A Clover and a Bee

It’s a windless day, cool and still. Steam rises off the geothermal lake, carrying with it the faint smell of sulfur.

It’s finally beginning to feel real: in front of Lark is an actual crib, for an actual baby. Nikolas had set it up this afternoon. He’s taken over most of the planning and preparation since it’s apparent that Lark is apprehensive about her pregnancy. “It’s nice, I guess,” Lark says, “But why put it up here? There’s a spare room downstairs.” “Yeah, in the basement. Newborns don’t sleep through the night, and like hell I’m stumbling down all those stairs at two in the morning.” “Good point. But, um, what about the teddy bear?” Lark frowns at the stuffed bear in the crib, a ferocious looking werebear. “Oh, that. It’s a gift from Karl. I thought it was cute.” “I don’t like it,” Lark shudders. It reminds her too much of that movie she had watched with Karl, the one that had given her nightmares for several consecutive nights. “But it’s so friendly looking!”

A crash rings out, echoing in the small basement. Lark Bee--the cause of the commotion--looks suitably horrified. That was a twenty simoleon bottle of juice she just shattered, all because she was trying to show off while mixing drinks. “Shit,” she mutters under her breath.

Lark has dreamt about chess every night for the past week. In the dreams, she stands fixed to a spot, unable to move for what feels like hours at a time, her only company the unspeaking fairy on the opposite side. It’s becoming tiresome.

Lark isn’t normally a very competitive person. She’s fine with being a C student, for instance, and she hasn’t shown any interest in any contests or competitions before. She just doesn’t seem to need the praise that comes from victory.

It’s the evening before Leisure Day, and Lark is free from school for the next three days. She leaves Nature and Nurture Learning Academy with a backpack full of homework, all of which she intends to ignore. Long weekends--especially ones that include a day specifically devoted to leisure--are for play, not work. She happily rides her bike through the town square, mentally planning the weekend’s activities as she pedals.