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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Jul 18, 2012 1:32:59 GMT -5
God, how she wanted to go home. It was not that she disliked the children she worked with, more the fact that they were running around the room screaming at the top of their lungs throwing legos at one another and finding it extremely fun. How was that fun? She was practically going deaf from listening to the shrill squeals. Her voice could not do that anymore and to an extent she was quite glad. She sighed and stood in the middle of the room, watching as the kids played and enjoyed their blissful young lives without much of a care in the world. A faint tug to her pant leg pulled her gaze downward. "Yes, Julia?" Lark asked, her voice soft and affectionate despite how irritated she was about the kids spazzing out on the other side of the room. She had a soft spot for kids. What could she say? "Miss Lawk," The girl whined, pointing her small little finger towards another little girl who looked quite upset as she clung to a doll for dear life. "Emiwee took my toy fwom me and won't give it backkk!"
She rolled her eyes a little bit before turning to walk towards Emily. Her grip seemed to tighten considerably at the prospect of having it taken away. "You really should give that back to Julia. If she had it first then it's hurt turn to play with it, not yours." Her voice was stern and almost harsh as she spoke to the other little girl. Just enough to sound threatening but not quite to the point of scary. Her expression mirrored that as well. Parents were weird people and she would be damned if she lost her job because her expression looked more venomous than reprimanding. That did not mean her temper was always on the down low; there were a few times where she responded negatively to a child, especially when it dealt with disrespect. Definitely need to find me another job soon. Not because of the children but because she had had to discuss her flare ups a few times with her boss and did not know if any other instances would cause her to be fired. That would suck. She'd rather quit. Eventually she managed to work out the issue between the two little girls and Julie got her doll back. Emily wasn't happy but life wasn't fair. When it was time for her to switch rooms, Lark was more than eager.
Instead of dealing with five year olds, she was now in the presence of the elementary school students. That made her feel a bit more comfortable because her attitude was not as unwelcome among them. She could joke around a bit more and have fun. When she went in to relieve the other teacher, however, she pulled Lark aside and talked about how one of the children had been drawing...'questionable content' during their art time and it concerned her. "I'll take a look at it," She said, nodding. "Who was it?" The teacher glanced back into the room and pointed out the child in question, Lark merely following the finger towards where he sat. "Oh, Brian. Thanks for letting me know." The two parted ways and Lark wandered over to where the boy sat, merely glancing over his shoulder to see what it was he was working on. She blinked. It was a rather bloody looking scene, something that she honestly did not expect. In all honesty she assumed the other teacher was the type to overreact and freak out over something stupid. A kid draws a gun and everyone seems to go ape shit. Definitely need to talk to his parents about this one though. She wondered what led him to draw it. A horror movie? A book? As she thought on this, the door to the classroom opened.
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Post by MONA FAITH LANDRY on Jul 18, 2012 17:50:38 GMT -5
Mona was far too jaded for a girl her age. She checked herself in the mirror before leaving the house. She felt older than her years gave her credit for, and it was a rather recent development. Her family may not have seen it, but she was beyond her years, and yearned for the responsibilities that being adult would entail. And it wasn't just the wishful hope of a child yearning to grow up, but the stern belief that she would suit the world better if she were just given a chance. She was far too aware that it was not going to happen. Now with her mother, the stable world that she had all the confidence in had been turned on its ear. She had been sure that all she had to worry about was her family's financial situation, and now she had that to deal with along with the possibility of them being separated. It was as if their drifting apart now was in preparation. The air was cold on her, pressing in at all sides. She didn't even know where most of them went during their days, no matter how much she wanted to. They just didn't talk like they used to. It was a scary thing, she understood. She didn't like to talk either. But wasn't their mother's unavoidable death something that should be talked about?
These thoughts danced around in her mind as she walked down the street. Maybe she would come across a sibling, there was enough of them. She had asked her mother before why she had so many kids, and Queenie had said that she wanted a big sitcom family. That sitcom family had now become a drama, they couldn't hold themselves together anymore. Mona wished it could be like a sitcom, at least recorded studio voices would laugh at the jokes she had come to realize were not funny. Her gallows humor would not be appreciated by any person talking to her, especially when she joked about her mother. She felt that she had a right, but it made people uncomfortable. Cancer made people uncomfortable in general, they didn't know how to deal with it. She chose her method, a defense mechanism. She didn't know what her siblings did, but making dry comments about her dying mother worked for her. Perhaps she was slowly building herself up, waiting for the time when she wouldn't be able to joke about her mother.
At least she had been given some responsibility, her mother trusted her with Brian, still completely unaware of the lifestyle Mona was dipping into that kept her up late and sleeping in. It would be easy for her to pick up her baby brother during the day after sleeping the drunkenness off. She walked in, finding the classroom and stepping in. She saw a brunette who looked like she was the one in charge. After all, she was an adult. And with Mona's round face, she certainly did not look like an adult. But she held herself as one. "Hey, uhm, I'm here to pick up Brian," she said, walking over and spying the boy with his blond hair, definitely not as messy as his own. She wrinkled her nose, seeing that he needed a haircut and she would probably be responsible for that. "How was he?" she asked, feeling like it was the proper, adult question. It's something her mother would ask, but her mother was at her sister's house, and sometimes Mona wished she was in chemo. That would only slow the eventual death.
[you did good. xDD]
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Jul 18, 2012 21:34:33 GMT -5
The afternoon routine was about the same every day. Well, the days she worked anyway. Working with the elementary kids was a marker in her day. It said that the shift was coming to a close and she could go to her dorm room and relax. Probably do homework. Maybe see if Ashton wanted to come spend time with her. One of those things sounded more appealing but one of them was probably something she should do. Homework could be such a drag at times. Right now she was thinking on how to approach Brian's parents about his drawing. Unfortunately she was not aware of his living situation because she usually left work before he was picked up. She turned her head slightly when someone entered through the doorway, and flashed the girl a solemn smile; Lark knew that it was her job to be friendly towards those who came to pick up the kids. Kind of important to be approachable. "Hi," She replied, taking a glance at Brian when the girl mentioned who she was here for. "He's right over there, working on an art project." The two definitely looked related but the girl seemed quite young. She did not usually try to judge a book by its cover--some people had young looking faces--but it was second nature. Now was time for Lark to answer that dreaded question. The one that all parents asked. A default to show interest in whatever activities their children were up to in class.
"Well, I actually took over for the other teacher about five minutes ago, but she did let me know of a uh...an issue with the drawing he's working on." She knew it was necessary to handle these situations delicately. Say the right things, act the right way, sound the right way. Some parents did not take to feeling like their kids were attacked and usually retaliated. One of her instances in the office with her boss was because of such a confrontation. Lark did not do well with being told it was her fault that a kid had a tendency to beat up on other kids. "I haven't discussed it with him yet, but I suppose it works out better that you're here." Because Lark felt that she would get more answers that way. At least clarification. Or something. "It's pretty bloody, something I wasn't really expecting him to be drawing. I normally would pass off drawings as just that, but this one concerned me a bit." She glanced at Brian and sighed a little. "Has he watched any gory movies lately? Or did he get a hold of a book or something?" Lark did not want to go into asking about home life just yet because she wanted to see if she could rule out the basics first. After all, she was the type to keep her private life private and it was habit not to pry into the world of another person if she could help it. However her job also required her to ensure the children were okay and if she had to ask, then so be it.
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Post by MONA FAITH LANDRY on Jul 20, 2012 13:19:59 GMT -5
Even though she did not express much interest in things outside of getting up to shenanigans, she loved her family like nothing else, even her little brother. He was the youngest, the last one to be born before their father left. She still did not know anything about it, and it gave her a bitter taste in her mouth to think about. She flashed the teacher what was supposed to be a smile, but with her people skills she was not sure if she managed it or not. A for effort? Mona's eyes went to inspect the art project, but she couldn't really make it out from the distance she was at. Maybe she needed glasses, her eyes had been straining lately. That was just something she couldn't comfortable ask for, however.
Then the woman started speaking again, and it was about the project. She knew by the tone and the phrasing that it was something wrong. But she didn't want to make it seem like something was wrong. "Oh?" Mona asked, curious now. And when she went on, for a moment the Thunder questioned if she would be adept at handling this kind of situation. But she reminded herself that this is what she wanted, the responsibility that had been given to her that day. If that meant handling her brother's...art issues, then she could do that. She helped deliver the kid, after all, she felt a special connection with him. A gory picture? "My little Rembrandt," she said with a frown as she looked at the child. That was something she hadn't heard about, but she didn't wonder if her mother knew but just didn't tell her. The teacher said she had waited to discuss it with someone, so Mona wanted to believe she was the first one to hear about it.
Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she walked over and picked up what he'd been working on, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at it. She remembered what the teacher asked about movies and scrunched her lips together. "It's possible," Mona said, turning back to the woman. They lived in a house with a bunch of teenagers, it would be more than likely that their brothers had pulled little Brian in for a viewing of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. "He might just be shaping up to be a freaky little kid." She placed the paper back down on the table, and stopped for a moment. Mona did not like talking about things on an emotional level, but on a professional level, she believed she could handle this. The girl looked at Lark and said, "It might be because of our mother. I don't know if you've heard anything or if...someone may have told you."" She was entirely calm and nothing betrayed what she was about to say. "She was diagnosed with brain cancer a few months back. It's taking it's toll." Looking a Brian, she frowned again. "Maybe he's feeling it too." It wouldn't be surprising, there was an uncomfortable ripple in the house now whenever their mother was around. No one knew how to deal with this.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Jul 20, 2012 19:04:15 GMT -5
It was amusing, because Lark might have made the same response that Mona had in regards to her brother's drawings. That was her sense of humor after all. The girl did not seem all that phased by Lark's expression of concern and wondered briefly how long this had been going on at home, if had been at all. She did not know. The placement of a teacher really hindered knowing every goings on in a child's life and tended to set them in a hard spot when dealing with issues like this. A bit of a helpless feeling. The comment did help Lark feel a little more at ease with the situation and did not feel the need to be too uptight. It might help to be at ease. People tended to feed off of other people's emotions and actions. "He does have potential," She replied, trying to make an awkward lightness of the situation. Everyone responded differently though. Lark could not predict people's reactions. Normally she wouldn't care but here it was a bit more delicate. "Though it definitely wasn't what I was expecting."
She followed the girl over towards Brian and allowed her to examine the drawing for herself. It was a nine year old's handiwork so the details were not going to be immaculate but it was obvious what the scene was portraying. She allowed a quiet exhale of partial relief to pass her lips; though watching gory movies was not exactly something a kid his age needed to watch it could be better than other alternatives. Abuse and other possibilities flashed in her mind. Frank. She had had first hand experience. That was not something she would wish on any child and would prefer a bloody movie over that any day. Lark actually did manage a chuckle. "I mean, I guess everyone draws what they want," She replied, shrugging. Had this been a random kid at McDonald's she might have raised an eyebrow but not thought too much into it. She watched Brian quite regularly so there was a bit of an attachment. It was different. "But because of his age I felt a bit more concern. I guess it's still concerning for someone older but..." The older you got, the more experience you had in the world. The more you witnessed. You became desensitized. Brian was only nine, so she just wanted to ensure all was well.
"Oh..." Now Lark felt awkward. Was there something she was supposed to know and no one told her? Uhhh. Well then. She shook her head. "No, no one's mentioned anything to me. Were they supposed to or was it a need-to-know basis?" She was not about to get offended by her boss not divulging information if it was not meant to be shared among all those who worked with Brian. Then, Lark felt an invisible weight press upon her chest as Mona talked about what was going on at home. Oh. Oh. What was she supposed to do with that now? She was not always the best at discussing these things. Hell, the girl hardly ever talked about herself to people (aside from those she knew very well and trusted) so she was at a loss. "I'm...I'm sorry to hear that," She rubbed the back of her neck and stole a glance at the boy. "I would be feeling the same way, I'm sure. That's not an easy thing to deal with. Most illnesses like that aren't though." Frank had been diagnosed with cancer as well, but after all they had been through her heart was calloused towards the man. Heartless? Perhaps. Lark did not particularly care at this point. "Is there anything I can do? On a teacher-student type level?" She cared for these kids and wanted to help in whatever way possible.
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Post by MONA FAITH LANDRY on Jul 21, 2012 14:06:14 GMT -5
Mona snorted when Lark said that the boy had potential, though she didn't mean to be rude. After all, it was nothing against her or what she said. She just had to think of where that potential would go, and had a feeling any of it would be wasted. It would vanish like smoke, because even though the world liked to boast its potential, the Landrys knew their place in the world as poor white trash. And it would only be some stroke of luck or fate that would make any difference. "Well, I guess we'll see if he pursues art in the future," she humored the woman, feeling more and more like a jaded woman with each passing word. It made her sick when she thought to care, how much she just didn't believe in anything anymore. But she tried not to dwell on it for her own sanity. She refused to become one of those people who pitied themselves all the time.
But she did laugh at the woman's next words, and here she was showing emotion, something that she still had the capacity to do. It just didn't happen as often these days. "Well, with video games these days, I guess so." They had been violent even when she was younger, and she was still pretty darn young. She understood that, but she would pay so much to age automatically, to be twenty-four instead of fourteen. Even older than that, since society didn't take anyone seriously until their thirties. Mona shrugged, her arms crossed over her chest. "He's a good kid. I mean, he hasn't started setting bird houses on fire, which is a pretty good record for my family." She said it so dryly that Lark would have decide whether or not she was being serious. Unfortunately, she was not joking one bit.
Mona hoped that the woman wouldn't be all tear-eyed and sentimental with her, especially if she was going to touch her. People seemed to think that was a good way to comfort, but it did just the opposite and unnerved Mona. "I have no idea, actually," she said, somewhat bitterly. "My mother is kind of private, but people have found out. I don't think she'd tell anyone unless she saw a reason to." And Brian's artwork certainly seemed like a good reason to reveal it now. Even though Mona could regret it for the fact that it was going to draw pity, and questions, and cancer was the bogeyman that everyone feared when going to the doctor. She got how people could get emotional over that. She just did not want it.
But the woman seemed more awkward than anything, and even though it might have been cruel, she preferred that over the sympathy. No matter how honest or true, Mona did not appreciate it. "Maybe he's finding an outlet or something.'" Her lips twitched into a frown. She'd been changed, they all had been changed and the family environment wasn't the same as it used to be. Brian could tell, she bet. He was young, but he wasn't stupid. "Well, I guess whatever you'd usually do with this type of thing? I don't know if there's kid therapy or what." She didn't like the idea of it, and all of her siblings had said no to seeing a social worker when Queenie had been diagnosed. "I think our mother has some plans, though, because she knows she's going to die." Mona kept forgetting that she shouldn't be so blunt about these things, that people did not know how to react when she acknowledged everything so clinically. But she wouldn't sugarcoat it with 'when the time comes' or some shit like that.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Jul 23, 2012 20:11:13 GMT -5
Lark nodded, still not quite sure if video game exposure was exactly a good thing but she supposed it was better than any other alternatives. Kids could buy and play just about anything these days. She was not a gamer herself so any experience with them was minimal and not enough to give her much of an opinion. The commercials were a pretty good indicator though. She did laugh, though it was borderline hesitant. She had to admit that that would be cause for concern but did not actually say that. Instead she caught herself and said, "I guess as long as there aren't any casualties it could be a lot worse." Meaning casualties of the feathered variety. Every kid had their moment and loved to experiment with whatever they found to be interesting. Lark did it too, when she was younger. Maybe not setting bird houses on fire but she was not against pushing the envelope every now and again.
Fortunately for Mona, the Fire girl was not particularly the affectionate type and had no intent on hugging her or offering a touch on the shoulder. It took years to hug her best friend and even with Ashton there were moments of uncertainty. She did manage well though, but they were the select few. Strangers were an entirely different story. "Makes sense," Lark replied, shrugging her shoulders. She did not appear overly concerned by this news but she did worry about Brian and what went on at home. "It's not really anyone's business anyway. I'd be the same." She was the same. When it came to revealing weakness or asking for help she refrained from divulging the information to others. "But I'm glad you told me so I know how to handle this in the future. Just kinda...be more understanding I guess." Lark was not prepared to reprimand a child for stuff like this when they were dealing with a lot at home. He was not physically harming anyone or physically harming himself at least.
"Everyone has their ways of coping," She agreed, glancing around the room to make sure the other kids were not eating glue or cutting someone's hair. That had happened once or twice before and it did not turn out pretty. Poor girl had to get her hair cut above her ears after the scissors incident. Lark waved her hand a little to dismiss the word 'therapy'. "Nah, nothing like that. I don't have like, some sort of psychology degree or anything. Just didn't know if there was anything to help him deal a little better." Lark was not always the best with words or consoling people, but she could certainly try if it meant helping Brian out. He was just a kid, after all. Dealing with the inevitable death of a loved one certainly had to take a toll, no matter how young someone is.
She knew that Frank was going to die a lot sooner than average life expectancy allowed so she knew what it was like to anticipate losing a family member. She could only hope that they were closer to their mother than she was to Frank. Mona's outlook was grim, but not surprising. Lark felt the same way about her own father. No sense in sugar coating it. "Well at least there's a plan, right? So long as things get taken care of." That was about all she could say on that matter. Anything else might make the air awkward. She looked at Brian again, thoughtfully. "His bookbag is on the hook by the wall," Lark pointed to the bag. "And if he needs anything, let me know. 'S what I'm here for."
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Post by MONA FAITH LANDRY on Jul 28, 2012 23:23:05 GMT -5
It was always like finding a rare gem, discovering someone who didn't blow the whole thing out of proportion. A lot of people didn't know how to react to cancer, the family found that out after Queenie broke the news. Her siblings, their aunts and uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers, everyone reacted in different ways and no one was sure if any of it was the right way. They walked on egg shells, they were careful about dropping the 'c' word like it was another, much more destructive word, and Queenie saw through all of it but responded so kindly. It was no wonder why Mona idolized her. "Yeah, well...I guess no one is saying anything because it's kind of a weird thing to tell someone. You know, this is my son, I have cancer, see ya." She shrugged, her humor on the dry side but humor nonetheless. I reared its head on rare occasions.
Mona nodded as she listened to the girl who seemed very down to Earth. She liked that. A lot better than adults who took on a tone with her, the soft kind as if speaking to an easily disturbed animal. It bothered her a little, but then again, there wasn't much that didn't irritate her. When she found things that slid right off, it was considered a success. "Oh, I thought maybe there was some child study team or something like that here." She had gone to daycare, all the kids had because there was no way Queenie could take care of them all the time, even when their father had been around to help out. They both had jobs, even though they received money from the government. They hadn't wanted to sit around and do nothing with their lives, another trait that Mona had come to admire with them. She'd loved her parents, and she was trying not to think of that lately. It would hurt more when the time came to let her mother go.
But then, when Lark spoke of a plan, her gut twisted, thoughts growing stormy. The plan? To let her die slowly. Mona wanted her mother to try the chemo, even if the chances were slim it would have any work. She just didn't want to watch the woman waste away. The plan was for her to die and for the kids to get the money for insurance. But what would it matter if they ended up in foster care, separated and labelled as wards of the government? "Yeah, there's a plan," she said lowly, and she tried to snap herself out of it because it was not very mature to be so bitter in front of a girl who wanted to help her brother. "It would be good to know if there was any way you could help Brian out, because our mother has been basically labeled terminal. He doesn't know that part yet." She sighed and looked at him for a moment, and they did bear similarities to one another. Blond hair, though his eyes were more blue than her own.
She went and got his book bag and put it over her shoulder before urging him to stand. He showed her the art project, smiling and she complimented it. Walking back to Lark, she said, "Say bye to the nice lady." He grinned and chirped out a "Bye, Miss Lark." Mona smiled a little and looked to her. "I should be picking him up pretty often, so will you tell me if there's anymore strange...behavior, I guess?" She liked asking Lark this question, it gave her power, made her feel like she had responsibility in this situation. She craved it like a starving man craved a buffet. And it was always held just out of reach for her.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Jul 29, 2012 14:10:45 GMT -5
Lark was rarely the type to react in an overly dramatic manner in regards to news about illnesses or upcoming deaths, not because she was heartless but because she honestly had no idea how to give a proper response or console those struggling. The sensitivity was there, but not outwardly given, and people mistook that for being insensate. Perhaps an occasional frown or an 'I'm sorry' but that was about the extent of her consolation. With friends it was an entirely different story but they were just that: friends. "Yeah, I understand. It's not something you're wanting to share with the entire world. People get...awkward about things like that." And they did. If you were terminal you can be sure that everyone and their mother would dodge any possible means of offense. Handicaps and others dealing with sickness suffered the same. Lark did feel awkward, but there was a time and place for everything. Now was not the time to fall into silence or stutter. Her giving an apology was enough to display she felt bad.
She looked thoughtful and tilted her head to the side; did they have something like that? In the time she worked here Lark was not aware of any such program. Then again she never thought to ask nor did she have any children in the past who were in need of it. "I really don't know," She started slowly, still pondering this. "But if there is one I'll give you a heads up. If not, maybe we can get something started, yeah?" That was possible, she thought. There was no guarantee that she would be present for such a thing if it did come about, but the suggestion could at least be made. Her boss did not seem the type to throw ideas out the window completely. Maybe Brian would be a good incentive to get things moving. I wonder who all knows, though. Telling her boss might not be smart, after all. Unless Brian's mom discussed it with her already, which was possible. Lark was not going to take chances and divulge information that was not hers to share.
"Oh," Lark caught on to the tone of Mona's voice and inclined an ear so that way their conversation was a little less audible to the children in the room. Her heart wrenched as the girl spoke, trying to find something appropriate to say. She was never all that eloquent with words and situations like this made everything ten times worse. "Well, I won't say anything," She also kept her voice low, still observing the kids play. "I'll come up with something, I'm sure. If he needs one on one time or feels the need to talk then I can try and step aside." Then, a thought occurred to her and Lark turned herself towards Mona a little more. "I don't work full time, so if he needs someone to take him to the park and give him something different to do while you all are busy I wouldn't mind it." Brian was a good kid, and Lark (despite her hard exterior) had a soft spot for him and the struggles his family were going through. She was not looking for compensation or anything of the sort. Helping them out did not bother her in the least.
With a distant look in her eyes, Lark watched as Mona grabbed Brian's book bag and called for him to leave. She gave them both a warming smile and ruffled the boy's hair with affection. "See you later, kiddo," Later meaning whenever she would see him in this room next. Lark nodded at Mona. "Sure thing. I'll keep tabs on stuff for you. I only get him for a short time in the afternoon but I will do what I can." Now that she was aware of the goings on at home, Lark wanted to make sure he was doing well. Even if a child smiled and acted fine on the outside, there were things they tended to tuck away and ignore. It was a built-in defense mechanism. She just hoped that Brian would not tuck away too much. It was hard to grow up with. Lark learned this first hand. She waved to them both and turned her attention back towards the others in the room, glancing at the clock and waiting to head back to the dorms.
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