Chapter 4- The Party
Lara sat with her book after the funeral, blinking hard so she wouldn't start crying. Sometimes reading was the only way to not think about things. Her reading teacher had asked her class to pick out a book and read it for what she called Independent Reading that they all would be graded on. Lara loved Brit lit, so she had picked "Back Home" by Michelle Magorian as it was combination British fiction and what happened after World War II. In the sixth grade Lara had read "The Diary of Anne Frank" when her class was studying the Holocaust and Lara had fallen in love with World War II alongside Russian history, French History, and all kinds of British history.
Clark had told her that made sense as she was adopted and she was born in England. This made her feel more like Rusty in the book she was reading as Rusty was sent from England too. Unlike Rusty, Lara had been a baby and not seven. A tear slipped down her cheek and Lara swiped it furiously. "Nothing wrong with crying, Lara," Clark said as he stooped in front of her and swiped her face gently with the pad of his thumb.
"Daddy, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I was talking to Grandma and she said she was feeling bad. I asked if I could tell you and she said no," Lara said as more tears slipped out. Clark gently picked her up and settled her on his lap, resting his chin on her head.
"It's not your fault, baby girl. Your grandmother didn't want me to worry and she is the adult. You only did as she wanted," Clark said, kissing the top of her dark head.
"But if I had said, you, mom, and, maybe, Superman could have gotten her to a hospital," Lara said, burying her face in her father's chest. Her father's chest was the most comfortable and solid place that Lara had ever known. It had been that way since she was a toddler and had come down sick with the chicken pox. Her and her dad had stayed in the living room watching cartoons all weekend, Lara sitting on his lap, her head against his chest.
"Superman does a lot, baby, but he couldn't have done that," Clark said, his voice rumbling through her gently. The gentle sound of her father's voice made the tears fall faster and soon Lara was gulping down sobs and grabbing thick handfuls of her father's linen waistcoat as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, like she used to do when she was very small and had fallen and skinned a knee.
"Clark, is Lara okay?" Lois's voice sounded like it was through a tunnel.
"Feeling pretty awful, Lois. She hasn't cried it out yet," Clark said, his fingers gently stroking Lara's dark hair.
"Do you think you can eat, baby?" Lois asked.
"I don't know, Mom. I don't really feel hungry," Lara said, raising her head to look at her mother. Clark rubbed a rough thumb across the tears still falling down her face.
"Could you try to force it down?" Lois asked.
"I guess," Lara said as she and Clark stood up and went outside. A bunch of people were in the front yard of the Kent farm. Clark had said that it had belonged to four generations of Kents and she, Jordan, and Jonathan were the sixth generation to have it as Clark had no desire to sell it. Clark had told stories about growing up here, helping Grandpa Kent with the tractors and cows. All the people here had loved Martha and had grown up with her father and gone to school with him. Her father had pointed out Coach Gaines, Pete Ross, Emily Phan, and a couple of others.
Lara hated usually hated meeting new people, but this time all the people here was supportive and seemed to care that the family was hurting. Lara went over to the table loaded down with food and piled a plate high. She wasn't really hungry as she had told Clark, but she didn't want people to think she was too sad to eat and would suddenly worry about her not eating. Lara went to the table where Jordan sat, his curly hair in his eyes and looking the picture of despair. Jonathan put the plate down and both he and Lara sat down.
"You okay, Sis?" Jonathan asked.
"Yeah. I guess. Dad and Mom seem to think I should eat," Lara said, picking up a turkey finger sandwich. She took a small bite and worked on not gagging on it. It tasted like sawdust in her mouth.
"What's that?" Jordan asked, indicating the plate Jonathan had just put in front of him. Jonathan sat on the table.
"It's one O'clock. Don't you need to take your pill or something?" Jonathan asked.
"What are you? Mom?" Jordan asked, raising his head.
"Someone's got to watch out for you and Larry," Jonathan said.
"I really hate that nickname, Jon," Lara said, rolling her eyes.
"I know, but you don't really want me to stop saying it," Jonathan said. Lara smiled briefly, in spite of herself. No, she wouldn't want Jonathan to stop calling her that. He was the only one that she knew of that was allowed to call her that. Lara stood up and picked up a glass she had just emptied.
"I'm gonna go get some Dr. Pepper," Lara said, going over to where Clark and Lois stood by the table with the food and drinks. A neighbor stood there telling them stories of her dad growing up in Smallville.
"Hey, baby. This is the next-door neighbor, Mr. Branden. Mr. Branden, this is our daughter, Lara," Lois introduced the neighbor.
"Hi, Mr. Branden," Lara said quietly.
"Hey, little lady. You look just like your dad," the man said warmly.
"Um, I don't know how. Did Dad mention I am adopted?" Lara asked.
"Oh, right. Your grandma said that your mom and dad couldn't have any more children. You went to Metropolis and adopted a British orphan," Mr. Branden said.
"Yeah. Maybe that's why I like Brit lit and the history of Tudor England so much," Lara said.
"Did your grandma ever tell you about your grandpa? Your dad, here, and your grandpa could harvest crops faster than any farmer in the area," Mr. Branden said.
"How's your place, Mr. Branden?" Lois asked, changing the subject as Lara opened a can of Dr. Pepper cream soda.
"We had to sell to Oberlee Foods last year," Mr. Branden said.
"I'm really sorry to hear that," Lois said.
"It's hard for family farmers to make it around here nowadays," Mr. Branden said. Lara looked at her father who got this distracted look on his face. He often got it and would come up with some strange harebrained reason to leave.
Lara looked over to where her father was looking and saw a brunette woman with her husband, who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there, and two girls. Lara suddenly remembered them from the one time they stayed in Smallville for the summer. Mrs. Lana Cushing and her family. Martha had told her that Clark had dated Lana years before he had met Lois.
"Clark, I am so sorry. She was always so kind to me. To all of us," Lana said, giving him a hug.
"It's good to see you, Lana," Clark said.
"Same. Lois, great to see you. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances," Lana said, hugging Lois and Mr. Cushing, Kyle, shook Clark's hand.
"It's nice to see you too," lois said as Jonathan and Jordan came to stand beside Lara.
"You remember our boys and daughter? Jonathan, Jordan, and Lara," Lois asked, looking over at the three of them.
"Hi," Lana said.
"Hey," the three of them said.
"These are our girls. The littlest one here is Sophie. And the one with the perma-scowl over there, that's Sarah," Kyle said, pointing at the girl who was about Jonathan and Jordan's age.
"Dad. I'm really sorry about your grandma. She was really special. Even my dad liked her. And he hates everyone, so-" Sarah said, turning around to look at Jordan, Jonathan, and Lara and then Kyle with a teasing look.
Lara snorted and coughed to conceal a laugh. She could definitely see that. And judging by the humor on everyone's faces, so could they. "House full of girls. Someone's always mad at you," Kyle said as if to defend himself.
"Mommy?" Sophie asked.
"Mmmm-Hmmm?" Lana asked, wrapping her arms around Sophie.
"That's him," Sophie said, looking at Clark.
"Well, your daddy and I went to high school with Mr. Kent," Lana said. Clark smiled.
"You dated him. That's why Daddy got mad when he saw you on his Facebook page," Sophie said and everyone, but Kyle, choked down laughter.
"Okay, sweets, why don't you go play?" Lana suggested, pushing Sophie away. It was an excellent save to avoid awkwardness.
"Oh, how are you holding up?" Lana asked with a sigh as Sophie left.
"I could really use a drink, actually," Clark said, even though Lara and everyone in the family knew that Clark couldn't get drunk. He held that fairly well.
"Now you're talking. Lead the way," Kyle all the adults went toward the house.
"I didn't think you guys would have remembered me from that summer," Sarah said.
"Of course we would. I mean...But you changed your...Everything," Jordan stammered.
"Jordan Kent, striking out," Lara muttered softly.
"What our brother is trying to say is that whatever you're doing is...it's totally working for you," Jonathan said.
"Well, we still get puberty in Smallville. Although, cell service stinks, so-" Sarah trailed off.
"You know, I've been trying to get on all morning. I think there's something wrong with the router," Jordan said.
"Just probably needs to be reset," Jonathan said.
"Uh, Jon, it's in the barn," Lara said quietly.
"Oooh. Mysterious. What's in the barn?" Sarah asked.
"Our dad doesn't like us in there. He says it's full of stuff that can kill us," Lara explained.
"Yeah, when we were like eight and you were seven, Larry," Jonathan said in a teasing voice.
"Well, as a member of the FFA, I think I can keep you guys safe," Sarah said, walking towards the barn.
"What's the FFA?" Jordan asked.
"I don't know," Jonathan said.
"Future Farmers of America. Dad told me," Lara said as they followed Sarah to the barn. Lara hoped that she didn't live to regret this.