by Lisa Yee
“At Super Hero High, you’re learning how to be a super hero—not just for Metropolis or Earth, but for the entire universe and beyond,” The Wall said.
Supergirl couldn’t look away from the portals. So much was happening everywhere. “Why aren’t the Boom Tubes used all the time?” she asked, mesmerized. “This is amazing.”
“The Boom Tubes can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Sneak attacks, deceptions. Look here.” The principal walked her over to a portal on the far side of the room.
Supergirl’s eyes grew big as she stared at the fiery, desolate landscape of Apokolips. Fierce female warriors were sparring as coaches yelled instructions. None wore the safety equipment Super Hero High students were required to use when training. No one looked happy.
“What are they preparing for?” Supergirl asked, flinching at the hostility on their faces.
“Years ago,” Waller began grimly, “Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips, hijacked our tubes and brought his army to Earth. Our super heroes nearly lost the battle against his evil.” She ushered Supergirl out of the Boom Tubes door, shut it, sealed it, reattached the door handle, and reset the security system. “It’s rumored that one day his Female Furies—the girls you saw sparring—will try to take over Earth once more. That’s why the Boom Tubes must remain sealed off,” Waller cautioned. “It’s for the safety of Super Hero High and the world.”
Even though she was supposed to be focusing on her classes, Supergirl’s mind kept wandering back to the Boom Tubes. So when she overheard the members of the Junior Detective Society talking about them, she couldn’t help listening in.
“Hi!” she said, chasing them down the hallway. “Um, Boom Tubes? What’s up with that?”
The Flash looked at her, then glanced at Bumblebee.
“Oh, nothing,” Bumblebee said, trying to sound sweetly nonchalant. “We’re just strolling along, minding our own business. La, la, la…nothing’s happening.”
Supergirl wondered if that was a hint that she was supposed to be minding her own business.
“Don’t you have your Knitting and Hitting Club now?” Hawkgirl asked pointedly.
“I suppose I do,” Supergirl said. She wished that the Junior Detective Society members would include her. Of all the clubs on campus, they had a reputation for actually getting stuff done and providing a service to the school. Unlike the Eponymous Epicurean Elites Club, where the members just sat around and ate fancy desserts, or the Mediation and Meditation Club, where members argued, then napped, Waller actually counted on the Junior Detective Society. And that made their standards a little higher than some of the other school clubs. They wanted new members to prove that they had sleuthing chops.
“Okay, see you all later,” Supergirl said reluctantly. She knew when she wasn’t wanted. As she began to walk away, she looked down and noticed something on the floor. “Wait!” she said, picking it up. “Could this be a clue?”
Supergirl held up a leaf.
This time the members of the Junior Detective Society took her seriously. Hawkgirl used tweezers to carefully place the leaf in a plastic bag, then labeled it.
“It’ll take some time, but I’ll run some horticultural tests to analyze it,” Poison Ivy said, taking possession of the evidence.
“This could be the clue we’ve been looking for!” The Flash declared to Hawkgirl and Poison Ivy.
As the trio walked away, chattering enthusiastically, Supergirl stood alone.
“Supergirl?” The Flash called back to her.
“Yes?”
“Good job!” he said.
“Yes, good job,” Bumblebee and Hawkgirl chimed in. “We’ll let you know if this leads anywhere.”
Supergirl felt warm inside. Maybe she wasn’t so out of place here after all.
That night, like the one before it, and the one before that, Supergirl couldn’t sleep. This time, though, she quietly slipped out of her room so as not to wake Bumblebee, and grabbed her knitting on the way out. The stars were shining and the moon was full when Supergirl flew up to the top of the Amethyst Tower that had so warmly welcomed her a couple of months earlier. There, she resumed knitting her present for the Kents. She thought about what her life would have been like if her planet had not exploded. She missed her mom and dad.
As Supergirl looked toward the night sky, she imagined the stars realigning and creating a new constellation—one that featured her mother and her father, both with their arms around her. Her parents were smiling like they had been in the family portrait that once hung in their living quarters. Kara smiled back at them, for a moment refusing to believe that nothing existed of her former home planet. Nothing but memories.
As magically as the constellation had appeared, it slowly faded away into darkness. Kara muffled a cry and set down her knitting needles. All her parents had ever wanted was for her to be happy. She felt like she was letting them down.
Supergirl was surprised to wake up in her bed tangled in her sheets. The last thing she recalled was sitting alone on top of the Amethyst Tower missing her former life. The knitting lay on a nearby chair, still incomplete.
“Hurry or you’ll be late for breakfast,” Bumblebee warned on her way out. “It’s Waffle Wednesday, and Beast Boy has challenged Katana to another eating contest!”
Supergirl used her super-speed to get ready for school. She was exhausted, having stayed up most of the night, and put her high-tops on the wrong feet, causing her to trip more than normal.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry,” she said as she bumped into her classmates. Some laughed. (It was especially funny when Supergirl crashed into people.) But others were growing weary of her clumsiness. At least they could see Wonder Woman’s enthusiastic, bone-crushing handshakes coming. With Supergirl, one could never tell when she might trip, fall, or fly into them.
It seemed like she had just sat down to breakfast when someone began poking her.
Huh?
Supergirl sat up.
“You just face-planted into your waffles,” Hawkgirl said as she peeled a piece of waffle off Supergirl’s face. The sticky syrup remained, and when Supergirl tried to wipe it off, a corner of white paper napkin stuck to her forehead.
“I’m awake!” she announced, a little too brightly. “I’M AWAKE!!!”
No one heard her. They were too busy rooting for Katana and Beast Boy, who were plowing through the towering stacks of waffles in front of them.
Supergirl shut her eyes again. She had a headache. Her super-hearing was going haywire. Through the cheers, she could hear snippets of conversations around the heavy wooden tables that anchored the dining hall.
“This is going to look incredible in fast motion,” Harley boasted.
“My phone is broken!” Cheetah complained.
“Have a great day,” Barbara said to her father. Supergirl hoped to take a class from Commissioner Gordon next semester. That is, if she could get through this one. “I have to go,” Babs was saying as she held on to a computer. “Vice Principal Grodd needs this fixed so he can log all the unexcused absences this month.”
“Barbara,” her father said, sounding serious. “I am so proud of you. I don’t know how you do it. I have problems just turning on my computer—and here you are with a job as tech whiz to one of the most famous high schools in the universe!”
This made Supergirl smile—she loved that Barbara and her father were so close. She leaned in their direction to hear more.
“…and I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you’re not one of these Super Hero High kids. Oh, don’t get me wrong, these teens are amazing. But with your talent and brains, you could rule the high-tech world! Plus, that’s so much safer,” he added, chuckling. “Barbara Gordon, a super hero? Not on my watch—it’s too dangerous for my little girl!”
“I’m not a little girl.” Barbara spoke so softly that Supergirl could barely hear her. She accessed her super-hearing, but it wasn’t necessary. “Yeah, me a super he
ro? Never in a million years,” Barbara said loudly, laughing along with him. When Commissioner Gordon moved to give his daughter a hug, Supergirl could see her pulling away. “Dad!” Barbara complained. “We’ve talked about this. No hugging in public!”
Supergirl returned to her waffles. They were cold. She would do anything for a hug from her father.
The center of the room rocked with wild cheers. Katana had bested Beast Boy, having devoured twelve stacks of waffles to his eleven. Both looked ill as they congratulated each other and then ran out of the dining hall clutching their stomachs.
Janitor Parasite sighed. He picked up a mop and followed them.
After Commissioner Gordon bid his daughter goodbye, Cheetah spoke up. Apparently Supergirl wasn’t the only one who had heard their conversation.
“It’s a good thing you aren’t a student here at Super Hero High,” Cheetah said to Barbara. “You have zero powers.”
Undaunted, Babs motioned to Harley, Catwoman, and Bumblebee, who were making their way toward her. “They weren’t born with superpowers, and look how well they’re all doing here.”
“Yes, but…,” Cheetah began. She shut her mouth when the trio surrounded her.
“What are we talking about?” Harley asked, turning on her camera.
“Nothing,” Barbara said cheerfully. “Cheetah was just asking me to fix her phone.” She picked up Grodd’s computer. “Bring it by my IT annex anytime,” she told Cheetah. “I’d be happy to look at it. I’ll even lend you one of my phones if you need one!”
What the others didn’t notice—but Supergirl did—was that when Barbara walked away, her smile faded. She looked as sad as Supergirl felt.
Supergirl ran after Barbara. About to call out to her, she spied her friend slipping into a broom closet at the far end of the hallway—the one filled with Parasite’s cleaning supplies. Huh? It didn’t make sense. Supergirl could see a red laser emitting its bright light from a panel. Babs stood still as it scanned her. “B.A.T. access granted,” a woman’s voice said evenly. Another door inside the closet door slid open and Barbara stepped inside, closing the door firmly behind her. Suddenly, Supergirl could see right through the wall. Her X-ray vision was going in and out like her super-hearing.
Supergirl spotted a handwritten sign that read INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) ANNEX, BARBARA GORDON, PROPRIETOR. Past that was another room whose walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves of neatly cataloged devices and gadgets.
Supergirl couldn’t believe it when Babs pushed yet another button and a bank of shelves electronically rotated until they were directly in front of her. The windowless room reminded her of a cave, albeit a super-high-tech one.
Not wanting to spy, but wishing to comfort her friend, Supergirl walked toward the broom closet. Just as she reached the door, the bell rang. Instantly the hall was flooded with boisterous students who swept Supergirl up in their wake and deposited her at Super Heroes Throughout History. Her talk with Barbara would have to wait.
“Your family history reports should also include what it is in your background that makes you uniquely qualified to be a super hero,” Liberty Belle instructed.
Supergirl looked at her fellow Supers. Unlike her, they all seemed to fit right in and had everything figured out.
“Any questions?” Liberty Belle asked. Supergirl admired the Liberty Bell emblem that was knit neatly into her sweater. It gave her an idea.
She raised her hand. There was one place that had most of the answers you could ever hope to find. “May I be excused to go to the library to do some research?”
As Supergirl made her way past the science lab, the hall monitor stopped her. “I need to see your ID, please,” Hawkgirl said.
“You know who I am,” Supergirl reminded her.
“Yes, but I’m officially on hall monitor duty and one can never be too safe,” Hawkgirl said. She was a stickler for the rules. “ID, please. I need to know you’re not a SWAHP.”
“A what?” Supergirl said.
“Student Without A Hall Pass,” Hawkgirl informed her.
“But it’s me!” Supergirl protested.
“There are rules and there are rules, and this is the rule,” Hawkgirl said with a stern look.
After being given the official go-ahead to proceed, the young Kryptonian was greeted warmly by Granny Goodness. “I was hoping to see you again,” the elderly librarian said. She smelled like freshly baked cookies. “What can I help you find?”
“I’m not really sure,” Supergirl said, haltingly.
“Come, come,” Granny said. Her sensible rubber-soled shoes matched her sensible short gray hairdo. “Follow me. Let’s go into my office.”
Well-worn books lined the shelves in Granny’s office. Granny settled in behind her messy desk. Next to a cookie jar was a black-and-white photo of an attractive young couple and their twins.
“Your grandchildren?” Supergirl asked, pointing to the children.
Granny Goodness shook her head. “The photo came with the frame,” she said, chuckling. “But let’s talk about you!”
Munching on a cookie, Supergirl told Granny how she’d ended up at Super Hero High. She could see the old lady’s eyes start to well up with tears. “Dear child,” Granny said, reaching for a tissue. “We have so much in common. I was an orphan, too.”
An orphan? Supergirl had never thought of herself as an orphan. But technically, Granny was right. This made her heart ache even more.
“Unlike you, though,” Granny confided, “I came from a poor family, and while many looked down on me, there was one person who looked past my meager upbringing, took me in, and raised me. For that I shall be forever grateful and indebted.”
Granny stopped and stood with the aid of her cane. She patted Supergirl’s shoulder. “We’re two of a kind, Supergirl,” she said. “If you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me. Oh, look at the time! You best get back to class, dear. And here, take some of my cookies for yourself and all your friends!”
Supergirl had reluctantly agreed to meet teen reporter Lois Lane after school. Wonder Woman had assured her that Lois would write a good and fair article about her. “You should see all the stuff she’s written about me!” she exclaimed.
Supergirl was too embarrassed to tell Wonder Woman that she already had. It was clear even among all the Supers at school that Wonder Woman was a leader among leaders. She was popular and kindhearted, and nothing seemed to faze her.
Lately, Supergirl was feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of videos Harley was posting about her—and how many of them included her falls, tumbles, and spills. Never mind that most of them featured her showcasing her super-strength; it was those that made her look silly that she remembered the most.
And why was Supergirl even on the Internet in the first place? Harley hadn’t asked her if she wanted to be. No one had even asked her if she wanted to be a super hero, or if she wanted superpowers. No one had asked her anything.
Still, Supergirl didn’t want to make waves. She wanted to make friends. If she didn’t, she’d be alone in the world.
And that scared her.
As Supergirl flew to the interview, everyone already seemed to know her name. Most people waved or cheerfully shouted to her. Near downtown Metropolis, Supergirl stopped to help a car careening down a steep hill, its brakes having failed. Swiftly, she stopped the car, then carried it to the auto repair shop with the driver leaning out the window taking selfies of the car in flight.
Nearing Centennial Park, Supergirl heard a boy cry, “Save Rainbow!” With care and compassion, she rescued the kitten, who seemed content to stay up in the tree. Later, using her super-vision, she spotted a speeding train about to derail. In a flash, Supergirl bent the steel of the train track back into position and was on her way.
By the time Supergirl landed at Capes & Cowls Café, Lois Lane was already waiting for her inside. Before entering, Supergirl brushed a little dirt from her cape.
“No, really, it
’s okay that you’re late,” Lois insisted as Supergirl apologized for the third time. “You were saving people and kittens and trains! That gives me lots to write about.”
“Who would want to read about me?” Supergirl asked, genuinely surprised.
“Lots of people,” Lois assured her. Supergirl liked that Lois’s long, straight hair was no-nonsense, and that she took lots of notes. Her handwriting was neat and confident. Supergirl’s parents always used to tell her to slow down when she wrote.
“You have a compelling story, Supergirl,” Lois said. “It’s like you came out of nowhere….”
“I came from Kryp—” Supergirl started to say before stopping herself. She didn’t want Lois to think she was sassy.
“I mean you weren’t on anyone’s radar,” Lois continued. “Then BAM! Suddenly, the strongest teen on Earth shows up. Of course my readers are dying to know about your incredible powers. But I want to write about the real you—what makes you tick, what motivates you, what you want to do with your life, what you expect life to offer you. Are you game?”
Supergirl sipped her water, then chewed on an ice cube. That was a lot to ask, and she wasn’t sure even she knew the answers.
“Wonder Woman has told me terrific things about you,” Supergirl began. “So have a lot of the other Supers. But honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready to be interviewed like that just yet.” Supergirl cringed. She hoped Lois wouldn’t be mad at her, but she wanted to be honest. “Is that okay?”
Lois closed her reporter’s notebook and put down her pen. “Sure, it’s okay, Supergirl. I know I ask a lot of questions. It’s my job—but more than that, I’m just curious about everything. We can do the interview whenever you’re ready. In the meantime, will you let me buy you a smoothie?”