wildflower

[bulrushes]

On the doorstep of a little house in Forks, Washington, a basket is placed.

The doorbell rings.

There are footsteps, and then there are not.

Comments

[asmyown]

"Huh. All right, then you can stick to being vegan. And you won't ever have to eat things that 'aren't food.'"

If this were some sort of preference for 'candy only' or 'only potatoes' Lynn wouldn't be this lenient. In this case, though - the preferences are bizarre for a three year old, but workable, since it's possible to make good meal plans for a growing young girl with vegan-only items.

Food items are bought, and then they head back home.

[bulrushes]

Astrid goes back to her book.

[asmyown]

Lynn puts away groceries, and then starts looking up vegan meals. Idly, she suspects that her previous caretakers were strict vegans and dragged Astrid along for the ride. That's hardly Astrid's fault, though, and Lynn is not going to shell-shock the poor girl any more than she already has been. Bizarrely specific preferences, go.

She checks up on Astrid once that's done.

[bulrushes]

Astrid is still plugging along steadily through the adventures of the bunnies.

"The bunny language isn't in the dictionary," she says. "But there's a tiny dictionary of it in this book."

[asmyown]

"Convenient that way," she agrees. "And you're not frustrated with reading it?"

[bulrushes]

"No?"

[asmyown]

"Okay, good. You're a better reader than some of my students that are a decade older, then," snorts Lynn.

[bulrushes]

"They don't like bunnies?"

[asmyown]

"They don't like reading in general."

[bulrushes]

"...Why not?"

[asmyown]

"Because, apparently, it's boring. I don't get it, either."

[bulrushes]

"But there's books about bunnies."

[asmyown]

Lynn giggles. "And books about a thousand other wonderful things. Corrupt nations falling, monarchs rising, humans reaching out to the furthest of the stars - if I knew why they think reading's boring, I don't think I would be an English teacher. Alas, I am, and therefore don't understand the logic. But feel free to take it up with them. Maybe you'll convince a few."

[bulrushes]

"Where do I talk to them?"

[asmyown]

"I could bring you to my class, introduce you, if you like. Though I would have teaching to do at the same time, so it might not be very fun aside from telling my students how they could read about bunnies."

[bulrushes]

"Well, I could bring the bunnies book."

[asmyown]

Lynn laughs. "You could, indeed. Also other things, in case you get tired of reading. Toys and games and such. As long as you played quietly while I'm teaching class."

[bulrushes]

Astrid nods.

[asmyown]

"We can give it a try on Monday, I'll call the school and make sure it's all right."

[bulrushes]

"Okay."

[asmyown]

She smiles back, then goes to go do that!

They are... Tentative about letting a three year old into a high school, but under the circumstances the principal is willing to allow it. Lynn's reasonably well known to be responsible and is also better at her job than most teachers present. Small towns are convenient like that. They'll tolerate the three year old if it means they don't need to find a substitute.

So, on Monday, Lynn packs up a lunch of what Astrid considers 'food,' and then they head out to school, bunny book, a few toys and a puzzle in tow.

[bulrushes]

And Astrid sits in the windowsill with her bunny book and sips water and reads, quite content.

[asmyown]

Lynn teaches class! It involves discussions where they talk about and give various opinions on the books they're reading, and Lynn returns various graded essays. Because even if they don't like writing, writing well and writing fluently is a useful skill that they need to know.

A few students are nosy about Astrid, but on the whole they leave her alone, until one student observes what she's reading.

"... Isn't that a bit advanced for a little girl?" says the student, bewildered.

[bulrushes]

"I know most of the words and I have a dictionary for the other words," Astrid says reasonably.

[asmyown]

The student has no idea how to reply to such a logical answer. "Okay then, that - um, is impressive," she says, and then she goes back to trying to figure out the book.

Lynn looks a teensy bit smug (she likes smart kids) and then it's back to English class. Questions! Discussions! Are the characters right or wrong in this situation? Are they actually secretly stupid? Who knows? It's up to the reader to decide.

And then that class is over, and Lynn has a free period.

"Do you want to play outside, or stay in here?" Lynn asks, when the students have all departed.