iSuperwoman
Chapter Seven: iStand
Thur. August 16th, 2012: Stars sat at ease with cosmic gases and revolving planets. Moving among the dark matter of space, Carly witnessed the birth of new worlds, the deaths and births of stars, and an endless display of cascading lights. As the orbits continued, three bright lights shined down on the teenager. Two stars sat next to one another with a third ray of light underneath and between them. Lines formed, connecting the two stars with the bottom star and forming a topless, downward-pointed triangle. Her eyes shooting open, Carly found herself alone in her bedroom and coated in icy sweat. Gasping in and out, the teenager looked at her clock. Two a.m., the clock's red figures read. Closing her eyes again, Carly put the images out of her mind, and attempted to fall back asleep.
"All I did was stop a car," the young brunette argued as she and Sam walked down the sidewalk towards Ridgeway High. "I mean, Edward Cullen was saving someone..."
"But you saved the whole town," Sam interrupted, her voice upbeat. "Now we can actually be outside during daylight."
"I guess," Carly replied. "I'm still just kind of worried...those couldn't have been all the Star Babies. What if there're more gangs?"
"Then you can just kick their butts," the blond chuckled.
"But what if they're just kids, though?" Carly answered. "I mean, I was torn up when I realized I was Kryptonian, but I had friends and family who understood. What if these guys don't have that? It'd be so easy for someone to take advantage."
"I guess," Sam replied, calming herself down. "...Maybe that's what Supergirl's for."
"A role model without a face?" Carly asked, turning her head to face her friend. "Maybe I'm not the best example."
"Sure you are," the blond shot back. "Carly, you're sweet, sensitive, and from what happened the other day, you're brave. The only problem is you're kind of prissy."
Carly laughed through her closed mouth. They fly through the clouds and stars...letting us know we're never alone. Shrugging off the memory, the brunette kept walking. "Oh, hey," she said, trying to change the subject. "We still need to pick a day to shoot the next iCarly. I guess they're only allowing one day a week."
"Figures," Sam replied. "Can I guess Briggs came up with that idea?"
"Probably," Carly answered. "How about Wednesdays?" Sam nodded to one side, shrugging her shoulders in a "whatever" fashion. "Oh hey, Freddie wants to hang out with us at lunch. Can I count on you to join us?" Letting out a heavy groan, Sam dropped her head on her friend's shoulder, letting her arms go limp as they swayed back and forth in a dramatic fashion. "Fine," she gave in. Smiling, Carly walked her seemingly lifeless friend to the front door of the school.
"Oh, I need to talk to Nevel," the brunette remembered as the front doors to the school parted around her and Sam. "I'll catch you later."
"Later, Carls," the blond replied, throwing her back pack over her shoulder and walking over to her locker.
"Hey, Nevel," Carly greeted her friend, taking his attention away from his books.
"Hey, Carly," the young man responded, his voice lighter and less tense than usual. "Hey, thanks for...you know, talking me down the other night."
"No problem," the brunette answered, her tone casual yet caring. "That's what friends are for." Nevel smiled, his shoulders dropped in relief.
Come noon, Carly, Sam, Freddie, and Nevel were seated at the same table, trying to leave their comfort zones. "So, Fredward," Sam said, her tone low and uninterested. "How's the AV club?"
"It's fine," the boy answered, staying on guard. "How's...whatever you do?"
"Just fine," the blond replied. Silence filled the table for a moment. Nevel and Carly glanced at one another, then faced forward.
"So..." Carly began. "How long was Ms. Briggs' class this morning?"
"Try an eternity," Freddie answered, suddenly in an excitable mood. "I almost passed out when she started talking about The Odyssey." Sam bit her lip.
"It sounded good, but not the way she told it," the brunette girl added. "It's supposed to be an epic."
"Yeah, epic fail," Sam groaned, digging around her food with a fork. Nevel chuckled under his breath, trying to hold himself back.
"So, when did you say we can do iCarly webisodes?" Freddie asked, looking at Carly.
"Wednesdays," Carly answered. "Does that work for you guys?"
"Sure," Freddie and Nevel harmonically answered.
At last, the final bell of the day rang, and the students departed from one another. Outside, the warm August day slowly faded into a cold dusk. Walking down the street, Freddie looked over the footage of the iCarly webisode from the other day. Freezing the frame, the boy looked at Carly; her long brown hair, her caring, loving, brown eyes, her innocent, flawless young smile. Smiling to himself, the boy closed the screen of his cam quarter, and let himself focus on his walk back to his apartment.
Pulling her arm back, feeling the rope tighten and lock into place, Sam focused her eyes on the target; her breaths in sync with her arrow. Letting go of the rope, the girl watched the head strike the red bullseye in the center of the round target, making it the third arrow to do so that day. "Nice," the blond declared under her breath, loading up another arrow.
"You know, you're the only person I've ever known who wears sleeves when doing archery," a man said, walking over to his regular customer.
"Helps me keep warm on my way home," the girl lied. "Which reminds me; I've gotta get going." Collapsing her black bow and setting it inside her back pack, Sam walked over to the targets and pulled out her arrows. "Night, old man."
"Goodnight, Sam," the black-haired man replied, keeping an eye on the girl as she departed.
Carly sat on the couch, typing on her laptop and watching an old episode of Girly Cow. Every second, images of Jor and Lan-El, her earth parents, and Supergirl flashed through the teenager's mind. I'm not a hero, the girl told herself. I just showed up and helped some people. Relax...
"In response to the recent actions of the mysterious Supergirl, Seattle has released several videos of the people's reactions," an anchorman interrupted the teenager's cartoon.
"Those guys had guns," a young boy said, his voice gentle but timid. "Supergirl showed up and saved us. My mom was afraid we'd die." Carly set down her computer, leaning closer to the television.
"She's a hero...a miracle," a young woman declared. "She's what Seattle needs now."
"I don't care if she is a Star Baby," a middle-aged man cried out. "She's amazing. My kids feel safe with her out there." Shutting off the t.v., Carly leaned back into the couch, and covered her mouth, trying to think straight. Unable to get away from the thought, the teenager ran out of her apartment, taking the stairs up to the roof. Standing before the city, Carly closed her eyes, and listened. Car alarms, tears, and screams rang out through the entire area. Feeling the wind blow in her face, the girl let the light of the stars glisten upon her skin. People were suffering; losing hope.
Then, remembering Spencer and Sam's reaction to her double persona, Carly felt her heart start to warm over. She felt her brother's hand on her back. "Good job, Carly," he said. Feeling Jor and Lan-El holding her, along with Sam and Miranda and Sheldon, the young woman allowed a smile to form on her face. Maybe they do need a hero, Carly thought. Maybe that's what I'm supposed to be.
Clenching her fist, Supergirl gazed down at the city of Seattle, and lept into the air, feeling the cool wind coursing through her hair. Sam stared out the window in her room, and smiled at the sight before her.
