. So then what—”
Alex turned and walked away, heading back the way he came.
“You'd better take a shower!” Kevin called as his brother vanished through the kitchen door.
Edwina tutted. Her eyes were once more fixed on her books, and she scribbled something down on the papers in front of her. “Doesn't even know about Archimedes. Appalling.”
Kevin scowled as he reached for a can of air freshener.
**********
The following day was as close to normal as things ever were in the Logan household. The only real problem was an overly-difficult homework assignment, so as soon as Kevin closed his textbook, he started off for bed. He hadn't quite reached the stairs when the phone rang. Doubling back to the sofa, he lifted the handset from its cradle on the end-table. “Logan residence?”
“K-kevin?” Edwina's voice was tiny and held a quaver he'd never heard in her before. “I-it's me; Edwina. I...I need help.” She made a noise that sounded like a sob.
All thoughts of sleep fled. Kevin stood straighter, pressing the phone against his ear. “What happened? What's the matter?”
She was definitely crying. “I was s-so stupid! I th-thought this was going to be a Greek culture festival... y-you know, Athens and stuff...but th-there's just a bunch of guys and th-they're all drunk! I m-managed to get away and lock myself in here, b-but I c-can't leave! I j-just want to go home!”
He felt the color drain from his face. “Did they hurt you?!”
“No.” She sniffled. “But...I th-think they would! I d-don't think they even c-care that I'm a m-minor!”
Kevin pulled the phone away from his face. “DAD!” Immediately, his father's footsteps pounded down the stairs. Edwina's voice brought him back to the call. “I'm sorry, what?”
“D-don't tell Alex how dumb I was.” Her voice dropped so low, it was nearly inaudible. “Please.”
**********
His father ran a red-light on the way to the campus. Kevin listened for a siren, but it never came; maybe all the traffic cops were home in bed. It was just as well that Alex was still at home; he probably would have either gone off about speed limits and traffic laws or compared it to some of the high-speed car chases in his detective shows.
After what felt like forever, the car finally jerked to a stop and his father threw open the door. Kevin did likewise. Loud music blasted from somewhere, nearly drowning out the shouts and raucous laughter from the crowd spread over the grounds. He kicked a few empty bottles out of his way as he followed his dad, and at one point even had to walk around a sleeping man sprawled on the grass.
The music was even louder inside the building Edwina had described, and a weird smell filled the air. None of the people inside seemed to mind either fact, and a number of couples likely didn't even notice. His father stopped in front of the only closed door and knocked.
No one replied.
His dad knocked again and raised his voice over the din. “Edwina, it's us.”
After a second, the door opened a mere fraction. Finally, it swung wide and Edwina flung herself into his dad's arms, blubbering.
He kept an arm around her as he turned back. “Come on.”
They kept Edwina between them as they plowed a path back to the car, ignoring the semi-coherent shouts aimed their way. She tossed her book-bag into the passenger side and scrambled after it, locking the door as soon as it was closed. Only when the car started did her shoulders finally relax.
Before they pulled away, his dad turned in the driver's seat and looked her over. “Are you all right?”
From the back, Kevin saw her nod.
His father carefully rested a hand on her shoulder. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, but still said nothing.
The ride back was slower and unnervingly quiet. After the music had completely faded behind them, Edwina started crying. “I can't believe I was that stupid!”
“Hey!” His father looked at her, taking one hand off the wheel to pat hers. “None of this was your fault.”
“I should have known better!” She pulled her hand away from his, her voice harsh and bitter. “I should have been more aware of what kind of events would be taking place on campus. I should have researched what the local fraternities are like and known what to expect. I should have...I should have...” Her words were lost in a hiccup.
“Edwina...” His father glanced at the road ahead before turning back to her. “Nobody knows everything!”
Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I should have.”
She was silent the rest of the way to her building. Kevin got out of the backseat and followed as his dad walked her down the row of doors set in the gray stone wall. Just before they reached hers, she stopped. “Thank you, Mr. Logan.”
His father's voice was soft. “If you need anything, let me know.”
She nodded and turned the handle. They waited, watching as she passed safely through the open doorway. A male voice bellowed from within. “There you are! Are you so stupid you can't tell time?! Why are you so—” The door closed behind her.
Kevin looked at his dad. His father stared at the door, jaw tight, his fist clenching and unclenching. Finally, the man hung his head and sighed. “Let's go home.”
He nodded mutely, following his father back to the car and climbing into the passenger seat. As the engine roared to life again, Kevin felt something crinkle under his foot. It was a sheet of paper, probably fallen from Edwina's backpack. Her name was in the upper corner, above a jumble of letters and numbers that probably stood for whatever class the paper was meant for. The writing below was clear and crisp: “Every mind is shaped by its context.”
-End-
