Ha ha ha ha. I just read all of my reviews and I know that it all seems
very, very strange. (Maniacal laughing in the background). Sorry, couldn't
help that. All will be explained and a few things unexplained in this
chapter. Like, how does she get hurt? With a little help from some very
rich and powerful people of course! Guess who! Well I mean, when you read
this chapter you won't really have to guess anymore.
Clark was the first one to break the rather awkward silence. "I'm sorry," he said in a strange and rather distant sounding voice.
"It's all right," she said, waving at him in a dismissive way. "I'm fine. I mean, you know, for the next eight years I had to travel the world and keep looking for somebody who was like me, hoping every day that they existed. And trust me, after eight years of living on the streets, I finally learned to control my emotions. On everything except my parents' death that is."
Jonathon felt confused. If Clara really was from the planet Krypton, and really was like Clark, then how did she get a scar? How could she have been affected so severely that she almost died in nothing so trivial as a car wreck? While he felt sympathy and pity for the girl, he couldn't help but think that maybe she really wasn't who she said she was. The complete trust that he usually felt for almost everyone, even if he did just meet them, wasn't there like it usually was. Maybe it was just because this was so unexpected. Jonathon hoped it was.
Then all of a sudden, he began to feel very strange toward her. Like there was something a little menacing under that girly exterior. It was almost exactly the way he felt whenever he was around Lex Luthor. Why would that be? Surely if she was raised by nice people as she had said she had been, then she couldn't be as evil and conniving as Lex? Jonathon decided to be wary of her, but to be nice and as hospitable as a person could be. Under the circumstances, that was a very wise choice indeed.
"So," she said, shifting her weight to another leg again. "I just came to see if you really were the dude everyone in Metropolis is still talking about. I must say, even though everything you did was totally and completely wrong, you left a totally awesome impact on everyone. They're all wondering where the dude with the superpowers went off to and when he's coming back. What made you act like that in the first place?"
Clark shuffled his feet a little nervously. Any mention of his behavior when it was affected by red Kryptonite made him very nervous. "Oh, you know, red Kryptonite I guess."
"Red Kryptonite? Weird, I've only encountered the green kind. You'll have to tell me more later. As it is, I've made reservations at the only motel I can afford at the moment, and I really do need a nap. That espresso did nothing for me." She turned to leave and patted Clark on the head.
"Clara!" Martha called when she had regained control over her vocal cords and Clara was at the door. "Why don't you stay here with us?"
Clara smiled sadly at them and said, "I don't want to impose on anybody. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one left. That would get kinda lonely, don't ya think? I'm gonna be back to walking and hitching tomorrow morning, so I'd better get a-"
"You're not walking and hitching anywhere," said Jonathon, overcoming his own trepidations at inviting someone like this to stay in their home. He knew that Clark could never hurt a fly - unless it was an evil Kryptonite-infested fly - but he wasn't so sure about this girl. And what about that menacing feeling he had gotten from her? Sure it was gone now, and maybe it was just his overactive imagination. I mean, this girl had just come in and told them she was from Krypton, who wouldn't feel a little scared? But she didn't have anywhere to go, and he didn't think someone should have to go around in clothes like that hitch-hiking. It went against all of his moral ethics, even the ones that were a little scared. "Martha and I would love to have you stay for a few days until you're sure about where you think you're gonna go."
Why did he have to say that? He had too many suspicions about this girl to let her stay, but it was obvious that neither Martha nor Clark had been affected by that menacing aura as he had. Oh well, too late now. Her look was one that was so happy, he couldn't have crushed it if he had tried.
"And you won't be imposing on anyone," Clark added. "It'll be nice to see a new face around here." The Kents were always going against their better judgement and letting people stay with them when they needed to. Sometimes they felt a little lonely when it was just the three of them.
"I second that," said Martha.
Clara still looked a little undecided. Martha ended that by saying, "I'll go get the blankets. You can sleep in Clark's room."
"Oh no, I can sleep on the couch," she said hurriedly.
"No, no, we insist," said Clark. Honestly, he liked sleeping on the couch than in his bedroom. Ever since that incident with that girl who could go wherever she wanted, he was a little freaked. Even if she couldn't do it anymore. It was still a little freaky thinking that other people might be able to.
So Clark's bed was made and they all settled in. Except for Clara.
It was apparent the next morning that Clara might be suffering from a chronic case of insomnia. The whole house was sparkling clean and she had made a huge plateful of pancakes, waffles, and had even made pop-tarts. Yeah, made them.
Syrup, butter, powdered sugar, and miniature rolls that she had also made, were spread out on the table. She was already digging into a tart when the rest of the family had drifted in. They looked around in amazement and immediately sat down to pile tarts and pancakes on their plates.
"How did you have time to make all this? When did you get up?" asked Martha, who felt a little strange not being the first one up to make breakfast.
"Oh well, you know, I haven't really been able to sleep all that well for a while." It went unsaid that everyone knew the reason she hadn't slept was because of her parents' death.
Everyone finished their breakfast, then got up to leave. Jonathon went to the barn and Martha went to look and see if there were any spots that Clara had missed during her cleaning spree. Clark and Clara stood up as well. Clark was about to go out and help his dad in the barn, and Clara was running through all the things she could do before nighttime when she'd be stuck cleaning everything again because she had nothing better to do. There was a knock on the door. Clark went over to see who it was, and Clara couldn't resist following.
Lex was at the door, but Clara didn't really know who Lex was. She had seen him at the Talon, but she didn't really know who he was. "Hi Clark," he said, staring at Clara. This time there wasn't any strange menacing aura coming from her. The only thing he felt right now was confusion.
Clark was the first one to break the rather awkward silence. "I'm sorry," he said in a strange and rather distant sounding voice.
"It's all right," she said, waving at him in a dismissive way. "I'm fine. I mean, you know, for the next eight years I had to travel the world and keep looking for somebody who was like me, hoping every day that they existed. And trust me, after eight years of living on the streets, I finally learned to control my emotions. On everything except my parents' death that is."
Jonathon felt confused. If Clara really was from the planet Krypton, and really was like Clark, then how did she get a scar? How could she have been affected so severely that she almost died in nothing so trivial as a car wreck? While he felt sympathy and pity for the girl, he couldn't help but think that maybe she really wasn't who she said she was. The complete trust that he usually felt for almost everyone, even if he did just meet them, wasn't there like it usually was. Maybe it was just because this was so unexpected. Jonathon hoped it was.
Then all of a sudden, he began to feel very strange toward her. Like there was something a little menacing under that girly exterior. It was almost exactly the way he felt whenever he was around Lex Luthor. Why would that be? Surely if she was raised by nice people as she had said she had been, then she couldn't be as evil and conniving as Lex? Jonathon decided to be wary of her, but to be nice and as hospitable as a person could be. Under the circumstances, that was a very wise choice indeed.
"So," she said, shifting her weight to another leg again. "I just came to see if you really were the dude everyone in Metropolis is still talking about. I must say, even though everything you did was totally and completely wrong, you left a totally awesome impact on everyone. They're all wondering where the dude with the superpowers went off to and when he's coming back. What made you act like that in the first place?"
Clark shuffled his feet a little nervously. Any mention of his behavior when it was affected by red Kryptonite made him very nervous. "Oh, you know, red Kryptonite I guess."
"Red Kryptonite? Weird, I've only encountered the green kind. You'll have to tell me more later. As it is, I've made reservations at the only motel I can afford at the moment, and I really do need a nap. That espresso did nothing for me." She turned to leave and patted Clark on the head.
"Clara!" Martha called when she had regained control over her vocal cords and Clara was at the door. "Why don't you stay here with us?"
Clara smiled sadly at them and said, "I don't want to impose on anybody. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one left. That would get kinda lonely, don't ya think? I'm gonna be back to walking and hitching tomorrow morning, so I'd better get a-"
"You're not walking and hitching anywhere," said Jonathon, overcoming his own trepidations at inviting someone like this to stay in their home. He knew that Clark could never hurt a fly - unless it was an evil Kryptonite-infested fly - but he wasn't so sure about this girl. And what about that menacing feeling he had gotten from her? Sure it was gone now, and maybe it was just his overactive imagination. I mean, this girl had just come in and told them she was from Krypton, who wouldn't feel a little scared? But she didn't have anywhere to go, and he didn't think someone should have to go around in clothes like that hitch-hiking. It went against all of his moral ethics, even the ones that were a little scared. "Martha and I would love to have you stay for a few days until you're sure about where you think you're gonna go."
Why did he have to say that? He had too many suspicions about this girl to let her stay, but it was obvious that neither Martha nor Clark had been affected by that menacing aura as he had. Oh well, too late now. Her look was one that was so happy, he couldn't have crushed it if he had tried.
"And you won't be imposing on anyone," Clark added. "It'll be nice to see a new face around here." The Kents were always going against their better judgement and letting people stay with them when they needed to. Sometimes they felt a little lonely when it was just the three of them.
"I second that," said Martha.
Clara still looked a little undecided. Martha ended that by saying, "I'll go get the blankets. You can sleep in Clark's room."
"Oh no, I can sleep on the couch," she said hurriedly.
"No, no, we insist," said Clark. Honestly, he liked sleeping on the couch than in his bedroom. Ever since that incident with that girl who could go wherever she wanted, he was a little freaked. Even if she couldn't do it anymore. It was still a little freaky thinking that other people might be able to.
So Clark's bed was made and they all settled in. Except for Clara.
It was apparent the next morning that Clara might be suffering from a chronic case of insomnia. The whole house was sparkling clean and she had made a huge plateful of pancakes, waffles, and had even made pop-tarts. Yeah, made them.
Syrup, butter, powdered sugar, and miniature rolls that she had also made, were spread out on the table. She was already digging into a tart when the rest of the family had drifted in. They looked around in amazement and immediately sat down to pile tarts and pancakes on their plates.
"How did you have time to make all this? When did you get up?" asked Martha, who felt a little strange not being the first one up to make breakfast.
"Oh well, you know, I haven't really been able to sleep all that well for a while." It went unsaid that everyone knew the reason she hadn't slept was because of her parents' death.
Everyone finished their breakfast, then got up to leave. Jonathon went to the barn and Martha went to look and see if there were any spots that Clara had missed during her cleaning spree. Clark and Clara stood up as well. Clark was about to go out and help his dad in the barn, and Clara was running through all the things she could do before nighttime when she'd be stuck cleaning everything again because she had nothing better to do. There was a knock on the door. Clark went over to see who it was, and Clara couldn't resist following.
Lex was at the door, but Clara didn't really know who Lex was. She had seen him at the Talon, but she didn't really know who he was. "Hi Clark," he said, staring at Clara. This time there wasn't any strange menacing aura coming from her. The only thing he felt right now was confusion.