I do not own anything. This story is "only" for entertainment purposes, so please be entertained. :)

At school, Clark found himself tongue-tied with everyone there even with his old friends. He was afraid of saying something, anything, that would give his secret away. He was likewise afraid of giving it away by doing something impossible for someone his size, who was "not" an alien. He started saying "no" to games of baseball, football, or even just catch during recess. He wouldn't race anyone either. Losing on purpose felt like lying.

He started reading library books on the outdoor lunch tables instead of playing. He went through most of the adventure books that fall. Once, when he realized one wasn't as exciting as he'd hoped, he slipped up.

He shut the book frustrated it was far more boring than he'd thought. His gaze roamed around watching other kids his age, younger, and older swing, climb on the jungle gym, and run on the grass. Then his gaze locked with that of a little girl standing near another little girl and the merry-go-round. She grinned and ran over to him.

The kindergartner begged him to spin her and her friend on the merry-go-round. Clark thought about it a moment. Many kindhearted "big-kids" would do that for the younger ones. It made the younger kids happy. And he really didn't have anything else he wanted to do he wasn't afraid to do too well in front of so many people. Pretty much everyone could spin two little girls on the merry-go-round though. He got up and went with the cheering girl. Both she and her grinning friend climbed on.

He tried to be gentle, even slow, at first. Then one of the girls said "faster" and he picked up the pace. Soon both girls squealed as they gripped the bars and one's loose hair and the others pig tails streamed out. Clark studied their hands and faces, but didn't see signs of real stress or fear. Then a boy their age ran up and begged to get on. Clark grabbed a handle instead of pushing it again to let him on. A few more moments of pushing and about four others who'd run up to stand watching started asking to get on. He let them and started again mostly still concentrated on making sure the first few weren't getting tired. Three more ran up begging to join in, and the pattern repeated itself again.

Clark kept spinning the merry-go-round at the same speed, his ears hurting slightly with all the high-pitched screams of excitement so nearby. His muscles now felt a slight pressure of resistance as he gave each handle a push in a steady rhythm. Then, he felt stares.

He stopped, pulled his hands away, and looked around. Most of the older children and the teacher on watch had their eyes and mouths wide open staring at him. Scanning the area, Clark realized he didn't see a kindergartner or first grader among them staring or playing. He looked back at the merry-go-round. All the students from both classes were on it beginning to quiet down as the giant wheel they were on slowed.

For a few seconds, he ran the calculations for the approximate weight of both classes of kids and the strength of the old equipment. Deciding not to suddenly stop the basic wheel too swiftly and let it keep loosing momentum on its own, he turned and ran.

. . .

He had to stop himself from jerking and slamming the bathroom stall door too hard. Though he wasn't out of breath, his face felt hot. No longer bored, he sat on the toilet seat hiding his still warm face in his hands. He stayed until recess was over.

After collecting the library book from where he'd left it, he headed for his classroom, but his teacher stopped him as he came through the door. "Clark, I was told to direct you to the nurse's office, when you came in."

His eyes went owl-wide as he stared up at his teacher. She held up a hand and gentled her voice. "You're not in trouble Clark. Mr. Lawson said it looked like you over-exerted yourself at recess, and to be safe on the safe side, we should have you looked you over by Mrs. Carson."

Doubting that this was, indeed, safe, Clark still turned and still walked to the nurse's office in a daze. He sat in the nurse's office and answered Mrs. Carson's questions, mainly on if his arms hurt. He said "No," mostly, but that only made the nurse's face scrunch up. She told him over-worked muscles sometimes didn't hurt till the next day, and the longer it took them to hurt, the worse hurt they really were. She thought instead of carrying his backpack around and writing a lot that afternoon, it'd be better if he'd really pushed so many kids on the merry-go-round for so long, if one of his parents took him home. She'd already called.

Pa was there within the hour. That still gave Clark a lot of time to sit and worry. The nurse, and even principal, spent some of that time telling him it was okay to tell even his youngest and most polite fellow students "no" when they asked to get on the merry-go-round while he was spinning it. He was pretty sure he'd remember that.

Pa came and got him. Johnathan Kent Listened to the nurse and principal while watching his son. Clark kept his head down. "If he's really hurting tomorrow, he doesn't have to come in," Mrs Carson intoned while nodding solemnly.

The principal handed a stack of papers to his pa. "This is tomorrow's work. He can go over at home. He'd doing really well here. Completely keeping up and high marks even though we've moved him up a grade."

Mrs. Carson spoke up again. "But since his arms 'will' be hurting, someone should read the material and instructions out loud to him and then fill in the answers as he gives them to you verbally."

The principal finished with. "Considering the circumstances, and since we know you and Mrs. Kent, we'll accept answers in her or your handwriting until we're sure Clark is feeling better."

Pa gave a sharp nod. "Thank ya very much. Come along Clark." His pa then turned and walked down the hall toward the main doors. He turned and followed.

Clark felt the stares of the two grown ups behind him as he trotted down over the linoleum floor and even as the fresh air hit his warm face as they stepped outside. Pa didn't look at him again till they were seated in the truck and his seat belt was fastened. He stilled as his pa's voice filled his ears. "So, showed off a little today did we?"

Clark made a face. "No ... I was just bored! The book I picked was boring! And Jenny asked, and it 'seemed' nice! Then lots of other kids kept asking to get on, and it didn't seem too hard, and then everyone was staring at me, and I stopped to think about it, and ... and ... I guess no one else my size and weight should have been able to spin that many at a time ..."

"Did you put those little kids, or anyone else in danger Clark?"

Clark flinched. "I guess ... I probably shouldn't have let a merry-go-round that old be under that much strain with them on it."

"What did you learn then?"

"To keep thinking about things while I'm doing them and to say 'no' sometimes."

Pa nodded, looked out the windshield, and turned the key in the truck's ignition. "Alright then."

Clark gave a sigh of relief. When he got home, though, he got a lot more questions and exclamations from Ma. Despite knowing about his "alieness" she was pretty sure like the nurse and principal he had hurt himself. When she stopped worrying about that she kept asking pa if the principal and nurse seemed suspicious. It took her another long while to be convinced by him they weren't.

Pa ended up calling the old janitor and general up-keeper of the school property to suggest he check over the merry-go-round. Sure enough it was closed the next day according to friends who complained to Clark later. Mr. Jenkins and his pa fixed it together the third day after his "incident." He stayed home with ma on the second.

Martha Kent wrote his homework answers for Clark even though he did the reading and page-turning himself without any trouble. Then he helped her with her chores. Pa didn't think it was wise for him to work outside just in case a neighbor dropped by out of neighborly concern. No one did, but a few called. Pa answered instead of ma since folks expected him to talk less than she did.

He told each caller he thought Clark would be alright, he was stronger than he looked, and ma was helping him with his homework. He also told him he was letting him take it easy on the chores for a while. This last part was true, partly because indoor chores were a bit easier to begin with, partly cause ma was still a bit worried his muscles might be at least a little bit hurt.

What do you think?

God bless

ScribeofHeroes