Chapter 01 — Overprotected

Zoey Stella York glances up at the top of the school bus when a thud echoes throughout. She brushes a strand of bright blonde hair behind her ear and turns her emerald green eyes, hidden behind a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses, back to the book in her lap. The chatter of the students around her doesn't stop. Sitting in front of her were Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan. Pete was an African-American boy with a bright smile, and Chloe was a blonde-haired reporter in charge of the school newspaper. While they were friends, Zoey didn't consider them close friends. They were friends more with the son of her godparents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. As the bus nears Smallville High School, Zoey shoves the book she was reading into her backpack. The bus stops, and the students start to climb off of it. "So, anyone ask either of you to the dance," Pete asks, walking down the bus stairs.

"Not yet," Chloe replies. They glance at Zoey.

"No," Zoey tells them. "And if they did, I would say no because I'm not interested in going. I'll see you guys later." She walked over to where her best friend, Mike Andrews, was sitting. He had jet black hair and olive skin with hazel eyes. "So, what are we doing instead of engaging in the tedious ritual of the homecoming dance?"

Mike winces. "The homecoming dance." Zoey shoots him a disbelieving look. "My mom brought me a tux. She thinks we're dating." He grabs her hands and dramatically kneels on the ground. "Zoey, will you do me the honor of attending the homecoming dance with me?"

Zoey laughs. "Sure."

Mike jumps up and tightly hugs her. "I do owe you for being my beard," he quietly says.

Zoey shoots her best friend a soft smile. "One day, you'll find a Prince Charming." Mike glances over to where Clark was picking up his books. Lana Lang was helping him. Zoey rolls her eyes. "Dude, you can do so much better."

Mike smirks. "What can I say? Tall, goofy, and plaid gets me all hard." They laugh as they make their way into the school. He motions to where some football players were hanging out with their girlfriends. One of the football players, Shane Burke, eyes Zoey as they walk past. "I heard that Shane broke up with Barbie number three."

"Let me guess: Barbie number three finally put out, and then she got dumped."

"You know it."

Zoey loops her arm through Mike's. "Maybe this will be the week when Shane finally leaves me alone," she whispers.

"York!"

Mike winces. "Spoke too soon, Zoey."

They turn to see Shane running towards them. "York," Shane greets. He eyes Mike. "Get out of here."

Mike rolls his eyes. "I'll see you in class."

Zoey shoots Mike a smile before turning to Shane. "What do you want?"

"You get my chem homework done," Shane asks, pushing her against a locker. Zoey pulls out a chemistry textbook from her backpack. He grabs it from her grip. "Thanks. I'll see you around, York."

Zoey raises an eyebrow when the familiar red pickup truck pulls to a stop in front of Smallville High that afternoon. She waves to Mike as he gets on his bus before heading to the pickup. "Is everything okay," she asks.

Jonathan Kent motions for her to get in. "Clark was involved in an accident at Loeb Bridge," he explains as she climbs in. Jonathan was a man in his mid-forties with sandy blonde hair and tanned skin. Zoey remains quiet as he speeds over to where Loeb Bridge is. Police cars and ambulances surrounded the area. He jumps out of the truck and runs down to where Clark is sitting with a red blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Zoey stands next to the car. "Clark! Son, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Clark replies.

"Who's the maniac who was driving that car," Jonathan demands, looking at the sheriff.

"That would be me." They turn to see a young bald-headed man. He, too, had a red blanket wrapped around his shoulders with a cut on his face. He holds out a hand. "Lex Luthor."

Jonathan stares at him for a moment, then yanks off his jacket and drapes it around Clark's shoulders. "I'm Jonathan Kent. This is my son."

"Thanks for saving my life," Lex tells Clark.

"I'm sure you would have done the same thing," Clark replies.

"You have quite an extraordinary boy there, Mr. Kent. If there is any way, I can repay you?"

"Drive slower," Jonathan retorts, then walks off with Clark.

"Are you okay," Zoey asks once they make it up to the truck.

"I'm fine," Clark answers, opening the passenger door. Zoey looks between the two Kent men and silently climbs into the truck.

Zoey walks up to the barn's loft. Jonathan had turned the area into a hangout space for Clark and Zoey; that way, they could have friends over without parents hovering over them. Except Zoey never really hung out in the loft. She would mostly hang out with Mike at his house as his mom was never home. She rolls her eyes, finding that Clark is watching Lana through his telescope. Lana lived across the road from the Kent farm with her Aunt Nell. Her parents had passed away in the meteor shower.

At first, the Kents had tried to keep Clark's secret from Zoey. But that only lasted a couple of months. Clark and Zoey had been playing in a field when she had been stung by a bee. Typically, it wouldn't have mattered. Except Zoey was allergic to bees. Seeing that her face had started to turn blue and she started to have trouble breathing, Clark had grabbed Zoey and raced her back to the house for help. Even when she had been focusing on trying to breathe, a seven-year-old Zoey had noticed what had happened, and once she was better, she had told the Kents what Clark had done.

"You know that's really creepy, right," Zoey says, sitting down on the old couch. A desk was in the corner with an old trunk as a coffee table. Clark scowls but doesn't respond. She constantly teased him about his massive crush on Lana. "You should just ask her out."

"She has a boyfriend," Clark argues.

"Then, when they eventually break up, you should ask her out."

"What makes you think that they'll break up?"

"Because Whitney is a senior, and Lana is a freshman. He'll go off to college, and she'll be here. They'll end up breaking up." Zoey stands up. "Anyway, Uncle Jonathan wanted me to ask you if you had gotten all your chores done?"

"Seeing as I'm not you, yes."

"Whatever," Zoey replies, then walks out of the loft. Ever since the two teenagers had hit puberty, they had become more agonistic towards each other. And nothing that the Kents did was making the two teens as close as they had been as children.

Zoey silently follows Clark down the dirt driveway that leads to the Kent farm. They notice a shiny new red pickup truck with a giant blue bow parked in front of the barn as they reach the house. "Hey, Mom," Clark shouts, running over to the truck. "Whose truck?"

"Yours," Martha answers, climbing down from the tractor. "It's a gift from Lex Luthor." She pulls out a card from within her jacket and hands it to Clark.

"'Dear Clark. Drive safely. Always in your debt. A maniac in a Porsche,'" Clark reads. "I don't believe it. Where are the keys?"

"Your father has them." A worried look appears on Clark's face as he searches for Jonathan. Martha turns to Zoey. "I ran into Mike's mother at the store. She told me that you guys were going to the homecoming dance together."

Zoey shrugs. "We're just going as friends. His mom thinks that we're dating." She sees the questioning look on Martha's face. "We're not. We're just friends."

Martha rubs Zoey's arm. "Mike is lucky to have a friend like you, Zoey. I was thinking we could go dress shopping tomorrow after school. For the homecoming dance. We'll have a girls' day."

Zoey smiles. "I'd like that."

Martha smiles back at her goddaughter. "I'll pick you up from school tomorrow."

A strange crunching noise comes from within the barn, and the two women go inside. "I didn't dive in after Lex's car," Clark shouts, pulling his arm out the wood chipper. "It hit me at sixty miles an hour! Does that sound normal to you? I'd give anything to be normal!" Clark walks past them, up into the loft. Martha shoots her husband a look, and Zoey shakes her head, heading in the direction of the house.

"Did you know that I'm an alien," Clark asks as he and Zoey head towards the Luthor Manor to return the truck that Lex had given Clark. Zoey shoots him a confused look. "My spaceship is in the storm cellar. Dad says I came down during the meteor shower. He and Mom found my crashed ship on the side of the road."

"So, you're an alien," Zoey replies, nodding. She smirks. "Have you phoned home yet?"

Clark shoots her an annoyed look as they up to the gate outside of the Luthor Manor. After getting no reply from the intercom, Clark parks the truck, and they climb out. Clark pulls open the gate wide enough for them to slip through. He quickly closes the gate back, and they make their way inside. It was made of stone and had many details that reminded Zoey of the old European castles in pictures. They walk around the mansion, searching for the new owner. They finally come across a couple of people in a large room with a fireplace, fencing. A fencing sword is thrown into the wall, inches away from Clark's head.

One of the fencers pulls off their mask. "Clark," Lex asks. "I didn't see you."

"Uh, we buzzed, but no one answered," Clark replies.

Lex grabs the sword out of the wall. "How'd you get through the gate?"

"We squeezed through the bars," Zoey quickly says. She eyes the other fencer, a blonde woman. "We can come back if this is a bad time."

"Oh, no, no. I think Syria has sufficiently kicked my ass for the day," Lex replies, tossing his mask on the couch. The woman nods and walks out of the room. He shoots Zoey a questioning look.

"This is Zoey," Clark says. "She's...my sister." He looks around the room. "This is a great place."

"Yeah? If you're dead and in the market for something to haunt."

"I mean, it's roomy."

Lex walks out of the room. Clark and Zoey exchange a look, then follow him down the hallway. "It's the Luthor ancestral home, or so my father claims. He had it shipped over from Scotland stone by stone."

"Yeah, we remember trucks rolled through town for weeks, but no one ever moved in."

"My father had no intention of living here. He's never even stepped through the front door."

"Then why'd he ship it over?"

"Because he could."

They enter another room. This was one filled with various types of workout equipment. Lex pulls off his fencing jacket. "How's the new ride?"

Clark exchanges a look with Zoey. He sighs. "That's why I'm here."

"What's the matter," Lex asks. He hands Clark and Zoey each a water bottle before opening up one for himself. "You don't like it?"

"No, it's not that. I can't keep it."

Lex sets his water down and turns to them. "Clark, you saved my life. I think it's the least I can do." Clark awkwardly looks away. "Your father doesn't like me, does he? It's okay." Lex rubs his bald head. "I've been bald since I was nine. I'm used to people judging me before they get to know me."

"It's nothing personal," Clark weakly defends. "He's just not crazy about your dad."

"Figures the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Understandable. What about you, Clark? Did you guys fall far from the tree?"

Clark remains silent. "We better go," he says, breaking the silence. "Thanks for the truck."

Clark and Zoey start to walk out of the library. "Clark," Lex calls out. They turn to the young billionaire. "Do you believe a man can fly?"

Clark chuckles. "Sure. In a plane."

"No, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about soaring through the clouds with nothing but air beneath you."

Zoey stares at him. "Lex, people can't fly."

"I did," Lex tells them. "After the accident, when my heart stopped. It was the most exhilarating two minutes of my life. I flew over Smallville, and I didn't see a dead-end for the first time. I saw a new beginning. Thanks to you, Clark, I have a second chance. We have a future, Clark. And I don't want anything to stand in the way of our friendship."

Zoey and Clark make their way out of the mansion. "He's a very intense guy."

Zoey smooths down her pale blue dress. She hadn't seen Clark since earlier that morning when they had arrived at school. She looks around the gym. It had been no surprise that Lana and her boyfriend, Whitney Foreman, had been crowned homecoming queen and king. Chloe was dancing with Pete. Mike was nowhere in sight. They had agreed to meet at the school. "York?" Zoey lets out a groan and turns around to find Shane. He was wearing a suit with a lavender tie. He looks her up and down. "You clean up nicely."

"Can I help you," Zoey asks, forcing a smile.

Zoey sits down on the couch next to her uncle. Max Carmichael's house was the opposite of the Kents. Yet, at the same time, it was very similar to her godparents' house. The living room was filled with items from his travels around the world. Family photos were hung around the room. The walls were white, along with the furniture. "Can I ask you something," she softly says.

Max sets the file down on the couch next to him. "You can ask me anything, Zoey."

"I...I have a bully. And I don't know what to do."

"Have you talked to Martha and Jonathan?" Zoey shakes her head. "You don't want them to know."

"I don't want to add to their plate. They have enough to worry about."

Max nods. "Well, you can either fight back. Which is what I did. My bullies would call me names, and I called them names back."

"Mine doesn't do that. He...forces me to do his homework. And when I don't, he calls me names."

"What kind of names?"

"Poor."

Max snorts. "You're bully isn't the sharpest tool in the shed."

Zoey smiles. "No. He's not. One too many concussions on the football field." She shifts. "He...he also calls me an orphan. And he says that no one wants me."

"So, you do what your bully says to avoid being called names?" She nods. "What do you think the Kents would say?"

"To just ignore him. Kill 'em with kindness."

Max nods. "Well, the Carmichael way is to fight back. But you have to do it in a more subtle way, Zoey. Gather intel on him. Then use it against him. In fact, if he's having you do his homework, then make it to where he has all F's."

"Where's Andrews," Shane asks, looking around the gym.

"Bathroom," Zoey replies.

Shane nods, looking around the gym. Britney Spears was playing from the speakers set up around the gym. "Do you want to dance?"

Zoey stares at him in disbelief. "No. You're an asshole. And you know what, I'm not doing your homework anymore." She spots Mike across the gym and walks over to him. "I just told Shane he was an asshole."

Mike tightly embraces her. "And you did it while the perfect song was playing!" She shoots him a quizzical look. "Stronger by Britney!" Zoey laughs and shakes her head at her friend's antics.

Life for Zoey York is relatively standard. Well, as much as one can have living in Smallville. She keeps to herself while Clark has adventures. It's how she liked her life. She enjoyed being in the background, being invisible. Shane even forgot about her, which she was grateful for.

But that all changed one late winter evening. Zoey was in her bedroom, working on the financial books for the school. She was class treasurer. School politics was the only area that she stood out in. It was also something that her Uncle Max actively encouraged her to pursue. Zoey was active in Smallville High's future business leaders club. She knew exactly where her future led. And as much as she might have wanted to pursue other options, she knew it wasn't in the cards.

A knock on the doorframe of her bedroom causes Zoey to look up. She stares at Lana Lang, wondering why she was there. Lana had olive-colored skin and jet black straight hair. She was also one of the most popular girls in their grade, a former cheerleader, and dating Whitney Forman, the star quarterback of the football team. "Hi," Zoey awkwardly greets.

Lana smiles. "Hi, Zoey. I was wondering if you could help me."

Zoey raises an eyebrow. She and Lana barely spoke to each other. And when they did, it was mostly a polite greeting. "Uh, sure."

"Great," Lana says, sitting on Zoey's bed. "Lex is buying the Talon."

"The old theatre downtown?"

"Yeah. He wants to tear it down and make it a parking garage."

"That makes sense. There's a lot of business downtown and nowhere near enough parking. If he makes it paid parking, then he'll make a killing."

"I want to convince Lex to renovate the Talon. It's a special place to me. My parents met there."

Zoey nods. "Lex wasn't convinced, was he?"

"No."

"And you want me to help you come up with a proposal that will convince Lex to renovate the Talon."

"Yes."

"Why? You don't actually need my help. You're smart enough to do this on your own, Lana."

Lana sighs. "Zoey, you're the smartest person I know. And you're the reason why the business club has the most successful fundraisers in school. If there's anyone I trust to help me with a business proposal, it's you."

Zoey examines the former cheerleader. She knew that Lana was being honest. "I'll help, but I want to be a partner."

Lana frowns. It was clear she wasn't expecting Zoey to want something. "You want to be a partner."

"First rule in business, never do anything for free."

Lana softly laughs. She holds out a hand. "Deal."

Zoey turns to a blank page in her notebook. "Let's get to work."

Zoey walks down Main Street. She was meeting Lana and Lex at the Talon. She was confident that their proposal would be successful. She spots Lana outside the Talon with Clark and Chloe. "Hey," she greets, walking up to the group. "How are you, Chloe?"

"Enjoying the sweet smell of freedom," Chloe replies.

Clark rolls his eyes. "Chloe, you were in the hospital, not Alcatraz."

"You spend a week in there, and you'd feel like a prisoner too. I mean, come on. Eating bad food, lights out by nine, and no cable? I'm thinking about doing an expose," Chloe argues. She turns to Lana. "How's Whitney, by the way?"

"He's taking it one day at a time."

"Good. All right, well, bye." Chloe turns to leave but bumps into a stranger. "Oh, sorry."

"Chloe, where are you going," Clark asks.

"I'm just gonna go do a little checking with the police. Apparently, none of the tattoo ink was found at the loft, and Scott and Derek aren't saying anything to anyone, so I smell a cover-up."

Clark smiles. "Chloe, it's good to have you back."

Chloe smiles. "Thanks."

Chloe runs across the sheet. Lana motions to the Porsche parked outside the Talon. "He's early," she says. She turns to Zoey. "Okay, here goes nothing."

Zoey smiles. "We have a good plan. Lex'd be stupid to turn us down."

Clark smiles as Lana and Zoey walk into the Talon. "Thanks for coming," Lana tells Lex.

"I was surprised by your call," Lex confesses. "After our last meeting, I didn't think I'd hear from you again."

"This time, I came prepared."

Zoey digs into her messenger bag and pulls out a folder. "This is our business proposal," she says, handing the folder to Lex. "All across the country, small towns are revitalizing their downtowns and returning them to social centers."

"They did it by restoring the great old buildings that were already there, turning them into cafes, bookstores, restaurants," Lana continues.

Lex raises an eyebrow. "You want to turn the Talon into a cafe bookstore?"

"It could also be a venue for local bands and art-house movies."

"On page twelve, it describes the tax benefits that come with registering the building as a historic landmark," Zoey explains.

"Who's gonna manage it," Lex asks, looking between the two young women.

"Nell said she'd be interested. Zoey and I can train with her after school. I'll try running it myself in the summers," Lana answers.

Lex glances at Zoey. "I spend summers with my uncle in Star City," Zoey explains. "Lana and Nell will be the primary managers. I'll mostly be a waitress and possibly assistant manager during the school year."

Lex nods, flipping through the proposal. "How'd you come up with this," he asks, looking at Lana.

"It was something Clark said," Lana confesses. "He told me you like to challenge people."

"Well, you've definitely risen to the challenge."

"So, it's a deal," Lana asks, exchanging a hopeful look with Zoey.

"I need to look over everything, but yeah. It's a deal," Lex replies.

"Really?"

"Really." Lex closes the folder. "I think this could be the start of an exciting partnership."

"How did yours and Lana's meeting go," Martha asks, setting a bowl of mashed potatoes in the center of the dining room table. The family dinners were something that Zoey enjoyed about living with the Kents. When she visited Max in Star City, they would have homemade family dinners once a week. The rest of the time, it was whatever Max had delivered or where they went out for dinner.

"It went great," Zoey replies, smiling. "Lex is going to renovate the Talon. It's going to be turned into a coffee shop."

Jonathan shakes his head. "I hope Lana knows what she's getting into by getting into business with Lex. You can't trust the Luthors."

Clark sighs. He was used to his father being against Lex. Zoey bites her lip. "I'm going to be a partner," she softly says.

Jonathan and Martha exchange a look. This was news to them. Jonathan sets his fork down. "Zoey, we can't afford for you to be a partner," he tells her. "Besides, it's not your place."

"Lana came to me for help," Zoey argues. "Uncle Max always says that the first rule in business is to never do anything for free. I told her I'd help if I was made a partner."

"We didn't raise you to be like that, Zoey. You help your friends—"

"Lana's not my friend," Zoey interrupts. "The only friend I have in this town is Mike." She shakes her head and stands up. "For the record, Austin is taking care of the paperwork. I'm not stupid." She heads upstairs to her bedroom. While there were many things Zoey enjoyed about living in Smallville and with the Kents, she hated many things about living in Smallville and with the Kents.

What am I to do with my life

(You will find it out, don't worry)

How am I supposed to know what's right?

(You just got to do it your way)

I can't help the way I feel

But my life has been so overprotected