Author's Note: I'm really sorry about the previous chapters being soooo
uhhh boring and stuff. But ya just can't jump into the plot of the story
without an explanation.... right? So this is where it gets interesting....
if anyone is actually still reading this, keep reading.
**This indicates that someone's thinking **
Chapter 8
Clark shook the young girl's hand, and she smiled satisfied.
"So what brings you to Smallville?" Chloe tried to hide the resentful expression on her face.
"Oh ya know, just visiting a friend. Besides my mom says it'll do me some good to get out of the city for a while." Staci shrugged.
Jean cut in, "So you're not going to miss school or anything?"
"Nope," she replied a little too smug, "I'm taking a mid-school year vacation."
"Oh," Jean mimed.
"So Lex. I know you have to go to a 'board meeting'," Staci waved her fingers in the air as if to symbolizing quotation marks, "... and everything. So maybe I can hang here for a while.... ya know."
Lex shot her a 'what are you up to?' look.
"I mean I was just thinking," she smiled slyly, "that maybe, I can stay here for a while. ya know get a latte and such."
Lex looked puzzled, "I thought you said you didn't drink coffee? You said something about the taste and it staining your teeth."
Jean and Chloe snickered.
"Hey, that was before." ** before I met Clark anyway** "Besides I really wanna see the rest of the town and you've gotta leave. So..."
Chloe guessed at what she was getting at, and sighed. Which no one seemed to notice.
"It's okay Lex. We wouldn't mind showing her around town."
** Clark, always the gentleman. ** Chloe smiled and relaxed into the seat.
"Great!" Staci squealed, her face lit up with excitement.
"Okay then." Lex turned to leave. ** Clark you don't know what you've gotten yourself into. **
Staci scooted into Pete's now empty seat, which just so happened to be right next to Clark.
She smiled yet again.
Jean rolled her eyes and continued sipping on her latte. Chloe was trying to act as if there wasn't an overactive, boy crazy, hormonal, thirteen-year- old girl facing her.
Clark looked around the room earnestly; he really didn't have a clue on what to say.
"So you're from Metropolis, eh?" Jean said putting down her latte, "Is it really as glamorous and beautiful as everyone says?"
"Yes to the first question and ummm I really don't know. to the second one.. It's as glamorous as a big city can get, I guess."
Jean nodded and continued, "So you're in eighth grade?"
"Yep. Why... aren't you guys like in ninth or something?"
Jean snickered, "No.... well I don't think so anyway. Next year I'll be graduating."
"Oh so you're a junior? That's cool!" She beamed, *beat* "So how about that tour?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So.. small town. Huh? Ya know in Metropolis there's like all these shopping plazas and malls and ya know there's like this club, but it's like for teens. My friends and I go there every weekend." Staci was literally talking everyone's ear off, half the hour was spent listening to her rambling on about Metropolis, her friends and family.
"Uh huh." Jean was always taught to grin and bear it. Staci was only a little kid after all. She had attempted to answer most of what she threw at her, but after ten minutes of nonstop questions her answers were reduced to 'yeahs...umms.....uh huhs... yeps.... nopes and sures'. Chloe and Clark somehow remained silent through all of this.
"Sooooo Jean... Um that's really cool how you're from Bayville and everything."
"I live in Bayville but I was born in Connecticut." She corrected her.
"Oh that's cool, so umm..."
Chloe couldn't take it anymore, this girl was driving her crazy. "Hey, let's play a game. It's called, "Who can be the quietest until we get to the Luthor Mansion."
Staci folded her arms, scowled, and leaned back into the seat of the car, "Sheesh. Ya don't have to be so snarky."
Clark almost laughed. When was Chloe never snarky? It just seemed to fit in with her character. She was witty, funny and unlike Lana, she was less of the damsel in distress type and he could always count on her to cheer him up.
"Look," Chloe said slightly frustrated, "I'm only saying that you should take a break. I'm sure you're tired?"
"Cha." her voice raised a notch, " I'M NOT A LITTLE KID YA KNOW!!! I AM IN EIGHTH GRADE!!!" she slammed her foot, "AND LIVING IN AMERICA I THINK I HAVE THE LIBERTY OF NOT EVEN REGARDING YOUR STATEMENT!!!!!"
Staci's sudden outburst of rage reminded Jean of herself. She silently laughed at the rather odd comparison. Sure, NOW they were seeing that sweet, innocent side of her but Jean had a rather explosive temper and often didn't let things go, without a fight. It was just who she was at times. She remembered the time when Scott had insisted that girls always needed "big strong men " to save them. Well, it wasn't exactly what he had said, but he said something like it. Jean had held a grudge against him for over a week. But she had to admit it was fun to help others with her powers. Humans just didn't understand.
At this point Jean was beginning to tire of Staci's sudden outbursts. Although she wouldn't admit it, Staci was really starting to annoy her A LOT!
"Look Staci," Jean began, "maybe Chloe's right. I mean you MUST BE TIRED AND WANT TO GO TO SLEEP. RIGHT NOW." She said forcefully, her eyes slanted to that of a cat's. Staci being lulled by some "strange force" found herself drifting slowly into a deep trance.
"Yeah. nap." she yawned sleepily, "that. sounds.*yawn*good." Staci said drifting off to sleep.
Chloe and Clark looked at each other astonished.
"How.... how did you do that?" Chloe tried to hire the suspicious look that was creeping up to her face.
"Do what," Jean smiled slyly, "I guess she was just really tired."
Clark frowned he didn't believe it for even a second and was getting the feeling that Chloe didn't either.
"Okay? If you say so." Chloe was still weary about the incident, but decided to let it go.
Everyone was silent for the rest of the trip, except for the occasional *snore* from Staci.
** Why the heck did I do that? I'm so stupid. ** She silent cursed herself, ** what was I thinking?!?! Now they're going to be really suspicious and Chloe being the curious and determined reporter that she is. is going to put two and two together and figure out that I'm a MUTANT!!! She'll probably tell Clark and he'll think....he'll think. I'm a freak! ** The thought of Clark knowing what she was.......was painful, and unbearable. She loved him, and although he probably didn't have the same feelings for her that she had for him, Jean figured that once Clark found out the truth, he would like her even less.
**I have to know what they're thinking. I know. I'm not supposed to use my powers to "explore" other people's minds but it's not like it was a promise or anything. And it's just this ONE time. **
Jean slid back into her seat, closed her eyes and focused on reading Clark's thoughts.
Nothing.
Jean scowled, and focused even more, trying to read Clark's thoughts.
**That's funny. ** She tried again, **This hasn't happened before. He must have some kind of mental force field on his mind. It's not letting me get through. **
**What's wrong I should be able to read his thoughts?? Maybe, my powers are gone.. But that can't be right. ** She pressed her back into the seat.
**I have to be sure that they aren't gone. ** Reading Chloe's mind was a snap compared to trying to "hack" into Clark's thoughts.
She furrowed her brow. **Okay so my powers aren't gone... Why can't I read Clark's thoughts? I normally can read everyone else's thoughts; humans, mutants, animals. Why not Clark....... unless he's not.... he's not human... but that just doesn't make any sense. **
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Staci... Staci... STACI!!!!" Chloe was desperately trying to get Staci's attention. She had been asleep for a little over an hour.
"Yeah, what? I'm up. Gosh, don't have a freakin' COW!" She said groggily and rubbed her eyes.
Chloe rolled her eyes, "I was just going to tell you that we were here."
"Don't you think I realized that!" Staci snapped and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
Chloe sighed but didn't say anything, remembering all that had been said in the car. Staci's high pitched, I'm-so-full-of myself-voice echoed in her ears. "I'm on the cheerleading squad, it's so fun. I am so good at cheerleading. Yesterday I went to a party it was so cool, until the cops came and arrested a few guys and stuff, ya know. And the one before that..."
"Bye Jean, Bye Clark!" She called from the castle door, totally disregarding Chloe.
"Bye!" Jean called back. Clark just smiled and waved.
Staci turned around and disappeared into the giant castle.
The trio got back into the car and drove off.
"Oh my gosh!" Jean said once she had clicked on her seat beat. "I seriously thought I was gonna DIE! I mean she was talking my ear off the ENTIRE TIME!!! And she was so modest," Jean said sarcastically. "I was literally going to explode."
Clark couldn't believe his ears, **Jean? **
Chloe agreed, "Yeah, next time don't volunteer to baby-sit snooty little kids, Clark."
Clark was about to protest, but Chloe's distraught look told him better.
Jean nodded, "But he wouldn't be Clark if he didn't. You just have that, 'I care about everyone' attitude. That's what I like about you." She smiled. **Did I just say that?? **
He smiled too, "Yeah, Chloe calls it my 'Savior Complex.'
"It's true. You're always running off to save someone. Whether it' s Lana or Me or Pete or some random stranger. And after you saved Whitney from certain death. The name Clark Kent was practically used in every household in Smallville!"
"Are you serious?" Jean said surprised.
"Chloe, don't you think you're exaggerating." Clark said a little embarrassed.
"No way, you're an icon now Clark. I can see the headlines now 'Superboy Saves Young Girl from the Clutches of yet another Meteor Infected Monster.'
"Chloe." Clark began.
"What's a meteor freak?" Jean wondered.
"Clark, you haven't told her." Chloe mock scolded him.
"I was going to leave that to you."
Jean looked confused.
"Sorry, ummm let's see a meteor freak. Okay, meteors crash down on Smallville over thirteen years ago, meteors contaminate small town, weird things start happening, cows with two heads, man with extra finger, etc. etc., meteors start affecting people, causing them to mutate and have evil...'I want to get revenge on the rest of the world' powers. So in short Meteor freaks."
Jean nodded. The so-called meteor freaks were only humans who had turned into mutants because of the rocks. They were not born mutants, but they were still giving all mutants a bad rep.
"Yep although," Chloe paused, "I'm still trying to convince the rest of the world that the meteors are the cause of all our troubles and weird happenings in this town and not the Luthors, as many people seem to believe."
Clark winced at Chloe's statement, Jean noticed.
"Well not necessarily, do they have any proof that the meteors are really the cause, or is that just a theory?" Jean insisted. Obviously Clark was keeping something from her and from Chloe. She didn't know what, but whatever it was; it had to be something really big.
"Okay so it is just a theory, but whenever something weird happens, it's not a conscience that the meteors rocks are there too." She pointed out.
Jean tried again, "It's just that, you can't blame Mother Nature for everything. Sometimes things just happen for a reason, and ya gotta just take whatever life throws at you, no matter how big or small. I mean just picture what life in this town would be like without the meteors... how much everything would change. I think they have a purpose and eventually we'll find out why but until then everyone just has to learn that the Luthors or the meteors are not at fault."
Clark looked at Jean for a second; it was like she could see through his very soul. Almost as if she was talking directly to him.
"Okay?" Chloe looked puzzled, "Has anyone ever told you to become an activist of some sort?"
"No," she laughed, "I really haven't thought of it."
"Well, trust me when I say you should really consider it. I can totally picture you in business attire, speaking to the members of congress." She smiled.
"Thanks."
Chloe continued, "And your views on the whole, 'what started this' topic are?" The question was directed at Clark.
"Um, I guess....... the meteors," Clark said half-heartedly.
Jean frowned; there really was something different about Clark. It was that obvious that he was hiding something, but what?
*********************************************************************** TBC
**This indicates that someone's thinking **
Chapter 8
Clark shook the young girl's hand, and she smiled satisfied.
"So what brings you to Smallville?" Chloe tried to hide the resentful expression on her face.
"Oh ya know, just visiting a friend. Besides my mom says it'll do me some good to get out of the city for a while." Staci shrugged.
Jean cut in, "So you're not going to miss school or anything?"
"Nope," she replied a little too smug, "I'm taking a mid-school year vacation."
"Oh," Jean mimed.
"So Lex. I know you have to go to a 'board meeting'," Staci waved her fingers in the air as if to symbolizing quotation marks, "... and everything. So maybe I can hang here for a while.... ya know."
Lex shot her a 'what are you up to?' look.
"I mean I was just thinking," she smiled slyly, "that maybe, I can stay here for a while. ya know get a latte and such."
Lex looked puzzled, "I thought you said you didn't drink coffee? You said something about the taste and it staining your teeth."
Jean and Chloe snickered.
"Hey, that was before." ** before I met Clark anyway** "Besides I really wanna see the rest of the town and you've gotta leave. So..."
Chloe guessed at what she was getting at, and sighed. Which no one seemed to notice.
"It's okay Lex. We wouldn't mind showing her around town."
** Clark, always the gentleman. ** Chloe smiled and relaxed into the seat.
"Great!" Staci squealed, her face lit up with excitement.
"Okay then." Lex turned to leave. ** Clark you don't know what you've gotten yourself into. **
Staci scooted into Pete's now empty seat, which just so happened to be right next to Clark.
She smiled yet again.
Jean rolled her eyes and continued sipping on her latte. Chloe was trying to act as if there wasn't an overactive, boy crazy, hormonal, thirteen-year- old girl facing her.
Clark looked around the room earnestly; he really didn't have a clue on what to say.
"So you're from Metropolis, eh?" Jean said putting down her latte, "Is it really as glamorous and beautiful as everyone says?"
"Yes to the first question and ummm I really don't know. to the second one.. It's as glamorous as a big city can get, I guess."
Jean nodded and continued, "So you're in eighth grade?"
"Yep. Why... aren't you guys like in ninth or something?"
Jean snickered, "No.... well I don't think so anyway. Next year I'll be graduating."
"Oh so you're a junior? That's cool!" She beamed, *beat* "So how about that tour?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So.. small town. Huh? Ya know in Metropolis there's like all these shopping plazas and malls and ya know there's like this club, but it's like for teens. My friends and I go there every weekend." Staci was literally talking everyone's ear off, half the hour was spent listening to her rambling on about Metropolis, her friends and family.
"Uh huh." Jean was always taught to grin and bear it. Staci was only a little kid after all. She had attempted to answer most of what she threw at her, but after ten minutes of nonstop questions her answers were reduced to 'yeahs...umms.....uh huhs... yeps.... nopes and sures'. Chloe and Clark somehow remained silent through all of this.
"Sooooo Jean... Um that's really cool how you're from Bayville and everything."
"I live in Bayville but I was born in Connecticut." She corrected her.
"Oh that's cool, so umm..."
Chloe couldn't take it anymore, this girl was driving her crazy. "Hey, let's play a game. It's called, "Who can be the quietest until we get to the Luthor Mansion."
Staci folded her arms, scowled, and leaned back into the seat of the car, "Sheesh. Ya don't have to be so snarky."
Clark almost laughed. When was Chloe never snarky? It just seemed to fit in with her character. She was witty, funny and unlike Lana, she was less of the damsel in distress type and he could always count on her to cheer him up.
"Look," Chloe said slightly frustrated, "I'm only saying that you should take a break. I'm sure you're tired?"
"Cha." her voice raised a notch, " I'M NOT A LITTLE KID YA KNOW!!! I AM IN EIGHTH GRADE!!!" she slammed her foot, "AND LIVING IN AMERICA I THINK I HAVE THE LIBERTY OF NOT EVEN REGARDING YOUR STATEMENT!!!!!"
Staci's sudden outburst of rage reminded Jean of herself. She silently laughed at the rather odd comparison. Sure, NOW they were seeing that sweet, innocent side of her but Jean had a rather explosive temper and often didn't let things go, without a fight. It was just who she was at times. She remembered the time when Scott had insisted that girls always needed "big strong men " to save them. Well, it wasn't exactly what he had said, but he said something like it. Jean had held a grudge against him for over a week. But she had to admit it was fun to help others with her powers. Humans just didn't understand.
At this point Jean was beginning to tire of Staci's sudden outbursts. Although she wouldn't admit it, Staci was really starting to annoy her A LOT!
"Look Staci," Jean began, "maybe Chloe's right. I mean you MUST BE TIRED AND WANT TO GO TO SLEEP. RIGHT NOW." She said forcefully, her eyes slanted to that of a cat's. Staci being lulled by some "strange force" found herself drifting slowly into a deep trance.
"Yeah. nap." she yawned sleepily, "that. sounds.*yawn*good." Staci said drifting off to sleep.
Chloe and Clark looked at each other astonished.
"How.... how did you do that?" Chloe tried to hire the suspicious look that was creeping up to her face.
"Do what," Jean smiled slyly, "I guess she was just really tired."
Clark frowned he didn't believe it for even a second and was getting the feeling that Chloe didn't either.
"Okay? If you say so." Chloe was still weary about the incident, but decided to let it go.
Everyone was silent for the rest of the trip, except for the occasional *snore* from Staci.
** Why the heck did I do that? I'm so stupid. ** She silent cursed herself, ** what was I thinking?!?! Now they're going to be really suspicious and Chloe being the curious and determined reporter that she is. is going to put two and two together and figure out that I'm a MUTANT!!! She'll probably tell Clark and he'll think....he'll think. I'm a freak! ** The thought of Clark knowing what she was.......was painful, and unbearable. She loved him, and although he probably didn't have the same feelings for her that she had for him, Jean figured that once Clark found out the truth, he would like her even less.
**I have to know what they're thinking. I know. I'm not supposed to use my powers to "explore" other people's minds but it's not like it was a promise or anything. And it's just this ONE time. **
Jean slid back into her seat, closed her eyes and focused on reading Clark's thoughts.
Nothing.
Jean scowled, and focused even more, trying to read Clark's thoughts.
**That's funny. ** She tried again, **This hasn't happened before. He must have some kind of mental force field on his mind. It's not letting me get through. **
**What's wrong I should be able to read his thoughts?? Maybe, my powers are gone.. But that can't be right. ** She pressed her back into the seat.
**I have to be sure that they aren't gone. ** Reading Chloe's mind was a snap compared to trying to "hack" into Clark's thoughts.
She furrowed her brow. **Okay so my powers aren't gone... Why can't I read Clark's thoughts? I normally can read everyone else's thoughts; humans, mutants, animals. Why not Clark....... unless he's not.... he's not human... but that just doesn't make any sense. **
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Staci... Staci... STACI!!!!" Chloe was desperately trying to get Staci's attention. She had been asleep for a little over an hour.
"Yeah, what? I'm up. Gosh, don't have a freakin' COW!" She said groggily and rubbed her eyes.
Chloe rolled her eyes, "I was just going to tell you that we were here."
"Don't you think I realized that!" Staci snapped and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
Chloe sighed but didn't say anything, remembering all that had been said in the car. Staci's high pitched, I'm-so-full-of myself-voice echoed in her ears. "I'm on the cheerleading squad, it's so fun. I am so good at cheerleading. Yesterday I went to a party it was so cool, until the cops came and arrested a few guys and stuff, ya know. And the one before that..."
"Bye Jean, Bye Clark!" She called from the castle door, totally disregarding Chloe.
"Bye!" Jean called back. Clark just smiled and waved.
Staci turned around and disappeared into the giant castle.
The trio got back into the car and drove off.
"Oh my gosh!" Jean said once she had clicked on her seat beat. "I seriously thought I was gonna DIE! I mean she was talking my ear off the ENTIRE TIME!!! And she was so modest," Jean said sarcastically. "I was literally going to explode."
Clark couldn't believe his ears, **Jean? **
Chloe agreed, "Yeah, next time don't volunteer to baby-sit snooty little kids, Clark."
Clark was about to protest, but Chloe's distraught look told him better.
Jean nodded, "But he wouldn't be Clark if he didn't. You just have that, 'I care about everyone' attitude. That's what I like about you." She smiled. **Did I just say that?? **
He smiled too, "Yeah, Chloe calls it my 'Savior Complex.'
"It's true. You're always running off to save someone. Whether it' s Lana or Me or Pete or some random stranger. And after you saved Whitney from certain death. The name Clark Kent was practically used in every household in Smallville!"
"Are you serious?" Jean said surprised.
"Chloe, don't you think you're exaggerating." Clark said a little embarrassed.
"No way, you're an icon now Clark. I can see the headlines now 'Superboy Saves Young Girl from the Clutches of yet another Meteor Infected Monster.'
"Chloe." Clark began.
"What's a meteor freak?" Jean wondered.
"Clark, you haven't told her." Chloe mock scolded him.
"I was going to leave that to you."
Jean looked confused.
"Sorry, ummm let's see a meteor freak. Okay, meteors crash down on Smallville over thirteen years ago, meteors contaminate small town, weird things start happening, cows with two heads, man with extra finger, etc. etc., meteors start affecting people, causing them to mutate and have evil...'I want to get revenge on the rest of the world' powers. So in short Meteor freaks."
Jean nodded. The so-called meteor freaks were only humans who had turned into mutants because of the rocks. They were not born mutants, but they were still giving all mutants a bad rep.
"Yep although," Chloe paused, "I'm still trying to convince the rest of the world that the meteors are the cause of all our troubles and weird happenings in this town and not the Luthors, as many people seem to believe."
Clark winced at Chloe's statement, Jean noticed.
"Well not necessarily, do they have any proof that the meteors are really the cause, or is that just a theory?" Jean insisted. Obviously Clark was keeping something from her and from Chloe. She didn't know what, but whatever it was; it had to be something really big.
"Okay so it is just a theory, but whenever something weird happens, it's not a conscience that the meteors rocks are there too." She pointed out.
Jean tried again, "It's just that, you can't blame Mother Nature for everything. Sometimes things just happen for a reason, and ya gotta just take whatever life throws at you, no matter how big or small. I mean just picture what life in this town would be like without the meteors... how much everything would change. I think they have a purpose and eventually we'll find out why but until then everyone just has to learn that the Luthors or the meteors are not at fault."
Clark looked at Jean for a second; it was like she could see through his very soul. Almost as if she was talking directly to him.
"Okay?" Chloe looked puzzled, "Has anyone ever told you to become an activist of some sort?"
"No," she laughed, "I really haven't thought of it."
"Well, trust me when I say you should really consider it. I can totally picture you in business attire, speaking to the members of congress." She smiled.
"Thanks."
Chloe continued, "And your views on the whole, 'what started this' topic are?" The question was directed at Clark.
"Um, I guess....... the meteors," Clark said half-heartedly.
Jean frowned; there really was something different about Clark. It was that obvious that he was hiding something, but what?
*********************************************************************** TBC