Clara Kent Superwoman

Chapter 4: Farmers Market

Clara woke up before sunrise, as usual, to get her chores done. In reality she could get everything done in around 3 seconds, but she liked the ritual of feeding the animals, cleaning the stalls, collecting the eggs. It was a slow rhythm, the heartbeat of her life, but she was comfortable here, she knew what to do. Clara would speak to Chloe at the farmer's market about last night; she wasn't looking forward to the explosion, or having to talk Chloe down from reporting Whitney. There was no physical evidence she had been hurt and the only witnesses to the actual event were the other cheerleaders. It would end up as Clara vs Whitney, and Whitney was far better liked.

Clara distracted herself by loading up the truck with the produce, busying herself with whatever her parents told her to do. When her Dad said it was time to go she had the sudden urge to get changed and brush her hair. Lex would be there today. Although she didn't know why it mattered, he'd seen her half drowned and hanging from a cross. She super-sped into the house and pulled on a blue and white chequered blouse her mother had bought her on her last birthday, she'd never worn it. Martha always tried to instil some femininity into Clara's wardrobe; she hadn't been able to get her into a dress since she was 4. Clara was the definition of a Daddy's girl. She left her jeans and work boots but pulled the top part of her hair back with a hair tie, she only ever used it on market day, you had to tie you hair back when serving food. All this took around 5 seconds and she was back at the car, her father looked at her a little strangely before commenting she looked nice and her mother gave her a knowing look.

It was around 7 am when they got to the centre of town to set up, the two scaffold booths were already set up with "Kent Family Farm" written over the top. A few other farmers greeted her and her parents as they set up, including old Mr Gleeson the market manager who was in charge of setting up the tables and monitoring the trade. He has sold the majority share of his dairy farm to his only son Timothy, who was the same age as her Dad. Mr Gleeson was technically retired at 65, but that didn't stop him from being a keen horticulturalist and the nominated market manager. He supplied quite a few of the flowers for Lucas's aunt Nell's store. Clara's mother always bought his Calla Lilies and Red Tulips from Nell. Her mother said the first time she'd taken her into Nell's shop she'd gone around naming all the different flowers. When she'd reached the Calla Lilies Clara had grabbed one and wouldn't let go. Ever since then Clara received a Calla Lily for her birthday. Her parents hadn't known how old she was when they found her, they guessed around 3, so they had given her granddad Hiram's birthday. He'd died 9 years before she came to Smallville. In a month's time Clara would turn "18".

Clara thought it was strange that the anniversary of the meteor shower was the same day she had saved Lex's life. Life was full of strange coincidences. On the drive home from the field Lex had told her how he'd found her, on the same day she had come to Earth Lex had been in Smallville. Her coming had irreparably changed him, she felt horrible she'd caused him pain. But it was different to how she felt about Lucas, Lucas's harm she could never repay; Lex had been stigmatised and alone because of her. She wanted to help him, be there for him. It was all very confusing. She had better focus on her work. Clara put on her change apron and started serving early morning breakfast customers.

Clara spent her time divided between the produce stall and her mother's baking table. Whenever she was on the stall her mother would joke that the boys weren't coming over for the apple pie. Clara didn't believe her for a minute, no one ever gave her special attention at high school. Clara deliberately did not look over the way to Nell's flower stall, Lucas was working as cashier for his aunt and Whitney was hanging around. Clara didn't want to start something else. That reminded her; she wondered what had happened to Lucas's ring? Lex hadn't said anything about it, but it had been gone when he arrived. How had it disappeared? She tried to think, it was very hazy... flash of red...a dark figure...bright red eyes...