You Are Not Alone // Smallville [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter One

Chapter 1

Clara Evans sat at the back of the classroom. She kept her head down, hoping not to be noticed by the classroom's chatty teenagers. A new beginning for herself and for her American father. Her mother had quietly passed away from an ongoing illness in Melbourne, Australia where they had lived for the past ten years, and her father's business had brought them back to his hometown. A quiet town. Full of new dreams, new friends, and new opportunities. And especially a small place where no one knew her. She was here at last. A small high school, a small town. A small farm where her father grew up. In the middle of Kansas. Smallville.

Clara looked up as the English teacher, Mr. Cross entered the room. He threw his brief case onto his desk and looked into the crowd. As the chatter dispersed, he cleared his throat, "Morning class," he began, "we have a new student and I'm sure she'd like to introduce herself."

Clara gulped. Her anonymity was gone. She falsely smiled at Mr. Cross and slowly stood up and walked to the front of the classroom. All eyes were fixed on her as she swallowed hard and began to proceed.

"Hi," she faltered nervously. "My name is Clara Evans, and my Dad and I moved here to Smallville last week." She pulled her long wavy hair over her right ear and smiled faintly at the faces staring back at her.

Clara opened her locker and threw her books inside. She was quite relieved the day was over. As she closed the door, a voice spoke to her from behind. She turned around to face a pretty blonde with short hair and two hazel eyes that were filled with excitement.

"Hey!" she said smiling, "I'm Chloe Sullivan."

"Hi," Clara replied, "Clara Evans."

"I know," Chloe smiled, "I'm in your English class with Mr. Cross."

Clara slumped her shoulders, embarrassed. "Was I that bad?" she asked.

Chloe laughed. "No," she said, still smiling, "Mr. Cross does that to all the newbies. He likes to embarrass them. Sort of his way of their initiation."

Chloe put her arm through Clara's left arm and walked her down the corridor.

"Hey, Clark!"

Clara looked around to see a tall, good looking boy look back and smile. He threw his bag over his left shoulder and approached them.

"Hey, Chloe," His piercing green-blue eyes smiled as they bounced from Chloe to Clara.

Chloe cleared her throat. "Clark, this is Clara. She and her dad moved to Smallville a week ago."

Clark smiled at Clara. "Hey, Clara."

Clara gave him a closed mouth smile and waved. "Hey!"

Chloe leaned into Clara. "So," she said. "This is the mystery that is Clark Kent."

Clara raised her eyebrows and looked at a frowning Clark. She didn't quite understand their relationship but was sure that somehow they were friends. Chloe punched Clark in the arm and laughed. He reluctantly smiled and laughed.

Chloe looked at her watch and gasped. "Is that the time?" she asked, "I've gotta go and put the paper to bed." She looked at Clara. "I write for The Torch, the school paper." She excitedly placed her hand on Clara's shoulder. "I would love to interview you! 'Daughter of self-made millionaire, Michael Evans comes to Smallville High'" Chloe's eyes widened in anticipation. She looked at Clark, still smiling.

"You'll look after Clara, won't you, Clark?" she asked, not waiting for a reply. She looked at Clara. "An interview first thing tomorrow. Clark will show you where."

Clara and Clark watched Chloe run down the hall and disappear around the corner. They looked at each other and laughed uneasily.

"Wow!" Clara stood there, dumbfounded.

"Oh, don't mind Chloe," Clark reassured her. "She means well. 'The Torch' is really important to her."

Together they turned and walked out the front doors into the warm Spring air. Clara walked next to Clark until they stopped at a red Dodge Ram pickup. He took his keys from his jacket pocket.

"Do you need a lift?" he asked, smiling.

Clara looked at Clark and smiled. She didn't usually accept rides with guys she just met, but there was something about Clark that was comforting. Familiar, even. Something, but wasn't sure what. She shook her head and readily approved.

They drove out into the country area where the fields were filled with cattle chewing on the rich green grass. Clara loved the country. It was a vast difference from the noise of city life. Peaceful, quiet, undisturbed. From a distance, she could see the Kent Farm and just beyond the horizon, the rented Mason house where they moved into. Clara cordially accepted Clark's invitation to visit, and comfortably enjoyed the ride, smelling the freshness of the Kansas air.

Clark turned his Dodge off the main road and drove down a long drive until he stopped next to a flower garden filled with sunflowers. Next to the garden was their house. A two storey, yellow weather board with a small verandah. They hopped out and walked up the six stairs to the house. They entered in to where the smell of freshly made cookies greeted them.

"Mom!"

A thin, red haired woman turned from her baking and smiled. "Hello, Clark." Martha Kent took off her apron and approached them as they stood in the doorway.

"Mom," he began, "This is Clara. She and her dad just moved to Smallville."

"Hi, Clara. Welcome to Smallville." Martha Kent warmly smiled and offered one of her home baked choc-chip cookies.

Clara liked Mrs Kent. She reminded her of her own mother. She seemed to have a friendliness that was only exceeded by her kindness. Clark presumptuously grabbed the plate of cookies and indicated for Clara to follow him. They preceded to a red barn that had a wooden staircase. Climbing the stairs, they came to a loft that was set out with a red couch, a desk, a hammock, and a bookcase, suitable for a teenage boy. A telescope stood right at the edge of the huge barn window of the loft. Clara was immediately attracted to it.

"Do you use this much?" she asked, indicating to the telescope.

Clark approached and leaned over to peer into the lens. "Dad passed it down to me after he built this loft for me."

"Do you know much about astronomy?" she interrupted. "It's always fascinated me that maybe we're not alone. I mean, a billion galaxies, and we're the only ones? Come on!"

Clark stood up and gazed at her. He smiled nervously and slowly walked to the other side of the loft. "I don't know," he shrugged, "What would you do if you met and alien?"

"I would probably give them a chance. Who knows? Maybe they would even look human, and already live among us. Maybe they want to be normal. To be the same as everyone else. To be human." Clara stopped. I think I've said too much already, she thought.

They were interrupted by a car pulling up. Clara looked out the window and spotted a black BMW M6 convertible pull up the drive. A tall, good looking man in his early fifties, with short brown hair and dressed in a suit got out.

Clara smiled. "It's my dad."

"Well, we better go then," suggested Clark.

Clara jumped forward, snatching the plate of cookies, and shovelled one into her mouth. "Can't let these go to waste!" she muffled, passing the plate to Clark.

Clark laughed amusingly and chose a large cookie, and sat on the couch with Clara, and together they finished off the cookies. Amazingly, she thought, that I actually managed not to miss my mouth! She looked at Clark and smiled to herself, He was stuffing his face as quickly as she did. I think we're gonna be good friends, she thought.

Clara stood up, brushing the crumbs off, and walked with Clark back to his house. As they approached the front door, they could hear a commotion inside. They hurried inside and stood in the doorway, gaping.