The morning after the big family revelation, the sun was just beginning to tinge Smallville’s sprawling cornfields with gold.
As was a deeply rooted custom, John and Brandon walked toward the usual meeting point at the edge of the property to meet up with Clark and head to school together.
However, the atmosphere between the Blake brothers was noticeably different from the day before.
Although they had accepted the revealed truth of not being biological children as calmly as possible, the shocking news that they were adopted and that their parents belonged to an alien race known as Kryptonians still floated in their minds, causing them to exchange thoughtful glances and maintain an unusual silence along the way.
It didn’t take them long to spot Clark, who was waiting for them leaning against a wooden fence with his backpack over his shoulder.
Young Kent prepared to join the pair of brothers, but as they walked together, he immediately noticed that something was wrong as soon as he saw them approach.
Their rigid posture and the unusually serious expressions on both of them were impossible to hide.
Clark frowned, straightening up, and asked with genuine concern in his voice, “Hey, guys…
Are you alright?
You seem a bit strange today.
Did something happen?”
John and Brandon stopped dead in their tracks.
They exchanged a quick glance, debating internally over how to respond.
There was too much to process: the fact that their father was also an alien, that they came from the same planet as Clark, and that their parents would soon be leaving for a supposed magical island in the Pacific.
Brandon was the first to break the ice, forcing a casual smile while scratching the back of his neck.
“Ah, come on, Clark…
It’s nothing to worry about, seriously.
Just…
we had a pretty long and deep family talk with our parents yesterday.”
John nodded, backing his brother up so as not to overwhelm Clark right before entering the classrooms.
“Yeah, it’s an important matter we were discussing with our parents.”
John firmly intended to cut the topic right there, but suddenly Brandon leaned into his ear and whispered in a low voice, “I think he needs to know.” John opened his mouth with the intention of refusing, but in the end closed it and only frowned.
He knew Brandon was right; after all, this was directly about Clark’s own background and origins.
Clark managed to catch the murmur and asked quickly, visibly confused, “What are you talking about?
Tell me what?”
John sighed, looking at his brother, and then fixed his gaze on his friend.
“You’re right, Brandon.
Clark has a right to know.”
Brandon nodded seriously, which agitated Clark Kent even further.
“Know what?” Clark asked, stopping dead in his tracks.
“Something you need to know.
But now is not the right time to talk about it when we are racing against the clock to get to class,” John sentenced as he resumed walking.
Brandon followed closely behind.
Clark stood still for a few moments, parting his lips slightly.
He was intrigued and a massive curiosity gleamed in his eyes; he desperately wanted to know what it was about.
However, in the end, he only sighed in frustration and followed them at a quick pace so as not to be left behind.
“Take it easy, pal,” Brandon said in a playful tone, giving him an affectionate pat on the shoulder upon seeing that Clark was still intrigued and half-angry for being left hanging.
“We promise we’ll tell you absolutely everything in full detail after school, alright?
Right now, there are more important things at stake.”
“Like what?” Clark asked, tilting his head.
Brandon took a couple of steps back, flexing his knees as a spark of competitive arrogance ignited his gaze.
What do you say?
A little race to practice our powers and see who gets to school first.”
John raised an eyebrow and, tempted by the challenge, chimed in, “Sounds interesting.
It’s a good opportunity for you to measure your current speed, Clark.”
Clark looked at both brothers and a wide smile spread across his face, momentarily forgetting the intrigue of the previous conversation.
“Alright!
I accept the challenge!”
The three teenagers lined up on the dirt road, getting ready.
“On the count of three…” Brandon announced, his eyes gleaming subtly with anticipation.
“One…
two…
THREE!”
BOOM!
The air around the road exploded with a loud sonic hiss as the three boys shot forward at superhuman speed, kicking up an immense trail of dust and dry leaves in their wake.
Brandon and John took the lead immediately since, unlike Clark, they had been training and using their powers longer under the strict guidance of their parents, moving like two black and blue blurs that cut through the wind with pinpoint precision.
Clark, for his part, let out an exclamation of surprise as he felt the ground blur beneath his feet.
Although he hadn’t fully adapted to fine control yet and lacked formal training, he forged ahead with impressive brute strength.
Clenching his teeth, Clark quickened his pace, letting his instinct guide him.
He began to close the distance in an astonishing way, catching up to John’s heels in just a matter of seconds.
‘Whoa!
He’s pretty fast!’ Brandon exclaimed mentally as he noticed Clark Kent’s advance out of the corner of his eye, finding himself forced to push even harder so as not to lose his precious first place.
The three superhumans crossed the boundaries of the agricultural fields and entered the back streets of the town in the blink of an eye, stopping abruptly right behind Smallville High School.
The dust settled completely around them, and their breathing was barely hurried.
“I think I won,” Brandon said with a mischievous smile as he winked at John and gave Clark a playful nudge on the shoulder.
“Whatever,” John replied without paying much attention.
Clark just nodded with a smile; he didn’t care much about losing, the experience had been completely thrilling.
The three friends crossed through the back door of the high school, wiping invisible dust off their clothes at lightning speed and trying to regulate their breathing before entering the main hallway.
The morning race had served to release their adrenaline and completely clear their minds.
As they walked toward their lockers amidst the hustle and bustle of the students, John spotted a dark head of hair that he recognized instantly.
It was Kyla Willowbrook.
She had her back turned, putting some books away in her locker.
Kyla was a girl from the Kawatche tribe; she was beautiful, deeply spiritual, and possessed a tranquility that John had always found fascinating.
They had known each other for a while now and used to talk often, but the relationship had never progressed beyond a nice high school friendship.
John stopped in his tracks, assuming a firm posture.
Perhaps because of yesterday’s shocking conversation or the uncertainty of not knowing what the future held for him, something ignited inside him.
He was determined; he didn’t want to leave any unfinished business in Smallville.
“Hey, go on ahead.
I have something to do,” John murmured to Clark and Brandon, without taking his eyes off the girl.
Brandon looked at his brother, then at Kyla, and a mischievous, mocking smile formed on his face.
“Well, well…
Look who decided to have some guts today.”
That earned him a glaring look from John, while Clark only smiled in silence.
“Hey, I’m not saying anything,” Brandon continued in a whisper, enjoying the moment.
“I’m just surprised you’re going to take the plunge. This story is hosted at g.com.
I always thought you’d be like Clark, keeping your love and admiration deep down in your heart and comforting yourself just by having a friendship.”
His words earned him a harsh, heavy, and glaring look from both John and Clark himself.
“Hey, I was just saying,” Brandon defended himself, raising his hands.
“But I’m glad you’re going, I support you, you know?
Just…
don’t mess it up, bro,” he whispered, giving him a friendly elbow nudge before Clark dragged him down the hallway to give his brother some privacy.
John took a deep breath, adjusted the strap of his backpack, and walked toward her with a determined step.
“Hi, Kyla,” John greeted, softening his usual serious-guy expression.
Kyla turned around upon hearing his voice and a warm smile lit up her face.
“Hi, John.
You guys made it just in time.
I almost thought you wouldn’t attend today, since you usually arrive much earlier.”
John let out a small laugh.
“Yeah, Brandon and Clark were talking too much on the way.
Hey…
I wanted to talk to you about something before the bell rings.”
Kyla closed her locker door and looked at him with curiosity, noticing that the boy was unusually resolved today.
“Sure, tell me.
You seem different, as if you have something important on your mind.”
‘You have no idea,’ John thought with amusement.
Leaning subtly against the adjacent lockers, he looked her straight in the eyes.
“Well, the truth is I’ve been thinking a lot about what a good time we have when we talk.
And…
well, I’d like us to go out together.
This weekend there’s a fair in the next town, or we could go grab a bite to eat.
What do you say?
Would you like to go on a date with me?”
Kyla blinked a couple of times, visibly surprised but pleasantly pleased by the bluntness and absolute confidence with which John had proposed it.
A slight blush colored her cheeks, but she maintained her calm, unperturbed gaze.
“A date…” Kyla repeated, widening her smile.
“Wow, John Blake, I thought I’d have to wait another year for you to work up the courage to take the first step.
I’d love to.
I think it’s an excellent idea.”
John felt a tremendous relief in his chest, and a genuine smile, the kind he rarely showed in public, formed on his lips.
“Great.
Then we’ll figure out the details after class to see what time.”
“Deal.
See you after class,” Kyla said with a coquettish wink before turning around and walking toward her classroom.
John stared after her for a second, feeling completely relaxed for the first time all day.
He turned around to look for the guys and saw Brandon and Clark shamelessly spying from the corner of the hallway; Brandon was giving him thumbs up with a monumental look of mockery while Clark smiled, relieved for his friend.
However, Clark’s smile didn’t last long when Brandon approached him from behind and whispered in his ear, “Man, now all that’s left is for you to work up the courage too.”