Science Project Schism

It's nine o' clock in the morning when Lincoln's alarm clock begins to ring.  Lincoln is barely able to sit up and open his eyes to even a squint.  Once he looks over to see the time, however, he wakes right up, widening his eyes and jumping out of bed.

"Oh man, it's Sunday!  I've gotta do SOMETHING for that science project tomorrow!"  Lincoln runs out the door in his undies and a wrinkled shirt.  "Okay, maybe Lisa can help me out with this if-"

"Hey Linc!"  Leni catches him while walking down the hall.  "What's going on?"

"Can't talk, Leni.  I've gotta get a science project ready by tomorrow and-"

"Ooooh, a science project?  I can help!  I'm learning a LOT of history right now in school."

"?" "Uhh, first off, you need to be good at SCIENCE to do a science project."

"Oh, right."

"Second, I think LISA would be better at helping me with this."

"But she's only four!"

"And is the smartest out of all of us.  Still trying to figure out how that happened."

"Please Lincoln!  I know I can be good at something smarty if I tried!"

"Well, I really..."  He looks up to see Leni peering down with large, pleading eyes.  "Huh.  Okay, Let's see what you've got."

"Yay!  Let's start work in the kitchen."

"That's your room."

"Right!"

Leni leads her brother downstairs to the kitchen, only forgetting how to get there twice along the way.

"Okay, for your science project, we're gonna make one of those clocks out of food!"

"You mean a potato clock?"

"Eww, no.  Potatoes look drab, and they have SO many carbs.  We're gonna give our clock a delicious fruit salad."  Leni proceeds to take a container of leftover fruit salad from the fridge, and open it up.  She then reveals the living room wall clock she had in her hand and tosses it in.  "Ta-da!  Now you can tell time by the power of fruit!"

"Wow, that's, uh, great Leni.  I'm just gonna keep this in my room for tomorrow, okay?"  Lincoln begins up the stairs, fruitbowl in hand.

"Okay!  Thanks for letting me help you, Linc!"

"Sure, no problem."  With that, he heads on upstairs.

Leni leans back, relaxing on the counter.  "Wow, I can't believe I actually helped someone with school stuff.  Good thing this didn't end up like MY science project."  She shudderes.  "So many frogs.  But now I know I'm better at thinky stuff than I was, and Lincoln's gonna show everyone that!  Yaaaaaaay!"  Content with her improvement, Leni walks over to the fridge for a celebratory yogurt when something catches her eye.  "Oh no!  I forgot the lemons!  You can't make a clock go ticky without lemons!  I think..."

She rushes upstairs while carrying a bowl of lemons over to Lincoln's room, only to stop when she hears his voice coming from Lisa's.  "-Leni tried to help earlier, but all I got was this."

"Hmmm, even at your grade level, I doubt a bowl of mutated, theed-carrying bio-matter will conthtitute ath a valid thienth project.  Even if you put a clock in it."

"So you'll help me with-"

"Sniff"

Lincoln and Lisa turn to find a teary-eyed Leni at the door.  "Leni, wait..."

"No, it's fine...I know I can't really do anything smarty.  It's just...just...Waaaa!"  With that, she cries off to her room.

"Well that happened.  Anyway, Lincoln, I CAN help you but firth I'd need thom nitroglyther-

"Forget it, Lisa."

"I know it'th not the eathietht to acquire, but I athure you, it'll be well worth it when-"

"No, I mean I won't be needing your help with this after all."

The next day, Lincoln returns from school to find Leni sulking on the couch.  "Hey, Leni!  I turned in my science project today!"

"Your what?  Oh, yeah...  I bet you did good with Lisa helping you."

"Why don't you see for yourself?  I had to write a report too."

Lincoln hands his sister a piece of paper.  "How to power a clock using a bowl of fruit?" "!" "Hey, you used my idea for your project!"

"That's right.  I felt bad letting all the hard work you did for me go to waste."

"And look!  You even got an 'A' on it!"

"That's an 'F' actually."

"Oh, sorry about that."

"It's okay.  When I told the teacher you helped me out on it, she felt sorry enough to give me by Friday to finish it."

"Oh cool!  So, I guess I'm done helping people in history for a while."

"Science."

"Right."

"Sorry Leni.  But just because you're not good at that, doesn't mean you don't have other talents.  If I even need to dress up for anything, or need a bit of carpentry done, I'll make sure to come to you first."

"Aww, thanks Linc.  Hugs?"

"Hugs."