(This fiction is set in school years and onwards.)
Alice Simmons always knew there was something strange about Clark Kent. But she never knew just how strange and otherworldly he really was. Clark/OC. (Man of Steel universe)
It was a beautiful day and Alice was back home after three weeks away in England, staying with some relatives. She was sat with Angie, who was her best friend, on the park field. Alice was drinking up the sun after having three weeks of cloud and rain. Don't get her wrong, England was lovely. The rain was comforting and the coastal views were amazing. But she hadn't seen the sun once while she was there.
"So school gossip since you have been gone, are you ready?"
"Hit me"
"Ok, Maria and Derik broke up, then got back together, and then broke up again. And I sense they will get back together again pretty soon." Alice nodded, they had always had an on again of again relationship. Geeze just pick a status. "Mandy broke her arm because she tried to fly off the library steps due to drunkenness. That freak Clark Kent asked me where you were—"
"Don't call him that" Alice said seriously. Angie looked at her weirdly, obviously confused whether it was a joke or not. Everyone thought Clark Kent was a freak, they always had. Due to incidents where he seemed like he was crazy when he was younger and still even now. "No really, don't call him a freak, he saved—"
"Yeah, yeah" Angie muttered. "He saved your life once. You say that every time someone says something nasty about him"
Angie just didn't get it. Clark Kent had saved her life. There was a car, it was heading for her. Then suddenly it wasn't, suddenly there was the sound of metal breaking and the car was stopped in front of her. Clark had his hand on the crushed bonnet. He had somehow stopped that speeding car. The driver was drunk and the police didn't believe his story that a man appeared and stopped his vehicle. The police questioned her, and she lied. She couldn't say Clark appeared and stopped a speeding car with his hand. She would be locked up in a crazy home or get told she was intoxicated and then get done for underage drinking. Alice had never told Angie the full story. She gave her the same one as she gave the police. Clark pushed her out the way of the car. The car swerved and hit a tree and the driver kept trying to drive down the road.
There were a few faults with that story. For example no skid marks of the swerve and no damaged trees. But the police didn't seem to care. To them it was just another drunk driver and they didn't investigate very much.
She had confronted Clark afterwards; but he just looked at her and said 'please don't…I mean I don't know what you mean'. There was both fear and hope in his eyes at that moment, so she quickly muttered 'thank you' and 'I won't tell anyone that you may or may not have super-strength' then she walked off and never really spoke to him again. Clark…was unusual. When he was younger, two people had been convinced he dragged a bus full of drowning school children out of the water. The police put it down to shock and the two children who thought it was Clark who saved them were told they thought it was him only because he was the only one to swim out of the bus.
She tried hard to forget the car incident but she couldn't. She just couldn't get the image of him and his hand on the crushed bonnet out of her mind. She told herself she must have been crazy but she knew she wasn't. She knew what she saw, and she had kept it secret for just under a year now. She had often thought about confronting him again, but she didn't have the balls to do it.
But why did he ask where she was? They had only spoken once. She was overthinking things, he was probably just curious.
"Anyway, continue with the gossip" Alice said, nodding Angie on. Angie suddenly smiled, back in her element.
"Jenny's parents are now getting a divorce and Max has the hots for Alisha who is way, way out of his league. Christine is no longer a virgin and—" she tuned out for a moment. Alice didn't realize so much could happen in three weeks. It was crazy. "— had a party but no one showed because she wrote the address wrong. Oh and Sam was arrested but released later because they had the wrong man"
"That it?"
"There is probably more but I can't think of it. It will come to me later, don't you worry"
She was walking home from the field after a nice day. Angie had remembered more gossip and filled her in and she had also confirmed that she had missed nothing much of school. And that the half term vacation that started the previous Friday would end in precisely two weeks' time.
She decided to go another route home from the park than usual. She decided to take the longer but more scenic route, just to give her some way to spend the rest of the day. Otherwise she would have nothing to do.
She heard light sounding footsteps behind her. She hated glancing behind because there was always that awkward moment where you and the stranger make eye contact. Then what do you do? Like, do you smile? Do you nod? Or do you turn back around and continue walking?
In the end she got curious and did make a quick glance.
Clark Kent, just the person she wanted to see. Or didn't want to see. Or maybe she did. The conversation earlier with Angie had gotten her thinking about him again. And she wanted to confront him for a second time but this time she wouldn't walk off so easily.
She got ready to turn around and join him when she chickened out. She couldn't do it. There was just no way. It was too awkward and it confusing and … yeah. She would leave it. But she wanted answers but she didn't want to intrude in his walk home. Or to the bus stop or to wherever he was going.
She would do it another day, but she probably wouldn't.
"Angie" she heard a shrill scream from up ahead. Her head snapped towards the sound. Maria was running towards her and flung her arms around Alice as they collided. "England how was it?" Maria asked her, but Alice didn't even have time to reply before Maria was bombarding her with more questions. "Hot British boys, did you meet any? How about any actors, did you see any? The weather, was it awful? I missed you so much"
"I missed you too" Alice laughed. "And also no to all the questions you asked. I did not meet any hot British boys, I saw some, didn't talk. I did not see any actors and the weather was bad but not awful"
"Why didn't you talk to the boys" she whined.
"Because" was all she replied with.
Maria groaned. "Get some balls Simmons"
"Fuck off" Alice muttered jokingly.
"Anyway I have to go, I'm already late" Maria said giving her one last hug and continuing her mad rampage down the road. Maria yelled something else but she was too far down the road for Alice to hear.
"What?" she called, but it was already too late.
"She said to call her later" a voice said startling her from behind. She turned and it was Clark. He was still following quietly behind.
"Ooh" Alice said, somewhat nervously, but she thought she hid it from her voice well. "Cheers". She wanted to continue her conversation but she had no idea what to say to him.
"You went to England?" he asked, quietly. Clark was shy; she supposed a life time of being called a freak did that to someone. He was hot and looked strong (strong enough to stop a speeding car, no, but strong all the same) and in another life she bet he could have been the most adored and popular person around.
"Yeah I did" she answered. "Rains a lot"
"So I've heard" he said. They were now walking side by side. She should confront him now. She couldn't get a better chance than this. She opened her mouth but he said something before she could say a word. "I know what you are going to say. Please don't"
She played dumb. "Please don't what?" she smiled. "I was going to ask about your thoughts and feelings on today's economy."
He half smiled. "Right"
What did she say to herself about not walking away so easily? "Listen, you stopped a speeding car with your hand. I have kept this inside me for pretty much a year. I lied to police. And my friends, and I just want to know I'm not crazy" She stopped walking and so did he.
"You aren't crazy"
"Oh thank god" of course she wanted more answers, who wouldn't? But at that moment she was content with knowing that she wasn't messed up in the head. They were both just standing still and looking at each other.
"Thank you for lying" he said. Her brain still hadn't really caught up with the situation. He had stopped a speeding car. He had suddenly appeared unbelievably fast in front of her to do it. Shouldn't she be worried?
"Thank you for saving me from being crushed and injured" was all she managed to say.
"You would have died. The speed of the car and the trajectory would have resulted in your death"
"Oh" was the sound that came out of her mouth. "Shit" she paused. "Err, well…" she was completely lost for words. "You really did save my life then. I don't think I can thank you enough." Then another thought came to her as they started walking again. "You did push a bus full of children out of the water didn't you?"
Clark clenched his fist beside him. Not in a violent way but in nervous way. "Keep it to yourself"
"Well duh." Alice laughed. "Do you really think I would go telling people that?"
"At the time, some people did"
"I am not some people. Although I am very curious to how you did that? Like, super speed, and strength… because that is kind of –" she trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
"Maybe one day" was all he said. What the hell did that mean?
"Maybe one day what?" did that mean that maybe one day he would tell her. Tell everyone? Or was he tricking her. None of it could be true, but she knew it was. Something was strange about him, but she had no idea what.
"Just maybe one day"
Thank you for reading. I saw this recently with a friend and I thought it was really good. The Man of Steel version is so different from the originals but in a good way. So I was inspired to write a fic.
Quite a rubbish fic, but a fic all the same :D
I know it's been done many ways before but ah well.
If people like it then I shall put more up, if not I may not put more up.
Please review or whatever. Cheers! ;D
Till the next time (if there is a next time)