* i'm singing my blues , [lark]

Lark quickly wiped the sweat off of her brow—it was an incredibly warm summer day. Not that she minded entirely, being as it was better than the winters they suffered through every year at the Hollow. Spring was usually comfortable, and Fall was decent, and although Summer was hot as hell she still relished in it. ‘Better than freezing my ass off’, she would say. Anything was better than bunching up in ten layers of clothing to stay warm. What she would give to master controlling heat so she could enjoy the winter a little bit more. Lark wiped at the back of her neck as she made her way out of the house and towards town, taking her walk slow and easy. She was already sweating so running or picking up the pace would only make that worse. Meeting Skye covered in sweat was not really ideal. Skye was a really nice person—someone that Lark did not mind socializing with whom also resided on her side of the elemental divide. Today they were going to spend time at Tim Horton’s, relaxing and chatting like the rest of the world did not exist. How nice that was going to be after all of the shit she was dealing with at home and at school. That, and the fact that Skye was a female made things a little different. It was very rare that Lark found herself comfortable in the presence of another girl, let alone get along with them in any way. Most of them were overly dramatic and girly and cried when a boy dumped them for someone else. It was all too much. Skye might have had her moments but they weren’t constant.

Halfway through her walk to Timmies, Lark stopped and pulled her hair into a ponytail. There was no point in leaving her long, dark hair suffocating her neck and only making the sweating worse. Once that was settled, the girl continued on her way towards her destination. Then, she could at least go inside and cool off a little in the air conditioning before going back out into the heat again. The walk was not all too painful considering the fair distance into the inner part of the Hollow, and preferred that over driving any day. It was a good way to burn off the excess energy she had built up over the summer break, and clear her mind of all of the thoughts nagging at the back of her mind. Once Timmies was in sight she picked up the pace subconsciously and finally found herself inside the cool, welcoming room of the store. “Hey,” Lark greeted cheerfully. She was a bit stunned by the hug—although Lark did not mind displaying physical affection with a punch to the shoulder or a nudge, a hug was not something she received very often and it took a moment for her to return the gesture fully. Her own family never hugged her, either. She regained composure and pulled back, still smiling at Skye. “Well, I’m surviving,” Lark started, chuckling as she got into the line to order food.

“What about you? Everything going well? Aside from melting in this heat of course.” Lark added a bit of humor to distract from her lack of a real answer to Skye’s question. The line finally moved forward and the brunette took her place in front of the register, ordering a chicken Caesar wrap and a nice tall cup of cold water. It was not the day for coffee in the least, no matter how tired she had been the past several weeks. Finding a seat, Lark sat down and set her food in front of her. It looked delicious and she could not wait to dig in. She waited for Skye first though, before tearing into her food like a ravenous dog. Lark did not have very many manners, but there were times when she became more aware of her actions. Like today. Once they were situated she opened up the wrap and took a large bite, smiling happily. “That is delicious. I’ve been craving one of these for a while.” Lark stated between chewing. She swallowed and eyed her friend. “So, have any other plans for the day besides lunch with me?” Lark asked innocently, tilting her head a bit to the side. No one had any idea how refreshing it was to simply sit in Timmies, eat a sandwich, and talk to a friend. Life had been so hectic and insane lately that the things others took for granted were the things Lark absorbed and enjoyed to the fullest.

"That's good," Lark replied, nodding. She was grateful that Skye never attempted to pry into her life, because Lark did not do well with people who asked too many personal questions. Ones such as 'how are you?' or 'what's up?' could be easily answered with something simple or roundabout, so there was no imminent threat to answering. Lark was lucky to have made friends with people who did not nose into her personal life. "Nah, not really. Just wasting my summer away doing absolutely nothing of interest. Might hit a party or two later on before break ends, but..." She shrugged a little bit, not really having planned much at all. It was hard when you had no car of your own, a very small circle of friends, and some of those friends just so happened to be in the opposing alliance. A frown briefly passed over her features at the thought that she could not see her best friend as often as she'd like. However, she wanted to wait and ensure that this choice was something she truly felt to be right. There needed to be no regrets. Then if the switch did happen Lark had to hope that they accepted her and there would not be any major complications. Even so at least she had Josh.

Once they were satisfied with their orders and began to eat, Lark was able to slide back into the seat and relax as she chewed. The air conditioning had never been so greatly welcomed. She heard Skye giggle--something Lark did on rare occasions--and looked up to smile at her friend. Hardly a female crossed Lark's path that she liked or got along with, so she cherished the ones that did not bother the fuck out of her. "I know, I hated it," She replied after taking another bite, the edge of hunger ebbing away. "Hawaii did not really have many of the chain restaurants and stuff that the other states had, so they definitely didn't share much with Canada." The girl could not remember if she told Skye where she came from, but figured that was the best way to release that small bit of information. Lark was not gifted at straight up telling people about herself, so this would have to suffice. She lifted an eyebrow and looked up at Skye with a curious stare. "Oh, on vacation or something?" Lark had not been on a vacation in a while, not since the summer before. Last winter her parents divorced so everything stalled after that. Skye probably didn't know about that either. "I'm just hanging around the Hollow today. Might go and talk to the tattoo artist about my upcoming tattoo for my birthday next month, but it's not extremely important." The food was incredibly amazing, putting Lark in a good mood. On top of that she was chatting with a friend on a school-less summer day. After swallowing yet another bite, she glanced out of the window to watch the people bustling by on the sidewalk. "If you're not up for anything I suppose we could find something to do. Chat for a while. I'm not picky." She would do anything to stay in the presence of a friend by this point. Lark silently craved their company; it was the only thing keeping her sane.

Lark knew that Skye was teasing; over the past months, the girl had really begun to pay more attention to the little things. Social cues that were normally lost to her--such as jokes said with a serious expression--were easier for her to take notice of and try to respond in a better manner than she used to. A few years ago Lark would have scowled and grew upset, claiming that her life was not boring and that Skye was an ass hole, but that was then. This was now. A lot had changed over such a short period of time, and Lark was not quite sure how to respond to all of it. Part of her wanted to find a glimpse of her former self; well, the former self that retaliated in anger and remained clammed up in a corner, but the other half was desperate for this change. She liked that she could keep people around longer, and have decent conversations. "Yeah, I definitely don't mind a bit of relaxation time." Lark spent that time playing her guitar, writing songs, and trying to avoid her father as often as possible. Avoidance was hard when you lived with him, but it was manageable.

"Well, Oahu was always really busy and we did have some of the really big chain food places like McDonald's and Starbucks, but since we did not really eat out much I never paid much attention. There was definitely not a Tim Horton's though." Her family enjoyed cooking at home, and living near the beach as opposed towards the central hub where Honolulu resided, they did not really take much time to linger in the city. Frank spent a lot of time there, so he avoided it when he could. As Skye ate, so did Lark, completely content to sit in a moment of silence. She was accustomed to those; the small spaces of time where it seemed everything stood still. In fact, up until recently Lark basked in those moments and took them up whenever possible, but her friends would certainly keep her more sane than sitting in a corner trying to wish it all away. "I'm sure it is. If it's hot here, it's got to be hotter even further South. I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation though," Lark envied Skye. What she would give to go home and visit for a week or two, to enjoy the sun soaked beaches and surf in the tropical waves. Unless by some miracle her parents found their love again and remarried, Lark was more than likely going to be stuck at the Hollow on breaks. "Yeah, pretty much. Hike the trails a bit...play guitar...go to the movies..." Lark replied, listing off a few things she found to keep her busy. Sure she went to the movies alone, but she was used to it. Maybe I should try and find more people to go. If the switch to the other elements actually occurred, that could be a possibility. The brunette smiled at Skye's eagerness to hang out. This was nice. "I actually have no idea. I've been brainstorming but nothing is coming to mind." She glanced up at the other girl before taking another bite of food. "Do you have any ideas?"

Having a consistent break would be a beautiful thing in some ways, but in others Lark felt that maybe the lack of a distraction could become unhealthy. At least, for her. Being on break meant no excuse to leave the house and be gone for hours on end without Frank questioning every move she made or asking when she would be back. He knew where she would be during school. Sitting in class was boring as hell, but it beat being in that house. Anything was better than the house. "Constant break I could probably deal with," Lark replied with a smile, knowing that the probably was her way of saying 'I highly doubt it would go well for me' without stating it aloud. She had a habit of insinuating a sentence inside of a word to prevent people from asking questions or prying. She laughed. "Society is already going stale, Skye. We don't need a break from school to fuck that up." It was a fact. The world was all sorts of screwed up, and it was only getting worse. Lark disliked her notes of realism sometimes, because they could be so damn depressing.

"Yeah, I highly doubt there's anywhere that is void of Starbucks or McDonald's. Shame though, because I'm not a fan of either." Lark did not like fast food, and she did not like coffee, so if either company randomly burst into flames she would not shed a tear or pine for their return. She liked burgers and fries, but she'd either make them herself or eat them at the mess hall. Who knew what was in those burgers at McDonald's? Only Ronald McDonald knew, and she wouldn't trust that clown as far as she could throw him. Lark tilted her head a little at the question, forgetting that she rarely discussed much of herself with other people. It was so natural to hide away that even the little facts remained buried. "Yeah, I moved here when I was eight," She started, smiling. It was not a personal question so the hesitation to answer did not exist. "Miss the surfing, though my friends are here." Loyalty was not something she took lightly, even if her alliance might change. That's different. I'm merely changing who I'm loyal to, not banishing loyalty altogether. "Well, we all know how I am about the heat so I'm not sure how much of a bother it would be for me." Lark smirked. Being a Fire the heat was never really much of a nuisance, but there was definitely such a thing as 'too hot'. She lifted her sandwich in some sort of edible toast. "Glad to have you back."

It had been quite some time since the two sat down and actually talked--it was difficult considering Skye was in college and she still a junior in highschool, but they were trying to manage. Breaks were always an easier time to meet up with friends, but on the downside a lot of vacations were taking during that time too. Lark spent a lot of her time in the Hollow, and did not need to be in the constant presence of her friends, so she fared well. Not that the company was undesirable. "It's going pretty good, actually. Have a few new songs done up. No lyrics yet." Lark fared better making the song first, then matching lyrics up to the beat. Other people switched the method, but as she always said, 'to each their own'. Lark finished up the other half of her wrap, crumpling the paper into a tight ball before setting it in front of her. If she were at the academy, she would have set it on fire and watched the dancing flames. Her element was good for that, at least. "I'm not the biggest shopper but hey, what the hell. It can't hurt." She shrugged and leaned back into her seat, still comfortable as she sipped her drink. "Just...don't force me to try on dresses and we'll be good." In her eyes was a teasing spark; Lark did not like girly clothes, but most people knew that. She just liked to play it up a bit.

"I agree with you on that. Can't have even more uneducated idiots running around, that's for damn sure." Although Lark had a bit of a rebellious streak and did not always pay full attention in class, she knew it was important to get an education. It was not always beneficial; Lark thought math was probably the most boring subject on the planet and could burn in hell for all she cared. History and science were not too bad, though. Being who she was, however, Lark felt that gaining street smarts and wisdom through your mistakes and learning hands on was most important. You cannot learn simply by sitting in a classroom and listen to someone tell you what it's about; you need to go and figure it out on your own. Experience is the most valuable asset. "I've never been a fan of coffee in general though, so I can live without Starbucks. But it is expensive." Lark wrinkled her nose a bit at the mention of coffee; the smell was decent but the taste was awful. She often wondered how people were able to drink that stuff on a daily basis. It's the caffeine. And the lack of calories. Black coffee had no real nutritional value, so she supposed that was why people choked down the nasty stuff.

Lark shook her head a little and smiled. With a Tim Horton's, they did not need either of those lingering nearby. She preferred the sandwiches and drinks here above anywhere else. Going home to Hawaii would have meant leaving everything behind, even the places like Timmies. There were a lot of memories, a few good people, and Lark would not change that for the world. Skye was not privy to any of this information, though. Only Joshua knew what was behind the scenes. "Yeah, a long time," Lark agreed, nodding. Her accent was still present though, and did have a habit of blurting out random words in Hawaiian. She missed her native tongue. Lark shuddered a bit at the mention of winter. "I don't do extremely well in the winter, but I suppose if I really needed to get some board time in I have an option open." Being unopposed to trying new sports, Lark would try snowboarding if given the chance. She just needed to find someone willing to do it. She was stubborn as hell, though, and would much rather eat snow over and over before admitting she sucked. She smirked. "It does have its advantages, but definitely is not without a downside or two. You've seen the tempers." It was not something Lark prided herself on but it couldn't be helped. Skye had not yet witnessed the girl when she got angry, or at least when she was really angry. She did have her moments. The Thunder graduate returned her toast, to which Lark laughed a little. It was nice to find herself in the presence of a female she actually liked.

"Music first, but it all depends on where I am," Lark replied, sipping her drink again. "If I'm stuck in class and inspiration hits me, I write on whatever is handy. Like my arm." She smiled and set the cup down to reveal one of her arms had faded words all along the inside. They were not really readable but it was obvious Lark was writing something. By the time she got home or to a place that had access to paper she merely transferred them over and allowed the words to fade on their own. Screw ink poisoning. She highly doubted that writing on your arm was going to cut ten years off someone's life, and was better than alcohol or drugs. "No, we can actually shop if you want. I just never do that with many people, so..." Lark also shrugged. Most of her friends were male, and they never really spent time shopping unless it was for music or sports equipment. If they did shop for clothes, Lark was normally not present. They spent a lot of time goofing around more than anything. "I'll be sure and pry you away. I don't need a crowbar do I?" She asked, clearly teasing the Thunder girl.

Without Skye probably realizing it, she asked a very loaded question. Did Lark truly like either place more than the other? She was not quite sure. On one hand, Hawaii was her home. Everything started on those islands, and held many good little memories (aside from one, which only Josh knew about). They were worn and faded now, like old photos in a shoe box that were taken out and admired on occasion. Here, in Maple Hollow, the memories continued to form and tuck themselves away into another shoe box all their own. It was the same size as the other one, but significantly more full. Lark was always eager to open it up and peer inside despite the bad memories that occasionally tagged along with them. Hawaii was home, but Maple Hollow was home. Where she belonged. Now confident with an answer, Lark smiled at her friend. "Here, definitely." She stated with conviction, tapping on the table. "I miss the ocean and the surfing, but my life is here. Dunno if I could pick a better home." Aside from Frank, the friends she had made it all worthwhile.

"Hm, yeah I think I'm looking forward to the heat manipulation thing," Lark replied with a thoughtful glance, keeping her voice quiet in case anyone was passing by on their conversation. The Academy was known by everyone, but what lay inside the walls was to remain hidden from humans. Average humans. "I envy Josh when winter comes around. I should offer him money to be my personal heater." She tapped her chin and smiled, as though seriously considering this. The envy was nothing negative of course; in all honesty seeing someone use that level of power only drove Lark to want to reach that level herself. Josh was a good inspiration for many things, like diligence in school. Lark gave a bit of a laugh, shaking her head. "I could do without it too, trust me." Skye had not yet experienced any of her outbursts--at least, so far as she knew--and hoped that she wouldn't. Lark did not willingly set herself up to grow into a rage, while others enjoyed the thrill. She did not seek out anyone to set her off. That was stupid and unnecessary. Lark actually liked her friends and their company and wanted to keep it that way as long as possible.

Music was one of the things that kept Lark calm and collected most of the time these days; whenever Frank enraged her, or she was generally having a bad day, she would take to her guitar and play until her fingers bled. They hurt like hell, but in the end she was not feeling the fire in her chest. Her music was like a bucket of cold water on a flame. "I would write them on paper, but sometimes when inspiration hits me I tend to forget and just...write on myself." She chuckled, actually amused at how her focus could switch so quickly. One minute she was sitting in class staring at the board, listening to the teacher, the next she was writing down whatever strands of thought were capable of being placed to a tune. It was rather sad really, but she loved what she did and was not ashamed. "At one point, yeah. I'll need to rub it all off tonight so I can start fresh tomorrow." Lark smiled back at her, always one to feed off of other people's facial cues (unless she was really angry of course, or in a pit of depression which was not extremely often). Skye tossed her trash away and grabbed her drink, making a motion to leave. Lark stood up with her and took her own drink in her hand. "Sure we can go. I'll survive with the heat well enough, but we can always go into the stores and cool down if we need to." Lark was more or less concerned about Skye's condition than her own in this situation, being as she was a Thunder. They did not have the same heat tolerance. "Good, because I'm actually kinda broke." She smiled and walked out of the building and back into the sweltering heat.

"Oh, yeah I'll be sticking with the Academy until I graduate from college," Lark replied, knowing that this was where she needed to stay. Although Frank was a bastard and liked to make her life a living hell, there was too much to lose if she were to go anywhere else. Besides, by the time she graduated from high school and started up her college career, she would have enough money (hopefully) to get out of that damn house and get on with her life. At this point, Frank could shrivel and die for all she cared. It was heartless, but how else was she supposed to feel? The man ruined her life, as did Paula. "I've looked at a few other places, but none of them really caught my interest." An aspiring musician, Lark would rather build up her talents in the field than in a classroom. The Academy offered her the chance to build on her powers, which she wanted.

Lark laughed with Skye, both knowing Josh well enough to know he would more than likely not do either of those things, but it was still fun to joke about. "Hey, I can dream right? Of course by the time I'd make enough money to hire someone, I could do it by myself." She was confident in the fact that she was going to be able to master heat manipulation, so felt no need to express any doubts to her friend. Lark was not a fan of school by any means, at least in regards to the basic high school subjects. Mastering her element, however, was a completely different story. The girl's smile faded into a thoughtful half frown, eyes flicking over towards Skye. Skye was the only person who knew that she kept contact with Josh after the switch, but even so discussing it put the girl on edge. "Yeah, but we keep minimal contact." She flinched at her own words, mad that she could not even see her best friend whenever she damn well pleased. It was all so unfair. Loyalty had a downside, after all. She did not want to delve into everything with Skye either. Friend or not, Lark did not always divulge information, even if it was simple and harmless.

Fortunately, music was always a good change of subject, because it was something Lark was comfortable with. When you knew a lot about something, or loved something, it was easy to keep conversation. "Nope, not really. Well I probably could but I guess I get a bit over eager about it sometimes." She chuckled. In her overzealous jump to catch the lyrics before they fluttered out of the window of her mind, she tended to just take to her arm. If a blank sheet of paper were available then it might be used. Lark smiled at Skye. "My poor arm. I'll probably get ink poisoning at some point in the future with how often I write on myself." Not that she was really all that worried about it, it was just ink after all. She blinked, not really aware of what an iShop was, but did not even think to ask. She did not like to feel stupid by asking questions she could figure out on her own later, being as this particular answer would probably be obvious. The heat hit them in the face on the way out of the door, but after the cool down Lark embraced a little more than she did on her way towards Timmies. "Then window shopping it is," She replied, nodding in the direction Skye pointed to. "What kind of shops are you interested in? We'll see what we can get into."