Lex led me back to his study while Lois disappeared into one of Lex's many rooms.

Reaching the study, Lex moved towards his personal bar. "She's attending Metropolis University this fall…" he says, making himself a drink. He offers one to me but I kindly refuse. Lex continues. "… So she's spending the summer here at the mansion till then." Lex reached down to his mini-fridge and tossed a bottled water of Evian to me.

"Thanks." I twisted the cap effortlessly and took a big gulp. Clearing my throat, "You've never mentioned her before"

Lex drowned his scotch and looked at me. "We've all got our secrets, Clark." Lex crossed me and headed towards his pool table and sets his glass on the very edge. He naturally racks up the balls in place.

I already knew that this was a means to change the subject.

Lex goes over to his selection of cue sticks. "What about you? What brings you back here?"

This is how our so-called friendship worked. One minute we act like we're friends, and the next, we're trying to find more proof why we're not.

When the school year ended, I came looking for him. What I found broke any more chances that he and I can be friends. He had a room filled with everything about me. The crash. Reports. Theories and conjectures. Everything.

I felt betrayed and exposed like a lab rat being toyed with.

I saved his life and it isn't enough for him. Nothing is enough for him and it's tearing the people I care about apart.

Especially me, as selfish as that may appear.

"I wanted to know if…" my words trailed to a silent halt. It was a hesitation on my part.

"Why don't you take a look at the room yourself," he recommended, breaking the set on the pool table with ease.

"How can I believe that it's over?" I argued as calmly as I could.

"That leaves us back right where we started now, doesn't it"

I sometimes couldn't believe how I can see this man as my friend and how I can blindly trust him so.

"Do you mind if I look around?" I asked, knowing that it was too much. I had to know though. I had to see for myself if he was telling the truth. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I made the mistake of trusting him and then it came back to haunt me in the long run.

I remind myself again that it isn't just my life that's at stake but the life of my friends and family.

Lex finished his glass. "I've go nothing to hide," he says monotonously.

And then I leave.

When Clark exited, Lois appeared from the other door.

"He's right, you know," she observed.

"Are you siding with him?" Lex replies, exasperated.

She shook her head but kept her stance. "I'm not taking anybody's side, but you told me what you did. Your friend has a point to be skeptical about you"

Lex cringed at Lois's use of 'friend' between him and Clark.

"We're barely friends, Lois." He sighed. "I don't think we ever were"

Lois relaxed and made her way towards the friend she had known for a long time.

She has known Alexander Luthor since they were kids. She was the tomboy in the playgrounds and he was the older bald weird kid sitting alone at lunch time.

He was worried about how people perceived him.

She didn't give a damn.

They've been friends ever since.

She picked up her own pool stick and played with him. "Green stripe, corner pocket." She hits it in the hole with just as much ease as Lex. "What'd you do to all those decorative stuff you had in there?" she asks curiously, moving around the table to hit her next target.

Lex breathed in deeply. "The car is scrapped somewhere in a field dumpster and everything else has been incinerated," he reveals.

She raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

He shrugged. "I kept a few artifacts for my personal collection – nothing along the lines of Clark Kent, I assure you"

"That'll have to do," she says. "Red stripe, side pocket." She hits. It falls in precision. There was one other ball to hit. "8-ball, corner." Dunk. She wins.

Lex exhaled as she defeated him at his own game.

"Remind me never to place bets against you"

Lois smiled. "You got yourself a deal"

That same day, Clark and Lex parted again on uncertain terms.

I left the mansion still feeling unsure. Lex was right when he told me he removed everything. I x-rayed every spot I could look at and found no evidence of his obsession with that day left anywhere on the grounds. He admitted to having a small private collection, even going as far as showing me.

I couldn't step any closer though, he had Kryptonite all over his chamber so I kept my distance. Lex didn't find it odd so I left without giving anything away. I was relieved that I was far enough from the chamber that the effect of the Kryptonite was low.

"Has anyone ever told you that you stare a lot?"

The voice startled me and I spun around to come face-to-face with Lois Lane. Lex's friend. The friend staying with him for the summer until her fall semester starts at Metropolis University.

"Hi!" I say in a high-pitched tone. I crashed and burned on that one.

"If you think we're going to have more of these conversations, the monosyllabic responses has got to go"

"My mono..." I had to do a double-take. "What makes you think we'll have more of these conversations?" She's challenging me. I can see it in her green eyes.

"So the boy can speak. That's good to know," she continued to tease.

I rushed to regain my composure. "I'm sorry about earlier." I decided to go on the safe route. I didn't know enough about Lois Lane to start spilling my guts out – not that it ever crossed my mind.

Then she smiled at me for the first time. She is so beautiful when she did. It was like the sun falling from the horizon and the colors of the skies making it enchanting.

"No harm done." She shrugs. "Besides, how can I mind being mistaken for a millionaire," she adds playfully.

"Can I buy you a drink?" The question rolled off my tongue so instinctively, I didn't even know I asked it.

As uncomfortable as I've become, Lois didn't seem the least bit affected. I couldn't help but feel that wasn't fair.

"Not this time," she says simply. She turned to leave but my voice got the best of me and called out to her.

"How about a next time?" I yelled.

She turned her head around but kept walking. She didn't answer me but she did throw me a wink.

That had to be something.

I walked away from the mansion, and once I was far enough to speed home, I make a short stop at Chloe's apartment. My best friend for many years.

The small blonde opened her door.

"What's wrong, Clark?"

I swallowed deep. "I have a favor"

Chloe raised her eyebrows at me.

"What?"

"I need you to check a name for me"

Chloe walked further into the apartment and sat on the table where her laptop was set up. "What's the name?"

I take a deep breath.

"Lois Lane"

To be continued...