Clark came back into the living room dressed. "We have to talk."
"Then talk," she said, going into the kitchen and pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Should you be drinking that?" he asked.
She glowered at him and then took a sip.
He cleared his throat. "I think Ms. Lambert is the kind of person—"
"Busybody you mean," Lois interrupted.
"Whatever you want to call her. She will probably follow through on her threats, especially since her daughter is a social worker."
"So don't go around the apartment naked. It's an offense to my childhood senses anyway."
"She stipulated more than my nakedness if you'll remember."
"Oh no, you are not sending me to school."
"Lois, the last thing we need is the law getting involved. I think we should just play along with Ms. Lambert until we get this straightened out."
"Well, then leave me at your mom's. She'll never know the difference."
"I can't take the chance that she will follow through and check to see. It could get us into some serious legal trouble. Because frankly, you're just a little taller than the average 5 year old and no one will believe you're not supposed to be in school."
"Well, then homeschool me for Pete's sake! You can't possibly be thinking of enrolling me in a regular school."
"Lois, it's only temporary until I can find Zatanna. You probably won't even be in there for a full day. I'll tell them I only found out about you and your mother hasn't given me any information on you, but I thought I should get you enrolled right away."
She rolled her eyes. "This can't be happening to me."
---
The beak-nosed secretary peered down at her through her gold rimmed glasses once all the paperwork was finished. "I will escort her to her classroom."
"Oh," Clark said, putting a hand on Lois' shoulder. "I was hoping I could walk her there."
"We find it best if the children go alone. It cuts down on separation anxiety. So say goodbye to her here."
Clark got down on his knees to hug her goodbye. "It'll be fine," he assured her.
She whispered in his ear, "You better get me out of this hellhole today and I mean today."
"I'll do my best," he told her and he started to get up.
She grabbed him by his collar and jerked him back down. "I mean it. Today!"
He looked at the secretary to see what she was making of the scene and she looked very inquisitive. "She's afraid I won't pick her up," Clark told her. He turned back to Lois and said, "I will."
Lois sighed heavily and released his collar. Clark left the office, shooting her a sympathetic look before he went.
The secretary led her down the halls of Metropolis Elementary with its puce green floors and off white walls. The only thing that gave the dreary hallways any signs of life and childhood was the occasional bits of artwork.
The classroom was a little more welcoming than the hallways. It seemed chucked full of toys and more artwork than the Louvre.
The teacher talked in an overly cheerful voice, "Why, hello! Look class, we have a new student."
"Lois Lane Kent," the secretary said brusquely to the teacher before leaving.
The teacher was a young woman, who looked fresh out of college, with medium blonde hair and brightly colored clothes. "I'm Ms. Kenney," she told Lois, still speaking in those overly cheerful tones. She led her over to an empty desk. "This will be your desk," she explained, as she took a sharpie from her pocket to the nametag on the desk. Then she walked back to the front of the classroom.
Lois looked at the name Lois Kent that was made odd by being on a miniature school desk, but it was actually somewhat comforting. It was nice to have furniture that actually fit her again. What made the nametag even odder than being on a child's desk was the teddy bear border around it.
"I think in light of our new student, now would be the perfect time to practice our Ls."
A sea of kindergarten faces was watching Lois with interest, rather than Ms. Kenney.
"I couldn't make this nightmare up if I tried," Lois mumbled to herself and she buried her face into her arms.
TBC