Newcomer
By Dante
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)
Chapter 3: Odd Man Out
If there is one thing that every teenager dreads, it is Monday morning. For Alex Byers, it was a source of several different kinds of torment. The first was the incessant beeping of his alarm and then the voice that called up the stairs to his bedroom.
"Alex! Wake up, hon! You're going to be late!"
Groaning, Alex rolled over, momentarily forgetting that they had sold his waterbed before moving, and that he was on a standard twin bed instead. The thought flashed through his mind in the half-second that it took for gravity to snare him and land him on the carpet with a dull thud.
"Alex! Are you all right?"
"Fine. Just FINE!"
Lurching to his feet, he yawned and went through his standard morning ritual. He showered, pounded down a quick breakfast, and sat down in his favorite chair for a quick nap before the bus arrived. Unfortunately for him, his timing was a bit off. As he snapped out of his light sleep, he saw the bulk of the yellow school bus roll by the house.
"Well… damn." Alex let loose a heavy sigh. He looked over to the driveway and saw that Jane's van was already gone. He checked his watch. Seven thirty. If he hurried, he might be able to jog the six miles by a little after first bell… Grabbing his backpack and jacket, he stared out.
He had been going for a good ten minutes before he started to get tired. By mile three he was coughing pretty hard. He suffered from mild asthma, which seemed to be picking right now to kick in. As he crouched by the side of the road, he happened to look up toward the cornfield in front of him. The barren field was suddenly streaked by what could have been a dust devil, which raced across the field and was gone.
"Now that's weird…"
As he was watching the streak disappear, he heard a vehicle pull up behind him. Jonathan Kent poked his head out of the truck's cab.
"Little late for a morning jog, isn't it, son?"
"Mr. Kent?" Alex slumped his shoulders, slightly embarrassed. "I missed the bus, ya see…"
Jonathan chuckled and leaned over to open the passenger door. He'd met Jane Byers when she'd come out to look at the old farmstead. She had seemed to be a decent person and, from first impressions, her son seemed to be a good kid.
"Don't worry about it. Clark's missed the bus his fair share of times. Hop in, if I bend the rules a bit, I think we can get you to school on time."
Clark was waiting when the school bus pulled up, and Lana and Pete got off.
"Hey, Pete, Lana!"
The two walked over, Pete with his characteristic smile, and Clark with his characteristic awkwardness around Lana.
"So, Clark," Pete started. "Hear that you've got some new neighbors. Don't suppose this new kid happens to be a decent ball player. I haven't had much luck finding a partner and you haven't played since that one game with Whitney."
"I know, I know. I've just been busy with… things."
Lana pointed to the curb and smiled.
"Hey, isn't that your dad's truck, Clark?"
"Yeah, and that's the new guy, Alex."
Sure enough, Jonathan Kent's pickup had pulled up behind the school bus, and Alex Byers was climbing out. He waved to Jonathan as he grabbed his back and headed for the school.
"Alex!" Clark shouted.
There was a brief moment of surprise on Alex's face until he recognized Clark, smiled, and came his way.
"Hey, Clark. How's it goin'?"
"Just fine, just fine. Alex Byers, this is Pete Ross, Lana Lang, and Chloe Sullivan."
Alex shook hands with Pete and Lana, then Chloe.
"Chloe Sullivan? You write for the school paper, right?"
A smile lit Chloe's face, tinged with surprise.
"Yeah, I do. How'd you know?"
"A couple friends of mine back home are really into journalism and stuff. They read your stuff online all the time. Seems like some pretty weird stuff happens around here, huh?"
"You don't know the half of it, right Clark?" Chloe turned to Clark, whose face took on an uncomfortable look.
"Right. Speaking of weird things, Alex, did you see those strange clouds over by your place the other day?"
Alex's face clouded over momentarily, then cleared.
"Yeah, I think so. That was pretty weird, wasn't it? Anyway, I don't want to be late for my first day of class, so I guess I'd better roll. Um, Chloe, maybe if you're not busy later, you could show me around the Torch offices. I know that it would make my friends jealous as hell."
"No problem. Just let me know."
"Sweet. I'll catch you guys later."
Alex ran up the stairs and through the door as Clark watched, his eyes pinned to Alex like a hawk. Something was definitely up. He knew way more about those clouds than he was letting on, Clark mused.
"Hey!" Chloe snapped Clark out of his thoughts and back to reality. "You've got that deep, thoughtful, Clark Kent look on your face again."
"Sorry. We'd probably better get to class too. I'll see you guys this afternoon."
Clark walked up the stairs and into the building, as Alex had. Chloe looked on and scratched her head. I'll never figure him out, she thought. At least that Alex guy seems pretty normal. God knows we can use someone ordinary here.
By Dante
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)
Chapter 3: Odd Man Out
If there is one thing that every teenager dreads, it is Monday morning. For Alex Byers, it was a source of several different kinds of torment. The first was the incessant beeping of his alarm and then the voice that called up the stairs to his bedroom.
"Alex! Wake up, hon! You're going to be late!"
Groaning, Alex rolled over, momentarily forgetting that they had sold his waterbed before moving, and that he was on a standard twin bed instead. The thought flashed through his mind in the half-second that it took for gravity to snare him and land him on the carpet with a dull thud.
"Alex! Are you all right?"
"Fine. Just FINE!"
Lurching to his feet, he yawned and went through his standard morning ritual. He showered, pounded down a quick breakfast, and sat down in his favorite chair for a quick nap before the bus arrived. Unfortunately for him, his timing was a bit off. As he snapped out of his light sleep, he saw the bulk of the yellow school bus roll by the house.
"Well… damn." Alex let loose a heavy sigh. He looked over to the driveway and saw that Jane's van was already gone. He checked his watch. Seven thirty. If he hurried, he might be able to jog the six miles by a little after first bell… Grabbing his backpack and jacket, he stared out.
He had been going for a good ten minutes before he started to get tired. By mile three he was coughing pretty hard. He suffered from mild asthma, which seemed to be picking right now to kick in. As he crouched by the side of the road, he happened to look up toward the cornfield in front of him. The barren field was suddenly streaked by what could have been a dust devil, which raced across the field and was gone.
"Now that's weird…"
As he was watching the streak disappear, he heard a vehicle pull up behind him. Jonathan Kent poked his head out of the truck's cab.
"Little late for a morning jog, isn't it, son?"
"Mr. Kent?" Alex slumped his shoulders, slightly embarrassed. "I missed the bus, ya see…"
Jonathan chuckled and leaned over to open the passenger door. He'd met Jane Byers when she'd come out to look at the old farmstead. She had seemed to be a decent person and, from first impressions, her son seemed to be a good kid.
"Don't worry about it. Clark's missed the bus his fair share of times. Hop in, if I bend the rules a bit, I think we can get you to school on time."
Clark was waiting when the school bus pulled up, and Lana and Pete got off.
"Hey, Pete, Lana!"
The two walked over, Pete with his characteristic smile, and Clark with his characteristic awkwardness around Lana.
"So, Clark," Pete started. "Hear that you've got some new neighbors. Don't suppose this new kid happens to be a decent ball player. I haven't had much luck finding a partner and you haven't played since that one game with Whitney."
"I know, I know. I've just been busy with… things."
Lana pointed to the curb and smiled.
"Hey, isn't that your dad's truck, Clark?"
"Yeah, and that's the new guy, Alex."
Sure enough, Jonathan Kent's pickup had pulled up behind the school bus, and Alex Byers was climbing out. He waved to Jonathan as he grabbed his back and headed for the school.
"Alex!" Clark shouted.
There was a brief moment of surprise on Alex's face until he recognized Clark, smiled, and came his way.
"Hey, Clark. How's it goin'?"
"Just fine, just fine. Alex Byers, this is Pete Ross, Lana Lang, and Chloe Sullivan."
Alex shook hands with Pete and Lana, then Chloe.
"Chloe Sullivan? You write for the school paper, right?"
A smile lit Chloe's face, tinged with surprise.
"Yeah, I do. How'd you know?"
"A couple friends of mine back home are really into journalism and stuff. They read your stuff online all the time. Seems like some pretty weird stuff happens around here, huh?"
"You don't know the half of it, right Clark?" Chloe turned to Clark, whose face took on an uncomfortable look.
"Right. Speaking of weird things, Alex, did you see those strange clouds over by your place the other day?"
Alex's face clouded over momentarily, then cleared.
"Yeah, I think so. That was pretty weird, wasn't it? Anyway, I don't want to be late for my first day of class, so I guess I'd better roll. Um, Chloe, maybe if you're not busy later, you could show me around the Torch offices. I know that it would make my friends jealous as hell."
"No problem. Just let me know."
"Sweet. I'll catch you guys later."
Alex ran up the stairs and through the door as Clark watched, his eyes pinned to Alex like a hawk. Something was definitely up. He knew way more about those clouds than he was letting on, Clark mused.
"Hey!" Chloe snapped Clark out of his thoughts and back to reality. "You've got that deep, thoughtful, Clark Kent look on your face again."
"Sorry. We'd probably better get to class too. I'll see you guys this afternoon."
Clark walked up the stairs and into the building, as Alex had. Chloe looked on and scratched her head. I'll never figure him out, she thought. At least that Alex guy seems pretty normal. God knows we can use someone ordinary here.