Dellie's favourite quote wasn't from a movie (though "Things are only impossible until they are not," from her Favourite Show of All Time- Star Trek- came very close). 

Not many people talked about favourite quotes- there were favourite colours and animals, but whenever getting to know someone, Dellie's go-to icebreaker involved asking for their quote (it was so much more telling than knowing someone liked blue and tigers) and getting blank stares in return. For the few who did politely return the question back on her, she would give her enthusiastic response:

"To acquire knowledge, one must study. To acquire wisdom, one must observe."

She'd follow that up with letting them know that quote came from the mind of the person with the highest ever recorded IQ. And that she was a woman.

Marilyn Vos Savant was one of her current role models.

A good quote gave you a perfect aha! moment in Delilah's opinion. It made you think, which was one of her favourite things to do. Picard was chock full of quotes, and her Mum often told her off for getting too close to the television screen, eyes wide and leaning in as she mouthed along to the words she'd re-watched many times over, wishing she could feel that first moment she'd understood his words, and with them, another piece of the world all over again.

As a twelve year old, Dellie didn't often think of wisdom or observing- wisdom was for old people, and observing was for the kids on the outskirts who were too shy to throw themselves into interaction. But for Marilyn, Dellie was making an effort.

That was what she told Nico, when he found her in the bush. 

Not that she'd figured out when and where Lawrence's dad came to pick him up and just wanted another look. Usually Dellie was very honest with her friends- but the hotness of Lawrence's dad and her bush stalking was a secret she was taking to the grave.

But now, it seemed Nico was interested in practicing his powers of observation too- he'd sat down beside her, and together they were huddled under the spindly browning-at-the-edges shrub. Dellie was staring intently through the leaves to shake away any of Nico's suspicion (whenever she looked back at him, his eyes were flickering away from her. He was watching her closely, waiting for her to mess up and give away her true intentions). It was tough for her, holding so still when her nervous energy buzzed under her skin- she could tell it was rough on him too, as he started picking at the leaves on one of the branches, making the whole bush shake. But still he stayed there as minute after minute passed, squatting in the mud with her.

Her uncharacteristic quiet must've been unnerving for him, cause he spoke up after only a few minutes.

"See anything interesting, Dels?"

She looked up at him strangely. 

"My brother's only ever called me that."

"Oh- uh sorry, I didn't know-"

"That's fine, I don't mind."

He looked at her in that nervous way he sometimes did, like he was worried he'd taken the wrong step and was about to fall into a pit of vipers. The ironic thing was that Dellie didn't think he'd actually be as scared of a pit of vipers. Nico, the boy who feared nothing, who would risk life and limb for a 'cool stunt', almost seemed afraid of her sometimes. 

Dellie wanted her friends to be comfortable with her always. So she gave him an over-the-top grin in return.

"I call you Nico and Nick and Nickie and 'las and Nicholas and I bet I could come up with more even more annoying ones if you want. What's your middle name, Nico? I can make an anagram with it."

She poked his forehead playfully and the worry in his eyes cleared. The Nico she liked most was back.

"Danger is my middle name."

She gave him an unimpressed look.

"It definitely isn't."

"Says who? I'll bring you my birth certificate if you need proof."

"I'll act surprised when its copied out in crayon."

"Please, Dels. I'm a Sharpie man."

She thought 'man' was a little generous, seeing as Nico's baby face would let him blend in with the fifth graders. But guys had that weird obsession with proving themselves as 'men,' not boys- she had to look no further than her own family. Darrell always called Calvin his 'big man' when clapping him on the back, and the other day Cal referred to himself as 'a man of many talents', which Dellie had laughed at until she was clutching her sides and gasping for breath.

"Now you really remind me of my brother."

His face paled.

"I, um. You know what? Think I'll stick to Dellie. I've always liked that nickname. It's-it's cute."

He was staring intently at the leaf he was picking at, his face growing closer and closer to the  shade Dickie's had turned that time he slathered too much hot sauce on his burger in an effort to outdo Nico. Dellie shifted backwards as she stared at him. There was a weird silence.

"Yeah, Lawrence keeps calling me Deli meat though. I kind of wish I had a name you couldn't make fun of. My mum wanted to name me Dahlia, but my grandma said naming me after a murder might be bad luck." She said with a shrug. 

"I'm glad she didn't name me Rose or Daisy or something as her second choice. That would've been worse."

"Why?"

Nico was listening with a small smile, his face slowly returning to its natural colour. 

"It would make a lousy astronaut name, don't you think? Could you imagine a Daisy Brown withstanding a 6G force on re-entry? Flowers are too fragile for that."

He finally met her eyes.

"I don't think your name would be enough to stand in your way, Dellie. You'd make it happen, Daisy or not."

Dellie didn't really know what to say to that. She knew what she felt though- the gentle warmth in her chest spilling outwards into a bright grin. It was hard not to believe in herself when Nico believed in her so fully. He was awesome.

"What about you, Nico? What do you see?"

"Oh. Ummm..." 

His eyes darted over to the scene in front of them, as though it was his first time looking at it.

"I see... a trash can. Some birds, in that tree over there. You can see the tennis ball Dickie threw onto the roof today from here- do you think Mike could throw that down for us? My parents won't let me get any more cause I keep running out of them."

Mike was the janitor Dellie was friends with- he was kind and cool, and had taken a quick liking to all the members of the Recycling Club.

"Maybe because you have a game where you try to throw them over the entire length of the school. It would be easier to ask once all your balls are up there at this point."

As a gentleman, Nico contained his impulse to snicker.

"Okay, what else." He returned his view to the playing field as it begun to feel like they were playing some version of I-Spy.

"I see Mr. Herring missing me in his detention on the second floor. I see a kid doing a sweet barspin on his scooter."

Dellie shifted closer to see where he was looking, her shoulder pressed against his.

"What else?" She asked when he went quiet.

She liked this game too. The world through Nico's eyes.

"I, uh, see... a... grass?"

He sounded afraid of her again. She looked over and his eyes were wide.

"Cool." Dellie said with an encouraging nod. "Anything else?"

"I see... rocks and..." He kept glancing back at her and starting all over again.

"I see- wait, is that twenty bucks?"

He pointed at the sidewalk near the road, where a green bill was lying on the ground. Dellie had no idea how he could see Andrew Jackson on it from here, but she supposed artists came predisposed to the power of observation.

They jumped up from the bush and stumbled on half-asleep legs over to their prize (it was actually ten dollars, but still a victory). Dellie tried half-heartedly to find its owner, but gave in easily when Nico suggested they go get ice cream with the money.

She declared them masters of observation as she tried some of his rocky road, correcting the waitress who cooed at them for 'being on a first date' and watching as Nico's face went red again. Nothing got past her.