Clark liked libraries. It was fun to watch people read and see if their books matched what he'd guess they'd be interested in from their clothes or the way they looked. It was also great to wander around, knowing there were books on everything, not just business or history or economics or that sort of thing. If he wanted to read a book about, oh, taking care of parrots or about wood carving, he could. Librarians were usually nice, too. When he asked for something, they took him seriously, didn't look at him like they were adding or subtracting points to their opinion of him either because he was interested in something or didn't know something, and they didn't quiz him about anything.
The one in Santa Fe was a pretty good one, it looked like. The librarian at the reference desk looked really nice, so he figured he'd ask her rather than try the catalog.
"Where can I find books about being in love? I mean, relationships and things like that?"
"Academic, or more for reading?"
"For reading."
"That's over here. Relationships and self-help." She led him to a bookshelf. "Does this look like the kind of book you need, or something else?"
"Uh, these look fine." There were so many, though. Well, it's not like he had anything better to do. The first title he saw on the shelf was *Be Yourself in Love and Life.*
*I wish that were an option. "Hi, I'm an alien, I'm using what's probably my third name now, I have no idea who I am or where I'm from, my dad is impersonating my brother, and so we're both hiding from him after he tried to cut me up, neither of them really likes me anyway, do you want to see if we can do some inter-species mating?"*
He picked some books at random, though leaving *Be Yourself* on the shelf, took them to a table, and started reading. Three hours and five books later, he wasn't any more enlightened. Not that he'd really expected a step-by-step personalized guide for his situation, but it was still disappointing.
He tried to decide whether he could give Lana some jewelry. There was a lot of nice jewelry for sale, and he thought she'd like maybe a huge lapis and turquoise and silver necklace, with the stones cut in tiny teardrops and set in the shape of a flower, that he paused to finger. At any rate, he liked the thought of how it would look on her. But while he thought it was okay to give her flowers, he wasn't sure about jewelry. That was kind of, well, boyfriendy. But then the necklace would look so good on her. "Just a second."
The librarian didn't look that old, she was maybe thirty or something. She probably knew whether or not it would be okay. "Uhm, I've got a really weird question."
"I've heard that before. Give it your best shot." She looked like she was laughing, inside, and even though it felt like she was expecting him to laugh, and he tried to grin, he felt like he'd burn up from the inside if he actually asked her if it was okay to give a girl jewelry if she wasn't your girlfriend.
"Uhm, maybe not. Forget it."
He most certainly did not rush out of the library, he was just walking quickly.
*Damn. I just feel so stupid.* He felt almost chilled as he wondered if she even liked the flowers. No, of course, girls like flowers, and secret admirers, and all that. Don't they? Maybe if he got her the necklace and said he was sorry for the flowers? No, that'd be really dumb.
He walked past the table where the man was selling the necklaces, and stopped. What if she would like it? Maybe he could give it to her boyfriend to give to her? No, that'd be *really* weird.
He tried to think what his mother would have said. He couldn't--the only thing he could summon to his mind was one of dad's lectures. "Every gift creates obligations, Clark. That's why you have to be strategic in your giving, and even more strategic in what you accept. Luthor's don't allow obligations they can't get rid of easily."
He guessed he'd better not.
The one in Santa Fe was a pretty good one, it looked like. The librarian at the reference desk looked really nice, so he figured he'd ask her rather than try the catalog.
"Where can I find books about being in love? I mean, relationships and things like that?"
"Academic, or more for reading?"
"For reading."
"That's over here. Relationships and self-help." She led him to a bookshelf. "Does this look like the kind of book you need, or something else?"
"Uh, these look fine." There were so many, though. Well, it's not like he had anything better to do. The first title he saw on the shelf was *Be Yourself in Love and Life.*
*I wish that were an option. "Hi, I'm an alien, I'm using what's probably my third name now, I have no idea who I am or where I'm from, my dad is impersonating my brother, and so we're both hiding from him after he tried to cut me up, neither of them really likes me anyway, do you want to see if we can do some inter-species mating?"*
He picked some books at random, though leaving *Be Yourself* on the shelf, took them to a table, and started reading. Three hours and five books later, he wasn't any more enlightened. Not that he'd really expected a step-by-step personalized guide for his situation, but it was still disappointing.
He tried to decide whether he could give Lana some jewelry. There was a lot of nice jewelry for sale, and he thought she'd like maybe a huge lapis and turquoise and silver necklace, with the stones cut in tiny teardrops and set in the shape of a flower, that he paused to finger. At any rate, he liked the thought of how it would look on her. But while he thought it was okay to give her flowers, he wasn't sure about jewelry. That was kind of, well, boyfriendy. But then the necklace would look so good on her. "Just a second."
The librarian didn't look that old, she was maybe thirty or something. She probably knew whether or not it would be okay. "Uhm, I've got a really weird question."
"I've heard that before. Give it your best shot." She looked like she was laughing, inside, and even though it felt like she was expecting him to laugh, and he tried to grin, he felt like he'd burn up from the inside if he actually asked her if it was okay to give a girl jewelry if she wasn't your girlfriend.
"Uhm, maybe not. Forget it."
He most certainly did not rush out of the library, he was just walking quickly.
*Damn. I just feel so stupid.* He felt almost chilled as he wondered if she even liked the flowers. No, of course, girls like flowers, and secret admirers, and all that. Don't they? Maybe if he got her the necklace and said he was sorry for the flowers? No, that'd be really dumb.
He walked past the table where the man was selling the necklaces, and stopped. What if she would like it? Maybe he could give it to her boyfriend to give to her? No, that'd be *really* weird.
He tried to think what his mother would have said. He couldn't--the only thing he could summon to his mind was one of dad's lectures. "Every gift creates obligations, Clark. That's why you have to be strategic in your giving, and even more strategic in what you accept. Luthor's don't allow obligations they can't get rid of easily."
He guessed he'd better not.