"I think he has a future in sales," Martha commented, noticing the effect that Clark's big grin had on the shoppers at the Farmer's Market, particularly when he held out a bunch of carrots or ear of corn to entice somebody into buying. The effect wasn't even diminished when he took a bite out of one of the carrots and held out the bunch again, repeating his invitation.
The punk look was late and diluted by the time it got to Smallville, but one teen couple had enthusiastically adopted it. As they came by, holding hands, Perry with a navy mohawk, Zoe with green spikes, Clark was fascinated. "Mama, look!"
"Hi, big fella," Zoe answered, crouching down to his level.
"Green!"
"Yes, that's right, my hair is green. What color's your hair?"
Clark looked pensive for a moment, then grinned again. "Red!" he answered, practically rolling on the ground with giggles.
"I think that you're kidding me, pal."
"Blue!"
"*I* think your hair is a very handsome black."
Martha got caught up in totaling an order and missed the next part of the conversation, but when she looked over, Clark was nodding emphatically and had scrambled onto Zoe's lap so he could touch her hair.
"It wouldn't be like that forever, you know." Just as Martha was turning to another customer, Zoe stood up, Clark balanced on her hip. "Mrs. Kent, if it's okay with you? We'll just go to my sister's booth."
"Of course, Zoe." Zoe's sister Sandra mostly made jewelry, but she also sewed puppets and stuffed animals. Clark would probably come back in love. "Just no snacks, okay?"
"Thanks, Mrs. Kent!" Clark giggled as Zoe put him back down and took one of his hands, and he eagerly held up his free hand to Perry, who took it silently. Martha tried to remember the last time she'd actually heard him say anything and couldn't recall. Supposed to be one of the brightest students the high school had ever had, though, and she thought that she remembered hearing that he'd been published in a few magazines already, not just student ones. Mr. White had told her that he hoped Perry wasn't saving it all up for one long marathon conversation.
Jonathan came back from the truck, carrying more boxes, by the time she'd finished checking to see that they had enough small change or needed to get more. "Where's the boss?"
"Zoe took him over to Sandra's booth."
"Robbing us of our best salesman, huh?" If it weren't for Clark's coloring, people might have thought that he was their biological son, just from her husband's own grin.
About ten minutes had passed and the crowd started to thin, drifting back towards cars and trucks. Jonathan finished putting a customer's apples into a bag and after handing it to her, froze. "Martha?"
"Wha-" Her hand flew to her mouth. Zoe and Perry were coming back, Clark between them, grinning broadly. As they got closer, Clark shouted, excitedly, "Look, Mama!"
Well, that'd teach her not to listen very carefully before giving permission for anything. Clark's hair was now gelled into five proud spikes.
The punk look was late and diluted by the time it got to Smallville, but one teen couple had enthusiastically adopted it. As they came by, holding hands, Perry with a navy mohawk, Zoe with green spikes, Clark was fascinated. "Mama, look!"
"Hi, big fella," Zoe answered, crouching down to his level.
"Green!"
"Yes, that's right, my hair is green. What color's your hair?"
Clark looked pensive for a moment, then grinned again. "Red!" he answered, practically rolling on the ground with giggles.
"I think that you're kidding me, pal."
"Blue!"
"*I* think your hair is a very handsome black."
Martha got caught up in totaling an order and missed the next part of the conversation, but when she looked over, Clark was nodding emphatically and had scrambled onto Zoe's lap so he could touch her hair.
"It wouldn't be like that forever, you know." Just as Martha was turning to another customer, Zoe stood up, Clark balanced on her hip. "Mrs. Kent, if it's okay with you? We'll just go to my sister's booth."
"Of course, Zoe." Zoe's sister Sandra mostly made jewelry, but she also sewed puppets and stuffed animals. Clark would probably come back in love. "Just no snacks, okay?"
"Thanks, Mrs. Kent!" Clark giggled as Zoe put him back down and took one of his hands, and he eagerly held up his free hand to Perry, who took it silently. Martha tried to remember the last time she'd actually heard him say anything and couldn't recall. Supposed to be one of the brightest students the high school had ever had, though, and she thought that she remembered hearing that he'd been published in a few magazines already, not just student ones. Mr. White had told her that he hoped Perry wasn't saving it all up for one long marathon conversation.
Jonathan came back from the truck, carrying more boxes, by the time she'd finished checking to see that they had enough small change or needed to get more. "Where's the boss?"
"Zoe took him over to Sandra's booth."
"Robbing us of our best salesman, huh?" If it weren't for Clark's coloring, people might have thought that he was their biological son, just from her husband's own grin.
About ten minutes had passed and the crowd started to thin, drifting back towards cars and trucks. Jonathan finished putting a customer's apples into a bag and after handing it to her, froze. "Martha?"
"Wha-" Her hand flew to her mouth. Zoe and Perry were coming back, Clark between them, grinning broadly. As they got closer, Clark shouted, excitedly, "Look, Mama!"
Well, that'd teach her not to listen very carefully before giving permission for anything. Clark's hair was now gelled into five proud spikes.