Clara Kent Superwoman

Chapter 21: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Thursday meant two things for Smallville, Food and Football. Everyone would meet with their families, have their Turkey, and then get ready to go the Turkey Bowl. Well almost everyone, one person would be alone today, Coach Arnold. Coach Arnold had never gone in for the sissy family stuff, women only ever harped on at him for is drinking, he's made the mistake of getting married in his twenties but divorce had cured him of that disaster. His life had only ever been about sports, and more importantly, winning. His father, the old bastard, had taught him two things, losers never get anywhere, and if there was someone in your way you crushed them. He'd had an illustrious sports coaching career spanning 25 years following those words, no one had dared question him. But now, the namby pamby, touchy, feely types were trying to say he was old hack, past it, and put a kid barely out of braces in his place.

If someone got in your way you crushed them.

If that little asshole Kwan had brought Teague in as an assistant, maybe he could have handled it, but he'd named him Co-Coach, that was not allowed. But the kid was like rubber, taking every insult, every order, and the team were excelling with his new techniques. So Coach Arnold had gone back to an old standby.

Coach Arnold had been the bully at school, pummelling the smaller kids, he was the one who pulled the wings of flies, used magnifying glasses on ants...and played with matches.

As an adult, he'd kept his fascination with fire, even taking a side job committing arson so people could make insurance claims on dead-end properties. Farmer's were rich in land and buildings, but they didn't make all that much, in the 90's quite a few had cut their losses and asked for help, he'd obliged.

But even torching Teague's car hadn't stopped him, he was from money, he just got a new one.

So he's bided his time, becoming more and more humiliated as Teague wheedled himself into every aspect of the school, taking over, even the football players liked him. A leader shouldn't be liked, he should be respected, or even feared.

When Teague had signed up for the Horror Maze, he'd thought it would be his chance to really show him up. But he'd had a little too much to drink, and turned up after everyone had already left. He'd stumbled around, looking at the monstrosity that Teague had erected; he should have spent his time on something more productive. It was near pitch black in there, and he'd tripped over a rubber Alien that had fallen off the hay bales, and cut his hands on the stupid glowing rocks that Teague had strewn around, he'd been so drunk he couldn't get up, and fell asleep in the Teague's freakin' Roswell nightmare.

The next morning he woke up feeling feverish. His hands were cut up, the shards of rock he was sure he had in them were gone. He'd stumbled to his car and driven home. For the rest of the week he had a high fever, living off a liquid diet and watching re-runs of his greatest games. Finally, he decided to try and fry something, he'd gotten the bacon, turned on the stove, and then gotten a phone call. It was freaking Kwan again, asking why he wasn't in work.

"I'm taking my sick days Principal Kwan, I'm owed around 20 years worth, I'm cashing in!"

"That's fine Arnold, I would have appreciated it if you'd notified either myself or Jason, he's been bearing all the load in your absence."

You bet he had.

"I'll be back at work after Thanksgiving, I have a project to finish up."

"Alright Arnold, take care of yourself, if you need to take a sabbatical, just let me know. I'm sure Jason can take over."