I own nothing but my brain and that has gone missing if you've seen it please send it back.
Getting up and walking past Clark toward the stairs, Lex called out over his shoulder " I think I should go up and look at that window you mentioned." Clark tried not to panic. "Why Lex? There's nothing up there, Lana and I have already checked that place pretty well." "You mentioned something about meteor dust that seems a bit odd don't you think?" Lex continued up the stairs. "Yeah, but. . . "Clark stood there awkwardly looking for an excuse not to go up there. The phrase ' I think I hear my Mommy calling' briefly
entered his mind. Lex looked down at him from the top of the stairs "Well are you coming? Or are you going to stand around and collect dust all day?" Clark sighed with defeat. "Yeah I'm coming."
For the third time that day Clark was about to enter the room at the end of the hall. His stomach was in knots and he could feel the sweat start to roll down his back. Thirty feet from the door his hands began to shake. Lex looked at his terrified friend and realized something was wrong, there was something Clark wasn't telling him. But before he could question Clark about his problem they both heard the doors to the study at the end of the hall explode open and Lionel Luthor storm in demanding to know where Lex was.
Clark looked relieved at the distraction and at the aborted interrogation. Lex shot him a look that clearly said that they would speak Later, and started back to the room they had just come from with Clark close behind him.
"Lex! I need to speak with you immediately" Lex appeared at the top of the stairs and greeted his father with a sarcastic remark he knew would get on his fathers nerves. "You rang father? Well actually it was more of a scream but we can work on that." Lionel stared at Lex in shock at his insolence and lack of respect. "Lex your crude humor does nothing to amuse me in fact it angers me. You'd do well to keep
your mouth shut when such mockery entertains your mind."
"I'll try to remember that is there a reason you came barging into my home at 5:45 in the afternoon, or did some one just forget to feed you?" Careful son one might actually think you dislike your old man." They might be headed in the right direction 'Dad'."
Clark stood and watched the interaction between father and son in the shadows just beyond the balcony hoping and praying to every deity he could think of that he wouldn't be seen. But all the gods must have been on vacation because his prayers were not heard. Lionel peered past his son and paused. "I'll come back when your attitude has lost some of its venom. Goodbye Lex, Clark, say hello for your Mother for me would you."
Lex looked back at Clark and could have sworn his eyes were glowing but dismissed it as a reflection of light or an overactive imagination. Lex turned to Clark "That was strange it was like he saw you and decided it was time to go. I wonder why."
Clark didn't like the fact that Lex had picked up on that. Lionel knew what Clark was capable of because they had switched bodies while Lionel was in prison for murdering his parents when he was younger. Lionel had gotten a hold of an alien stone with the power to switch bodies and had tricked Clark into touching it. By the time Clark got his body back Lionel knew everything about Clark. Clark didn't want Lex to know what was going on so now he had to come up with an explanation and fast.
"Um. . . maybe he doesn't want to drag out family issues in front of others?" Clark guessed. "No my father is not shy, he likes being the center of attention. That's not it." Clark had to come up with something and soon or he was toast. He tried to look calm but on the inside he was a mess ' Okay don't panic, don't panic, you can think of something, Oh my god my mind is blank. PANIC!' finally he thought of something. "Yes but I'll tell my Mother and he likes her, he doesn't want her to think anything bad about him." Clark prayed Lex would accept that. Someone must have been listening because after that Lex left him alone. At 6:00 pm Clark decided it was getting late and he'd better go home. After promising to come back tomorrow he left.
The next day dawned early and bright on the Kent farm. Jonathan Kent was up with the sun and already doing the morning chores by the time Clark woke up and got ready for school. Clark was late getting ready again. He came down the stairs throwing his red back pack over his shoulder as he went. "Mom I'm gonna miss the bus! No time to eat!" he yelled as he ran out the door just in time to see the bus pull away. Chloe and Pete were in the back looking out the window at him.
"See Chloe Clark always miss's the bus. Pay up." "Not so fast Pete the bus is slowing down." Chloe said hoping she wouldn't have to part with her lunch money, today was spaghetti day, the only edible food on the schools cafeteria menu. Clark saw his chance and took it. When the bus began to slow down to turn the corner he ran after it. The bus driver who was used to kids running after the bus decided to stop. Mrs. Kent made excellent pies when it was time for the annual corn festival. It wouldn't be a good idea to ditch her son to many times if you wanted one this year.
Clark walked down the isle of the bus almost every seat was taken except the one saved by Chloe. Clark grinned at Chloe and Pete "Hey guys what's up?" Chloe laughed "Just admiring your track skills boy wonder. You should try out for track they need you." Clark grimaced "I don't think so the Jocks pick on me enough as it is already why give them a reason?" "Yeah but if you were on the Track team they wouldn't be able to catch you." Pete who had been silent until now spoke up. "Clark won't have any problems ditching anyone will you Clark?" "Hey! Pete that's not my fault, you chose not to come. Why don't you like Lex anyway?"
Pete turned and looked out the window and mumbled something under his breath. Chloe looked confused. "Lex?" she mouthed. "I'll tell you later Clark whispered back. "What was that Pete I couldn't hear you over the jealousy." said Clark. Pete turned to Clark angrily and said "I AM NOT JEALOUS OF LEX!" "Then what is it because you're driving me nuts." "The Luthers betrayed my family they bought my grandfathers creamed corn factory from my father. They told him they would keep it up and running. After the deal was signed and they got the land they tore the factory down. Luthers don't keep their promises.
A whole families achievements wiped out by one man. are you happy now Clark you got your story. God you're turning into Chloe." Pete picked up his backpack and walked of the bus with the rest of the students.
"Well that went well." Clark said Chloe frowned "someone hasn't had there coffee. Looks like this is our stop school waits for no one and I want to get to my locker before Justin does." "Who's Justin?" Clark asked. "Oh some math geek from trig has the hots for me or the poster taped inside my locker. He's a little cross eyed so I can't tell If he's staring at me or Jonny Depp." Clark raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Wipe that grin off you face farm boy I remember you falling flat on your face whenever Lana walked by." "Okay, Okay Jeez, I gotta go or I'm gonna be late for zero period. Oh wow is that Justin, good luck your gonna need it!
A tall, lanky, thin boy with mousy hair and black framed eye glasses stood next to Chloe's locker he was slightly cross eyed his clothes were rumpled and looked like a circus tent threw up on them. 'Oh God I found Waldo.' Chloe thought to herself. "Hey Chloe I brought you a flower." he held up a yellow rose. "The yellow symbolizes friendship, and it's the color of your hair." Chloe stopped three feet from her locker. 'Don't panic, smile, DAMN IT, don't run, DAMN IT, look for exits, DAMN IT, No escape' "Hi Justin" she said forcing a smile onto her face. Lana walked by. 'Save me' Chloe pleaded with her eyes. No such luck Lana was oblivious.
"I was headed toward the cafeteria to get a strawberry muffin do you wanna come with me? We could share it." 'Oh thank god strawberries' "I'm sorry Justin I'm allergic to strawberries besides I have a lot to do before I can get this edition of the Torch put out so maybe next time, okay but thank you for the flower." Justin looked like he might cry. Chloe looked over her shoulder and saw Lana at her locker. "Why don't you take Lana with you? I think she's free." Justin grinned and a look of panic crossed Lana's face as
Chloe shut her locker and headed for the Torch office.
Later that day Clark walked in to the schools newspaper office the desks were strewn with newspaper clippings and articles and Chloe was standing knee deep in the middle of them with a grin on her face. "Don't you just love the smell of newspaper ink in the morning Clark." Clark looked slightly worried "Um Okay, but that's printer ink and its 1:00 pm in the afternoon." Chloe stuck out her tongue at him "Oh your no fun." Clark Laughed at her silly behavior. "What's going on here? Another Kansas tornado?" "Nope" she replied. "Just sorting through the every news paper or magazine article I can find on cloning." Clark raised his eyebrows. "Cloning? Chloe have you been watching the Sci-Fi channel again?" "Ha Ha Clark very funny, not gonna work this time. I have a very reliable source inside star labs that told me all about it." Chloe had turned away while speaking to him to sort through some more articles. "Let me guess who your source is." "You can try." she replied still engrossed with the material she was reading. "Dr. Bernard
Kline." Chloe dropped the article and spun to face him her eyes narrowed, suspicion written clearly on her face. "Clark Kent are you trying to steal my story?"
"No I would never do that. I was at Lex's house yesterday working on something having to do with clones and I over heard him mention that name and star labs." Clark continued to explain everything that happened yesterday leaving nothing out. "I think we' going to need you're help. I was going to ask you before I realized you were already working on a story similar to what's going on at Lex's house. "Chloe stood in shock absorbing everything "Will you help us?" she snapped out of it. What kind of question is that of course I will." Clark looked a little worried. "Um Chloe you can't print any of this, I mean anything about Lex." Chloe pretended to pout for a moment. "Okay fine. When do we start?" "Where meeting today after school at his place."
AN: Please review.