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

Clark had gone straight from first to third grade in school. Not many of the older kids he was in class with after that asked him to do things with him except Pete. Most of the kids from his old class didn't either, except for Lana. They'd formed a tight bond in kindergarten that hadn't broken since. Maybe this was partly because she struggled with a few subjects he was willing to help her with.

After learning he was an alien, he'd tried avoiding her as well as all his other friends. After escaping her all morning on the first school day after Moe had left and the people in suits had come and gone, Lana had grabbed his arm on their way to lunch. His whole body had tightened and teeth grit. Then she'd immediately asked him about Moe and the agents. Without pausing for breath, she'd also told him who'd told her about what happened at his house, who they'd heard it from, and then remembered aloud what else they said she also wanted to ask about. Clark found himself mostly chewed while she talked across the table at him.

"Sally said they were government agents, FBI maybe? Did they say they were FBI? Jacob said his cousin told him FBI agents only ask folks about important stuff. I didn't think your old farm hand could be that important to the government. Did they really only ask about him?" Lana took a sip of strawberry milk and stared into his eyes.

Clark swallowed his mouthful of canned green beans and stuttered a bit in his reply. "M m mostly ..."

Lana nodded gravely swallowing her milk. "Jenny said maybe Moe was an escaped counterfeiter. Or was it 'convict'' she said? Pete said its another government agency and not the FBI that look into counterfeiting. So I guess it was probably convict that Jenny meant. Did Moe ever say anything that made you think he'd been in prison?" Lana took a bite of applesauce and just stared into his eyes like an owl.

Clark stared at her as he swallowed his mouthful of fish-stick, but answered without a stutter this time. "No ..."

Lana's shoulders fell and she sighed before saying. "I really thought Moe seemed to nice to be any of those things. I mean he was so polite. And ... what's that thing aunt Emma likes to say? He was ... was ... soft spoken? Is that the thing Aunt Emma says that Moe was? Is that right Clark?"

"I ... think so ..."

By the time the bell rang for recess, Clark realized while he'd sorta given his opinion on a few things, he hadn't really had to say dragged him toward her friends where she told them all he'd told her, which sounded like a lot more coming from her, "No, Moe hadn't said anything at the Kents that made it sound like he'd been in prison."

When the other girls and a few other boys looked to him, and one other girl asked if it was true, he'd said "Yeah." Then he'd said the same or "No," to some other things like "yeah," Moe had been soft spoken and nice. And "no," he'd had no tattoos or long talks on the phones to people out of state.

When talk about Moe, agents, and why agents had been after Moe died down, conversations with Lana ventured into even safer territory for Clark. Her questions became, "What food was his mother bringing to the church supper?" "What score did he get last year on the math test she was taking Friday?" "What time was he planning on arriving at Susie's birthday party?" None of the answers to these questions seemed like they'd give away his secret. Also, the more he hung out with Lana the less likely he was to say anything including a secret. She even answered things for him.

The day everyone stopped talking about Moe and the agents all lunch and recess, he'd had to explain to Lana he wanted to read instead of play games. He'd managed to keep looking into her wide eyes above her slightly open mouth the whole time. It was about the most he'd got to say to her all at once for a long time. "No Lana, I'm not gonna play football today. I brought a book from the school library to read. See? I think it'll take me all recess. I've waited all summer and these the last few school days to read it. We don't have it at home."

Lana had sighed her shoulders falling. "I guess I shoulda known it. You're too smart to keep liking sports now that we're both growing up. And I have had ya talk to people about Moe so much lately. Go ahead and read Clark. I'll explain to the others." And she did.

Clark blinked after her a moment. He thought he "did" still like sports. He "also" liked reading and learning new things, but he didn't think it safe to explain he might do something alien during a game. After that every time he was with Lana and someone else asked him to play a game, she'd answer for him. "Clark doesn't play sports!"

Once after weeks of it not happening, another kid asked him to fill in for someone home sick in the game they wanted to play. Lana had given the other kid a glare "Clark doesn't play sports anymore, Silly!"

Someone else added. "He hasn't liked sports since spring!"

Clark blinked. He "hadn't" played a sport with the other kids since spring, but ... he "did" like watching the others play when he wasn't reading or tutoring someone through their homework, which was sometimes Lana. He was more worried about playing an actual ballgame of some kind than ever though. He'd broken some things at home, when he was in a hurry or frustrated. Pa insisted he fix what he broke whenever this happened and he was getting pretty good with his pa's fix-it tools. He was starting to touch his folks less and less even as he helped them more and more. When his ma finally asked for a hug he barely held let alone squeezed her. She had sighed, but then let him go and given him a sad smile.

Clark startled out of his thoughts as one of Lana's friends asked "Golly, Clark, look how pale you are! Don't you ever go out in the sun anymore?"

"Naw!" This came from a boy who used to push him hard as they walked down the same hall or hit him if he caught him alone, before he started hanging out even more with Lana, who'd yell at any such offenses toward a friend before telling the principal. Some of the older boys, either to retain his tutoring or because Pete (the most popular member of their class) had started calling out not just others bullying him, but the others ignoring it too, had started walking with him even when Lana didn't. So, he'd become pretty safe from this kid except for the occasionally thrown insult like now. "Clark just stays inside and does all his smart-guy homework or helps his ma with the baking now!"

More than the bully chuckled at his joke. Scowls from Lana and Pete soon silenced all but the boldest. Lana's face got reddest. Before she exploded, Pete spoke. "There's nothing wrong with good grades. You can't play college sports without attending a college, or go to work in the city as much besides a factory worker or janitor if you don't get further education."

A new kid whose father had done both before they'd come to help with the harvest in the area scowled up at Pete and asked, "What's wrong with that?"

Pete instead of scowling shrugged, and replied, "Nothing, but 'I'd' like to become a lawyer at least."

Clark's bully snorted. "Clarky here wants to be a big-time baker, don't you Clarky?"

"Actually ... I'd like to take over my parents farm."

Open mouths turned toward him from ... everyone. And Clark realized he'd made a mistake. Lana gasped her face having gone from red to white. "You?"

Pete stared at him mouth closed but eyes intent. "With your grades?"

The Bully went from gaping to grinning "And those muscles?"

Clark glanced down at his skinny arms he hadn't even realized were crossed in his nervousness. Then he felt himself blush. He'd done what he'd promised he wouldn't. He'd called attention to himself and his looks that made him appear weaker than he was. He couldn't lie either. "Well ... uh ... maybe I'd hire a lot of help ..." Even if I don't need it.

"Like that weirdo 'Moe' the government is after? If they haven't caught him already."

Clark frowned, no glared. Lana did too, even more darkly and right at the bully. Grabbing Clark's arm, she turned him down the hall before linking arms with him as she continued to walk. Clark moved with her as standing firm at least would show her some of his strength, which could surprise her, a lot. At worst, he thought maybe it could hurt her. He glanced at her face to see her nose, no, her whole face tilted up as she marched down the hall pulling him along. "Come on, Clark, let's go to studyhall, away from these simpletons!"

Clark almost laughed. Whatever was wrong with her math and memorization Lana could make good use of big words at times. His smile widened as she turned to stick her tongue out over her shoulder. Clark heard the heavier brisk steps of Pete following them without looking back to confirm this. Once they sat on either side of him at a table in the tiny room the little school called a library "and" study hall, Lana turned her straight unblinking gaze and questions on him, "Are you really not gonna try to be a lawyer too Clark or a scientist? Even with all your genius everyone talks about all the time?"

"Well I ..."

Pete interrupted, "You can do about anything with that mind of yours Clark. Don't waste it."

"Well it wouldn't be a ..."

Lana interrupted him too. "Everyone around here talks about how soon you might be leaving us to get a job somewhere in a city, maybe even government work."

Clark raised his voice though he didn't dare twitch a muscle. "I don't want to work for the government!"

Pete lowered and hardened his voice. "You can't let what happened to Moe spoil that possibility for you Clark. You can do anything, Don't let one bad situation that wasn't even 'about' you stop you."

Then Pete got out began to read his history book. Lana brought out her math homework. Clark sat between them blushing until Lana asked for his help. Then he sighed and helped her.

What do you think?

God bless

ScribeofHeroes