Daughter of Superman

Basic Social Behavior 101

Madine thought it would be nice to take Conner to the park instead of the mall that night. She figured they would have the whole Saturday for that, at least until late afternoon... Also, it was nice bringing Conner to see a little green, and on Friday nights, the Metropolis main park was always full of people and things to do. She tought it would be a nice thing to bring him to see people besides her and their father.

She hadn't meant to laugh at him. Really. But it was just so funny when Conner looked like that: completely lost, without having any idea of what to do.

"I still don't get why you're laughing." he said, his pout a little too cute for her to handle.

"You're just so adorable."

His pout increased, and she stopped laughing to actually explain it to him.

"Ok, ok." she cleared her throat. "Conner... When someone says 'what's up?', they actually mean 'how you're doing', and things similar to that. It's not literally a question."

The thing was, a few friends of Madine from school were in the park, and once she introduced Conner to them, one of the girls had greeted Conner with a nice 'what's up'; to which Conner promptly answered with: 'hm, there's a few clouds, but not much more.'

Her friends had thought Conner was hilarious, and left after that. Madine couldn't help laugh at Conner's bewildered expression, but she noticed now that she had a lot to teach him about social interactions. Starting with a few key expressions, maybe.

He frowned to her explanation.

"It's a slang." she said.

He sighed. "Ok. I guess I made a fool of myself, then?"

"I don't think so. The girls seem to think it was a joke." she shrugged. "No big deal."

They walked a little in silence for a while, until Madine talked again.

"I should probably teach you a few things about slangs and social behavior, though. Somethings we only learn with practice, and this is the perfect time to practice. What do you think?"

Conner smiled, following his sister until a bench near a big tree, and they both sat and talked about a lot of things people are used to do that Conner had no idea about. He had thought he was fairly good after his readings, but that was obviously not the case.

At least, he thought happily, he had a very good teacher.

~.~

By the end of their little outing, Conner was more or less careful with slangs and expressions, and it made Madine think she probably could use a little marathon with teenage movies with him. That would probably teach him a lot.

By the time they made it home, their dad was home after his patrol around Metropolis, waiting for them in the living room.

"How was the mall?" he asked with a smile.

"We went to the park." Madine answered. "Bought him two t-shirts and jeans in the South Gallery, and then we got back."

"She thought would be better if we go to the mall tomorrow." Conner said.

"Maybe she's right. But you have to come with me tomorrow."

Conner frowned, and Madine said what was on his mind.

"Where?"

Clark sighed and look straight to Conner, his eyes a little tired, but with something warm in them when their eyes met.

"Batman made a decision about the partners' thing with Cadmus. We're supposed to tell you that tomorrow."

Something inside Conner got bubbly, and he felt Madine's hand on his shoulder at the almost same time.

"Don't be nervous. Everything will be alright." she smiled, and he smiled back.

Apparently he could always count on her to translate new and strange feelings.

"Madine's right." Clark said. "And I'll be there with you the whole time."

He smiled for him too.

"Thanks, dad."

Clark's eyes sparkled. "You're welcome."

"You're going too, Madine?"

His sister bit her lip, looking completely nervous and not like her at all for a second, and then smiled to him.

"No, thanks. I'll pass that."

And then she went to her room, looking rather distressed, and left Conner really confused.

"Did I said something wrong?" he asked out loud, hoping Clark would answer.

He sighed.

"Madine is... complicated about the hero business." he answered sadly. "But maybe you should ask her why is that."

Conner frowned. "The League knows about her?"

"Only Batman and Wonder Woman. They are my oldest friends, and the closest ones too. They're her godfather and godmother, too. Despite the fact that when I met them, Madine was six." he smiled. "She conquered their hearts right away, though."

"Even Batman's?" Conner was surprised, but then again, Madine had a personality that couldn't be ignored.

"Even Batman's." Clark nodded, and then sighed. "I have to go check some things with him, speaking of it. I should be back in a couple of hours."

"Sure."

They said their goodbyes and Conner decided to have a little heart to heart with his sister, whom he could hear nervously pacing in her bedroom, and being nervous was not Madine's normal behavior. And he needed to understand why.