Chapter Thirty-Six

Mondays are Vile...

News of Kara's most recent exploit as her alter ego spread like wildfire in her school. No matter where she went, that was all anyone wanted to talk about. As she sat at her desk waiting for class to start, she really wished the day would hurry up and end.

"Ok everyone, settle down," Artemis said as the bell rang. "So, how many of you actually did your reading assignment this past weekend?" she asked walking to the front of the room.

One of the students put their hand up and asked, "Miss Crock, did you see Power Girl's fight in Gotham?"

"What about her in D.C.?" another student asked.

"Let me get this straight," she said crossing her arms, "You would all rather talk about the newest hero and daydream about what it must be like instead of school work?"

Kara slid down in her seat slightly as the class voiced their agreement.

"So, none of you will mind if I call your parents and asking if they received the letter stating that you refused to do your school work because you wanted to daydream about superheroes then?" Artemis asked.

The students looked at each other briefly before going quiet.

"That's what I thought," she said crossing her arms, "If there is time at the end of the day, I will talk to you all about it. Until then, it's class time."

'Thank you.' Kara thought as she watched her mom.

As the day went on, she noticed that her mother didn't call on her as much as she normally did. Usually it was for an assignment's page number or to double check a quote from a book one of the students said. Luckily enough, Artemis had picked up on it as well.

Five minutes before lunch, she turned to look at her class and asked, "Ok, what's going on?"

"What do you mean, Ms. Crock?" one of the students asked.

"I'm not sure if I should be impressed about the fact I haven't had to call on Kara as much as I have had to in the past," she said looking at her students, "Or if there is something else going on. So which is it?"

The room was quiet for a few seconds before one of the students said, "I told my mom how you call on Kara a lot and she thinks your showing favoritism toward her."

"Do you all think this?" she asked a little surprised by the statement.

The class nodded in agreement as one other one said, "My dad thinks that's why she has the highest grade in class and never opens the books."

"That is because she has already read them all," Artemis said before pulling a chair over and sitting down, "She has a near photographic, or identic, memory. It allows her to recall anything she's read almost instantly. I could literally sit her up here and ask her what is the fifth question in chapter one and its answer in each of the books and she can state each one within seconds. Now I have told every one of you that if you finish an assignment during the day; hand it to me and I will grade it then hand it back before class ends, and Kara is the only one that does that. She puts the effort into her work. Those are the biggest reasons I call on her. Now as much as I do appreciate the work you've put into trying to make it so I don't call on her as much, I think there is one other thing that needs to be made clear. Whether any of you, or your parents, likes it or not; Kara is my biological daughter. I don't help her with school work outside of class unless she asks, and that is only if her father can't figure it out." She stood up as she finished talking and looked towards the clock. "Now, since you have two minutes before lunch," she said before putting the chair back, "There is one last thing I want to tell you all. At any point in time from when the two of us got back till now, you could've asked why. But it took me calling you all out on it to get it in the open. Part of my job as a teacher is making you feel comfortable so you can talk to me about things. Apparently, I failed in that area."

She walked over to her desk and sat down as the bell rang. One by one, the students slowly got up and left the room.

Kara waited until the last one left before walking over and asked, "Are you ok, mom?" Artemis turned and gently pulled her daughter into a hug.

"I am so sorry for putting you on the spot like that." her mother said quietly.

"It's ok, mom." Kara replied returning the hug.

"No. It's not," Artemis said leaning back to look at the young girl with tears in her eyes, "I've seen too many kids get labeled as outcasts because of stuff like this."

"They're just jealous that I have the coolest mom ever." Kara said trying to cheer her up.

Artemis laughed a little as she wiped a tear away before saying, "Flattery will not get you a better grade, but thank you for that."

"You're welcome, mom," the young girl said smiling, "Ready to go eat?"

"Yeah, but I need a favor once class starts after lunch." Artemis said as she got up.

"What's that mom?" Kara asked.

"Don't respond to any request I make of you for the rest of the day if it pertains to a subject," her mother said as they left the room, "It's time to see just how hard they've been working."

Once lunch was over, Artemis watched as each of the students took their seats. "Well," she said once the bell rang, "Since everybody's parents have a problem with me calling on my daughter after an average five wrong answers to a question, let's see what happens now. Kara will not be responding to any question I ask her if it pertains to a lesson for the rest of the day unless I tell her otherwise. From this point forward, it's all you. I will deduct five points from everyone's homework today for every wrong answer I get to a question. I will not give extra credit points if you get them right, but I will add five back until the full amount is available again. Now let's begin." A low groan echoed through the class room as the lessons began. By the time she finished the last lesson, the class had answered five questions wrong.

Artemis didn't say a word as she cleaned the chalk board. It wasn't until she was finished before she asked, "Kara, would you like to get those points back for everyone, or not?" All eyes turned towards the young girl as she simply said, "For everyone? No, because they made you cry. I would like to get my points back though."

"In that case, I want everyone to study the areas you missed those questions in," Artemis said looking at the rest of the class, "You will have a five question quiz tomorrow. Each question will be worth five points. Do I make myself clear?"

The class nodded in agreement as the final bell rang.

"See you tomorrow," she said as the students got up and left.

"Um, Ms. Crock," one of the students said after the others had left, "We weren't trying to make you cry."

"I know, Rachel," Artemis said with a sigh, "I think today was just an off day for everyone."

"Okay," Rachel sadly said picking her backpack up, "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Kara."

"Bye Rachel," Kara said packing her bag. She waited until her friend left before looking at her mother and asking, "Mom is something wrong?"

"I'm just a little upset, that's all." Artemis said before she started to lock up her desk.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Kara asked a little worried.

Artemis sat down on her desk and said, "No Power Girl for a while; at least not unless you have no other choice, ok?"

The young girl walked over and hugged her mother saying, "I promise, mom. Now can we go home?"

"Sounds like the best idea I've heard all day." Artemis said returning the hug. The left the room and started to walk down the hall.

"Hey mom, would it be ok if Dad and I cooked dinner tonight?" Kara asked.

"Only if you promise not to destroy my kitchen," Artemis said looking at her daughter.

"We won't." the young girl said as they stepped outside.

"Any hint as to what you two are going to make?" Artemis asked after a few seconds.

"You'll like it." Kara said as they reached the car.

"Knowing Wally, it will be take out." Artemis said as got in and went home.

"Want to bet?" Kara asked smiling.

"Ok, what are the stakes?" Artemis said as they pulled into the drive at their house.

"If it's home cooked, you have to take the rest of the night off," Kara said looking at her mother, "If it's take out; I'll wear a skirt to class every day for the rest of the week."

"Deal." Artemis said before they got out of the car.