Well This is Awkward

Morning rolls around, Lizzy has the gates set up for the cattle. With the Soleils she begins helping them trim hooves. She knew the basics for cattle feet but while they worked with the cows the Soleils taught her more. Lizzy asked why she wasn't seeing hoof problems that she saw while working as a vet assistant. Here all the animals get the care they need. Where as Lizzy's boss use to get called when things were too late.

At nine in the morning Karen informs Lizzy she has a message. It's from Dragon. Karen brings out her monotone voice. "I'm sorry I couldn't pass the test! I was really looking forward to seeing you today! *crying emoji crying emoji crying emoji*"

Lizzy can't hold in her laughter when Karen says crying emoji in that voice. And then she couldn't stop. Alex who is walking through the barns hears her laughter faintly over the fans. He sees her sitting on the ground infront of the goat pen that Bea's in. He walks up to her.

"What's so funny?" He asks. Checking over his glass screen control device seeing what all could use maintenance. 

"Karen's voice." Lizzy laughs.

"You asked for me to read the message so I read the message." Karen says in her normal voice.

"Karen, say crying emoji again in that voice." Lizzy tries calming down.

Karen switches to monotone. "Crying emoji." Lizzy losses it and falls over laughing.

"Pfftt!" Alex tries not to laugh at Lizzy. He clears his throat. "That's not very funny."

Karen floats toward Alex's face. "Even if it was from a boy?" She whispers. She has her scans ready for his reaction and could tell what chemicals changed. So she knew he was feeling the emotion jealousy. With a touch of anger.

"That's none of my business. And stop scanning me!" He turns to leave. Meanwhile Lizzy had calmed down.

"For a second I thought you came to see how to trim goat hooves." Lizzy holds up straight hand held pruning shears. He looks over his shoulder. She opens and closes them in their scissor motion.

"I will watch you trim one goat but I have other work to do today." He taps away at his control device.

"Very well. Come on Bea!" Lizzy says opening the gate for the goat to run out.

"Whow." Alex steps back.

"Bea is use to me picking up her legs so this will look easy." Lizzy informs Alex. She goes around picking up Bea's legs and cutting the over grown hoof off.

"Huh." Alex is slightly fascinated.

"But like you said Soleils do everything." Lizzy states and they look into the pen at Soleils trimming the goats hooves. Only minor fits from the younger goats since they weren't use to hoof trims yet.

"Message from Stacy." Says Karen.

"You're good to read it." Lizzy tells her.

Karen with her monotone voice. "Farm girl! Turns out our licenses aren't good here! So renting a car to go to the lake is a no go. This is horrible! I was so looking forward to this weekend! *crying emoji*" 

"Well that sucks." Says Lizzy with a snicker.

Alex muffles a laugh.

"Alex here has a license." Karen eyes him slyly.

"If I asked he will say he has work or how he can't be taken from his work." Lizzy states.

"I can speak for myself thank you very much! I'm sorry, I'm far to busy to help. Along with I only have a motorcycle." Alex says looking over his control panel. Bea nibbles on his pants. "Cut that out!"

"That's a lie. He is available this weekend. And you kids can use my old van." Gramps voice comes over the intercom of the camera.

Why? Of all the times he could be watching. He chose now. Alex thinks to himself. Lizzy waves to the camera before prying Bea off.

"You don't have to take us." Lizzy whispers. "We can figure out another way."

"Another way is the boys can drive you girls." Karen whispers next to them.

"Boys?" Alex and Lizzy whip their heads toward Karen.

"Well I guess I could be a responsible adult and drive you two." States Alex.

"There is six of them." Karen whispers.

"Six?!" Alex and Lizzy look at Karen again.

"Stacy, Lizzy, Drag, Stephen, Tate and Hitohito. It would be a waste of fuel if there is two cars. All of you can fit in the van." Explains Karen.

Alex wrestles with the facts. "Fine, I can drive everyone."

"Thank you Alex! What kind of food should we pack since it's going to be a long day out there." Asks Lizzy. "Oh we will be swimming so pack a suit."

"I will pack my own lunch and drinks. Just worry about yourselves. And I won't be swimming." Alex says turning to leave. "Send the time and place of the pick up to Burta." He waves bye as he walks away to the office.

"We still should find some way to thank him. Karen."

"On it. I messaged Burta. Once Gramps is at home we will figure out what to get him and Gramps. By the way are you going to message Drag back?"

"Oh shoot! Tell him it's alright, maybe next time. I work every morning but the start time is 6am not 5am."

.     .     .     .     .

Everyday up til the trip, Drag messaged Lizzy saying how he couldn't pass the test. He is having private study sessions for his other subjects so meeting up hasn't happened. Lizzy is just happy someone is showing interest in animals. 

Lizzy is running through the streets trying to get to the meeting point. She went to the barns this morning. She did have her things packed for the trip and left them with Stacy. She is running hard, her are legs burning, sweat was starting to develop on her body and her lungs are begging for more air. Running in boots, jeans and a t-shirt wasn't helping.

She rounds the corner and sees everyone in the parking lot standing next to a van with actual wheels. Stacy jumps up and down waving to her. Her classmates and Stacy are on the passenger side. Stacy has on jean shorts and a tank top. The boys had stylish summer clothes. While Alex is leaning against the drivers door. He had on sweats and a t-shirt with a ball cap. She slows to a jog til she is next to them.

"I told you it was a bad idea going to the barns this morning." Stacy scolds her.

"Yea. I know." Lizzy is panting hard.

"You need to walk to cool down. I don't need you passing out in the van." Alex's voice carries over the van.

Once Lizzy has cooled off, everyone hops into the van. Stacy sits in the back between Hitohito and Stephen. Lizzy is in the bucket seat behind Alex who is driving. Drag is in the bucket seat behind Tate who is in the front passenger seat. The six Soleils sat in their owners laps.

Stacy holds a lively conversation between the two boys in the back. Various topics of favorite colors to tech that came out. Lizzy and Drag have a little awkward conversation between the two of them. It started off with apologies for failing the bio-security test to what Lizzy has done all week. Tate being the extravert he is, throws many conversation starters at Alex. Just for him to sit there very quietly while driving. He only scoffed when he heard Drag couldn't pass the bio-security test multiple times.

The hour drive wasn't horrible. The roads where bumpy since they aren't used often anymore. The cities are connected by the express trains so people just use those for convenience. They pass barren lands where some spots had foliage. One point they are in a thick woods. Near the end they came to meadows and the van approached a small wooded area. They are driving on grass since the old dirt road was over taken by grass and weeds. Lizzy sees some really old posts that could have been the barrier to a parking lot. They used those around her old town because they were cheap to replace if hit.

They pile out of the van and begin stretching. Lizzy starts grabbing the gear from the back while Stacy, Hitohito and Stephen take off. They were yelling something about looking for a spot to set up.

"They ditched us!" Lizzy exclaims to the remaining group.

"Let's leave their stuff!" Tate says.

"I would if my things weren't in Stacy's bag. It will be fine. There isn't too much to carry." She says.

"Here let me get that." Drag grabs some bags for Lizzy.

"Thank you." She smiles back.

Alex who is leaning against the van where no one can see him. He does a mocking face mouthing let me and thank you. Karen floats around the corner eyeing him slyly. He sticks his tongue out at her. She floats backwards slowly keeping an eye on him til she is out of view.

"You guys done yet?" Alex says walking around the back. The kids almost had everything but were a few hands short. He sighs. Everything he needs is in a backpack on his back. He helps grab the last chairs and umbrella.

"Thank you!" Lizzy says smiling at him.

"Yea whatever." He says closing the doors and following the group. He is happy he survived the awkward drive there and will now be sitting away from the group and hoping the strange talkative kid stays away. 

The sand was covered in a lot of weeds near the large pond. Calling it a lake was being generous. The Soleils called out to one another to combine into a rototiller with a sifter to make a small patch of nice sand.

"Come on Karen!" Kiki calls out from the side of the machine they made.

"No. That will hurt my dignity." Karen says. She floats away from them and goes to the waters edge. Getting samples and what not.

Stacy and Lizzy start pealing off their clothes since they wore their swim suits under them. The boys casually stall while this happens. 

"Last one in has to carry everything back to the van!" Stacy shouts running to the water. Lizzy closely behind her. The boys scamper into the woods to change. Alex sits in the shade sipping on his tea he brought. He sees empty cans of beverages from teens or parties that were thrown here. He decides he will pick them up later.

Lizzy's feet sink a little in the muck and sand. She gets about knee deep in the water. Fish scatter with her arrival. She looks around, the shape of the pond reminds her of one she use to swim in.

Stacy is busy yelling at the boys for being slow. Lizzy continues to look around. She splashes through the water to an older tree hanging over the water. She looks up to a branch and sees an old rope that the tree branch had grown around. Deja vue hits again. She looks into the woods and sees a herd of deer. 

"Karen?" Lizzy calls out while standing on the beach in the knee high weeds. She stares at the rope for a second.

Karen looks up from her samples she is gathering. Lizzy runs to her Soleil. Stacy is busy with three of the guys so they didn't hear her yell. Alex is watching from the shade, curious on what made her shout. Drag jogs up to Lizzy and Karen.

"You alright Lizzy?" Asks Dragon.

"I'm. I'm not sure. Karen, what's the name of this lake?" Lizzy asks.

"Deer lake." Karen states.

Lizzy drops to her knees. Alex sits up taller watching her. Drag kneels beside her.

"Hey are you alright?" Dragon asks. Lizzy stares off in the distance unresponsive.