"Riiiinnnngggg!" the bell at Sacred Heart Academy, Central City's premier private school chimed as it signaled the end of the final school day. Every single one of Sacred Heart's one thousand students ran out whooping and hollering, making their delight over the freedom they then had for three months well known. Every student that was, except for one that was still deep in the heart of the school, a thirteen year old thin brown-haired girl clad in a sky blue dress who was just departing from her English class for the last time.

"It was a delight to talk to you for a final time Mrs. Danridge, you will always remain one of my most favorite English teachers. It is a shame no other student will experience your remarkable abilities as a teacher."

Marilyn Richards said to Sacred Heart Academy's oldest teacher, who was leaving for retirement that very day. A firm, but gentle toned voice replied.

"And, you shall be one of the few students I will fondly remember teaching. You remind me so much of your stepfather, who happened to not only be one of my utmost great students behavior-wise, but one of the best in his grades. There has only been one other student in my career of teaching that has beaten your stepfather's record of having straight one hundreds in here, and that would be none other than you."

Mary smiled. What Mrs. Danridge said did not surprise her. Every single teacher Mary had had during her career as a student at Sacred Heart Academy spoke praise of her and her stepfather, Reed, in some form. Be it through saying Reed was one of their students as Mary was, or just by simply commenting on what amazing people he and Mary were.

"Marilyn? Would you please come here for a second? I have something to give to you."

Mary treaded from the room's entrance to her then former English teacher's desk. There, Mrs. Danridge pulled out something that made Mary gape in astonishment and shock.

"Mrs. Danridge... you could not... you should not..."

"Marilyn, I really would like for you to have this."

The item Mrs. Danridge had brought out of her desk was Reed's then yellowed essay he had written his senior year at Sacred Heart Academy framed up. Below it, was a plaque that had etched in golden letters on black.

"First Place in the California Golden State Essay Contest - Reed Richards - Sacred Heart Academy, Central City - Grade Twelve"

"Mrs. Danridge, I know my stepfather has meant a lot to you as a student. As proud as I know you are of him, please accept my not accepting this. This should mean more to you than it does to me, for my stepfather could tell me about this essay whenever he wanted to."

Mrs. Danridge sighed, then said.

"Marilyn, I may not get to speak to your stepfather as much as you get to, but it would make me feel good to give this to someone. A memory is far more valuable than a material possession. Please take this."

Mary, knowing she had lost the battle of kindness and respect she fought against Mrs. Danridge, said nothing else as she gingerly took the plaque out of her teacher's hand, opened her backpack, and placed it in there.

"Very well, if it makes you happy Mrs. Danridge." Mary said, then continued.

"I better get going. No doubt Rex is going to be waiting outside, and wondering where I am. And, I still have to go by my locker and clean it out. Hopefully, we will meet again sometime in the future Mrs. Danridge. I wish you the best."

"You too Marilyn. I just know you will go as far or possibly even further than your stepfather as gone. Good luck, and of course, tell your stepfather I said hello." The teacher bade farewell, and gestured with her eyes towards the backpack while she said her last sentence, almost as if telling Marilyn.

"Show your stepfather I still remember him all these years with that plaque I've given you."

Mary waved towards her teacher, then pranced down the hallway to her locker.

"Hey Marilyn!"

She suddenly heard someone call out behind her. Mary turned to find her former science teacher, Mr. Whit looking down at her.

"I have something I want to show you real quick."

Mary had no doubt it was yet another idea he had for a scientific invention of sorts, or possibly a "groundbreaking" theory. Everyone seemed to consider her and Reed the authority in Central City when it came to inventions and science. Mary sighed, and followed Mr. Whit into his classroom. There, on a lab table, stood an impressive chemistry apparatus. A clear liquid flowed through its plastic pipes, and into its glass test tubes. Mr. Whit appeared to be and sounded like he was in ecstasy.

"Here, Marilyn, is my Gasoline Machine! What do you think?"

Mary had no idea what to say. Part of her wanted to tell Mr. Whit what an idiot he was to try to create his own gasoline. The other part of her knew very good and well that she had to compliment him no matter how dumb the idea was.

"You see, all it takes is water, plus a special secret chemical, and voila!"

"Um, Mr. Whit, what is the special chemical required to make this gasoline?" Mary asked.

"Well you see, I cannot tell you, for it's a secret!" Answered Mr. Whit with a grin.

While Mary appreciated a person with a sense of humor, Mr. Whit's humor was the kind she normally did not appreciate.

"I see. Well, Mr. Whit I'll tell my stepfather about this, but you more than likely won't hear from us until the first day of school, ok?"

"Hey, it's ok! I understand how busy you two are! Tell me something, how's that rocket coming along?"

Mary wanted to tell Mr. Whit something along the lines of "Get a life!" or "Leave me alone.", but he had been a decent teacher unto her, and she certainly did not want to hurt anyone's feelings. But she did wish that he, and most other natives of Central City that had come up to her ever since Reed adopted her six years ago, would get into their heads that the rocket was a top secret project that everyone should have not known about from the beginning.

"It's coming along Mr. Whit. I'm sorry, but I have to go and clean out my locker. I'm sure Rex wonders where I am right now."

"Oh, well sorry to hold you up! See you later this summer or at the beginning of the next school year!"

Mary treaded on as she originally intended to her locker. She stopped in front of her locker, and began to work on the combination lock for the last time that school year. Once she had it unlocked; Mary took the lock, jammed it back together, and put it in her backpack. Then, she started to take out the two bookshelves she had in there for neater placement of her textbooks, so they would not become bent or creased in any way. While most girls her age would have pictures of movie, television, or rock stars taped to the back of their locker door. Mary had only two items, a small piece of paper depicting the Periodic Table of Elements, and a copy of a test she had taken that her Algebra II teacher had advertised as the hardest one of the year, yet it had a hundred etched on it. Gingerly, Mary took both things off of her locker door, and placed them in her backpack in such a way, they would not be damaged. Suddenly, Mary heard a group of footsteps march up behind her. She turned to see what she could have gone without seeing for the rest of the day. It was a girl and a clique, who got their kicks from taunting poor Mary, even though they were among the worst of students both in grades and behavior in the school.

"Great..." Mary muttered to herself then continued.

"Of all people remaining in this school, it had to be them."

The leader of the crude group, Betsy Jackson, said to Mary in the snidest of voices.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't the rocket man's daughter! Tell us something, what planet are you both from? Mars? If your old man's from Mars, tell us the truth, is his name Martin?"

The girls behind Betsy snickered to show their support of her lame teasing. Calmly, Mary got up and instead of kneeling, stood before the bully, and looked right into her eyes, then said.

"Well, last I checked, I'm not growing any antennae, nor do I have green skin or green blood. That and the fact my stepfather does not possess those features are indeed surefire signs we are definitely of Earth, and not natives of the planets Mars or Vulcan. And, to answer your other question, my stepfather's name is Reed, nothing like Martin or anything similar such as Marvin, Maurice, and etcetera. And for your information, I do not have an uncle named Martin."

Before Betsy could say any more insults, Mary added.

"Now you may find this interesting Betsy, I have been noticing that behind your ears when you have your hair pulled up there are two peculiar bumps. These two peculiar bumps happen to be juxtapositioned kind of behind, yet above your ears, one each. They look to be the beginnings of Martian antennae. Not to mention that your skin has taken on the oddest green pallor I have ever seen lately..."

Betsy interrupted Mary.

"What? You are saying that I am...! I gotta see this!" Betsy exclaimed as she ran past her friends, frightened toward a girl's restroom.

One of Betsy's friends said to Mary as she went back to finishing up cleaning out her locker.

"You know, that was not funny what you told her. Just think, it will be your fault if she goes into a nervous breakdown."

Mary wanted to laugh, for one of these bimbos had actually used what they considered "big words", nervous breakdown. Casually, Mary responded.

"Well, I did not consider what Betsy said funny, so I guess we're even."

Betsy's friends were rather appalled at how Mary was taking it, but did not say anything else and to Mary's satisfaction, left her alone. Within two minutes, Mary got through cleaning out her locker. Taking a breath of relief, she took one final glance at the main hallway of Sacred Heart Academy, and then plodded on out towards the exit.