Her new cashmere sweater hung down past her waist and a little over her hips; the sleeves devoured her hands forcing her to roll them up three times. The school store that Ellie and her aunt had been to only had that size and Lena had insisted; she said that Ellie could just grow into it. Lena had insisted on a lot of things that week, Ellie recalled as she slipped on her new turquoise flats. She stared over at her now fully stocked closet adorned with every possible outfit a ten-year-old girl could desire. Then she looked at herself in the five foot tall mirror by the dresser— which was also filled with new socks, underwear, and every color of solid camisole one could think of.
She looked different, she thought to herself. Beneath the sweater was a white button up polo branded with an embroidered school symbol over her heart. She wore a pair of white tights with her plaid gray and green skirt. Lena had even bought her a set of silver bangle bracelets that she had been staring at in one of the boutiques over the weekend. It was overwhelming to say the least. Ellie turned to look at her side, pulling her skirt down in the back. She glanced over at the bed noticing the few pieces that remained of her old life: a ratty dog stuffed animal, a packet of pencil sketches, and an old backpack. She looked back at the mirror and felt the pang of guilt tighten in her chest. Ellie didn't even need to ask twice about anything. She supposed it was Lena trying to be nice, trying to make her feel welcome, or something along that line. But it was all so new. A new school, new clothes, new people, new everything. She stepped over to the bed and zipped up her backpack, jiggling the zipper back and forth along the top where it would get jammed. Don't worry. She thought to herself. I won't forget you. She grabbed her backpack and headed into the kitchen where her aunt was waiting for her.
"Look at you, rockin' your new uniform," Lena commented as the girl entered the room.
Ellie set her backpack down on one of the island chairs and sat at the counter with a smile. A spoon, bowl and box of Cheerios had already been put out.
As she listened to the rattling sound of cereal hitting the bowl, Lena jumped slightly. "Oh, forgot the milk."
"I'm good," Ellie commented as she picked up the spoon and began to eat the sugary grains as is.
Lena set the milk back on the top shelf and shut the refrigerator door. "Okay," she replied. After a slight pause, she grinned. "I have a surprise for you," she said walking through the adjoining living room to the front door. She picked up something at the foot of the coat rack and then turned to her niece with a wide grin. In her hands was a pristine white and purple polka-dotted backpack; a little stuffed dog keychain hung from one of the zippers. "What do you think?" Lena asked. "I thought you could use a new one for your first day."
Ellie stared at the bag and smiled uneasily as a courtesy. "I like my old backpack," was all she said.
"Well," Lena said, "I thought you might want one that's not so broken and beat up." She began to riffle through it. "It's got lots of pockets for your books and—"
"Thanks," Ellie interrupted. "But I really like the bag I have."
Lena, caught a bit off guard, paused. Finally she nodded her head and set the bag down on the couch. "Okay. It'll be easy enough to return." She smiled to hide her slight disappointment. "Well, I'm going to finish getting ready," she said with a sigh. "Then we can go meet up with Sam and Ruby. Okay?"
Lena watched her niece nod and, without another word, she exited the room.
O-o-O-o-O
"Good morning," Sam greeted as Lena and Ellie approached.
Lena replied, "Hey," with a nervous breath.
Sam smiled at Lena's frantic expression and then looked to the ten-year-old standing beside her. "You must be Ellie," she said. "I'm Sam and this is Ruby."
Both girls said hello with a wave, Ruby's a bit more confident than Ellie's.
"Ruby is going to take you to your class and show you around the school," Lena chimed in. "How's that sound?"
Ellie just silently nodded with a smile and then followed as Ruby lead the way into the building. After a few steps, she stopped and turned back.
"I don't have a lunch," she quietly said.
Lena's eyes widened with embarrassment. She had completely forgotten about that. Frozen like a deer in the headlights, she looked to her friend.
"She can buy a lunch," the single mom informed her.
The young woman nodded and scrambled through her purse. After a minute of digging, she pulled out a twenty dollar bill— usually the only bill she ever carried— and handed to the child.
"I don't think I need this much," Ellie commented.
"It's fine," Lena replied, gesturing for the girl to head inside as the bell began to ring. "I'll see you after school!" she called watching Ellie run to catch up with Ruby. Once the girls were out of sight, Lena turned to face her friend. With a frustrated sigh, she crossed her arms and shook her head. "I can't believe I forgot to make her a lunch."
Leading her friend back down the sidewalk, Sam chuckled. "It happens to the best of us," she reassured her. "You're still getting used to the whole parenting gig."
Lena bowed her head, staring at her feet as they walked. "Things seemed like they were going fine for the past few days. She was opening up and talking a little. We went shopping for new clothes, got her uniform, watched movies together…." She furrowed her brow and glanced back up. Across the street was a woman walking hand-in-hand with her two young children. The boy— probably a kindergartener— was jumping and skipping the whole way. The daughter smiled as she talked to her mother. It was like a perfect scene from a perfect movie. Then the reality of her own life returned. "There's still a distance," she said still staring. "...things I want to know about her."
Again, Sam laughed, "You've only been Ellie's guardian for a few weeks. You're still getting to know her and she's still learning to trust you." She shrugged her shoulders. "Ruby is thirteen, and I still don't know every little thing. Don't be so hard on yourself."
Her mind flashed back to her childhood— far from a picture perfect family. Distant was simply another way of defining a Luthor. By the time she was Ellie's age, Lena had accepted the fact that compassion and love were signs of weakness, though the desire for those things never strayed from her mind. She wanted a different life for Ellie. But for Lena, there was always that fear that she couldn't be more than just a Luthor.
"I just… don't know what to do. I don't know how to get to that point with her."
"Just give it time. I know you're used to quick results and firm answers in the business world, but I'm gonna tell you now, kids are the complete opposite."
Lena grinned, knowing her friend was completely right. She just wouldn't admit it.
"They are always changing. Once you think you know what you're doing, they throw a curveball at you and you're back to trying to figure them out." She watched the woman walking beside her chuckle. "Hey. You always have me if you need help." She looked into her anxious friend's eyes. "I know from experience that it's tough being a single mom, but I also know that you are more than capable of figuring it out."
Swallowing back her fear, Lena smiled at her friend. "Thank you."
Sam, gently nudging the other woman's arm with her elbow, replied, "It's what friends are for."
O-o-O-o-O
Ellie had followed Ruby through hallways, around corners, and up flights of stairs for what she believed to be the longest eight minutes of her life. The school was an inconceivable maze, with Ellie as the confused little lab rat looking for the exit.
"You don't talk much," Ruby commented as the girls stopped at a set of red lockers lining what she had called the seventh grade hallway.
Ellie looked around at the older students yelling, roughhousing, laughing, slamming lockers. "Just trying to get used to this," she replied.
The older of the two smiled as she lifted the latch and opened the door to her locker. "I get that. New school, new people-"
"New everything," Ellie sighed.
"Yeah," Ruby replied apologetically. "You'll get used to it after a little while. I promise."
Ellie managed a small grin and nodded.
"C'mon," Ruby slammed her locker close and gestured to the newbie, "I can show you to your classroom. The principle said that I could show you stuff this week and make sure you get the hang of getting around the school. So when the bell rings you just hang outside the classroom and wait for me. I'll try to get there as soon as I can."
With another grin, Ellie replied, "Thanks."
"No problem," the girl shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "I wish I had had someone willing to help me when I first got here." They turned the corner and headed into the fifth grade wing of the school. "You also got the best teacher in the fifth grade. Ms. Wilson is really sweet and will help you with anything."
The girls stopped at one of the classroom doors. They all looked alike, so goodness knows how long it would take Ellie to get the hang of finding it. Before walking away, Ruby reminded the younger girl to hang out outside of the classroom for her and wished her luck. Her stomach began to churn the moment Ruby was out of sight. Ellie slowly stepped into the doorway cluching her books tightly to her chest so as to hide how much her hands were actually shaking. Fifteen sets of eyes were glued to her instantly, though she refused to make contact with any of them. Her glance remained on the floor or the unfamiliar walls surrounding her. She approached the teacher's desk nervously and without a word.
The woman seemed like she gave a calm energy. Her wavy dirty blonde hair fell to her shoulders, tangled in a pair of large silver hooped earring. She was a younger teacher, maybe a little older than Lena, who wore a soft blue blouse with quarter length sleeves and a set of silver and gold bangles that clanged together as she brushed her hair behind her ear. Her face was round but still lean against her jawline. When she smiled towards Ellie, the woman's dimples became highly noticeable. Her large brown eyes possessed no sense of harshness whatsoever.
"Hi there," she greeted, her voice just as calm as her disposition.
"Hi," Ellie replied shyly.
"Are you my new student?" The woman asked as she skimmed through the student roster on her desk. "Eleana… Luthor."
It took Ellie a moment to process before she replied. "I like to be called Ellie." She had never heard anyone say her new full name before.
The teacher nodded with a quick grin. "Well it's nice to meet you, Miss Luthor."
Again, the girl's mind jolted slightly. Luthor. With that, she managed a smile and nodded. Luthor.
O-o-O-o-O
Ellie's day was typical for a first. Her homeroom teacher was sweet just as Ruby said; she had helped her by explaining catch up assignments and the best ways to approach them, continuously checked in to make sure Ellie understood and didn't fall behind, and even paired her with good students during group work. It had seemed like the day wasn't going to be bad whatsoever, but, of course, that was only the first two hours of the day.
After the third period bell rang, Ellie waited outside of Ms. Wilson's class for Ruby. The hallways bustled with students from fifth to eighth grade. It reminded her a lot of the Metropolis subway station at rush hour. For the moment, Ellie found herself content rather than nervous as she stood there with a smile on her face. Though the smile faded quickly as an eighth grade boy brushed by her without a thought and shoved her back hard. She looked up as he continued walking with a mischievous grin, but she shook it off the moment Ruby greeted her and brought her to the auditorium for PE.
Ellie was not the athletic nor the competitive type, but in a class of sixty fifth graders, she figured she wasn't the only one. They were playing indoor soccer, separated into four teams that switched off in two minute games. She wasn't the kind of girl who was afraid of the ball, though she wasn't one of the kids who showed off their skills either. She was average and prefered being that way. PE, though not her favorite class, was very enjoyable for a girl like Ellie. Stresses and struggles of the day or the week could just be kicked away or she could run laps until she forgot what she was upset about in the first place.
Ruby had been waiting for her outside of the locker rooms. With a kind grin she asked Ellie how she liked gym and with a smile Ellie said that it was actually fun with so many kids. The girls stopped by their lockers, Ellie sort of getting the handle on how to open the thing, and made their way to the library where tech classes were held. Ruby explained that the school required tech courses and that Lena's company was actually responsible for providing the devices they worked with. Ellie thought it might be interesting to learn. She knew nothing about technologies and sciences because her previous school couldn't afford it. It had been a lower level school, public, free. The moment she had walked into this place, she knew it was going to be far different.
The girl's technologies teacher was nothing like Ms. Wilson, however. The man was about the same age, dark hair, pale skin, shorter than average. He wore a plaid button down tucked into a pair of khakis. His voice had a commanding presence and he seemed very laid back with certain students, yet something about him made Ellie a little uneasy. He acted particularly indifferent to her, though she could sense that he didn't like her right away— like a five minute introduction could help him determine if he liked someone. He informed her of where to sit, and for some reason didn't look her in the eye. When she raised her hand for questions, he ignored her, but then called on her in moments when she had no answer. It felt like a very strange game.
Ruby was allowed to take a different lunch so that she could show Ellie the cafeteria and how to buy lunches and such. It was significantly more comforting having her there because the cafeteria was like a madhouse, worse than the hallways during class changes because at least then students were moving. There they were all in one area, screaming and laughing, acting like little animals. She supposed she just didn't understand the appeal to it.
It was a bit of relief knowing that she was returning to Ms. Wilson's class for the remainder of the school day. Math and reading… she could handle those, they made sense. At the end of the day, she wished her teacher well and thanked her for her help with a smile. She then waited for Ruby before leaving the school to find their adults.
The girls ran to meet up at the same spot they had been dropped off. Sam greeted her daughter with open arms and a loving embrace as she kissed her on the head. Lena stood with a sense of hesitance, her hands tucked into the pockets of her crimson coat. Ellie approached her with a smile.
As they went their separate directions and said goodbye, Lena began her somewhat rehearsed and stilted questioning. "So, how was your first day?"
The question was genuine, though clearly forced. She was trying her hardest to be a normal parent, whatever that really meant. The young woman had seen it in various movies and tv shows, though she was aware that she couldn't base her parenting on only that. Her parents never inquired about those things when she was a child, so she figured it was safe to assume that normal parents did ask that question.
Ellie glanced up at her aunt with a smile. "I liked it," she replied simply.
Her mother had always asked her about her day. It had become such a routine, that Ellie had once asked her mother if moms had to ask their kids that question every day. Her mother would reply that they didn't, and when Ellie asked why she asked about it then, she would reply that she just genuinely wanted to know. It was as simple as that.
"It's really big," she added.
"Ruby helped you find your classes, though?" Lena inquired.
Ellie nodded. "She said she would help me for the rest of the week until I get the hang of it."
"Good. I'm happy to hear that," Lena replied with a smile. "So what about your teachers? Do you like them?"
The girl looked up at the older brunette walking beside her and noticed the sense of discomfort in her eyes. Her shoulders were tensed up and she was blinking more than usual. Ellie shook her head and said, "If you don't really want to know, you shouldn't ask."
Suddenly, Lena's blue-green eyes met with the girl's. With a confused expression, she asked, "What made you think I don't want to?"
The child shrugged her shoulders. "Just because I'm ten, it doesn't mean I can't sense certain things. I'm smarter than you think."
Lena let out an embarrassed laugh under her breath. "I never doubted that." She paused and thought about what to say next. "This…" she removed a hand from her pocket and brushed it through her hair. "This is still new to me. And I am not sure if what I'm doing, what I'm saying, is right."
Ellie stopped walking and looked up at the woman. "You don't have to try so hard, you know."
Lena stopped and stared at the girl with a small sense of awe. Believe it or not the ten-year-old was thinking more clearly than she was. She supposed this normal parent stuff was a bit out of her league. Her perfectionism seemed to get the better of her.
"I'm sorry if I made it seem that way," Lena replied. "But I do genuinely want to know these things."
"Then it's as simple as that," the girl said with a grin. As they began walking again, Ellie continued, "Most of my teachers are really nice."
Lena smiled at her niece and began to listen.