Chapter 6: Routine

(I Apologize, yet again, for the rampant Mary Sue-ness of this story. It's really just a way for me to pass time and to vent the problems of my life and drag these poor innocent characters in… I'm sorry… really… I am…)

Los Angeles, CA

August 24th, 2001

A new day brought new challenges and new excitements. The SC campus bustled with fervent life as new and returning students swarmed over it like insects. Everywhere the clamor of excited conversation could be heard, and everywhere the mix of nervous excitement and quiet resolution permeated the air.

"How does anyone eat this?" Josh spit a mouthful of what passed for eggs at the cafeteria back into his napkin. "It's like galvanized rubber!"

Across the table, his roommate was on his third helping of pancakes, and showing no signs of slowing.

"I don't know, they're not that bad."

Lana simply shook her head and continued nibbling at the waffle she'd made. This was nothing new for her.

"Honestly, Clark, I don't know how you do it. With as much as you eat, you should weigh three hundred pounds."

"Growing up on a farm will give you a hefty appetite."

"I guess. So, do you know if anything is going on tonight?"

"I heard about something called a dive in movie from Abbe, but I don't really know if I'm going to go."

"Plus we were thinking about maybe heading out to Westwood. Clark said your RA was going to give people rides out there tonight."

"Oh, sounds fun."

"What about you? Big plans?"

"I actually think that I may do that movie thing. It sounds like it could be fun."

"Cool."

And that was how things went. Over the weekend, they made breakfast a habit, a nice time when they could all get together and laugh about the fact that Clark's mom never stopped calling, or hear Lana's latest story about the crazy girl who lived next door to her. For the most part, they felt as if they were settling in pretty well.

Monday, August 27: The first day of class

Clark kissed Lana on the cheek as the three of them walked out of the cafeteria. All around them, people were hurriedly scurrying off to class.

"I'll see you at lunch." He said, giving her a big hug. "Josh, don't get lost."

"Yeah, yeah, get to class, Kent." His roommate shot back.

Lana just smiled and pushed Josh in the direction of their first class, playfully slugging Clark on the shoulder as she walked off. Clark grinned and went his way.

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In a lab across campus, she hurriedly put her things away before the professor got back. In the petri dish was the small bit of gray matter that she'd been working on. If everything went as planned, she'd have results in mere days. Then she'd show them...

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Just beneath campus, the glow continued on. It could feel it, it's target. It was here... he was here... it wouldn't be long now. And a good thing, too, because time was short...