-- SET THE WORLD ON FIRE [Jack]

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

stand against the liars
stronger than before
when your life becomes a war
set the world on fire

What a long week. Classes were slow and boring--even though she did get to work with managing her element a little more. Lark had quite the temper sometimes and any reinforcement in control was always beneficial to the girl. Never the less, it had been rough dealing with the war and all of the opposing sides. There was always shouting, or dark glares, or fights breaking out every where she went. It was so hard to escape the academy at times though, due to the fact that she had classes and had homework that needed to be done. At least the dorms made for a good safe haven--well, sometimes. Being friends with Joshua made things a little difficult sometimes, but Lark managed quite well considering the circumstances. But I will never walk away from my friends. She thought resolutely, nodding her head to herself. Protecting her friends was always worth it. She had too few of them as it was, and losing them was not an option.

With a relieved sigh, Lark practically ran out of the academy and onto the grounds, making great strides towards the lake. There was so much stress riding on her shoulders it was putting her in a foul mood, and honestly she did not want to deal with that today. The cold was a bit biting to her skin; Lark, in her rush to escape the mayhem ran out of the school without a hoodie. At least she had on her cargo pants, but even then that only warmed her lower extremities. Lark shivered and wrapped her arms around herself as she sauntered across the grass, refusing to go back to grab a jacket. That was the last thing she wanted--to wander back into the war willingly. I'd much rather freeze my ass off than deal with that today.

After a few minutes of brisk walking, Lark came to a large cliff. She looked up and shuddered at the height, but decided that maybe the higher up she was the better she would feel. If she could not fly, she could at least be up where the birds took to the wind. If they could escape their troubles up high, then why couldn't she? Nodding to herself, Lark began the hike up towards the top, stumbling a little along the way as she stepped around rocks and loose stones. Her shoes were typical of Lark attire: black and white converse. Thus, without any grips on the soles, hiking this trail was a little less than graceful. She did pass a water elemental on the way up, but they did not seem the least bit interested in Lark's presence. I guess they came up here to escape too... She thought, feeling soothed by the fact that the other student did not attack her outright for being here. It was away from the school but people could be ass holes none the less.

Once Lark reached the top, she could not help but inhale deeply and shut her eyes. The lake was below her, shimmering in the watery sun that lingered about halfway through the sky. It would soon be lunch time, but the mess hall could wait. She would much rather wait until later to eat than cross the grounds of the school again. After observing the scenery for a few moments, Lark sat herself on the edge of the cliff and looked out over the lake, hand placed in her chin. Once I graduate I can leave this behind.

[jack]

Jack threw, literally threw, his books onto his bed. There's no possible way he was going to be able to write that paper for class if he could hardly read the content. Write the paper using quotes from the book, says the teacher. Read the five chapters, said the teacher. Well, you know what, thought Jack, screw it. I'm done reading. I'm...I'm leaving. He suddenly leapt across the room onto his bed, glancing out the window. The cliffs. That's where he wanted to be. Far away from this place, that's for sure.

So he put his hand to his pocket and made sure he had his phone and lighter before heading back out into the school. He ignored everyone he saw. There wasn't any reason to talk to anyone; besides, no one even noticed as he took off out the front doors and toward the wilderness. It was cold, that enough was true, but he ignored the crunch of snow under his feet. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kept walking. Just like always. No one notices when Jack Dorsal takes off for who knows where.

He shivered, just slightly, as he came face to face with the cliffs. How ironic, to be cold, and yet be a fire elemental. He wanted to be able to produce fire. That would be epic, but no, not yet. The teachers didn't even give an inkling as to how to do that yet. They refuse to give any sort of hints until after they're in those specific classes. Well, he had his lighter. He always had his lighter. So he took it out and flicked the trigger. Immediately a nice warm flame shimmered in front of him. It was like a drug; he couldn't resist it, and he needed it. THe fire, that is. In a swift movement, Jack moved that flame out into the open, holding it in his hand. There, that's better, he thought.

As he put his lighter back in his pocket, all the while holding that silly flame, he saw a figure up on a cliff. "Are you kidding me?" he asked out loud to no one in particular. But as he stared at the figure up above him, he came to understand just a little more. "Lark?!" he asked loudly, squinting slightly. "What are you doing up there? You'll get yourself killed. Can't say I'd come to your funeral if you did, though." It was a running joke between them, coming to each other's funerals and such. Jack was always one to get himself in danger on account of boredom and anger. He stood there, watching and hoping that Lark didn't slip and roll down the cliff's edge toward him.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

stand against the liars
stronger than before
when your life becomes a war
set the world on fire

A solemn breeze passed by the brunette, the wind pushing her hair away from her face. The silver industrial in her ear was bright and gleaming, even in the dim light of the sun. Birds called out from over head, clearly upset by Lark's presence. She did not care though--it was the one place she could come and breathe freely. The was, until she heard a voice from somewhere below. Just ignore them...it's not worth dealing with right now... Lark pushed the voice away and allowed the wind to carry it far from her reach. All was quiet for a moment before she heard someone calling out her name. Lark furrowed a brow and looked down to see Jack. A smile graced her features for the first time that day.

"Hey Jack," Lark greeted, raising her voice slightly to ensure she could be heard. It felt nice to finally be in the company of a friend, and one of her own element that was not opposed to her presence. Most of the students were oblivious to her relationship with Josh, but those that knew of it were relentless in making sure she suffered for it. Josh was important though, so she would be damned if they marred their friendship. Although they had their differences, that man was as close to family as she could get. That was, aside from Jack, who had been her friend for a couple of years now. He was funny and loyal, and although he had a temper...well, they were fairly even in that aspect. Lark laughed a little at his inquiry and threat--they were forever going back and forth, which she enjoyed. "Just needed to enjoy the fresh air," She started, looking out over the lake again with a thoughtful look on her face. "Why don't you come up and join me?...that is, if you aren't too chicken." Lark smirked, a playful gleam in her eyes. Jack was no chicken, she knew, but it was fun to push his buttons without being too bitchy or stuck up. That was the last thing she wanted to be with her friends.

Then, it hit the girl. Why was Jack out here anyway? Of course, he could probably ask her the same question and Lark would most likely offer up the same answer. Escape. Freedom. A place to feel relaxed. None the less, curiosity got the better of Lark as she spoke up again. "What brings you to the cliffs? Surely you didn't know I was going to be up here." That would have been strange if Jack knew where she was, but not too out of the ordinary. Her safe havens were not much of a secret to her friends, especially those she trusted whole heartedly. One of those being the man who looked up at her from the rocks below. Lark did not feel so alone anymore.

[jack]

Jack gave a dirty look to Lark as he climbed up the bunch of rocks toward the cliff. He didn't mind being up here. Truth be told, he heard how often Lark came there for peace and quiet, and he thought he'd give it a try. He hadn't expected to see her there. He'd been really upset at himself, but as he climbed up the rocks, his fire flame following behind him, he smiled. Lark was quite honestly his best friend, aside from his brother. He suddely wondered when Shane would attend the school. Shrugging it off mentally, he sat down next to Lark, moving his floating flame to sit behind them. He shrugged. "I got cold," he grinned, rubbing his hands together. He hadn't brought his jacket, he just wore his long sleeved shirt and jeans.

Jack looked at Lark, then out at the lake. She knew about his dyslexia, but he tried to keep it a secret from pretty much everyone else. "Nah, I didn't know you were here, I just....you said it was a nice place, to you know, think and be alone. So I thought I'd try it." He talked quietly, but not shy. He just didn't have a hard, loud, boistrous voice. He sighed as he looked out over the lake, watching as birds settled on the highest rocks to get out of the thin layer of snow and ice. He drew his knees up, letting one hand clasp the other wrist. Jack glanced at Lark again.

"I was mad, you know, about that paper we have to write after reading, what, four chapters? Because we both know I'll get that done," he joked, although it was true. He would most likely not do the work, or do a very minimal amount, and turn it in. It just wasn't worth the work when you knew that no matter how hard to try, you'll still get a bad grade. "Why are you out here?" he asked, nudging her with his elbow before taking out his lighter and starting in on his ritual. He opened and closed the lid, schwing-schwing. He did it over and over, something he couldn't stay away from doing for too long.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

stand against the liars
stronger than before
when your life becomes a war
set the world on fire

Lark smirked triumphantly as Jack climbed his way up towards her; she knew that he would not have back down after being called a chicken, even if it was all in good fun. It was not in her nature to belittle her closest friends, especially Jack. He was a good friend to her—one of the best, actually—and there was no way she was going to screw that up by being a bitch. Lark saved those bitchy moments for the strangers and enemies in her life. As he finally came up to the ledge she rested on, Lark caught sight of the flame that lingered nearby. She raised an eyebrow and was ready to ask him about it when he answered her unasked question without as much as a hitch. It was amazing how body language could tell a lot about a person. Being friends helped, of course, but none the less you could tell when someone was angry, or sad, or happy just by the way they walked. That is…except for Lark because she tried to remain as much of a closed book as possible. She nodded as he sat down next to her. “Yeah, it’s cold up here. But better than being down there.” Lark had no arm cover what-so-ever, and took to wrapping her hands around her arms to retain some form of body heat. Her legs dangled over the side of the ledge. At least the flame is warming me up a little…

It was a good place to relax and escape the stresses of life; that was why Lark became so attached to the cliffs. Had she known that so many people would agree with her, she would have decided on a more private location. That’s not to say she was not happy to see Jack—in fact, it was quite the opposite—but it was unexpected and messed up her mind set of being alone. Lark was so accustomed to being alone that after a while it’s hard to get into the swing of accepting another’s presence without hesitation. Then, a bit of guilt set in. He wanted to be alone… Was all she could think. Maybe it would be best for her to leave and let him be to his thoughts? That would be the appropriate thing to do. But her need to avoid the castle drove her to stay where she was seated, and pushed the insecurities away as quickly as possible. There was no time to second guess or question. It was a waste of time and made one weak. “Well…you aren’t alone but I can stay quiet enough to make it seem that way,” Lark replied with a half smile, partially joking. It was easy for her to sit comfortably in silence, but she was with Jack. He deserved better than that if he wanted to talk to her. Hell, maybe…maybe she wanted to talk to him too.

As she looked out past the lake, thoughts a bit of a fuzzy jumble of nonsense, Jack spoke up again. Her attention turned solely on him and his face. If there was one thing she was protective about with her best friend, it was his dyslexia. Lark knew how hard it was for him to cope with, and people always felt the need to fuck with him over it. Just thinking about it made her angry—she could feel her lips twitch into somewhat of a frown as he spoke. No one had any right to judge others because of something that was out of their control. Jack was a good guy, and a loyal friend. To make a big deal of his dyslexia was damn near unforgivable. Either way she pulled herself to smile at him reassuringly, clasping his shoulder for a brief moment. “I don’t doubt you are frustrated about it. At least you pulled yourself away to come and relax.” Lark became quiet for a moment, chewing on her lower lip. “But…if you need help with anything, I’m always around. You know that. I can read the chapters or…or I could do your paper as you tell me what to write.” She shrugged; her loyalty knew no bounds, and Lark would do anything to uphold that loyalty. It was no waste of time to help Jack. No waste at all. As her hand slid off of his shoulder, Jack nudged her and questioned her motives for coming to the cliffs.

The real reason was not really something that needed to be said out loud; if Lark told him about getting attacked by her own allies that would certainly cause a problem. Jack did not need to involve himself in those matters, and so she kept those to herself. She sighed as she allowed her head to fall against his shoulder, pulling a knee towards her chest. Her fingers intertwined with one another around her knee. “I just needed to leave that place. I’m tired of all the tension. I can’t wait until I graduate so I can get far away from this place,” Lark’s eyes were downcast, staring at the stone they were currently sitting on. The cold was no longer noticeable. “Well, I’ll go to college but…after that I think I’m going to leave…” She would miss Jack, Josh, and Sam but…it was self preservation. If there were something else holding her here she might change her mind but…so far there was nothing that made her want to stay. Friends were important but you could always keep contact, even from far away. They all had their own lives and families—there was plenty to hold them in the Hollow. None of that existed here for Lark. The clacking of Jack’s zippo lighter was almost rhythmic as she closed her eyes and sighed.

[jack]

Jack listened as Lark told him about what she could do to help him. Yeah, he could ask her to read the chapters for him and tell him what they were about. SHe could also type up his paper, but both ideas made him feel like he was weak. The last thing he wanted was for Lark, or anyone else for that matter, to think he was weak. He'd grown up with everyone looking down on him. Sometimes he wished his brother were at the school with him, but he also knew that if and when that happened, then everyone would truly see Jack as the loser he was. Shane had no issues. He just....lived life. Jack was the one who struggled with depression and dyslexia. "Nah, girl, don't worry about it. I'll do the assignment like I do all the others," he said. He knew she knew what he'd do. He'd cheat. He'd copy someone else's paper or ask someone to write it for him. Soemtimes, rarely, but sometimes, he would do the work, resulting in a failed grade. Maybe he'd do that this time; maybe not.

Jack couldn't imagine school without Lark. She was his best friend and one of his only confidantes at the moment. Sure, they didn't always have the same classes together and maybe they had a few different friends, but at the end of the day, it was always Lark who he made sure he talked to. He thought about that for a moment. She was the last person she talked to in the evenign, and usually the first one he talked to in the morning. What a good way to start each day; talking to your best friend. Well, he'd make sure he kept that up. She squeezed his shoulder a little and he grinned a crooked grin. He was awful with girls, but when he was with Lark, it was easy. Nothing to it.

He bit his lip as Lark talked about graduating college and leaving. Again, school wouldn't be the same without her. He'd be a loner, sitting in the common room, attempting to burn things and blaming it on other people. What would he do when people got him so down he wanted to disappear? Lark was always really good at making him feel better. He let his chin rest on the top of her head as she leaned it on his shoulder. "If you left school someday, where would go?" he asked, looking out over the water. He'd never really thought about where he himself would go. HOme was never an option. He was away from home and he really had no inclination of living close to his mother. He lived with her when he was home, but once school was done, he intended on living somewhere alone. Maybe with his brother, depending. "I would go...to Italy. Somewhere in the country. Not-not like...Venice or Rome. But-but somewhere out in the open, you know?" There it went. His stuttering. He did it when he didn't know exactly what to say or how to get his point across. Jack stuttered when it came ot girls, which always lead to the girl laughign at him and walking away from him. He took a breath and slowly let it out, wincing at his own stuttering; how pathetic.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

stand against the liars
stronger than before
when your life becomes a war
set the world on fire

Lark knew that Jack was perfectly capable of doing things on his own, but it made her feel useful to offer up help if he needed it. Her loyalty to him and her other friends ran deeper than the roots of the Oak tree; always intertwining and seemingly endless and reaching far beyond the main source. She never used the word often, but she loved her friends, even if some of them shared their differences (like she and Josh). He was a good guy, but their similar personalities made for a difficult time, not to mention their tempers. It surprised Lark, however, that she and Jack clicked so well. He could have a temper if he damn well wanted to—hell she had seen it a couple of times—but never with her. They always seemed to be at east around one another, and it was what she thoroughly enjoyed. Without him, life would surely be less bright. She raised her eyebrows, however, when he mentioned his usual way of getting his homework done. It was not something Lark approved of, but he was a lot like her. It was a pride thing. “Just be careful with that, okay? I know you don’t like accepting help but I’m always here to help.” It was a fact, and it would remain that way for the length of their friendship. She was, and always would be, there to help with anything.

Jack soon after rested his chin on top of her head; it was not an uncomfortable feeling to have him return her affections—in fact, it was soothing and readily accepted by the fire girl. Not many people were able to get very close to Lark for reasons of her own, but for Jack there was not a second thought. He had been there through a lot of the bull shit, so she felt it would be wrong to put her hand up and push him away like she did to everyone else. Samson was good for a pat on the shoulder or a side hug, but nothing more. He was a good friend to her, but Jack was there through it all. They talked every morning, and every night. I honestly don’t know if I could fall asleep without at least getting a text from him. Lark thought in passing. It was true; they were in such a rigorous routine that she was sure to be messed up if it changed any time soon. That was why, after thinking about her leaving the Hollow, she wondered if it would continue on like it was now. It made her sad to think about walking away from him, but there was no way Lark could stand lingering here after the fact. She did wonder vaguely about what life would be like after college and after everything was over. Where would everyone be at that point? Where would she be? It was not worth dwelling on. She wiped her nose to visibly dismiss the train of thought before listening to Jack’s inquiry.

Where would she go? That was actually a good question. She never thought on it too much—it was more along the lines of graduating and then going from there. Now that the question was up in the air, however, Lark actually had to dwell on it. Nestling against his shoulder a little more for warmth, she hummed for a second to think before answering. “I was thinking of going back home to Hawaii, but I actually haven’t thought much on it. I really miss home though…then again, leaving you…” Just saying it aloud hurt her. Where would she be without her best friend? Probably nowhere. Lonely. Friendless. Sad. Probably angrier than her temper would even allow for. He was a good balance, even if they did share some of the same traits. It was as though their personalities somehow compromised with one another without their consent. Lark enjoyed it. At Jack’s statement, Lark blinked and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Italy sounds amazing,” She replied without hesitation. His stuttering did not bother her, nor was it something to be made fun of. In fact, it made Jack unique, and Lark was a very big fan of unique. Her manner of dressing, talking, and acting definitely stood out from the crowd. “If I could afford something like that, I would totally go with you. Out in the open is better than in the city anyway. I’m a fan of the open spaces myself.” She smiled at him softly before looking at the grounds below them; it felt like they were on top of the world and not a soul could reach them. That was just fine by her—who needed most of the world anyway? After a moment, she frowned and looked at him again, insecurities washing through her mind. “No matter what though, we’ll always be best friends, right? Always there for one another.” She looked down at her feet. “Because honestly, life would just suck ass without at least hearing your voice once a day.”

[jack]

Jack thought Hawaii sounded exotic. He would rather be somewhere secluded; where no one would talk to him. He grinned at his own silliness. He always picked a seat in the back of the room, or a the end of an aisle. That way, no one could really talk to you. That's the way he liked it though. He tended to get angry at people when they talked to him too much. Jack rarely agreed with people. He tried, truly he did, to keep his emotions in check, but no matter what he did, it always ended up heated.

He grinned, looking down at her head. Jack knew that Lark didn't think much of the way he did his school. But he also knew she understood why he did it that way. "Well, why don't you help me right that paper, then? You can, I don't know, sit--sit with me while I write it." Jack knew that if he let her help him, she'd feel better about knowing how he came up with paper. She would have first hand knowledge! Besides, he could do with a decent grade for once. He also found the idea of spending an evening or two in the common room with her refreshing. People might pick on him or snicker at Lark when they were alone, but when they were together, people tended to keep their thoughts to themselves.

Jack bit the inside of his lip as she mentioned talking to him often. He really didn't talk to anyone else as often as he talked to Lark, aside from his brother. The thought of talking to his brother reminded him of a conversation he had with him earlier. That would wait, though. He'd finish talking to Lark first. "Yeah, yeah. We--we have to stay friends. I mean--who would back me up when the water elementals throw me in the lake? That was an awful thing to do, remember that?" he asked, a smile on his face, although he did feel a little angry just thinking about it. "Those girls were mean," he said childishly. That day had been an awful day. He'd been down and depressed when one of the water girls told him he was a slow reader and should get that checked on. It wasn't his fault when that flame from his lighter escaped his hand. Anger triggers his power! Well, he'd gotten detention, but later that day that girl got revenge. She got a whole bunch of her little water girlfriends and followed him when he went out to the lake to relax. They pushed him in, and not only that, they took pictures. Clenching his teeth, it took everything for him not to retaliate. Now, he looked at Lark and smiled. At least she'd been there for him, that's all that mattered in the end. "I do believe you'll always be my best friend, Miss Lark," he muttered, sniffling as his nose started to run.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

stand against the liars
stronger than before
when your life becomes a war
set the world on fire

“I can definitely do that,” Lark replied with a soft smile as she reached around and patted Jack on his opposite shoulder. She knew it was difficult to accept her offer—hell, she would have been the same way. It made her happy that he allowed her to help him. “That wouldn’t be any problem. If you get stuck on something or get too frustrated, we’ll walk away from it for a while and come back to it. I’m always good with distractions. We’ll find something to do.” It was true—when it came to her friends, if they were struggling with a problem or needed something to take their mind off of things she felt she would be someone to go to. Her temper was somewhat of an issue at times, but not with Jack. Thinking back, Lark could not really recall a time where they tossed insults or fists at one another over anything. Besides, she felt that it would be a good opportunity to spend time with her best friend. A quiet night in the common room with whatever drinks they preferred and a paper sounded almost ideal. Lark was sure Jack would have rather be without the paper, but that was unavoidable. Everything else, however, could make the night much more pleasant.

Then her smile faded a little as he reminisced, the memory of choice being that awful day at the lake. Those girls were complete bitches to begin with, but that was the icing on the proverbial cake. Her eyebrows furrowed at the image, her grip tightening on his shoulder for a brief moment. “Yeah, I remember.” Lark replied tersely, realizing the grip and removing her hand entirely. It remained limp at her side, although it was itching to ball up into a fist. The girl who led the group of water elementals was a spiteful creature, despite the personality traits of the waters, and expected her to do something like that to someone. However she did not expect that someone to be Jack, and it angered her. “I remember when you told me about it, I was so angry…so infuriated…” Lark’s hand subconsciously clenched. “I chased that bitch down and left her a mark she would never forget. I may not have been there when they pushed you into the water, but I took care of the problem really quick.” It was a very vivid image, actually; the girl screamed and begged for Lark to leave her alone, a smirk of malice lacing the brunette’s features. How could you just forgive someone that took the time to pick on her best friend? You fucked with Jack, you fucked with her. End of story.

His voice brought her back into the real world, anger dissipating rather quickly. It was just a memory now; Lark told him that it would never happen again, and if it did then it would go down just like last time. Jack was really the closest friend she had, and no one was going to take that away from her. The thought of wanting to leave after college now hit her full force; if she left, Jack would not be going with her, and even though they could talk every day it would not be the same. They surely could not sit up on a cliff’s edge and talk like they were doing now, huddled up to keep warm against the biting wind. “You will always be my best friend too, Mister Jack.” Lark replied sweetly, smiling up at him. Jack sniffled; her smile diminished slightly as she sat up and looked at him. It was not without much reluctance—she felt comfortable against his shoulder. It put her at ease…more than it probably should have. “Do you need to go inside? Don’t’ want you getting sick…” Jack was the only one who saw her more concerned and affectionate side. She protected all of her friends with intense ferocity, but he was the only one who ever heard the insecurities, the doubts, and the concern. It made her feel vulnerable, but thus far Jack had not given her a reason to fear exposing her true self to him.



[Since the Junior/Senior prom is starting up, Jack can always ask Lark to go with him. That will give them another thread and add to the plot a bit too~ =D It'll be interesting to have Lark in a dress. LOL.]

[jack]

Jack remembered that particular thing that Lark had done to those girls. He couldn't help but smile, no matter how unfortunate for those young ladies. Most likely they wouldn't do something as stupid as mess with a fire elemental again; let alone him. He had no doubts in his mind that Lark would always be there to back him up in any particular situation. "Yeah, let's head on back. We can start that paper....if you want," he said, standing up and giving her an 'I really don't care, but will do it anyway' look. Jack let his hand out and caught his flame, disposing of it with a slight clap of his hands. The flame went out, leaving a wisp of smoke lingering around them.

"You would think that if we're fire elementals, we wouldn't get cold," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "C'mon," he said, nodding his head toward the way they'd come. He walked carefully. If wouldn't be a surprise if he stumbled and fell. Jack wasn't the most graceful person in the world and he was rather clumsy as well. Most of the time Jack just didn't pay attention to where he was going or what he was doing. He walked, hands in his pockets, looking at the ground. A few thoughts rattled their way through his head, but nothing interesting. THey were thoughts about his undone paper, whether or not he was going to plummet to his death if he stepped on the wrong rock, or whether or not he would graduate to the twelfth grade. Sighing, he turned his head to speak to Lark.

"How was school today for you? Anything...interesting or exciting happen?" he asked, slipping but quickly finding his footing again. Of course, there was a muttered curse, but once his heart stopped racing he was fine.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

stand against the liars
stronger than before
when your life becomes a war
set the world on fire

Lark shivered a little as she pushed herself up off of the cold ground, the rock unforgiving as the rigid edges dug into her skin. Fortunately the pressure of sharp rock under the palm of her hand did not last long as she came to stand at full height, brushing off her clothes. A wisp of smoke wafted by her nose—evidently Jack diffused the flame he carried with him up to the cliffs. Although Lark had initially been eager to spend her time alone up here staring over the lake and absorbing the quiet, it was even more enjoyable with her best friend. Jack was always there when she needed him, even when he did not fully realize it. Sometimes it happened unexpectedly, and so the brunette never thought to thank him for the company. If she called or texted him for his presence it was a bit different; that meant Jack stopped what he was doing to come spend quality time, and it was more important. Either way Lark was silently thankful every time Jack was around. He really did bring out a different side of her that no one else at the academy—or at home—could ever see. Samson did on occasion because of their similar senses of humor and the mutual respect they had for one another, but Jack was different. It seemed that even he leveled out somewhat when it was just them two spending time together.

“Okay, sounds good,” Lark replied, knowing full well he did not want to work on it in the least. “But if it is not due tomorrow, we can always just chill out in the dorm common room together and be lazy.” She wanted to give him the option, because she was not his mother and had no desire to control his actions. It was up to Jack what they did. Paper, or relaxing.

“Yeah, you would think that, wouldn’t you?” Lark shrugged a little, keeping her hands in her pockets despite how much she wanted to wrap her arms around themselves to keep warm. They would be back in the castle soon, and then they could hit the dungeons which were warm enough to melt ice in less than five seconds (could be an exaggeration, she never tested it). Nodding at his invitation to follow, Lark began the slow trek back down the cliff side. She saw Jack slip a few times over the rocks, but decided against reaching out to help him. He was just as independent as she was and doing so might not be greatly welcomed. Lark would only ask for help if she needed it, and understood others who acted in a similar manner. Oddly enough, most of her friends were the exact same way—funny how personalities clicked and clashed so easily. She and Josh were quite similar, but did not have as strong of a bond as she and Jack, who was also very similar to the brunette. Maybe it was a very slight difference…something almost unnoticeable to anyone that did not know who they were. For Lark, she could not even explain why it was different between the two males. It simply was.

Busy comparing personalities in her mind, it took a moment or two to realize that Jack spoke up again. “Hm?” It was not a request to repeat what he said; more of an acknowledgement that she finally caught on and was preparing to speak. The wind buffeted against her body, pushing her back a few paces before she pushed onwards. The cliffs were a beautiful place to be, but a bitch to deal with in terms of getting up and down the damn thing. She grunted slightly at the attempt to keep up, then kept pace with her best friend. “Oh, not really. Nothing exciting or interesting ever happens to me.” That was a lie; it was not necessarily exciting but she did deal with a lot of stares and glares throughout the day. Hell, some of them were fights, but Jack did not need to know that. It was not his job to worry about that sort of thing—he had plenty of his own stuff to deal with. It did occur to her though, that she was hungry, and then thought about the mess hall, which led to what they were doing as she passed by it today. “Although, I noticed they had everything set up for the junior/senior prom in the mess hall. It looked pretty nice, actually. Whoever coordinated it this year wasn’t a complete idiot.”

It was a complement, but a gruff one none the less. Lark was not a girly girl, and the thought of being in a dress really freaked her out. No one at the school had ever witnessed the girl in anything but baggy pants and tank tops with sneakers or converse…nor had she been to a prom (because she had never been asked, but also because it scared her to be in a dress). Most likely because people were too intimidated to ask, which was fine by her. If they did not have the balls to ask, then they weren’t worth going with in the first place. Lark playfully nudged her best friend, a smile on her face. “Do you have someone special you’re going with?” In the back of her mind, some part of her would be jealous to have him go with someone else, but it was most likely out of protection for him. Yeah, that’s what it was. Protection. Right?

[jack]

Jack was incredibly relieved when they made it to the bottom of the cliffs, just a few yards from the lake. He was awfully clumsy and he hated being on uneven ground; he didn't enjoy making a fool of himself. So he waited for Lark to catch up to him before continuing back up toward the school. The paper wasn't due for a couple of days, so he figured they could just relax a little. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at her. "Well, then, why don't we just relax. I'd really like to sit in front of one of the fires and jsut...warm up?" he said. It sounded like a question because, like many times, he knew what he wanted to say, but just couldn't find the words. He assumed it was partly because of his dyslexia. Too many times he'd heard teachers and kids alike telling each other he was slow in so many areas. Well, someday he'd show them all.

Lark mentioned the prom and Jack nodded. She was right; whoever put this thing together this year, did a pretty good job. He'd thought about asking a couple of different girls. He even got gutsy enough to stand right in front of one of them and stutter like a four year old. Of course, she rolled her eyes, told him never in a thousand years, and walked away. What pissed him off, was he hadn't even gotten a question out. She'd assumed she knew what he was going to say; and she was right. Later, after that incident, he'd laughed. But he'd also started to wonder why, even when he was thinking about the other girls, he was thinking about Lark. Beacause they were best friends! And she was a girl. These things came up when friends were different genders, right?

"I thought---hm, about taking someone. But it didn't really pan out," he muttered, glancing at Lark with a half-smile that showed he really didn't care. Glancing back at Lark, he smiled, bigger this time. "How about you? You want to go? I'm not a bad date, I promise," he said, shrugging. That was it. He thought he must be an awful date if girls rolled their eyes at him when he asked; or didn't, for that matter. He treated girls nice. He didn't want some girl he couldn't love and do nice thigns for. Even though Lark wasn't his girlfriend, she was his best friend, and he would do nice things for her all day long.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

stand against the liars
stronger than before
when your life becomes a war
set the world on fire

“That sounds like a plan. Curling up in front of the fire sounds good.” Lark responded with a smile as she kept up with Jack. A few minutes of silence passed between them, but the girl did not mind in the least. It was comfortable, and there was no pressure to keep up any sort of extended conversation with him. Her mind was actually drifted off towards the dorm room fireplace, curled up on the couch next to her best friend and talking about absolutely nothing in particular. It was something she enjoyed, even if it did not occur all that often. No matter though—it was happening tonight and that’s all that mattered. Any time with her best friend was time well spent. Finally they reached the bottom of the cliff and Lark was silently thankful they didn’t roll down the hill and bust their heads wide open. That was the last thing they needed, was a serious injury to deal with. I get plenty of those from the bastards in our element, Lark randomly thought, a scowl crossing over her features for a split second.

It felt good to be on the grass again, and soon she was walking across the grounds and back towards the academy with Jack at her side. The stresses of her daily life began to creep back into her heart as the castle grew closer. The last thing Jack needed was to be involved in one of her squabbles with one of their own element—what if someone approached her and tried to start something? Maybe they wouldn’t, not when she was with someone. Still, it would be good to make a fast paced walk towards the dorms either way. When he mentioned his possible date to the prom being a dead end, Lark frowned and grew angry. “Why? Did they think they were too good for you? Because if that’s the case she is a stupid bitch. If anything you’re too good for her.” Lark felt that this was very true. Jack was a loyal friend, and thoughtful of others even if his temper did get the better of him at times. Her finger wavered in the air for a moment as though lecturing the wind blowing around them, then sighed and dropped said finger back at her side. As much as she wanted to beat the girl’s face in for turning Jack down, it would not do good for both of the fire elementals to get worked up over it. That would make for one sick nasty combination.

However, the attempts to placate her fury completely dissipated at his question. Lark looked at him, blinking a few times to try and absorb what it was he asked of her. Going to the prom? That would require putting on a dress, and being in front of a lot of people who would probably point and stare at the rough and tough tomboy breaking down and being a girl for once. The shoes, the hair, the dress, the make-up…it was scary, and it made her feel intimidated by the prospect of looking like a female to the rest of the school, including Jack. Why would he care…? She thought in passing, the feeling fleeting as she looked at the ground and mulled over his offer for a moment or two. Why would he want to take her anyway? She was not worth that kind of time. There were plenty of better prospects who were probably more interested in the prom than she was by a long shot. It could be humiliating. It could be stressful. It could be the worst idea in the world. Sighing, she leaned against Jack and linked her arm around his, smirking at him with a glow in her eyes. “I’m not sure what possessed you to ask someone like me but…sure. What the hell. Let’s do it.” The academy steps were not too far away, and Lark was now more than eager to get inside and warm up. If only I could manipulate heat…we’d be set. That was not until college level though, and so they had to stick with freezing to death if they wanted to fight the weather during the relentless winter. As an added thought, Lark tore her eyes away from their destination and back towards her best friend. “Just a warning…I’m not sure how good of a date I’ll be, but I’ll try my best. You know how I am with being…girly.” She flailed her fingers for emphasis, then Lark muttered, “And I’ve never been a date.” It was very intimidating, but Lark was not one to back down from a challenge and would never reveal weakness. She would tackle this head on…in a dress. And as long as Jack was there, everything would be just fine.


[I'm gonna get the prom thread up tonight. :3]