One day in the summer, Oliver’s family hosts a barbeque. Since Robin is busy at the shop though, Lark decides to come in his place. She arrives with a bag of berries in one hand and a bag of melons in the other.

The driveway along the side of the house is fully open, revealing a number of people and makeshift plastic tables and chairs, and the scent of barbeque wafts through the air. Sun shines down, and there’s not much shade behind the tree in the backyard and the shadow of the house and fence. Someone is definitely going to get sunburned, and it’s not going to be Lark.

“Hey, Oliver,” Lark greets as she steps onto the property. “Where’s your mum? I should say hi.”

Oliver looks at the bags she’s carrying and sighs.

Lark catches his look. “It could be worse, my mum wanted me to buy a couple of kilos of pre-marinated meat for the barbeque.”

“Who are you trying to bribe?” Oliver jokes. “Mum’s inside.”

Lark meets Oliver’s mum, as well as a number of other women, and successfully hands over the fruit after instigating that if it’s not enough, Lark will quickly head to the grocers to buy enough for everyone.

“You kids go out and play,” Oliver’s mum eventually says in defeat. “Are you hungry, Lark? Oliver can prepare a plate for you.”

Lark nods. “He will,” she assures. “Won’t you, Oliver?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Oliver says promptly.

Lark pats him on the arm. He’s much more suited to be part of her evil organisation than that stubborn Robin.

(Ignoring the fact that perhaps her own personality helped shaped Robin’s as a child.)

In the backyard, there are many people, young and old (Lark saw that some of the teens were sitting inside the house.) Someone has set up a small inflatable pool and the youngest kids are splashing inside without a care in the world, still dressed.

“Lark, this is my older brother, Cameron, and my younger brother, Henry,” Oliver introduces. “Everyone, this is Lark, Robin’s sister.”

Henry looks interested. “Lark. We’ve heard so much about you.” He looks slyly at Cameron. “Wanna play a quick game? We can gather a team. You’re already wearing football shoes.”

Lark smirks. “Because I predicted someone would say that. You provide the ball, I provide the points.”

“We’ll see,” Cameron interrupts. He shouts loudly to everyone in the backyard, “We’re playing a game! Who’s with me!”

And Henry adds, “It’s mixed teams! I’m on Lark’s team.”

Lark nods. “Good choice, Henry. Oliver?”

“No thanks,” Oliver says. He frowns though. “But do you want me to come anyway?”

Lark waves a hand. “Nah, it’s fine.” She gives Oliver a reassuring pat and heads off to join Henry and the others.

*

Oliver is a little worried, but he obeys Lark and stays back. In the late afternoon, the group returns, announced by their loud chatter.

Oliver immediately goes up to his brothers and Lark. “So, who won?”

“It was a draw,” Lark says smugly, sounding as though she purposefully made it such so that no one would be a loser.

Oliver glances at Cameron. “Satisfied your football playing itch?”

Cameron gives him a dark look. “I’m replacing you with Lark. You can’t play football for shit.”

“...”

Lark pats Oliver comfortingly. “Don’t worry, my brother loves you. Say, do you have an aloe vera? Some of the kids got sunburnt.”

“Ah, yeah,” Oliver looks pityingly at some of the other players.

“Hey Lark,” one of the guys calls out. “Are you gonna come back next week? We could set up a local tournament!”

“Sorry, I already play in my local area,” Lark says.

“Oh?” one of the women asks with interest. “Is it official?”

They all start more football chatter, and Oliver pulls a face and goes and finds the aloe vera. He worried about Lark for nothing!

(Later that night, Robin will comfort him in bed. “There, there, you didn’t grow up with Lark, but now you know better, hm?”)

bafflinghaze

Just Lark being Cool ???