I wake up with a smile on my face.

Today's Saturday. Dad planned a camping trip.

I meant to tell you sooner. I had other things on my mind.

I'm very smart, as you know, so I think a lot.

Maybe you can understand in a way. That would be nice.

Anyway, I'm almost finished packing for the trip. I was asleep with the last thing that I want to take with me.

Yes, Pippin is coming. I may be a Meta and I know I'll be safe with family but I still want him there.

Hey, I'm seven, remember?

I rub my eyes then go to and open my closet.

Hmm. What should I wear?

You may have guessed this but I haven't been camping before. I've read about it but that doesn't really count, does it?

Well, I do feel like that's prepared me for the trip. All of my family will be there.

Let's see.

I think I'll go with my Wonder Woman T-shirt that Dad got for me, gray jeans and my green tennis shoes. They have white laces and they light up.

I also put on my green hoodie, just in case. It might get cold at night.

I grab my notebook and pencil then put them in the same place I always do. My right pants pocket.

It's pretty much a habit at this point.

I get Pippin then head out. I have my stuff for the trip in the living room.

I place Pippin on top of my bag then turn around to see Dad smiling at me.

"I thought you'd be bringing him. We'll be leaving at around 1 o'clock, okay?"

I nod. I kind of like how I have some free time.

I'll get something to eat first.

Well, actually, there's one thing I want to do.

I stomp my feet, making my shoes light up.

Dad laughs gently. "You should break your shoes in more, Sayna. I know you like the way your flats feel better but they're not going to cut it at the campground."

I nod again. I know.

You've told me enough that I can't not know. I'm just kind of nervous.

No, it's not because this, as you know, is my first camping trip.

It's because I'm not sure how I'll communicate once it gets dark. That's why all I can seem to make myself eat is toast.

I breathe out slowly then ask Dad my question about communication.

"Well, there will be a campfire and lanterns. I'm pretty sure you'll have enough light for you to make yourself understood with sign."

Please let him be right. This situation makes me wish that I could talk or, at least, make some kind of sound.

I have some water then find myself trying to say my name. You already know how that turned out.

Dad gently runs one hand through my hair. "It will be okay, I promise. There will be a full moon tonight, which should also help."

I start washing my dishes.

"Plus your grandpa's skill in sign is getting better."

That's good. It's kind of frustrating needing an interpreter when I'm with family.

The one at school, as I'm sure you remember, is my friend and that doesn't rally make it feel frustrating at all.

Alder's a good friend but, one time, the fact that I'm mute must have slipped her mind. She told me to give her a call.

I don't even have a cell phone!

Well, not yet. Even if I did, using it mostly to text, which is obviously what I'd be doing, seems a little frustrating.

Why does there seem to be so much focus on voice? I read once that more than half of communication is body language*.

Seven percent of it is what you're saying.

How is it that that number can feel small at times and, other times that same number can feel so very big?

I finish washing my cup.

I think the reason why is because of the way I am and how I'll sometimes feel about it. It probably has more to do with how I was often made to feel about it by my bully triangle. Well, by bullies in general.

That and there was one person in the I.E.C. who didn't really seem to get my muteness. She'd always have me try to talk.

I'm pretty sure she had a serious memory issue. I don't know what it was though. I didn't see her that often and I never got her name.

She wasn't in the I.E.C. very long, actually. One day, she just disappeared and we never saw her again.

No, I don't wan't to tell you what happened to her. Maybe some day you'll learn about my past but not today.

After all, I have plans.

I look at the clock. It's eleven o'clock now.

I think that I'll get some reading done.

I go to my room and look at my To Be Read shelf. It's green and one of five. Dad made me a bookshelf.

Yeah, you've missed a few things. It's late September now which, yes, means it's fall.

Dad found me almost a month ago. It's a little hard for me to believe it's been that long too.

He still doesn't know much about my past.

Like me, the I.E.C. is good at keeping their secrets. They, as I'm sure you can guess, wouldn't let just anyone in.

I overheard once that there's a child they have who works to keep the place itself a secret.

I never saw said child. I don't even know its gender.

Is he or she doing okay? I would like to think so.

I shake off the memory and look at my shelf. I think I'll go with The Two Princesses of Bamarre.

The reading level for this one isn't as advanced as some of the books that I read but it did look good. I wouldn't have chosen it otherwise.

I take it to the couch then soon start reading. I'll probably be finished in time for lunch.

Dad calls my name when I'm finished.

I put the book back in my room then go to him.

I actually end up following my nose.

I'm greeted with a warm smile and a bowl of macaroni and cheese.

I do have more of an appetite now. I'm also much stronger.

That's why we're going on a camping trip.

Well, part of why. Dad, knowing that I read a lot of Tolkien, suggested it.

I was actually thinking of the Lord of the Rings when I agreed.

That and my old shelter. I wonder if it's still in the alley that I used to call home.

I tend to think of the week that I spent there as my transition period. I've told Dad about some of it, also letting him read more of my notebook. I haven't let him read all I've written in there because it is like my diary.

I do trust him, yes, but he says I'm a private person, like a friend of his.

Well, I do mostly use my telepathy in private and with people I feel I can trust.

I haven't used it with Alder though I do trust her. I just don't feel ready to let her know about my powers.

I feel kind of bad that I know more about her than she does about me though she accepts it.

She says that she knows everyone has secrets, I'll tell mine when I'm ready and she doesn't want to push me because she's five years older than I am as well as a lot bigger so she doesn't want to come across as a bully.

The latter could mainly be because we both have them. Bullies, I mean.

I don't want to think about them right now, or ever really, so I eat my lunch.

This isn't my fire time having mac and cheese, by the way. Dad's made sure that a good amount of different kinds of food aren't new to me anymore.

I've obviously tried a lot of things. Some were good surprises and some weren't.

I still ate them all though. Trust me, not getting enough to eat isn't going to make you picky when it comes to food.

He's the one who's never gone with anything really spicy for me which I'm fine with. I don't think I'd like that kind of food anyway, mainly because most of the food I had at the I.E.C. was plain.

I'm not saying stepping out of your comfort zone is a bad thing.

I mean, look at me! I might still be in that alley if I hadn't stepped out of mine and that's not really something I want to think about.

I only had on a T-shirt and pants, remember? Who knows what would have become of me during the winter?

I shake my head. Don't go there, Sayna.

Well, maybe Superman would've found me before then. It's so weird to think of them as two different people though I feel sure that's due to Dad.

That's kind of funny. He's just asked me if I'm okay.

I finish my bite then nod, telling him that my mind was about to go to a bad hypothetical.

"Oh. Do you want to tell me about it?"

Well, it might keep me from having nightmares about it later.

I put down my spoon then, after rubbing my arms, tell him what you already know.

His eyes fill with concern. "The possibility of never having found you isn't something I want to think about either."

He takes me into a hug. "You're my little girl. I don't want to imagine life without you."

I return the hug, telling him obviously using telepathy that he's my Dad and I don't want to imagine life without him either.

I look at him after we let go and sign that I love him, wishing so much that, just once, that was something I could actually say.

He smiles warmly then signs the same thing which makes me feel much better about not being able to do what I mentioned earlier. My Dad's a good guy.

I finish my mac and cheese then, soon, we're on our way to the campground.

The rest of my family meets us there.

I smile as I tell them all Hello, spelling the word in ASL for Grandpa to test him. Everyone else mostly got a wave.

"Hello to you too, Sayna. I've got the alphabet down pretty good. I just have a little trouble with the letter q."

I take his warm and callused right hand in mine then gently guide it so that he's making that letter.

He smiles then thanks me in sign.

I jump up and down, making my shoes light up.

He laughs gently. "Good, you like the surprise that I learned some other signs. Linda's the one who told me I should keep it that way."

I decide not to tell him that I knew his knowledge of ASL was improving. It was kind of a given.

Instead, I ask him about Rusty and Shelby.

"They'll be just fine. Your grandma hired someone to watch over them and such."

I would ask him how much he understood of what I said but Dad just told me I should get my stuff to the campsite.

I carry Pippin separate from my duffel because I obviously want to. I don't really like how I don't have a free hand but it shouldn't be that long of a walk to the campsite. As long as I don't run into anybody, I should be just fine.

Thankfully, it's not too long before I'm putting my stuff down.

Dad suggests, after I set up a few things, going on a hiking trail.

Well, he did say I should break my shoes in more.

I nod. I'll go with him.

I can also use the exercise to get stronger.

Dad and I are the only ones who end up going, which is fine.

He even lets me pick the trail after, of course, leading me to a map.

I pick a shorter one but not the shortest one then we soon start our walk.

I look around. It's nice out here.

The quiet kind of makes me think of Smallville.

I'm kind of distracted but the sound of a bark quickly snaps me out of it.

My eyes widen. I know that bark.

I telepathically call the source.

I hear shocked explanations then see an old friend running towards me.

My good boy. You remember me.

His new owners find me trying to laugh as he licks me. One of them looks confused.

Dad explains that I'm mute.

"Yeah, I got that. I'm just trying to figure out what got into our boy. He's never acted like this with a stranger."

I furtively mouth Bruno.

Dad grins. "Well, actually, my little girl's no stranger to your dog."

Their eyes widen but they quickly pull themselves together and give their names.

Nadia, the one who regained her composure first, looks at me. "I volunteer with kids who are hard of hearing. I know sign and I'd like an explanation."

I get up then tell her that he knows my smell, which is why he ran.

Gail smiles after finding out what I said. "I know my wife here is probably going to call me a sap for this but I think it's so sweet that you got a reunion with your old friend."

She rolls her gray eyes. "I'm not made of stone. I think it's nice too. I wondered who I heard him howling for."

Gail's green eyes light up. "Now we know who he was looking for before we got him off the street with those leftovers we never got to."

Hey, that's kind of like the dream I had the day Dad took me in.

I don't tell them about it though. I don't really want to.

Instead, I ask what name they gave their dog because I missed it in all the excitement on seeing him again.

Nadia points to her short brown hair then to Bruno's. "I wanted to go with a name meaning brown."

Gail runs one hand through her long blonde hair. "I went with it. We went over a few different names but Bruno seemed to fit best."

I try to laugh again.

Nadia raises one eyebrow. "What's so funny, kid?"

I smile then give her my name, also telling her that Bruno is the name I had for their dog.

She grins, wide and toothy. "Well, how about that? If that isn't a sign you should come visit him, I don't know what is."

Dad gives them his name then, shortly, we find out how to get in touch with them.

My smile widens on learning they also live in Metropolis.

I give Bruno a hug then it's not very long before I'm on my walk again with them going the opposite direction.

I jump for some of the way which makes Dad laugh. I got to see Bruno again and I know where to find him.

That makes me so happy I try to laugh yet again.

I hear a biker say something rude that has swear words in it about me being mute but he can't take away my happiness.

Later, after I've had dinner at the campsite, I find myself still feeling kind of hungry.

A grin spreads across Linda's face. "Finally. Time for s'mores."

What's a s'more?

Linda pulls out graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows and skewers.

I'm told how to make one.

Dad helps me with toasting the marshmallow.

Yes, we obviously have a campfire lit.

I have my s'more ready pretty soon.

I take a bite. I definitely like this!

I lick my lips after I finish. I'm just thirsty now.

I grab my water bottle then open it. I'm about to drink some when Linda asks me if I liked the s'more.

I nod forcefully then do what I was going to.

She grins. "Good. I went a camping trip with a friend once and she told me about them**. That they're tradition. Hey, Sayna."

I nod.

"There's another tradition."

Dad rolls his eyes. "I know where this is going. No scary stories."

Linda protests.

I breathe out slowly. I agree with Dad but I'm not sure that's something I want to tell her.

I close my water bottle. I already have nightmares.

I don't get them as often as I used to but still. The last thing that I want to do is add to them, mainly because I can't scream.

I hear Dad mention my inability to do that as he tries to talk Linda out of telling what she must have planned to.

I turn towards her then, to my slight surprise, mouth a Please. I really surprise myself by also using telepathy to say the same word to her in Kryptonese.

She relents at that, saying it's hard to argue with my language choice, then gently runs one hand through my hair. "You speak my mother tongue so well. I like to hear your voice."

I shake my head as I push back a memory.

I must have come across as angry by doing so because she tells me that she didn't mean to say those words about my power, using a low voice.

Okay. I've pushed back the memory.

I look at her then, since I don't want to explain, use sign to say it's okay.

I may slightly resent the words she used for doing what she said but I don't really want her to think I'm angry. The cover's kind of convenient though.

I rub my eyes. What time is it?

I ask Dad.

He looks at his watch. "Bed time for you, little one."

Well, that's not really an answer but I feel too tired to protest.

I'm soon almost ready for bed. I want a story this time.

I ask to hear one after grabbing Pippin and getting inside my green sleeping bag.

Dad zips it up then smiles warmly. "What would you like the story to be about?"

I don't even have to think about it because I already know. Grinning, I give him my answer.

His smile widens. "All right. This is the story of a very special little girl and her dog..."

Yes, it's about me and Bruno. It's a very good story.

My family and I tell him so after he finishes.

I close my eyes after everyone says Goodnight.

Goodnight to you too, boy. I'm happy that we both have good families.

*There's a study on this. I suggest you look it up.
**She is talking about Babs.