Disclaimer: I don't own Superman, Smallville or DC

Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the long hiatus, I've been really busy at work (I got Employee of the Year for my trouble ) and I've had a little writer's block with my fictions. But here it is and Seasons Greetings to you all! (P.S. Who else is excited for the new Superman film? It looks epic! Also, if you get the chance, watch the tv series "Arrow" it's a great reimagining of the Green Arrow!)

Chapter 38

Clara entered the gym to see the Events committee had worked their crepe paper and balloon magic. Due to the season, the space was decorated with white and baby blue streamers and paper snowflakes dangled from the ceiling. She thought they'd done a fantastic job with their budget (which has been mostly taken up by the DJ and food). The doors were open and students had already begun to trickle in, although it was early yet. Clara looked over to the stage to see Chloe was helping with the music system; she always had a knack for electronics. Clara noticed Chloe was also looking very nice in an emerald green dress with a flared skirt and matching cardigan. Clara looked down at her own ensemble, a powder blue dress from her junior prom, and felt like she was camouflaging with the decor. But she wasn't here to be looked at, she was the observer.

Clara clicked off the lens-cover of her camera and began adjusted her settings for the lighting. She took a few candid shots of the students entering the "ballroom" and wandered around trying to decide what the best angles for pictures were. Finally, the DJ began to play, thanks to Chloe's technical help, and students began to mill between the refreshment table and the dance floor. Clara said hello to Principal Kwan as she passed the teacher's table and several of the other teachers who were chaperoning, including Jason, who was looking very chic in a suit and tie. It was odd to see him out of his usual sports attire. It was like he was glued into his football jersey. Clara did a quick scan of the room and saw Lucas had stayed true to his word, he wasn't here. It was probably for the best, it wouldn't have been nice for Jason to see his boyfriend being pawed over.

After an hour or so of candid shots, Clara wandered over to where the couple's photo shoot was taking place. While she was taking candid photographs for the Torch and the year book, the committee had hired a professional photographer for the photo shoots. The photographer was old Mr Grayson from the Smallville Gazette, and he had a very strict view on digital cameras, that they didn't exist. Clara was pretty convinced that Mr Grayson's camera was older than she was, but the pictures always came out nice every year, so if it worked, more power to him.

"Will you be able to touch me up after this?" asked Britney Lawson, to hear the completely clueless reply:

"Miss Lawson! That is an outrageous question! Just wait until I see your grandmother at bridge club!"

Apparently photo alteration software also didn't exist.

Clara gave a sympathetic smile to Craig, Britney's long suffering date, and made her way to the refreshment table. There was a nice spread, Clara recognised the apple pies as her own creation, but there was also finger food such as triangle sandwiches, chips and dip, an array of juice and pop and the traditional bowl of punch. This year it was an uncharacteristic red, but Clara found she quite liked the colour, maybe it was Strawberry? Susan Green, a short blond girl with a smattering of freckles on her nose, stood behind the stand in a bright pink dress, pouring the punch with a ladle into plastic cups. Students mulled around sipping and chatting amiably before heading to dance. Clara suddenly felt very thirsty.

"Hey Susan, may I have one of those please? What flavour is it?"

"Hey Clara! Well it was meant to be blackberry, but I guess Mrs Jonas got our order wrong. Everyone's saying it tastes more like a mix between Raspberry and Cool-aid. But she is getting a little old."

Clara took the offered plastic cup and found the surface strangely warm. The punch had probably been out of the fridge for too long. She made to take a sip but was interrupted by Chloe.

"Clara! I finally escaped from the DJ! You'd think seeing as he's being paid to do this he'd know how to fix his own equipment!"

"I'm sure he appreciates your help Chloe. Want some punch?"

"Is it any good?"

"I haven't tasted mine yet."

"Give me your verdict and then we'll see."

Clara looked down at the red liquid, and then brought the cup to her pink lips and sipped, it burned as it slipped down her throat and into her veins, searing them, sparking synapses in her brain until they combusted and her body seemed to radiate warmth and life. She felt...good, no great! After a pause, Clara sipped again, the feeling increased and she found she liked the burn.

"It's...tingly!"

Chloe looked at Clara, questioning her odd comment and could have sworn she saw a red glow flash in her friend's eyes. Clara's cheeks had also gone pink, and in suspicion Chloe took a glass of the punch and sniffed it. The smell of alcohol filled her nose.

"Did someone spike the punch?!" she exclaimed, looking at Susan Green.

Susan went pale "What?!" she said, bringing a cup up to her nose and sniffing, before tasting it herself.

"Oh great! That'll look great on my record! But I've been watching it the whole time since we got here, no one's had time to spike it!"

"Could there have been a mistake with the order? -"

Clara tuned out of what Chloe was saying, the voices of everyone in the room, which she usually screened out, where now in full focus to her, and the disco lights were dancing in front of her like stars.

"...are you sure this dress doesn't make me look fat?"

"Have you seen Whitney's outfit? Talk about last season. She's really let herself go lately..."

"...do you think Coach Jason would dance with me if I asked? He's so hot."

Clara looked over to where Jason was talking with Mrs Beaterman, the shop teacher, and snorted, like that'd ever happen. Clara looked down at the camera she was wearing, and was suddenly tired of its burden. Why should she have to take all the pictures and have none of the fun?

Clara tried to take the camera strap off, but for some reason her limbs weren't in her full control and instead the strap ripped in half and the camera was hanging limply in her hand. Oops. Chloe saw something was up and covered.

"Wow Clara, you should probably apply for a different camera from the school, I knew that strap wasn't strong enough. Here, let's go see if we can fix it."

Chloe grabbed Clara's hand and the camera and drew her away from a confused Susan, who waved frantically at Ellen to summon her to spill the bad news. Chloe's suspicions were confirmed when Clara's feet tripped over themselves a little as she walked, and she stumbled knocking over a cardboard stand up of a snowman in the process, which took down several crepe paper streamers. Jason turned to the commotion and frowned, excusing himself from his talk with Mrs Beatermen to follow.

"Look at Kent, she's totally wasted, what a lightweight" guffawed Bobby Singer as he saw Chloe Sullivan pulling her out of the gym. He took another swig from his hipflask, surreptitiously looking for Principal Kwan, who was over talking to Mr Tooley the Geography teacher. The coast clear, he began to walk over to talk to a very tipsy looking Angela Carter. But his wooing intentions were ruined when Ellen, his step-sister, appeared in front of him. She has a face like thunder which clashed with her pink taffeta dress, and snatched his flask, opening it and sniffing, before scrunching up her nose.

"What the hell are you doing with this? If you get caught again you're going to get expelled! Susan says the punch was spiked, I know it was you! Are you trying to ruin this for me? Just like everything else?!"

"Chill out Ellie, I'm just making it a better party. Don't get your panties in a bunch. You don't want everyone thinking your freakin' ball was lame do you?"

Ellen pushed Bobby and grabbed his arm, dragging him to the corner where they wouldn't be overheard.

"Where did you get it? From that loser John Daniels? You know Jill Daniels didn't come tonight because her brother's were arrested last night? That alcohol they were making was contaminated with something, you could have just poisoned everyone here!"

Bobby went pale, looking round at the other teenagers, who were beginning to show the signs of alcohol use, becoming louder, more active, and looser with their boundaries.

"They look fine to me."

"Well Clara didn't! She looked sick! Sheriff Ethan is friends with her Dad, if anything happens to her they're going to throw the book at you!"

"It's not like they'll find out, I know you won't snitch."

Sam, who had followed them, turned pale and knew what he had to do. No one was meant to get hurt. He headed over to Principal Kwan, he needed to tell the truth.

Meanwhile, Chloe was trying to reason with Clara in The Torch office.

"I'm going to call your parents, something was up with that punch. I think you're drunk."

Clara fake coughed and Chloe's phone flew out of her hand and smashed to the ground and papers flew everywhere in the office.

"Oops" she said, insincerely, giggling behind her hand.

"That's exactly why I need to call your parents; the Clara I know would never do that! You're going to expose yourself!"

"I feel fiiiine. You know alcohol can't affect me. I barely took a sip anyway."

"I think there was something other than alcohol in that punch."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"You girls alright?" asked Jason, who walked in with a concerned frown on his face.

"Someone spiked the punch and Clara's just a little tipsy, it's nothing I can't handle Coach" said Chloe, she needed Jason to leave, what if Clara started showing off again?

"What are you on about? I'm fine, I'm great!" said Clara, trying to lean nonchalantly on her desk which lurched under her weight causing her to stumble.

"Yeah" said Jason, unconvinced, "you're peachy. Walk in a straight line for me."

"What?!" said Clara.

"If you can walk in a straight line for me, I won't call your parents."

"Why?!"

"Because I have a duty of care Clara and if you're drunk then I need to call someone to get you."

"Yeah, care, you sure take care of Lucas don't you Coach."

Jason paled and frowned.

"What are you implying Clara?"

Chloe saw where this was going and stepped in.

"Don't worry about Clara Coach, she doesn't really know what she's saying. Why don't you leave me to sober her up, then I'll drive her to my house, she's meant to sleepover tonight."

Jason steadfastly ignored Clara and looked at Chloe.

"You're sure you're alright?"

"I'm great, she just needs some water. You best check on everyone else, they had a lot more than Clara."

Jason hesitated and then nodded, leaving the room.

"Why did you say that to him?!" said Chloe, she said, closing the office door and whirling around, her face scrunched in anger.

"I overheard them, Jason and Lucas, at the end of the year they're moving to France together, they're a couple."

Chloe froze.

"Really?"

Then she recovered.

"Still, it was none of your business and Jason was only trying to help you! There must have been something really bad in that punch, we need to call you parents! What if there was something Kryptonians are allergic to in it?"

"Ugh" said Clara and crossed her arms petulantly "I'm tired of this, I'm fine. If you were really my friend you wouldn't be on my case."

"It's because I'm your friend I'm on your case! I think you're seriously ill Clara, we need to get your parents, find out what's wrong with you!"

But Clara didn't feel like listening anymore, she wanted to run, not at the restricted rate she usually had to, she wanted to move freely, she was so restless, so constricted by a world made of glass. She wanted to do something fun, reckless, she wanted to live! She felt so...frustrated, the same frustration she felt when she used her heat vision. Her thoughts turned to the same person they always did when she felt like this and she knew where she wanted to go.

Then the next thing Chloe knew there was a blur of blue and a rush of air, and Clara was gone.

...

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it, Merry Christmas Everyone and Please Read & Review!