Although still shaky, my nerves calm down enough to a level of sanity as we approach the school. But my imagination goes into overdrive as 20 different scenarios play out in my head.
But none of them involve Clark hurting the other boy, I just can't believe that he'd do that. It had to have been an accident.
Fake scientists pop into my mind with beady eyes and foreign accents.
"Your boy is very very special Mrs. Kent!" or "Did you know your son isn't human? The world must know!" or "Imagine the money we'd make off earth's first alien!" I shudder.
We quietly go inside to the main office. Jonathan tells the secretary,
"We're the Kents. You called us about our son, Clark?"
Jonathan's panting. I'm not sure how long he's been holding his breath.
"Of course, of course, come this way."
She leads us down the carpeted back hallway to the principle's office and knocks on the door.
"Betty, the Kents are here."
The door opens and a woman younger that I am is standing there.
"Thanks Jane. Mr. And Mrs. Kent, please come in. I'm Bethany O'Neil, principle."
She smiles and shakes our hands. She doesn't seems upset at all, could I be hyperventilating about nothing? I'm completely confused by her actions and suddenly my nerves feel incredibly loose, as though someone had been pulling them and pulling them to the point where they were about to snap, but then all of a sudden let go.
She opens the door all the way and there's Clark, sitting, scared and alone, looking up at us.
"Oh, Clark!" I rush in and hug him tight. I never want to let him go.
He whispers weakly in
my ear, "Mommy, I'm so sorry."
I grasp him even tighter.
Good thing this child is unbreakable.
"Martha."
Jonathan touches my shoulder, I slowly let Clark go, and sit down in a chair next to him, still holding tight to his hand. Betty looks at us with kindness as she speaks.
"Mr. And Mrs. Kent, I suppose, let me start with what I understand to have happened.
Clark's first grade class had bookbuddies today with the fourth graders. Kevin Johnson was the 4th grader assigned to Pete Ross, whom I believe is a friend of Clark's. Now, Kevin's visited me before, he has a...(she pauses)..slight bully problem.
Today he was being especially crude to several students in Clark's class. He even started pushing little Pete around and uttering profanities. Lana Lang, another child in Clark's class, went over with Clark to defend Peter.
Lana told Kevin to stop being so mean, yet he continued to harrass Pete. She eventually told him she was going to tell the teacher. That was when he pushed her."
Ms. Small stopped for a second, wetting her lips. She took a deep breath and continued,
"That's when the confusion started.
Immedaitely after pushing Lana, Kevin was thrown thorugh the classroom door. Notice I said door, not doorway, and through it, not against it. The teachers didn't see how it happened. None of the other children will tell me what they saw.
Except for Kevin. He claims Clark pushed him. I certainly don't know how that could possibly be. I suppose you'll have to see the door to understand."
She got up and led us all to Clark's classroom, which at that moment was empty. I held Clark's hand tightly, and he held me tighter as we followed her. I gasped at the sight of the door. Or rather, what was left of it.
It was literally smashed. A large misshapen hole was in the middle of it. Splinters, hinges, and chunks of the door lay all around. I cringed at the sight of a little blood on the wall facing the classroom.
"Kevin suffered several broken bones, and a serious concussion. He was still conscious before the ambulances arrived, and that's when he told me Clark did this to him. I think after seeing this, you don't need to know that Kevin is also more than twice Clark's size."
She picked up a large piece of wood and fumbled with it in her hands. And then she looked at us.
"I was expecting to be hit with a barrage of protests from you both. I was expecting a denial out of Clark. I guess I was expecting a lot of things."
She sighs and plays with the wood a little more.
"But you're not protesting. And I didn't get a denial. Clark actually admitted to pushing Kevin through the door. Is there something you want to tell me? Anything at all?"
We stand silent. I have never had to have an excuse for Clark's abilities, and I didn't know where to begin. This woman suspects there's something highly unusual about Clark. But somehow, she's giving us a chance to escape. I clear my throat.
"No. Only, Clark couldn't possibly do that. I don't even see how it's possible."
Jonathan follows my lead, "Clark's a good kid, he wouldn't push, let alone - this - to another child." He gestures toward the hallway debris.
Betty looks at us and nods. "Of course. I knew as much. Still it's strange, don't you think? How a freak wind blew only Kevin through the door. Kansas is notorious for its wind. Well, seeing as everything's been cleared up, why don't you take Clark home early today? I'm sure he's been shaken up by what's happened."
I nod and Jonathan sticks out his hand and shakes hers.
"Thank you."
"What for? Now off with you. I have to somehow explain all this to Kevin's parents." She turns to Clark and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, and clark, be careful."
We turn away and walk out as Clark clings onto my arm, while I grasp Jonathan's hand with the other.
And that was how we learned to lie.