This story was inspired from a video I saw online.
Take a Seat and Make a Friend
Brilliant rays of sunshine splashed from the heavens over the skyscrapers of Metropolis, smiling upon the bustling citizens unhindered by any clouds. It was what many would consider a great summer day to meander about shopping, visiting the local zoo, and haunting the park all afternoon. A smile could be found on just about every person that you encountered, well, every person except for the Daily Planet's award-winning reporter, Lois Lane. Headstrong, agile, and willing to go to any lengths to get all the facts, the intrepid reporter was anything but happy as she marched impatiently down the crowded streets.
"I can't believe that out of all the stories in this city, Perry wants me to go sit in a ball pit!" Lois grumbled, her tolerance towards the people around her all but gone. Grinding her teeth together, she forced herself past a small group of teenagers shuffling at a pace comparable to that of a snail. One of them shouted a complaint at her back but by the time she registered the words she was several paces ahead, fighting her way to the front of a crowd waiting to cross a street near the Metropolis City Mall.
For the thousandth time Lois cursed the Editor and Chief of the Daily Planet. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why Perry White had insisted that she go to the mall and find out what all the hype was concerning a ball pit that had been the talk of the town for almost a week now. Lois scowled as she remembered the conversation earlier that morning.
"Lois, have you heard about the ball pit just outside of the Metropolis City Mall?" Perry asked during the morning staff meeting.
"What about it Chief?" Lois replied. Of course she'd heard of it and in her opinion it was a ridiculous waste of time!
"It's caused quite the stir around here," Perry commented while several others in the room muttered in agreement.
"I don't see what the big deal is," Lois commented, "It's just a ball pit."
"I think there's more to it than that," Perry countered. "I want you to get down there and find out exactly why it's there and why it's drawn so much attention."
Lois shook her head, returning to the present just in time to storm across the street. Casting her eyes around, she locked onto the source of her irritation. The ball pit rested against one of the walls to the mall, a view of colorful balls contained within the huge box available from its glass front. A set of wooden steps nailed into the side gave brave souls access to the anomaly. Over the pit in bold friendly letters were the words: Take a Seat and Make a Friend.
A deep scowl crossed Lois's features, her hazel eyes darkening a little in mockery. "Whose bright idea was this?" she muttered aloud.
Glancing around, she saw that the ball pit was indeed drawing stares from innocent passersby but nobody appeared brave enough to venture up the steps and hop into the pit. She couldn't blame them. There was a reason such things were going out of style. The hygiene problems alone were enough to make the young reporter cringe. Why had Perry insisted she come here and participate in such a thing when it was clear nobody else wanted to?
She was just about to whip out her cell and cuss out the old man when a teenage girl, giggling like mad, left her two friends to take up the challenge. Lois raised an amused brow as not even a minute later an older man, probably in his early sixties, noticed her and halted in his journey to join her amidst the colorful balls. Lois shuffled a little closer, finding herself curious as to what the two would talk about.
"Hi, I'm Natalie," the teenager introduced, holding out her hand.
The older man, whose arm was covered in tattoos, took her hand. "My name is Anthony."
The two shared a nervous smile.
"So… uh, what brings you to this ball pit?" Anthony wondered.
Natalie shrugged. "I heard about it at school. My friends dared me to get in."
"I've walked past this several times this week," Anthony admitted. "I confess it's kind of weird. Do you know why it's here?"
"I heard that it's a project set up by the University," Natalie answered. "I guess they want to take a study to find out how many people will actually have the nerve to talk to strangers."
Anthony laughed. "Well, it's a creative way to conduct a study."
"Yeah it is," Natalie replied.
Lois continued to eavesdrop, learning that Anthony was a grandfather who took care of his two grandkids, Jerry and Joe. He'd lost his job two months ago and was desperately trying to find work, applying everywhere he knew that was hiring. Natalie confessed that she came from a foster home, her parents abandoning her shortly after she turned ten. The two comforted each other, shared a few laughs, and then exited the ball pit.
"It was nice meeting you Natalie," Anthony smiled, shaking her hand again.
The young teen smiled before surprising the old man with a hug. "Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I hope you'll find a job soon."
The two shared another smile, a wave, and then went their separate ways. Lois blinked a few times. Her previous feelings towards the ball pit had rapidly changed. How could they not after what she'd just witnessed? Two complete strangers had sat down amidst a sea of colorful plastic balls and emerged as friends! A wild desire overcame the young reporter and without a second thought, she marched up the steps and slipped into the ball pit.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Lois muttered, suddenly feeling very foolish.
A deep frown lined her face and she tried really hard not to meet the eyes of the people staring curiously at her. Some even started laughing, pointing in her direction. Unlike Natalie, who had Anthony enter the pit shortly after her, Lois sat there for almost two full minutes by herself. Her cheeks started to burn in embarrassment as she overheard a group of teenage boys walk past, mocking her for acting like a child. A mixture of different emotions began to swirl beneath her hardened exterior. Maybe nobody was coming to join her because they thought she was weird. Or maybe they thought she wasn't worth their time.
Lois was very aware that her social circle was rather insignificant. At work the only two people she really considered friends were Perry White and Jimmy Olsen, one of the best photographers the paper had ever had. Sure, she spoke to other people in the office but she didn't really have a deep relationship with anyone. The few boyfriends she'd had turned out to be jerks that confessed their interest in her was only due to her outward appearance. The second they got to know the real her, they ran away stating she was too aggressive and headstrong for their liking.
A troubled frown tugged at the corners of Lois's mouth as her heart sank. Why would anyone want to get in this ball pit with her?
A sudden crash rattled her ears as the balls shifted back and forth. Startled, Lois looked up and met a pair of astonishing blue eyes hidden behind a pair of thick black glasses. The eyes just happened to belong to the face of one of the most handsome men Lois had ever laid eyes on. Thick ebony hair covered his head, tousled loosely around his ears. He wore a loose fitting dark blue button up shirt under a gray suit coat. He sent her a slightly lopsided, positively adorable grin and waved goofily at her.
"Hi," he greeted cheerfully.
Lois stared for a moment, shocked by his eccentric demeanor. "Um… hi," she finally replied.
"So… take a seat and make a friend, huh?" he asked, pointing to the sign behind their heads. "I must admit I've never seen something like this before and I've traveled all over the place."
"Really?" Lois wondered, trying to wrap her head around the fact that this frankly rather attractive individual could give off such a nerdy persona. "Um… where have you traveled?"
The man shrugged. "All around the world, honestly, but I think I like America the most."
"Are you a foreigner?" Lois asked.
A cute smirk lit up her companion's face. "You could say that, I guess. I was adopted when I was three. My parents found me in a field and decided to take me in when nobody came to claim me."
Lois witnessed the tenderness in his eyes as he spoke of his adopted parents and a slight wave of jealousy escaped her. "They sound like fantastic people."
"They are," he insisted.
"I'm afraid my father doesn't really fit into that category," Lois admitted. Noticing his concerned expression, she explained, "I'm an army brat. My dad wasn't ever really the family man type and my mom, well, she died when I was little. My younger sister Lucy and I were raised by a number of people. We traveled around a lot so I can't really say I have a childhood home. As far as I'm concerned, Metropolis is the first place I've actually considered as home."
The man smiled pleasantly, his eyes sympathetic. Lois tried to deny the internal sigh of pleasure invoked from that smile. "I'm sorry that you had such a rough childhood but I'm glad you've found a place where you feel like you belong."
"Same here… so, do you live in Metropolis or are you just visiting?"
"I just moved here actually," he confessed.
"What brings you to the big city?"
An embarrassed smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, I'm here out of the hope that it'll turn out to be where I feel I belong. I've tried to live in so many different places but none of them seemed to fit, you know?"
Lois nodded. "Believe me, if anyone can understand that, it's me."
"So, why do you consider Metropolis to be home?" he wondered, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.
Lois unconsciously smiled. "Well, it's the first place I was able to freely be me. My dad always wanted boys so when he got me and my little sister he was disappointed. He raised us like sons, teaching us how to shoot, hunt, fight, the works. Though I'm grateful for all the things I learned, I can't deny that I didn't enjoy my childhood. I always wanted to be a journalist and so the second I got the chance to run away and go to college, I worked harder than anybody else to make it into that career."
"I studied journalism too," her ball pit friend revealed, grinning. "I studied in Kansas for a while before transferring to Metropolis University. After completing my degree, I traveled abroad and wrote freelance articles for the local papers. Now that I have some experience I'm going to try to apply for a position at the Daily Planet."
Lois couldn't help but smirk as she replied, "Well, this is ironic. I just happen to be one of their reporters."
The man's jaw dropped slightly in shock. "You're kidding?!"
Lois shook her head, chuckling, "Not in the slightest. Actually, the whole reason I'm sitting in this ball pit is because my editor, Perry White, demanded I come and get the story as to why it is getting so much hype. I thought it was the most pointless job he's ever given me."
An amused expression lit the man's eyes. "Do you still feel that way?"
Lois shrugged begrudgingly. "Not really… it's a pretty interesting idea."
"I'll say," he mused, leaning back a bit, causing the balls to shift.
Lois's eyes narrowed. "You're not thinking about stealing the story, are you?"
His blue eyes widened in honest surprise. "Why would I do a thing like that?"
Lois frowned. "Apparently you haven't been exposed to people with morals lower than your own."
"Have you ever had someone steal one of your stories?"
"I have," she hedged. "I was new to the Planet and while coming across an award-winning piece, one of my coworkers kind of tricked it out of me. He played me for the fool I was, copying down all the facts I'd gathered over a romantic dinner, and then published the story under his name the next morning."
"I'm sorry," the man replied sincerely.
Lois shrugged. "It was a long time ago. Sometimes you have to get burned in order to learn, right?"
"I suppose," he muttered, frowning still.
Lois glanced at her watch. She had an appointment with a source in a few minutes and for the first time in her life, she was upset about that. Though she wouldn't dare admit it to anyone else, she was having fun talking to this stranger. He was genuine and caring, listening to her with sincerity, and his obvious inexperience plus high moral character intrigued her. Such characteristics were not really common in people involved her line of work. Though she hardly knew him, she found herself wanting to get to know him more. If only she didn't have to leave!
Letting out a heavy sigh, she started to stand. "Well, I hate to say it but I actually have to get going. I've got to meet with a source in fifteen minutes."
Her handsome friend stood immediately and Lois' eyes widened slightly, surprised by his towering height. Gracious, the man was over six feet and she was barely over five and a half!
"Are you okay?" he asked nervously from the shock on her face.
Lois shook her head. "What –? Oh, yeah! I just wasn't expecting you to be so tall."
He lightly chuckled. "I get that a lot."
Lois smiled before both of them exited the ball pit, returning to the sidewalk. Smoothing down the folds of her skirt, she looked up at him shyly. "Well, it was really nice to meet you…?"
"Clark," he introduced. "Clark Kent."
"Clark," Lois repeated, the name feeling strangely sweet as it rolled off her tongue. "I'm Lois. Lois Lane."
Clark's eyes brightened. "Are you really? I've read several of your articles! You're work is great!"
A bubble of happiness expanded in Lois's chest as a faint blush climbed her cheeks. "Thank you. Maybe I'll get to read some of yours one day."
"Yeah," Clark muttered. "Maybe."
A sudden idea struck her and Lois unconsciously reached out and lightly punched Clark's arm. "Hey, I've got a great idea! Why don't you write up the article about this?" she waved her arms around, indicating the ball pit.
Clark immediately began shaking his head. "I couldn't possibly take your story!"
"Clark, take it," she replied sincerely. "It just might be the thing that helps you get the job at the Planet. I'll even put in a good word for you."
Clark stared. "Are you sure? You don't even really know me."
A large grin spread across Lois's face. "You're right so that's something we're going to have to change. After all, friends know all about each other, don't they?"
"So we're friends now?" Clark asked, his eyes suddenly twinkling.
"Yeah," Lois replied. "That was the guarantee with this thing, right? Take a seat and make a friend."
A large smile lit Clark's face and the small bubble in Lois's chest fell into her stomach, exploding into a thousand little butterflies. Wow he had a killer smile! Holding out his hand towards her, Clark's smile grew even more. Lois's heart took off as she accepted the offered hand and a spark of electric pleasure shot up her arm.
"It was nice to meet you, Lois," Clark said.
"You too," she nearly sighed.
Sending her one last smile, he began to walk away. Biting her lip, Lois couldn't help but call out, "Clark?"
The young man turned. "Yeah?"
Lois smiled hesitantly. "I'll see you around, won't I?"
A genuine smile climbed his cheeks. "I'm always around," he answered before turning around and walking down the sidewalk.
Lois kept her eyes on him until he disappeared into the crowd. "I hope so," she whispered, her heart hammering in her chest. "I truly hope so."