Rummaging through her still unpacked suitcases, Crystal worried whether or
not she had remembered to pack a strapless bra since the dress she had
chosen had only one strap. She figured she wouldn't need one while she was
packing at the last minute before she had headed to LAX. Maybe she could
ask Lana for one, or even, if she was completely desperate, she could ask
Martha or Nell.
As Crystal came down the stairs, she heard that Martha and Jonathon were back, "What do you mean she won't be here tonight?"
"I'm going out tonight," she declared as she headed towards Clark, "Clark, where'd Lana head off to?"
"She went back home to get ready for tonight."
Crystal turned towards Martha, "I'm sorry I didn't inform you guys earlier, but Lex asked me just two hours ago."
"Lex asked you?" Jonathon shot at her.
"Yes, Lex asked me to accompany him at a ball tonight, a business ball. Nothing will happen to."
"You can't go," Jonathon said flatly.
"What?! I'm twenty-one, for crying out loud! I believe that I have the right to make my own choices even when I'm under somebody else's roof," she attempted to not sound so squeaky at the end of her rebuttal.
"You are twenty-one, yes. You have the right to make your own choices, yes. And yes, you our under our roof, but being here gives us the right to protect you," Jonathon coiled together in a reprisal of rephrase that brought back Crystal for another hit, verbally.
"Can I not protect myself? Hm?"
"Yes, you can protect yourself from others but going out and away from anyone's careful eye does not protect yourself and others from you."
"Jonathon." Martha tried to warn her hay-wired husband.
"Aunt Martha," Crystal couldn't stand looking at the middle-aged man anymore, "would you please tell your husband that I can easily restrain myself from ANY action."
"Not any action, obviously," Jonathon butted in before Martha could get in a word, "or else you wouldn't have been sent out here."
Clark didn't understand that part, "Crystal was 'sent' out here? I thought she was out here just for Mom's birthday."
Martha sighed and thought to herself, 'Looks like Clark's not the only one with a secret,' then spoke, "No, Clark. We didn't tell you the whole story as to why Crystal's out here."
"Are you going to keep on talking like I'm not here?! I thought we weren't going to discuss this to anyone else!" Crystal shot in, then glanced at the clock, and sighed heavily, "Look, you guys can tell Clark, AFTER I leave to go to the ball, but before then, I need to run over to Lana's; Clark, you need to make sure that Chloe brings her camera; and Aunt Martha, you'll get your present from me from Clark tonight. I apologize again for not being able to be here tonight but that's what cameras are for." She tried her best to put on an award-winning smile so that Jonathon wouldn't be so fumed anymore.
After he gave a weighty sigh, his physical appearance mirrored what looked like a little calmer. So, following an argument with an uncle that she completely refused to listen to anymore, she turned and headed over to Lana's.
As Crystal came down the stairs, she heard that Martha and Jonathon were back, "What do you mean she won't be here tonight?"
"I'm going out tonight," she declared as she headed towards Clark, "Clark, where'd Lana head off to?"
"She went back home to get ready for tonight."
Crystal turned towards Martha, "I'm sorry I didn't inform you guys earlier, but Lex asked me just two hours ago."
"Lex asked you?" Jonathon shot at her.
"Yes, Lex asked me to accompany him at a ball tonight, a business ball. Nothing will happen to."
"You can't go," Jonathon said flatly.
"What?! I'm twenty-one, for crying out loud! I believe that I have the right to make my own choices even when I'm under somebody else's roof," she attempted to not sound so squeaky at the end of her rebuttal.
"You are twenty-one, yes. You have the right to make your own choices, yes. And yes, you our under our roof, but being here gives us the right to protect you," Jonathon coiled together in a reprisal of rephrase that brought back Crystal for another hit, verbally.
"Can I not protect myself? Hm?"
"Yes, you can protect yourself from others but going out and away from anyone's careful eye does not protect yourself and others from you."
"Jonathon." Martha tried to warn her hay-wired husband.
"Aunt Martha," Crystal couldn't stand looking at the middle-aged man anymore, "would you please tell your husband that I can easily restrain myself from ANY action."
"Not any action, obviously," Jonathon butted in before Martha could get in a word, "or else you wouldn't have been sent out here."
Clark didn't understand that part, "Crystal was 'sent' out here? I thought she was out here just for Mom's birthday."
Martha sighed and thought to herself, 'Looks like Clark's not the only one with a secret,' then spoke, "No, Clark. We didn't tell you the whole story as to why Crystal's out here."
"Are you going to keep on talking like I'm not here?! I thought we weren't going to discuss this to anyone else!" Crystal shot in, then glanced at the clock, and sighed heavily, "Look, you guys can tell Clark, AFTER I leave to go to the ball, but before then, I need to run over to Lana's; Clark, you need to make sure that Chloe brings her camera; and Aunt Martha, you'll get your present from me from Clark tonight. I apologize again for not being able to be here tonight but that's what cameras are for." She tried her best to put on an award-winning smile so that Jonathon wouldn't be so fumed anymore.
After he gave a weighty sigh, his physical appearance mirrored what looked like a little calmer. So, following an argument with an uncle that she completely refused to listen to anymore, she turned and headed over to Lana's.
