It had been just over two weeks since we got back from Gotham. School was fast approaching. Emma had insisted I try on my uniform.

I tugged at the collar of the white dress shirt of my school uniform. It had only taken me twenty minutes to figure out the tie. I pulled on the jacket. I still had no clue what my style should be, but I knew it wasn't this. Maroon made me look terrible. The pleated tartan skirt was cute, so it had that going for it. Unfortunately, my legs were not. They were long and gangly looking. Apparently, girls are not allowed to wear pants at Excelsior. Emma was extremely excited for me. I pulled my hair up into a neat bun. I took a deep breath and walked into my bedroom.

Emma was sitting on my bed with Sarah. Emma smiled when she saw me and Sarah was bouncing and clapping. My arms were down by my sides and I was not looking as excited as either of them.

"I look like a vampire. And I feel naked."

"Amber, you'll get used to it, just give it a chance. What took so long?"

"The tie."

"Oh, you should have asked hon, I could have helped."

"Its okay mom, I learn better by messing up a bunch of times. Can I get out of this now?"

"Yes, I just wanted to make sure we got the right size for you. You look great."

"I look like an anorexic vampire."

I closed the bathroom door behind me and took off the uniform and replaced it with a pair of jeans and a tank top the time I finished Emma and Sarah were gone. Henry was home and recovering so he was laying on the couch streaming something. Emma was in the kitchen. I hopped down the stairs and waved to Emma.

"Going to help Grandma!"

I scooped up an umbrella and opened it. It was a late August rain which would make work in the fields a mess. Edna was waiting for me under the veranda on the porch swing. She got up.

"You're late."

"Sorry Grandma, mom was making me try on my uniform."

"Doesn't take half an hour to put on a uniform."

I blushed.

"It does when you don't know how to tie a tie."

She grumbled something under her breath. I guess she had been doing that for years as Sheriff. She motioned me towards the barn. I followed and she walked out and drove the old brown dodge into the barn.

"Not working in the fields today?"

"No, too wet. We're going to change the breaks, oil and coolant out today, and clean the glow plugs. And if we have time, the timing chain should be replaced. Hope you feel like getting dirty."

I'm not five so I wasn't bouncing like a kid in candy store, but I would have been. I was fascinated with how engines, cars, just everything mechanical worked. I'm not sure why. Edna had a decent set of tools for working on cars and engines. They worked for tractors too. She moved jack stands under the truck and started extending them. She pulled out a jack but by the time she had turned around I had already lifted up one corner of the truck. She frowned.

"Put that down!"

I slowly lowered.

"Don't pout, you're face will stay that way."

"But its so much faster the pumping a stupid jack."

"I don't care. Learn to use your head not your muscles. What happens if you lose your strength again? Learn to crawl before you walk. Taking short cuts doesn't help you learn."

I rolled my eyes and sighed and started raising the jack stand as she pumped the jack up. It took us about fifteen minutes to get the truck off the ground. She tried getting the lug nuts off the front wheel and they were on tight, she ended up stripping the first one she tried with the air compressor. She looked at me. I blinked innocently. I stood there with my hands folded behind my back. She looked back at the nut and then to the work bench. Then back to me with a heavy sigh.

"Okay fine, get the lug nut off."

I grabbed it with my fingers a made dimples in it and then twisted until it came off, I threw it in the garbage. I did the rest of the lug nuts for her trying not to damage them. I succeeded with most of them. She wiped her hands down and asked her phone to send a text message to Heather asking her to come to the barn. We were pulling the back brake pads off by the time she got there she had an umbrella. Edna's face lit up as it always did when she caught sight of Heather.

"What did you forget to buy before you took the car apart?"

"Can you go get replacements for these?"

Heather looked at the lug nuts in Edna's hands.

"If you think I'm picking up that grimy greasy thing, you're going senile."

Enda grumbled and pulled a paper towel off a roll she kept with her tools and scooped up the nut. And offered it to Heather.

"We need sixteen that size, please."

"I'm going to need more than that."

Edna smiled and leaned in for a passionate kiss and was about to put her hands around Heather when Heather jumped back.

"Keep your greasy paws of my dress."

Edna shrugged.

"Habit."

Heather tsked and got into her truck and pulled out of the driveway. I loved that they loved each other that much and that they had found happiness in the end. I knew that's what I wanted when I was older. Edna's face went back her usual neutral gruffness.

"Don't stand there gawking, daylight's burning."

I smiled and went back to work pulling a spring out. It was a very long day of work, but we finished just before I had to leave for supper. I was covered in grease head to toe and I loved it. Heather walked into the barn as I was putting on the second to last lug nut. She looked at me and then Edna and shook her head.

"You ruined her beautiful manicure Edna. Have you no shame? And look at her she's covered in grease! You're turning her into a clone of you."

Edna shrugged.

"Next time I'll tell them I want a boy instead."

Heather shook her head.

"Wash up, Emma invited us over for supper."

"And Amber you better get home and wash up too. It's going to take a miracle."

Heather vanished back outside of the barn. I shrugged to Edna.

"I didn't love the color anyway."

Enda laughed.

"You did a good job today Amber. Thank you for the help."

"See you at supper."

I waved and picked up my umbrella and ran home. To say Emma was displeased with how greasy I was would be an understatement. I saw Henry smiling.

"You…upstairs and get cleaned up and don't touch anything!"

It did take a while to get cleaned up, but it was worth it. Edna had explained a lot about how the different parts of the truck worked. Of course, it was from the 1970's and had raised suspension. So, it did not have a lot in common with modern fuel injection vehicles, but like she said, learn to crawl before I learn to walk. I put on my white and blue summer dress, more to make Heather happy than anything else. By the time I got downstairs Edna and Heather were already there.

Edna was not in a dress. Heather was of course, she smiled when she saw me.

"See, she knows how to dress for a nice supper, looks like you haven't corrupted her completely."

Edna grumbled.

"I'm working on it."

Emma was putting out food.

"Mom, next time you have her rolling around in a grease pit hose her down before you send her home."

Edna laughed, I swept my dress up under my thighs with my hands and sat down and started taking some food. Sarah started to pout I nudged her with my elbow.

"What's up shorty?"

"I want to wear my dress now!"

"I'm sorry. It was what I had handy. Next time I'll warn you ahead of time. I promise."

She nodded and started eating. It was nice to have everyone at the same table again. Especially Henry. There was a lot of chatter. Emma was upset with not being able to close out of some her cases before she had to go on Mat. leave. Henry's chest was still sore, and Sarah had cut her thumb. I really didn't have anything to add since I was super boring. I mean I could have said, oh ya I learned fifteen new Kryptonian symbols, but I couldn't. That was the sucky part of having a secret life. I could not share it with the people I loved so I sat there quietly and listened.

I cleaned the table after supper and put the dishes in the dish washer and wrapped up the food. I glanced at my Fitnow. It was almost seven. I heard the doorbell ring, and it was Jacob's driver I grabbed a hoodie and my waiting bag and bounded towards the door. I waved to everyone. April was waiting at the door when I arrived. She wrinkled her nose at my dress.

"That looks flowery. You wore that on purpose?"

"Yes. You should try wearing color. It is amazing, you know since we aren't living in a 1950's tv show."

April rolled her eyes. I could hear Jacob speaking loudly. I would not quite call it yelling, but it was close. April waved her hand.

"They've been at it all day. I don't know why Jacob's so upset."

"What's going on?"

"He transferred us to some private school. Said it'd be good for us to make friends in the proper social circles."

"What? Last year he was going on about how the public schools are best."

"I don't know what to tell you, what do you want to do?"

I shrugged.

"Sorry, I'm kind of boring when you get right down to it."

"Movie night!"

"Sure."

We went to their home theater room. It was literally a movie theater and she put on some terrible eighties horror movie. I mean it was terrible in a cheesy way. Jacob walked in looking dejected as we were trying to pick the next one. He smiled when he saw me.

"You're in a dress again. What's going on?"

"I'm a girl, I like dresses. Why do you look like someone just ran over your puppy?"

I plopped down in my seat and left April to pick the movie. I was asking for some old romantic comedies, but she was a hard no on those. Jacob sat down beside me and threw up his hands.

"My dad, one day he's all public schools are awesome, next I'm enrolled at some private school for rich assholes. I can't even hang out with you this year."

"Uh, I'm going to that private school for rich assholes…I think."

April and Jacob both looked at me.

"Didn't I tell you? I got a full scholarship to Excelsior Academy. I thought I had told you."

April shook her head.

"For someone with a photographic memory you sure are forgetful."

"Hey, I remember texting you and telling you. But maybe I just thought I did because I thought of doing it."

Jacob looked a bit less upset.

"Well okay, that's a bit better."

"No Amanda!"

"Okay that's a really good point."

"So, what caused his change of heart?"

"I bet the Luthor's are sending their kids to that school. My dad has this weird rivalry going on with them. He keeps trying to one-up them. Whatever. What's the next movie?"

"Texas Chainsaw Massacre!"

We had a very fun sleep over watching movies, playing board games and cards. Jacob's dad actually joined us for a few of the games. I hadn't spent much time around him he was as big as Jacob was and seemed pretty down to earth and friendly. I still didn't have much of an idea of what he did for a living.