Fallout - 2016 - Matchmaker Chronicles Vol 1 CG3 6/15
Previously
Next class period was a study hall for all of them and they all started discussing their class schedules and forming study teams.
Jon and JJ were at another table going over a homework assignment while the girls chatted.
Hattie asked, “Have you heard about the new superheroes?”
Lara asked, “Who hasn’t?”
Morgana replied, wistfully, “Yeahhhh, isn’t Kam-El just a dreamboat?”
Hattie replied, “I couldn’t tell. The pictures I’ve seen weren’t good enough to tell.”
Morgan let out a sigh and said, “Trust me, he is.”
Hattie was more than a little curious and asked, “How do you know?”
Morgan was cast back in her memory, “It was the Fourth of July, we were on a cruise. The ship was in trouble. Some of us were thrown over the side. Kam’El and Ultra Woman 2 flew in to our rescue.”
Hattie interrupted Morgana, “You saw them flying?”
Morgana replied, “It sure looked like it to me. They came diving out of the sky and dove in near us so that they could rescue us. Anyhow, they got us all back on the ship and then Superman and Ultra Woman started to move the ship. I was almost thrown over the side again. Kam-El caught me. He wrapped those big strong arms around me and made me feel safe. When it was all over, I thanked him.”
Hattie, let out a breathy, “Wow!”
Seeing her response, Morgana decided to really blow her away and said, in a more matter-of-fact tone “That’s when I kissed him.”
Hattie felt light headed as she asked, in a raised tone, “You did what?”
The study hall monitor noted Hattie’s raised voice and said, “Not so loud.”
“I kissed him. To thank him … for saving me.”
Hattie complained, “I’m the investigative reporter and I keep missing him. I’m never there when he’s around.”
Lara asked, “What about Ultra Woman 2? What is she, chopped liver?”
Hattie looked at her and replied, “She’s another girl.”
Lara was disappointed and it came out in her voice, “Oh, just because she’s another girl, she’s not important. She’s a superhero too, but you dismiss her, out of hand, because she is a girl. I bet she saved just as many from drowning as Kam-El.” Lara got up, in a huff and stormed over to the table that JJ and Jon were and flopped down.
Jon asked, “What’s the problem, Sis?”
She spat out, “Women!”
“Oh, okay, you know you’ll have to explain, later.”
In a disgusted tone, she replied, “Yeah, I know.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That night at home, Lara and Jon were talking.
“Well, that was weird! What would be the odds of that happening? I never expected to see Morgana again.”
Lara laughed and replied, “Just remember … Don’t let her kiss you. She might remember where she kissed you before.”
“Yeah, something to think about.”
“Is she the one?”
“Nah, I don’t think so, sis. She’s a nice girl and all that, but it wasn’t like what Mom and Dad described. She’s just a nice girl and a friend, I hope.”
“Yeah, I agree. I’d like her as a friend. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
“I have a feeling that we are going to be seeing a lot of her.”
“We just might at that.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
With a little encouragement from Hattie, both Morgana and Lara went out for pep squad and became cheerleaders.
The three girls became almost inseparable and one was rarely seen without the others. They were like a female three musketeers.
And now
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 06 –
September , 2016* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Universal Locator designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 – Prime%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
One of the reasons that Hattie and Morgana had hit it off so well was Morgana’s interest in writing. She didn’t aspire to be a top investigative journalist on a great metropolitan newspaper the way Hattie did, but she did want to do something involving writing. Perhaps she could achieve fame by writing ‘The Great American Novel’ that was such an elusive goal for so many writers. If not she might realize her desire by writing fiction and entertaining herself and others in so doing.
The first week of school, Hattie convinced Morgana and JJ, who also wanted to be a reporter, to go along and meet the editor of the school paper. His name was Nick Carter and he was a senior.
They caught up with Nick in a study hall and had a hushed conversation in a back corner of the room.
Hattie addressed him and said, “Nick, my name is Hattie Kaplin and these are my friends, Cynthia and Jimmy Olsen.”
Nick shook hands around and then muttered, “Olsen … Olsen … I’ve heard that name somewhere.”
JJ smiled and replied, “My dad, James Olsen, is a photojournalist with the Planet.”
“Oh, right! I’ve see a lot of his pictures. Glad to meet you.”
Hattie spoke up, “We’d like to join the paper.”
“Let’s take this conversation to the office. Nick looked around and spotting the study hall monitor, went to her and asked if he and his group could go to the newspaper office. Once he received permission, they all left.
Once they were in the office, Nick asked, “Oh, what kind of qualifications do you have?” Looking at JJ with some regret, he said, “We don’t have much call for photos.”
JJ replied, “Photojournalism is my dad’s thing. I want to be a print reporter.”
Turning to Hattie he asked, “And you?”
“I plan to be an investigative journalist just like my mentor, Lois Lane.”
Nick let out a surprised gasp and asked, “Lois Lane? Did you say that Lois Lane is your mentor? She, along with her partner, Clark Kent are the top reporting team anywhere.”
Hattie smiled and replied, “I guess you didn’t know that Lois Lane and Clark Kent are married.”
“They are? Figures. Sounds like you know them personally.”
“Yeah, I do.” She put a hand on JJ’s shoulder and said, “JJ here is their nephew.”
The wheels were almost visibly turning in Nick’s mind and then he asked, “Do you think we could get them to come and give a talk to the staff? That would be terrific!”
Hattie smiled and replied, “I think that could be arranged. They like to encourage anyone interested in reporting.”
Nick turned to Morgana and asked, “Okay, how about you?”
“Oh, well, I don’t have high-powered friends in the newspaper industry, but I am interested in learning what it is to be a reporter. I want to write, I just don’t know if journalism is my thing, yet. I’d like to give it a try and find out.”
“Well, I must say, if that is your goal, you’re in good company.”
“Yes, it would appear so. Hattie hadn’t told me any of this.” Turning to Hattie, she asked, “Lois Lane is married to Clark Kent? Does that mean that Jon and Lara are their children?”
Hattie nodded and replied, “I never think to mention it because I’m so close to the family, but, yes.”
Curious, Morgana asked, “So, why aren’t they here?”
“Oh, well, you see, reporting is their parent’s thing. Their interests don’t run in that vein. Jon wants to be a scientist and Lara wants to be a lawyer.”
Nick interrupted, “Okay, so it looks like we have three new staff members.”
Hattie asked, “Do we get press passes or some other kind of ID?”
“Yeah, we have the form all prepared. All I need to do is enter your names and use the PC Cam to take your picture.” He moved over to a computer and asked, “Okay, who’s first?”
Hattie stepped forward and he asked, “Okay, name?”
“Henrietta Kaplin, but can I use Hattie?”
“Sure, I got no problem with it.”
“Great, then it’s Hattie Kaplin.”
Nick typed in the name and then picked up the camera which was attached by a USB cable and said, “Look right at the camera.” Once he was satisfied he punched a button, there was a flash and he said, “Be ready in a minute.
“While that’s processing, who’s next?”
Morgana stepped forward.
“Name?”
“Cynthia Winley, but I’d rather use Morgana. Morgana Winley.”
“Morgana Winley it is.” He typed it in and then used the camera.
As Jimmy stepped forward he said, “Let’s use JJ Olsen.”
“JJ it is,” and the process was repeated a third time.
When Nick pulled out the IDs he handed them around and said, “Welcome aboard.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It wasn’t too long before JJ found some human interest stories for the paper. In their school there was a handicapped individual in a wheelchair. His story detailed how he had been a passenger in his father’s car when they were hit by a drunk driver.
The result of the article was increased understanding of his situation and a less standoffish attitude by the other students.
While JJ was working on that article, Hattie was doing a comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the teams that the Wildcats would be facing in the upcoming season. This required her to attend the practices of the other teams, covertly. She used binoculars and a telephoto lens on her camera. She also merged with the other girls that were swarming the football fields trying to catch the eyes of the players.
On a couple of occasions she was so successful that she had dates with players from the other teams and she was able to work in questions whose answers she used in her columns.
When Jon heard what she was doing he became concerned and went to her. “Hattie, don’t you think you are taking a big chance going on dates with guys that you don’t know? These guys are jocks and are used to having girls throw themselves at them and most of them are willing, if you know what I mean. They could try to take advantage of you, force you to do something you don’t necessarily want to do.”
In a fake southern drawl, Hattie replied, “Oh, Jon, are you worried about little ol’ me?”
“You could say that. I don’t want you to be forced to do something you would regret later.”
Hattie turned serious, “You don’t need to worry about me, Jon. You know what I can do.”
“Yeah, I know what you can do, but some of these guys are easily twice your size. You might not be able to handle them. They are a lot stronger than you are.”
Hattie was confident in her abilities and replied, “The bigger they are the harder they fall.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before. There’s another saying, ‘Famous last words.’ Besides, you don’t really need to be doing this. The coach gets the films from the other games and shows us the highlights.”
“Yea, but what I get is personal. He’s not gonna get that from the film.”
“I’d still feel better if you weren’t doing this.”
“Oh, Jon, it’s for the paper. I’ve had several articles already and I plan to have more.”
Knowing how irrepressible Hattie could be, Jon determined to take steps to protect his friend. He knew that Hattie would participate in cheerleader practice which coincided with the football practice. She would then change clothes and drive to a nearby rival’s field and join the crowd waiting for the players to exit the practice.
Jon took a quick shower and dressed in a hurry, exiting the building in time to see Hattie as she headed for her car. Jon didn’t have a car of his own so he would have to follow her on foot. To forward his plan, he had dressed in dark clothes. Staying out of the streetlights, Jon used a fraction of his super-speed to keep up with Hattie as she drove on unaware of his presence. Jon hoped that nothing happened, but he wanted to be available if something did. Hattie was his closest friend and if he could keep her from getting hurt, he would.
This was the second time he had followed her and her fourth excursion of this nature. He knew that each time increased the likelihood that something would happen.
He watched as she joined the crowd waiting for the players. With her striking figure and flame red hair she easily stood out even in such a crowd. It wasn’t too long until she attracted the attention of a player who, by his size had to be a lineman, and Jon saw him wrap an arm around her waist and lead her away. Staying in the shadows, Jon followed. The lineman led Hattie to the football stadium; however, he didn’t lead her to the bleachers, instead he took her under the stands. Seeing this, Jon immediately began to worry and closed the distance somewhat.
It was a good thing he did because almost immediately he heard Hattie as she shouted,
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Stop that!”He heard a gruff tone, “Why should I? That’s what you came here for, isn’t it? Have sex with one of the players? Well, I’m willin’ to oblige. You’re too pretty to turn down. Let’s get those clothes off.”
Jon closed the distance and saw Hattie with the lineman’s hands on her breasts.
Hattie shouted,
“Hey, hands OFF!” then she struck out, but because of the close quarters was unable to put much force behind the blow.
“Oh, you want it a little rough, huh? Okay, that’s how it will be.” The lineman retaliated with an open handed slap that stunned Hattie for a second and she fell backward from the force of the blow.
As she fell backward he ripped open her top and leaning down started to paw her, attempting to rip off her bra.
Stunned though she was, instinctively Hattie struck out.
Just then, Jon, silent as a wraith, closed the distance and grabbing the lineman by the back of the shirt collar pulled him away from Hattie. He made sure that he was behind him and unseen as he tapped him on the temple. The lineman was instantly unconscious and Jon eased him to the ground. He could see that Hattie was starting to come around so he faded into the background, out of sight.
Getting to her feet, Hattie readjusted her bra which had been moved askew, then pulled the sides of her shirt together and stared down at her assailant. Shaking her head she muttered, “How’d I do that? Oh well, don’t quibble. I need to get out of here.” She started to move away, but thinking about what had happened, she returned and standing over the unconscious figure said, “I can’t let you off so easy. What you tried to do was wrong.” Pulling back her foot, she kicked him in the crotch. Mercifully he was already unconscious. “Take that and think about it the next time you try something like this.” Turning, Hattie stumbled away from the football field and to her car. She dug into her bag and pulled out her cheerleader sweater and put it on to cover her torn shirt. Starting her car, she headed home.
Jon decided that Hattie would probably head directly home so he stayed to make sure that no further injury was done to the lineman by other people or animals. After another ten minutes he came around. When he did he grabbed his crotch and rolled around on the ground for over a minute before his pain subsided sufficiently for him to stand. He staggered away from the stands and returned to his car. Climbing in he started the car and drove off.
Jon followed him and after he went inside his home, Jon wrote a note and left it under the windshield wiper. It read, “I saw what you tried to do. That little girl really put the hurt on you. If you try that again, I’ll tell everybody about the little girl that took you out.” He left it unsigned. The note showing up on his car should lead him to believe that it was written by someone that knew him and was a witness. He wouldn’t know who it was and it most likely would drive him buggy trying to figure out just who it was.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next day, after football practice, unexpectedly, Hattie was waiting for Jon as he came out of the locker room. He was dressed in dark clothes because he was planning on following Hattie if she went to yet another school to try and get inside information. Jon was surprised to see her standing there and walked up to her. “Hey, Hattie! What are you doing here?”
“Well, actually, I was looking for you. You know, you might have been right.”
“Oh, about what?”
“I don’t think I’ll be scouting the competition anymore.” Looking around and seeing the crowd, Hattie said, “Let’s walk to the car.”
As they walked, Jon asked, “What about your series of articles?”
“Nick will have to be happy with what I’ve submitted so far. You’re right. It could be dangerous.”
“What convinced you?”
“Oh, nothing. Can’t a girl change her mind?”
Stopping her in her tracks, Jon looked at her and said, “Hattie, I know you too well for you to convince me that you just ‘changed your mind’ What’s wrong? Look, this is Jon; you know you can tell me. What happened, Hattie? Do I need to go somewhere and kick some butt?”
Hattie broke down and started to cry. The story came out between sobs, “Oh, Jon, it was horrible! There was this big guy and he … he tried to force me and … he ripped my shirt and had his hands all over me. I struck out … I didn’t think it did any good, and he hit me … and suddenly he stopped and he was on the ground … and I don’t know what happened … and I don’t ever want to be in that situation again.”
She leaned into his chest and he wrapped her up in his arms, comforting her, “There, there, I don’t think he’ll be bothering you again.” Jon realized that if he wasn’t careful he would make a mistake so he stopped talking. He was thinking, <I’m glad I followed her and saved her from that. Why do guys need to be like that? Thinking they can take whatever they want from a girl, whether they want to give it or not.>
“What kind of investigative reporter will I be if I get scared off by something like that?”
Jon placed a forefinger under her chin and lifted it so that she was looking at him as he said, “A smart one that will live to investigate other stories.”
“Yeah, I guess. If I had Superman as a guardian angel like your mom had, to pull me out of spots like that, it would be another story, but I don’t.”
Jon thought, <If you only knew. But then, if you did, would it make you more reckless? Some people think it made Mom more reckless once Dad showed up and started protecting her.>
Hattie buried her head in Jon’s chest again, so she couldn’t see it, but Jon smiled. He had been her guardian angel, but she didn’t know it and it would have to stay that way. He could see though, that if nothing were done, it could become a full time job. He suggested, “Why not talk it over with my mom. I’m sure she would have some suggestions. She might help you not get in over your head.”
She sniffled and replied, “Yeah, I think I will.”
Jon was relieved. He knew that his mom would give her good advice.
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