Chapter Nine

Linda was sporting a silver band bracelet around her left wrist when she came down to have breakfast that same morning. Her mother handed her the bracelet after that crazy floating thing that happened in her room.

Mrs. Danvers felt that it was about time that she gave the bracelet to Linda. She's been keeping it for years now and she figured that it would somehow console Linda and at the same time maybe give answers to whatever is plaguing her mind.

"The nuns at Midvale handed it to us when your father and I adopted you. They said it belongs to you." Mrs. Danvers explained earlier while they sat at the living room of the house. "They said it might be from your parents - your real parents."

Linda's intense blue eyes were fixed on the shiny band on her wrist, fascinated. Weird patterns were engraved all over it.

"Your mother and I tried to decipher those patterns for years, but it's not written in any language or text known to man." Fred informed as he sat next to his wife on the sofa, across Linda.

Just by looking at that thing, she can vaguely recall people's faces and strange names. And then it hits her, when she remembered the name Kal El.

She's been too scared to accept her past before that she was determined to forget all about it. Where she came from, her real parents, her quest for Kal El, who she really is - everything.

It worked for sometime, though ones in a while she would get flashes of familiar faces and events. And when she does, she would shake it out of her thoughts and convince herself that they're not real.

The game was getting harder as she grows older. She got stronger. She's invulnerable to any physical attacks. No bruise, no scratch, no nothing. Not even pimples. Then just recently, she developed super human speed.

There was no way in hell she could continue to convince herself that she's normal. That's when her denial issues became stronger and her reasons became weirder too. For a few moments she told herself that maybe she's just one of those gifted girls in America who turns out to be wrestler material. Something like that brutal wrestler chick called Chynna or some sort.

She's made to crush bones, smash someone's face with her elbows and take steroids for the rest of her life. She imagined how she would become famous because of it. There would be lotsa adoring fans waiting for her in the ring. Most of 'em hormonally driven teenagers who likes violence and two chicks fighting over virtually - well - nothing.

The fantasy was ok for Linda, until she realized what it would be like to be pinned by a muscular woman who's sweating off steroids, literally. She imagined the smell. Horrible. She imagined the costumes. Hideous.

Linda's parents were babbling on about something when she recalled a name. She smiled.

"Zaltar."

Mr. and Mrs. Danvers looked at each other, confused with what Linda muttered.

"Zaltar." She repeated touching the bracelet. "He was my mentor. He was the one who gave me this thing."

Linda looked at her parents and added with a soft voice, "I remember."

The couple was of course happy for her, but at the same time, scared. They were scared that Linda might drift away from them because of these flood of flash backs about her real parents.

Both Fred and Edna were surprised when from out of the blue, Linda mumbled with a mischievous smile on her face,

"D'you think I can sell it?" She was kidding naturally.

A lot of memories about Argo City and her real family are still very much vague for Linda. Maybe in time she would remember. In time she could answer her own questions.

After breakfast, she got a call from Dick Malverne. He was awfully apologetic to Linda because he didn't get to call her last night and he promised. Dick said something about getting home way late last night from school 'cause of the football team try outs.

According to him almost all of the freshmen students of Leesburg High tried out to get in the team but sadly the coach only picked seven to replace the football jocks that left for college last year.

Linda was happy for Dick when he announced that he got in. Although he sounded a bit disturbed when he said that according to the senior players, he still has to undergo through one more thing to 'belong' completely in the team. The traditional newbie initiation.

"That sucks." She uttered, chewing a gum.

"Tell me 'bout it." Dick agreed as he paced around his room. "I heard from one of the guys who tried out for the team last year, that they made all the newbies come to school wearing girls' clothes."

Linda giggled when she heard that. She can already visualize Dick wearing Mrs. Malverne's outfits to school. He would look outrageous. Cute, but still outrageous.

"Oh cool." She kidded, twirling the kitchen telephone cords around her finger. "When that moment comes, you know you could always count on me for fashion tips Malverne? Or better yet, you can just borrow some of my clothes to be on the safe side."

"Tempting offer, really." He answered back, joking. "But then I might get used to it and I'd be eternally known in Leesburg High history as that cross dresser guy from the football team."

"Dennis Rodman-ish." Linda reckoned.

"Freaky." Was all Dick had to say about it.

Around that time Mr. Danvers appeared inside the kitchen and silently mouthed the words, "Get off the phone" to Linda while pointing at a small piece of paper.

Automatically, she figured that her father needs to call someone. From the way he pointed at the sheet of paper plus that distinct brilliance in his eyes that says 'I mean it!', Linda could tell that it's important.

Her sweet morning chitchat with Dick ended rather abruptly. Before Linda could hang up, Dick told her that he will definitely find time and watch her try out for the cheering squad later that day.

She tried her best to discourage him from showing up. Although she is flattered that Dick's way supportive, she thought it would be best if he's not there watching her.

She'd get nervous. Her palms would get sweaty. She'd fidget. She'd keep looking at him. What if she embarrasses herself in front of everyone?! In front of Dick?!

Try as she might, Dick has already made up his mind. He's going to be there for her. End of discussion.

While Linda and Dick was having that talk, Mr. Danvers left the piece of paper he was holding at the kitchen counter, before Linda. He left the room and rushed outside to the living room to find something in his leather bag.

When Linda got off the phone with Dick, she tore a small piece of paper from the sheet on the counter. She removed the gum from her mouth and wrapped it on the paper before disposing it in the half full trash bin.

It was only then that she realized that a name and a phone number were written on the remaining piece of paper. Now it only reads, "Sheriff" and something about a place with a "Ville" in the last part somewhere in Kansas together with a phone number!

Linda rattled her brain for the smartest thing to do. Again, she picked up the phone and dialed the number on the sheet of paper. There was no way she would dig into the trash to look for that tiny piece of paper with her gum.

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Clark Kent sat inside the sheriff's office at the Smallville police station that morning. He was brought in by Sheriff Ethan for questioning after an alleged involvement, with a burglary that happened just last night in town.

The storekeeper from the nearby shop claimed that he heard windows being smashed at the local jewelry store. When he went out to check, he saw Clark rushing out from the store and he quickly disappeared in the back alleys.

When asked, Clark said that he was chasing after the original culprits and he was merely trying to catch them.

Jonathan Kent accompanied his son that morning. At the moment Mr. Kent and Sheriff Ethan stepped out of the office to talk. Clark's father was really trying to reason out and convince the sheriff that his son is not guilty of the crime. No jewelry was ever found in Clark's possession.

Clark was telling the truth. He was really trying to stop the robbers. Except he chose not to tell Sheriff Ethan that the robbers of the jewelry store happened to be super powered and they can transform themselves into liquid.

He was deep in his thoughts when suddenly the phone on the sheriff's table rang.

Looking at the glass door, Clark checked if Sheriff Ethan could hear the phone ringing. Unfortunately, it appeared that he didn't because he was still talking to Mr. Kent just outside the office that instance.

Clark returned his gaze on the ringing phone at the same time debating with himself whether to answer it or not.

He gave in. Clark reached for the phone.

At the third ring, someone answered on the other line. Linda heard someone stuttered a "Hello." It was a man's voice. She thought that he sounded awfully young to be a sheriff.

"Hi." Linda greeted, nervous for some weird reason. "I need to talk to Sheriff-."

Her words trailed off when she noticed that the name was missing. It just says 'Sheriff.'

She coughed. "I mean, I need to talk to the Sheriff."

Clark's troubled heart skipped a beat upon hearing the sweet voice over the line. It only usually happens when he's talking to Lana Lang.

"He's-." Before Clark could say another word, Sheriff Ethan and Jonathan Kent stepped inside the office.

It was around that time when Linda's father walked into the kitchen again, holding his reading glasses. He gave his daughter a look.

"Called the Sheriff for you." She uttered handing the phone to her father.

"It's for you." Clark advised Sheriff Ethan as he handed him the phone.

As if in unison, Sheriff Ethan and Officer Danvers both pressed the receiver closer to their ears and said 'Hello.'

Jonathan motioned his son to stand up. He did. Resting a hand on Clark's shoulder, Mr. Kent walked with him out of the room.

"Sheriff Ethan says you can go home for now." He told him with that fatherly smile on his lips.

From the background Ethan was talking to Officer Danvers.

Both Clark and his father was walking down the hallway of the police station when suddenly, he found himself intrigued by that girl who was looking for Sheriff Ethan on the phone.

Strange enough, while Linda was heading towards their living room to get her back pack, she was feeling the same thing. Only Dick Malverne could make her heart skip like that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The try outs finished about an hour ago and by this time all the hopefuls who tried out for the squad were pretty exhausted. Actually they were anxious to find out the results at first but now, they're just bored.

It took the cheering squad an hour to compute for the scores.

"Will somebody, for the love of Gawd, show those girls how to use a calculator?" Lucy mumbled to the guy sitting next to her on the bleachers, Dick Malverne.

He just flashed a smile on that snotty comment by Lucy. It's not in Dick's nature to be rude but he does sometimes find statements like that funny.

Linda was sitting with the other girls who tried out at the opposite side of the gym. Earlier, when she finished her cheering routine on the floor, in front of the entire cheering squad, she spotted Dick and Lucy at the small crowd that gathered to watch. Lucy gave her a two thumbs up sign for her performance while Dick gave her a cute informal salute with a wink and a smile.

She smiled back at them and waved.

"Ok, everyone listen up." Nicole Hamilton, head cheerleader and bitch extraordinaire, yelled inside the spacious Leesburg High gymnasium.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief when she finally stepped up holding a sheet of paper. They thought that it'll take the squad the whole day to come up with the results.

"Aleeda, Hart, Visconni, Flanagan, Robinson, White, Danvers, Thorul." Nicole called out. "All those whose last name I didn't mention, you can all go now." "Buh-bye." Teased Louise rudely to the other girls who didn't get in.

The three evil cheerleaders, Louise Menken, Susie Kendall and Nicole Hamilton watched as the lucky ones who got in hugged each other with joy. All three had a devilish smirk on their faces.

A quiet Lena Thorul noticed that peculiar smirk. She could tell that these girls are up to something. She sat there looking at the others girls giggling with delight for 'getting in'.

"OhmiGawd I got in." Linda Danvers could not believe it. She could not believe that after all of the weirdness that's been happening in Leesburg and in her life, at last something cool came her way. She's part of the squad.

Linda looked over her friends, Dick and Lucy and they both looked anxious to congratulate her.

Before the squads called it a day, Nicole announced that the squad planned something special for the chosen girls. According her it's a secret and they can't divulge any information yet. Though they'll let the 'newbies' know as soon as they're through with the preparation.

"Something fun and exciting." Lena Thorul quoted Nicole as she left the gymnasium with her things.

"Right." She added, rolling her eyes.

All the girls who got in congratulated Linda. All except Lena Thorul. She's not surprised though, its public knowledge in Leesburg High that Lena doesn't talk or hang out with any student whose trust fund's below a million dollars.

Basically, as Linda and the others computed, no one in their high school has that kinda trust fund except for Lena herself. Ergo, Lena Thorul is a major and absolute loner.

She thinks she's above everyone else.

"Now that you're part of the 'in crowd'," Lucy Lane started to say as they walked out of the gym with Dick. "What's you're next step Ms.Danvers?" Linda just gave her friend an amused stare and a smile.

"Aw c'mon Lyn," She urged pulling her by the shirt sleeve. "Just play a long. "

Linda looked sideways at Dick, as if asking for approval if she'd grant Lucy's request. He gave her a small nod.

"Well," She began, thinking of something to hilarious to say. "I'd hang out with the 'in' crowd to start with."

Lucy's face turned crestfallen at the sound of that. A gentle nudge on her shoulder from Linda assured her that she's only kidding.

Although this maybe the case, still Lucy couldn't help but feel that their friendship is threatened with this latest development in Linda's life. Popular, perky cheerleaders with a body, hair and skin to die for.

How can a flat chested, plain Jane from Metropolis, Kansas compete with those bitches?

"Ones in a while I'd bully the unpopular of course." Linda added, joking.

"Yeah." Dick joined in. "You wouldn't want to break that old age tradition."

"Uh huh." She agreed, pressing her lips together. Then she finished. "Lastly, I'd go get myself a hunky boyfriend."

"Does he have to be in the school football team?" Lucy was back with the questions.

Linda was about to say something when Lucy fired another set of follow up questions.

"Does he have to be blond? Blue eyed? Six feet something? Athletic?"

"Um-." Linda felt her cheeks were beginning to blush. She knew Lucy's describing Dick and she's up to something.

"With a name like - em - um - I dunno," Lucy wanted to laugh when she saw that look on Linda's face that says 'shut up'. "Dick?"

Lucy glanced over at Dick who was by this moment furiously blushing, keeping on that smile on his lips.

How she enjoyed teasing this two love birds with their unspoken feelings for each other. She's been doing it way back. And now that Dick Malverne's back, Lucy's positive that life Leesburg just got more interesting.