Chapter Text
“Oh! No nononono! Don’t do that, Sweetie!” Miss Danvers practically sprinted to the other side of the classroom where one of her four-year-olds was painting the face of his classmate with his fingers. “I don’t think Zoe’s Mom would like that,” she added as she smiled and knelt in front of the two children. “This paint is for paper, not for faces.” She bopped the little boy’s nose playfully with one finger. “Zach, can you go to the sink and bring me a wet sponge please?”
As he went to do as she’d asked, Kara carefully checked Zoe’s eyes to make sure they were clear. The paint was non-toxic, but she wasn’t taking any chances. “How are you doing?” she asked as she did so. “Having fun?”
“Yes, Miss Danvers,” the little girl replied as she grinned at her teacher. “I like painting.”
“Good girl,” Kara smiled. “Hey thanks, Zach, for bringing me the sponge. Why don’t you finish your painting while Zoe and I get cleaned up?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” the red-headed boy replied.
Kara spent a few moments carefully washing Zoe’s face and then sent her back to her painting too. She wandered through the classroom, praising the children on their work but she paused as she realized someone was watching her from the other side of the windowed classroom door. Kara smiled as the newcomer quietly slipped in and moved to meet her at her desk. The woman was dressed elegantly in a black pencil skirt and pristine, white blouse. “Hello,” Kara greeted.
“Hello,” the other woman replied. “Pardon the interruption. I was just…”
Just then, there was a squeal from across the room and Kara whirled to find a small boy running toward her. She prepared herself to fake the impact of a small body against her legs but was surprised when the impact never came. Instead, the other woman was the victim and she chuckled slightly as the little boy wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed hard. “Hi Mommy!”
“Hi, Carter,” she replied, running her fingers through his wild, blonde curls.
“Oh, you’re Carter’s Mom?” Kara said, her smile growing larger. “I’m Kara Danvers. I’m a substitute teacher, covering this class for a few days.”
The other woman nodded. “Yes, I know that.” She was small in stature, with golden hair cut at about shoulder length. She was a little older than Kara’s thirty-two Earth years, and her green eyes held a no-nonsense look that made the teacher feel like she was the one back at school again. “Cat Grant,” the woman replied. “Principal. I wanted to drop by to meet you professionally, but also because Carter hasn’t stopped talking about you since you got here.” She caressed her son’s cheek gently. “Isn’t that right, Carter? You like your new teacher?”
“Yeah,” the little boy replied seriously. “Miss Danbers lets us play with paints and cars.”
“Danvvvvers,” Kara corrected gently. “Well, it’s really nice to meet you, Miss Grant. Carter painted an amazing picture this morning. Would you like to see it?”
Cat nodded. “I’d love to.”
Carter tugged her hand hard and then, to Cat’s surprise, grabbed Kara’s hand too. “I want to show Miss Dambvers too.”
“Danvvvvers,” Cat said this time, making Kara grin as they were dragged across the classroom.
It was just a mess of colors, squiggles and lopsided figures, but Cat listened attentively as her son explained everything that was in the painting. Kara grinned helplessly as Carter pointed out a figure with yellow hair and one huge arm that she’d assumed was his mother but turned out to be her own likeness.
“Wow, that’s great,” she praised. “It looks just like me.”
Cat snickered a little, her eyes moving over the teacher. “Exactly like you,” she teased, and Kara got the distinct feeling that she was being examined a little too closely. She felt a blush color her cheeks and she cleared her throat as she looked at the classroom’s clock.
“Ok, class, time to put our paints away and clean up please,” she called out. Then she looked back to Cat, adjusting her glasses on her nose a little. “Excuse me a moment, Miss Grant.” Kara quickly moved to the keyboard next to her desk and started to play the Pink Panther theme. To Cat’s surprise, the kids, including Carter, rushed around getting cleaned up, put the paint sets away and then lined up at the sinks at the top of the classroom, waiting for Kara to finish. As the last notes of the song were fading away, the teacher got up and inspected the class of fifteen, hands perched on her hips.
“Excellent job, Everyone. I’m proud of you!” Then one by one, she supervised each child washing their hands at the kids sinks. “Everyone back to your seats and take out your readers please. We’re going to practice reading next.”
Kara smiled at Miss Grant as the principal came to the top of the room to meet her. “Carter is a very sweet kid. He’s been really helping me out these past couple of days.”
The principal nodded. “Good, I’m glad to hear that. So… you use the music to keep them focused?”
“Right,” Kara replied. “It’s one of my tricks. The kids subconsciously respond to the beat of the music and it keeps them on track. When they’re not doing a chore, I spring it on them sometimes and they dance to it. I think they enjoy the spontaneity. Plus, as a bonus, I also get to keep my hand in. I don’t get to play that often anymore.”
Cat tilted her head appraisingly. “Interesting. Well, I should get back. My assistant, Eve, is waiting for me for a meeting.”
“Ok,” Kara replied brightly. “It was great to meet you, Miss Grant.”
“You too,” the older woman replied. She paused then, once again appraising the younger teacher. “There’s a staff meeting this afternoon in the teacher’s lounge at three. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t,” Kara replied but Cat was already sashaying out of the room, her heels clicking on the herringbone patterned floor. The teacher took a deep breath and then swallowed as the principal’s residual intensity slowly dissipated. “Wow.”
Xx
“Kara? Dinner’s ready.” Alex said as she set a Shepherd’s Pie down on a potholder on the table. “I’m starving. Don’t make me wait for you.” She didn’t yell. She knew her sister would hear her. Alien ears were helpful that way.
“I’m coming!” came the yelled reply and a moment later, a freshly showered, blonde teacher appeared, comfortably dressed in jeans and t-shirt, and sat down at the table across from her sister. “Wow, that smells great!”
“Thanks,” Alex replied. “I found an interesting recipe for it online this morning.”
“Nom nom,” the teacher grinned. “The internet is the best invention ever.”
“For those of you who are obsessed with food, yet can’t cook it, yes it is!” Alex teased.
“Give me a break. Do you think I like having to eat thousands of calories a day?” Kara practically whined. “It’s not my fault my metabolism is as fast as it is.”
“Actually, I do think you like it. You’re the only reason I learned to cook, you know. I have to make sure you don’t starve.”
“Ha ha,” Kara replied, rolling her eyes dramatically as she waited for her sister to take a portion of the pie and then push the rest of the large dish across the table. Her blue eyes lit up with pleasure as she picked up her fork and dug in. “I can’t starve to death on this planet, but I really appreciate your keeping me from being hungry.”
“So how was your day?” Alex asked as she poured a soda for them both.
“Good,” Kara replied around a mouthful of meaty goodness. “Met the principal today and boy is she a handful.”
“Really?” Alex responded. “How so?”
Kara told her sister about Miss Grant’s visit to her classroom earlier in the morning and then the staff meeting that afternoon. “Jesus, Alex, it was like Miss Grant from this morning had been replaced with Mr. Hyde. She practically made one of the teachers cry with her berating. Apparently, there’d been a complaint from a parent about him and she let him have it with both barrels in front of everyone. Weird thing was, I seemed to be the only one who was surprised by it. I guess everyone else is used to her.”
“Sounds like you need to keep your head down and just get through the next few days,” Alex replied.
“Well, that’s the thing,” Kara said with a little smile. “The teacher I’m covering for has decided to retire early for medical reasons. Miss Grant offered me a full-time job after the staff meeting, apparently at the recommendation of her son.”
“Her son?” Alex repeated, confused. “How does he fit into this?”
“Carter is in my class and apparently can’t stop talking about me to his Mom at home. I guess she saw something good in that.” Kara finished the last of her pie, grinning as Alex got up to get the second one out of the oven where it was staying warm.
“Well, that’s fantastic news! Congratulations! I assume you’re going to take it?”
“Hell yeah!” Kara replied. “I really need a steady paycheck at this point. Plus, the kids are great. I think, if I can just avoid Miss Grant’s Mr. Hyde persona, I’m going to really like it there.”
“Well, I’m really glad you moved here,” the older Danvers said. “I really missed you.” She kissed the top of her sister’s head and then chuckled as Kara dug into the second pie with as much gusto as she had the first.
“Me too,” the teacher replied. “I’m really beginning to love National City again. This is delicious, by the way.”
“You know, you should start dating. There are a lot of fish in the sea here.” Alex pointed out as she took her seat again and imperiously held out her hand. “I’m serious. You need a dating app. Give me your phone.”
The teacher shook her head. “No, Alex, I don’t want a dating app. I’m not ready for that yet.”
“Sweetie, you know that there are good people out there,” Alex added softly. “They’re not all like him.”
“I know that...” The teacher adjusted her glasses and then took them off, dropping them on the table next to her placemat. “Logically. But…” She shrugged. “My heart is still a little raw.”
There was quiet between them for a moment. Then Alex smiled. “There’s a chocolate pecan pie in the oven.”
“Ooohhh, my favorite!” Kara replied. In a blink of an eye, she was in the kitchen taking the pie out.
“Bring another potholder,” the older Danvers advised. “Your fingers may be indestructible, but this table isn’t.”
After dinner, the sisters curled up on the couch to watch their favorite show together, but Kara found her mind wandering… to a pair of gold-flecked, green eyes.
Xx
“Claire, Louise, stop that please,” Kara said firmly as she crouched next to two girls having a hair-pulling match.
“She took blue,” Claire exclaimed, plucking a yellow crayon out of her enemy’s hand and holding it up for Kara to see.
“That’s yellow,” the teacher replied. “But what we all have to do is share the colors. Louise needs yellow now but, when she’s finished, you can use it.” Kara wondered why on Earth some kids weren’t taught to share. It would certainly make her job easier.
Then Carter came to stand next to her, leaning against her shoulder. “Miss Dambvers?”
“Danvers,” the teacher corrected gently. “What is it, Carter?”
The boy held out his hand, another yellow crayon nestled in his little palm. “Claire can use this one. I’m finished.”
Kara blinked for a moment and then a broad smile spread across her face as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and gave him a little squeeze. “Thank you, Carter. That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“Mommy says to always share,” he replied, his big, blue eyes wide. “Then everyone is happy.”
“Your Mommy is right,” Kara replied, casting a thanks to Miss Grant. “Claire and Louise, you can both use yellow now, but you have to both put them back in the center of the table when you’re finished. No more fighting, ok?”
The two girls nodded and went back to their drawings. It was coming near the end of the day, so Kara went back to her desk and sat down to look through her material for the coming week. She had some photocopying to do of a dog-shaped alphabet puzzle and she made a mental note to work with Carter a little more on his pronunciation. Just then, a light tap on the classroom door caught her attention and she glanced over to find Miss Grant’s assistant beckoning to her. The teacher walked over to the door. “Hey, Eve, what’s up?”
“Hey, Kara, Miss Grant wants to see you after class. Can you go by her office when the kids are gone?”
Kara nodded. “Sure, is everything ok?”
Eve shrugged. “Who knows? She just told me to relay the message.” She paused then. “Uh… Kara?” She pointed and the teacher turned to see Claire and Louise in another hair-pulling match.
“Seriously?” Kara muttered to herself, shaking her head “I’ll go see Miss Grant after class. Thanks, Eve.” She headed back across the classroom to the keyboard where she began to play the Pink Panther song, smiling as fifteen sets of eyes shot to her and fifteen butts began to wiggle. She recognized that the kids were tired, and she decided that, tomorrow, they’d get a longer nap. Maybe she could avoid more fighting.
It was after two when Kara finally made it to the principal’s office. She’d had to deal with a pants-wetting situation out at the parent pickup, which kept her a little later than she’d anticipated. She was about to knock on the door when it swung open to reveal a scowling Cat Grant.
“At last,” she said irritably. “Come in please.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Grant,” Kara replied. “There was a situation at the pickup. Took me a few minutes to deal with it.”
“That’s what I pay the assistants for, Miss Danvers,” Cat replied sharply.
For a moment, Kara stood there, her head tilted in wonder as she pushed her glasses higher up on her nose. What could she have possibly done to make the principal this annoyed? It’s not like they had a set meeting time. “I prefer to handle some things myself, Miss Grant,” she finally replied. “Continuity of care is key for kids that age. I made the decision to NOT pass off a little girl with wet pants to the male assistant who was there.”
It was Cat’s turn to stand there, blinking, and finally she sighed. “Of course, you made the correct decision, Kara. Thank you.” She turned then and Kara followed her into her office. “Please take a seat.”
The teacher did as she was asked and then waited, her fingers steepled in front of her face as the principal took a seat behind her desk. She took a breath to speak but Kara lifted a finger. “Excuse me, Miss Grant. Before we begin, I just want to share something with you. Your son is one of the most wonderful children I’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching.” She relayed the story about the yellow crayon to the principal, watching as pride filled the older woman’s eyes. “He’s an absolute credit to you.”
“Thank you,” Cat replied softly.
Kara nodded. “Now, what was it you wanted to see me about?”
“It’s about Carter, actually,” the principal went on. “Have you noticed any… changes… in his behavior over the last few days?”
Kara raised a blonde eyebrow. “Changes? Well… I can’t say that I have but I don’t really have a frame of reference for any of his original behavior. My impression of him is that he’s shy and quiet.”
Cat nodded slowly. “I’ve noticed that he’s a little more… subdued… at home and I wanted to see if he’s the same here.”
“Understandable,” the teacher agreed. “He’s been quiet in class since I’ve been here, but I haven’t seen any… anti-social… behavior.” Kara leaned forward in her chair. “Miss Grant, can I ask if everything is ok? Did something happen that may be affecting Carter’s behavior?”
Cat leaned back in her chair, her pen twirling in her fingers. Then she placed the implement carefully on her desk, got up and moved to gaze through the large picture window. “It’s… well… Carter’s father and I separated six months ago. We’re finalizing our divorce and I’m worried about Carter handling it. I tried to talk to him but I’m not sure he understands.”
Kara briefly closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m so sorry, Miss Grant. If there’s anything I can do…”
The principal turned back around and waved a dismissive hand. “There isn’t but thank you.”
“Are you sure?” Kara pressed. “I know how you must feel…”
“How could you know how I feel, Kara?” Cat asked caustically. “Do you have a secret ex-husband lurking somewhere who cheated on you with his assistant?”
Kara took a breath, recognizing Cat’s tone as a self-defense mechanism and refusing to let it get to her. “Mine didn’t cheat on me.” She shrugged. “He murdered my best friend, so his life without parole prison sentence kind of ended our marriage.”
Cat suddenly realized where she’d seen this young woman before. It was on the news, during the controversial trial where she’d testified against her own husband to put him away.
“I’m sorry,” Cat said softly as she took a seat again. “That must have been horrific.”
The teacher relaxed and crossed her legs, needing to change the subject. “What can I do to help with Carter?”
Cat thought about that for a long moment. “I know this is a lot to ask, Kara, but do you think you could spend a little time with us outside of school so we can determine how he’s doing? I just don’t have time during the day to sit in on his class, not to mention it looking like I don’t trust you… when of course, I absolutely do.”
Kara nodded slowly. “I can do that no problem,” she said. “I did notice that he only gets involved when I ask him to specifically do something. Is that normal for him?”
The principal thought about that too. “He’s always been a little shy, but I’ve never seen him not wanting to participate.”
“Ok,” the teacher replied. “Let’s see how he acts outside of school and we can compare notes. What do you suggest we do?”
Cat thought about that. “I saw on the aquarium’s website that they’re having a snake exhibition. How about we go to tomorrow? I’m sure Carter will like that.”
“Snakes, cool!” Kara beamed a bright smile. “Sounds like a plan. Let me just double check that I didn’t promise anything to my sister.” She pulled out her phone and sent off a quick text to Alex, who responded almost immediately in the negative. “Ok, she’s working tomorrow so no plans.”
“Is your sister younger or older?” Cat asked curiously.
“Older, by a year and a half,” the teacher replied. “The Danvers family adopted me when I was thirteen and Alex was fourteen.” Cat’s eyebrow lifted. “My parents died in a fire.”
“I’m so sorry,” Cat replied. “You’ve been through a lot for someone so young.”
Kara chuckled a little. “Despite how I look, I’m not that young. I was blessed with good skin.”
The principal stood then. “Well, I’ll let you get on. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at…ten?”
“Sure,” Kara replied. She wrote her address down on a sticky note and handed it to Cat. “You’ll need this.”
“Thank you. Have a good rest of your day,” the principal said with a smile.
“You too, Miss Grant,” the teacher responded. “See you tomorrow.” She got up and went to the door.
“Kara?”
“Yes?”
“Call me Cat.”