Chapter Five.
"So, what do you want to watch first?" Clark asked, hold the tapes, "The comedy, the drama, or the horror flick I got for my parents?"
"Mmm. tough choice. I could use a laugh, I don't really feel like crying, and I highly doubt you want to hold me all night.so I guess the comedy." She nodded.
"I don't mind holding you.really." Clark shrugged.
Arza smiled, "Whatever you want Clark. Doesn't matter to me."
"Well, I've seen this five times." He set one of the movies down, "And this.I heard was really stupid-"
"Then why did you rent it?"
".So I could see if it was really as stupid as people said it was." Clark looked innocently at her.
"Ah. Good point." She crossed her legs under her as she sat down on the couch, "So.what are we watching?"
"You'll see." He shrugged, popping one of the tapes into the VCR, and sitting down next to her.
Arza smiled a little bit, moving a little bit closer to Clark, who in a some what cliché manner put his arm over her shoulders.
__
"So, what did you think?" Clark asked, prying himself from Arza.
"I'm going to have nightmares for a week."
Clark laughed, "It wasn't THAT scary, was it?"
"Are you kidding me? The way they all ganged up on her and MURDERD her like that? That was. whoa."
"Would you like me to drive you home now, or shall we watch the comedy to get your mind off of the horror?"
"I think I better be getting home." She glanced at the clock, "It's getting late."
"Your welcome to stay the night." Clark offered, "I mean we have an extra bedroom." "Thanks for the offer, Clark, but I think I had better be getting home." She smiled.
"Okay. Just let me grab my keys." Clark hoisted himself up from the couch, "I'll be right back."
Arza crossed her arms, and waited silently for Clark to return a few moments later. Whilst waiting, she glanced over Martha Kent's collection of books on a shelf in the living room. Not being able to help herself, she moved over to the shelf glancing over the titles.
Clark moved silently into the doorway, watching her as she pulled on her gloves before sliding her finger over the titles.
"Ah, Arza?" He asked, "You ready to go?"
"Oh! Sure." She turned, and smiled, "Just looking at the books."
A few moments later, the two sat in Clark's truck, and Clark decided to bring up the question about the gloves.
"Why did you put your gloves on when you were looking at my Mom's books?"
"Well, we were leaving. I just put them on-"
"I think we both know that's crap, Arza." He glanced at her for a moment.
Arza bit her lip, "Okay, this is going to sound really stupid, and weird."
"I'm used to weird." Clark remembered all of the weird things that happened to him.
"Okay. just.don't get freaked out or anything." Arza tried her best to prepare him, "When I touch things. like books, or even magazines, and catalogs, or containers. what ever it is inside, or whatever I happen to be touching at the time. well.it comes to life."
"It comes to life?"
"Yea. Like the other day, I chucked a romance novel across my room, and suddenly there was the stupid main character, Justin, in my room. and I mean he's the most annoying person ever." She rolled her eyes.
"They come to life?"
"Yea." Arza nodded.
".To be honest, that isn't the weirdest thing ever." Clark shook his head, "There was the guy who turned people to ashes. Ryan could read minds. Rickman and his 'power of persuasion'. No, people coming alive from books is not the weirdest thing ever."
"Did I mention I have slight telepathic abilities?" Arza asked.
"Your just loaded with powers, aren't you?" Clark turned to her for a moment, before realizing he was driving.
"Just those two, and I don't even know where the hell they came from. That's why I was home schooled for the last few years. I got it when I was like twelve. Trust me, its not nice having Kristy from the Babysitter's club books pop up in your bedroom."
Clark laughed, "I'm sure it's not."
"Don't forget to turn."
"Oh! Sorry! I didn't even notice." He swung the truck around, and down the road to her house.
"I'm not freaking you out to badly am I?"
"Of course not. I have one question though."
"Yea?"
"What happens to these people when they. come alive?"
"They disappear after about fifteen minutes. The longest one ever stayed was three hours." She shrugged, "It was annoying, having some little kid from a book following you around a house asking were his mommy was."
Clark parked the truck in front of his house, "We can talk about this later, right?"
"Of course." She smiled, "It's nice having confided in someone besides my mother."
"I'll see you on Monday then?" Clark asked.
"Of course." Arza pushed open the door.
"Arza?" Clark asked, before she got out of the truck.
"Yea?" She turned.
Stalling for a moment, he leaned over and kissed her, "See you later."
Arza smiled lightly, "Good night, Mr. Kent." She slid out of the truck, and shut the door.
__
"Kind of late for a visit, isn't it Clark?" Lex Luthor sat in his study, his young friend standing in front of him.
"Oh, I was passing by." Clark shrugged, "It's been a few days since I saw you, so I figured I'd drop in and say hello."
"Hello." Lex leaned back in his chair, "So. tell me, what are you doing in town this late."
"I just got back from dropping off Arza."
"Arza?"
"Yea. Arza Gehnsen." Clark nodded, "She's new at school."
"You look very pleased about that."
"Yea.I mean she's really nice, and she seems to like me, and everything."
"That's nice." Lex nodded, "Why do I have the feeling that you came over here for more then to say hello?"
"I dunno." Clark shrugged.
Lex was silent as he watched Clark begin to circle the room, "You look very pleased with yourself."
"I am pleased with myself. I mean. in a manner of speaking."
"Ah." Lex nodded, "What is it you've done now, Clark?"
"Oh.nothing." Clark shook his head, "I mean I doubt you'd be interested in it."
Lex looked at him some more, "You know. I think I may have something for you."
"Oh no, you've given me plenty of stuff already, Lex. I mean the box, the foil." Clark shook his head.
"No. You really deserve it. I'll find it, and bring it over tomorrow."
"Ah.thanks Lex." Clark shrugged, "May I ask what it is first?"
"You'll find out when I bring it over tomorrow."
__
"So, are you up to a TVLand marathon?" Arza asked, standing in front of her locker, Clark towering over her, "There's a lot of good things on tonight."
"We can't." Clark told her, "If you remember, we're going to be at my house.with Lana, working on History project."
"Oh." Arza's face fell, "I forgot about that."
"Yea, I figured you had."
"Well, how about." Arza began to straighten the collar on his shirt, "after we finish.we can. go back to my house, and then watch our shows?" She asked, "I mean.sure it will late and everything, but that's when all the good shows are on."
"Ah.I think I know where you're going with this." Clark smiled, "But I also think I like were your going."
Arza smiled as well, "I have to go get to class."
"Oh damn. I forgot we're the hall way."
Behind them, Chloe slammed her locker shut; "Clark.would you mind walking with me to English?"
"Oh, sure Chloe." Clark gave her a quick smile, before turning back to Arza, "So, my house tonight after school, and then when we get done there, I'll take you home, and we can watch old TV shows."
"Okay." Arza smiled.
"I'll talk to you later." Clark placed a quick peck on her cheek, before turning, and walking down the hall with Chloe.
"So, what do you want to watch first?" Clark asked, hold the tapes, "The comedy, the drama, or the horror flick I got for my parents?"
"Mmm. tough choice. I could use a laugh, I don't really feel like crying, and I highly doubt you want to hold me all night.so I guess the comedy." She nodded.
"I don't mind holding you.really." Clark shrugged.
Arza smiled, "Whatever you want Clark. Doesn't matter to me."
"Well, I've seen this five times." He set one of the movies down, "And this.I heard was really stupid-"
"Then why did you rent it?"
".So I could see if it was really as stupid as people said it was." Clark looked innocently at her.
"Ah. Good point." She crossed her legs under her as she sat down on the couch, "So.what are we watching?"
"You'll see." He shrugged, popping one of the tapes into the VCR, and sitting down next to her.
Arza smiled a little bit, moving a little bit closer to Clark, who in a some what cliché manner put his arm over her shoulders.
__
"So, what did you think?" Clark asked, prying himself from Arza.
"I'm going to have nightmares for a week."
Clark laughed, "It wasn't THAT scary, was it?"
"Are you kidding me? The way they all ganged up on her and MURDERD her like that? That was. whoa."
"Would you like me to drive you home now, or shall we watch the comedy to get your mind off of the horror?"
"I think I better be getting home." She glanced at the clock, "It's getting late."
"Your welcome to stay the night." Clark offered, "I mean we have an extra bedroom." "Thanks for the offer, Clark, but I think I had better be getting home." She smiled.
"Okay. Just let me grab my keys." Clark hoisted himself up from the couch, "I'll be right back."
Arza crossed her arms, and waited silently for Clark to return a few moments later. Whilst waiting, she glanced over Martha Kent's collection of books on a shelf in the living room. Not being able to help herself, she moved over to the shelf glancing over the titles.
Clark moved silently into the doorway, watching her as she pulled on her gloves before sliding her finger over the titles.
"Ah, Arza?" He asked, "You ready to go?"
"Oh! Sure." She turned, and smiled, "Just looking at the books."
A few moments later, the two sat in Clark's truck, and Clark decided to bring up the question about the gloves.
"Why did you put your gloves on when you were looking at my Mom's books?"
"Well, we were leaving. I just put them on-"
"I think we both know that's crap, Arza." He glanced at her for a moment.
Arza bit her lip, "Okay, this is going to sound really stupid, and weird."
"I'm used to weird." Clark remembered all of the weird things that happened to him.
"Okay. just.don't get freaked out or anything." Arza tried her best to prepare him, "When I touch things. like books, or even magazines, and catalogs, or containers. what ever it is inside, or whatever I happen to be touching at the time. well.it comes to life."
"It comes to life?"
"Yea. Like the other day, I chucked a romance novel across my room, and suddenly there was the stupid main character, Justin, in my room. and I mean he's the most annoying person ever." She rolled her eyes.
"They come to life?"
"Yea." Arza nodded.
".To be honest, that isn't the weirdest thing ever." Clark shook his head, "There was the guy who turned people to ashes. Ryan could read minds. Rickman and his 'power of persuasion'. No, people coming alive from books is not the weirdest thing ever."
"Did I mention I have slight telepathic abilities?" Arza asked.
"Your just loaded with powers, aren't you?" Clark turned to her for a moment, before realizing he was driving.
"Just those two, and I don't even know where the hell they came from. That's why I was home schooled for the last few years. I got it when I was like twelve. Trust me, its not nice having Kristy from the Babysitter's club books pop up in your bedroom."
Clark laughed, "I'm sure it's not."
"Don't forget to turn."
"Oh! Sorry! I didn't even notice." He swung the truck around, and down the road to her house.
"I'm not freaking you out to badly am I?"
"Of course not. I have one question though."
"Yea?"
"What happens to these people when they. come alive?"
"They disappear after about fifteen minutes. The longest one ever stayed was three hours." She shrugged, "It was annoying, having some little kid from a book following you around a house asking were his mommy was."
Clark parked the truck in front of his house, "We can talk about this later, right?"
"Of course." She smiled, "It's nice having confided in someone besides my mother."
"I'll see you on Monday then?" Clark asked.
"Of course." Arza pushed open the door.
"Arza?" Clark asked, before she got out of the truck.
"Yea?" She turned.
Stalling for a moment, he leaned over and kissed her, "See you later."
Arza smiled lightly, "Good night, Mr. Kent." She slid out of the truck, and shut the door.
__
"Kind of late for a visit, isn't it Clark?" Lex Luthor sat in his study, his young friend standing in front of him.
"Oh, I was passing by." Clark shrugged, "It's been a few days since I saw you, so I figured I'd drop in and say hello."
"Hello." Lex leaned back in his chair, "So. tell me, what are you doing in town this late."
"I just got back from dropping off Arza."
"Arza?"
"Yea. Arza Gehnsen." Clark nodded, "She's new at school."
"You look very pleased about that."
"Yea.I mean she's really nice, and she seems to like me, and everything."
"That's nice." Lex nodded, "Why do I have the feeling that you came over here for more then to say hello?"
"I dunno." Clark shrugged.
Lex was silent as he watched Clark begin to circle the room, "You look very pleased with yourself."
"I am pleased with myself. I mean. in a manner of speaking."
"Ah." Lex nodded, "What is it you've done now, Clark?"
"Oh.nothing." Clark shook his head, "I mean I doubt you'd be interested in it."
Lex looked at him some more, "You know. I think I may have something for you."
"Oh no, you've given me plenty of stuff already, Lex. I mean the box, the foil." Clark shook his head.
"No. You really deserve it. I'll find it, and bring it over tomorrow."
"Ah.thanks Lex." Clark shrugged, "May I ask what it is first?"
"You'll find out when I bring it over tomorrow."
__
"So, are you up to a TVLand marathon?" Arza asked, standing in front of her locker, Clark towering over her, "There's a lot of good things on tonight."
"We can't." Clark told her, "If you remember, we're going to be at my house.with Lana, working on History project."
"Oh." Arza's face fell, "I forgot about that."
"Yea, I figured you had."
"Well, how about." Arza began to straighten the collar on his shirt, "after we finish.we can. go back to my house, and then watch our shows?" She asked, "I mean.sure it will late and everything, but that's when all the good shows are on."
"Ah.I think I know where you're going with this." Clark smiled, "But I also think I like were your going."
Arza smiled as well, "I have to go get to class."
"Oh damn. I forgot we're the hall way."
Behind them, Chloe slammed her locker shut; "Clark.would you mind walking with me to English?"
"Oh, sure Chloe." Clark gave her a quick smile, before turning back to Arza, "So, my house tonight after school, and then when we get done there, I'll take you home, and we can watch old TV shows."
"Okay." Arza smiled.
"I'll talk to you later." Clark placed a quick peck on her cheek, before turning, and walking down the hall with Chloe.
