For my lurkers…I know you're out there somewhere. I hope. Oh who am I kidding…lol…

Don't I know you?

Thursday, January 2nd

"You look wiped out, Ice."

Standing in the doorway of The Torch, Isis smiled. "You're not looking too hot yourself, Chloe."

"Yeah, well, adventure seems to follow wherever we go," Chloe said, rubbing her weary eyes. "So whatcha doin' here so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Scowling Chloe said, "There's always a rush to put out the first post-Winter Break paper. Of course this is the first year it's also been post-super-elaborate-hold-up as well."

"Least it wasn't a Meteor Monster," Isis said with a lopsided smile, leaning against the doorframe.

Chloe instantly brightened. "Speaking of Meteor Monsters, you'll never believe what happened while we were gone."

Eyebrows climbing, Isis walked into the office and perched on the desk across from Chloe's. Suddenly she made a face as if to say Oh who am I kidding? and slid down into the plastic chair. "So what is it, Clo? Is Corey Welch really a two-headed parasite of human sweat?"

Handing Isis the article she had printed from the internet, Chloe said, "Worse. You know Anna Constantine?"

"Name's familiar," Isis said, skimming the article, "but you're all starting to sound famil-- Oh no."

Chloe sighed and frowned. "Unfortunately. She was cool. Anna wrote one or two pieces for the paper. God drowning must be a horrible way to die," she said, shaking her head.

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone," Isis said softly, feeling the water filling her lungs. She shook her head as if to clear it. "So what does this have to do with my Meteor Monster comment?"

Chloe's face brightened all over again. "Well that's where Chad the Goth comes in."

"Excuse me? Chad the Goth?"

"Yeah, okay, so 'Chad' isn't exactly the first name I'd have put in the same sentence as 'Goth,' but that's beside the point. Chad is my source at the coroners -- a secret you must now guard with your life."

Isis snorted. "As if anyone would believe me."

Chloe through a pink rubber eraser at her.

"Okay, okay. I'm sworn to secrecy. Eesh. So what's the word from good ol' Chad?"

"Well first off Anna might've been DOA but the paramedics managed to revive her."

Isis' eyebrows drew together. "Why would the article lie about that? Sounds like it'd be really juice to me."

"That's the thing -- they didn't lie." Chloe was thrumming with excitement. "It was a cover-up. Apparently by the time they got her to the Emergency Room and all hooked up and what not she died and was past reviving. Or at least that's how Chad heard it. Supposedly the hospital didn't even tell Mr. And Mrs. Constantine ."

"God, that's horrible."

"It gets better."

"Chloe."

Chloe blew here bangs from her eyes in a huff. "You know what I mean: Anyway…like I was saying, they managed to get Anna hooked up to whatever all they tape on you when you're unconscious for more than, like, five seconds or something, and they were getting readings."

Isis' look wanted to know why this mattered.

"Okay, they can't be sure because she wasn't on long enough, but they think that maybe Anna sleepwalked to the pool."

"No way," Isis said, incredulous. "She drowned in the school pool, Chloe. Or does Chad know something about that too?"

Chloe plopped down into her chair and cross her legs at the knee, her pleated blue-plaid wool skirt revealing bright blue hose above the knee of equally plaid boots. "Now that you mention it… Okay, so the school thing is definitely right--" She stopped suddenly, noticing the rising volume from outside. Isis got up and closed the door. When she sat back down Chloe continued: "But Chad says the paramedics that took her in say that the doctor that saw her thinks Anna managed to break the locks herself."

"Sleepwalking?"

"If this were anyplace but Smallville I'd find it just as hard to believe, but, yeah, sleepwalking."

Eyes narrowed, Isis said, "So all the damage to her hands was from getting the front door open, not struggling against her clothes like the article said?"

"We're not so sure about that."

"So what evidence--"

"The autopsy revealed micro- and macro- soft tissue damage in her arms and the muscles of Anna's back. That's totally unusual damage for a drowning victim."

Isis frowned. "Chloe…can you get me into the school database?"

"Sure thing."

"I wanna see what Anna Constantine looked like," Isis said, coming to stand over Chloe. "You said that the going theory is that she somehow sleepwalked herself to death?"

Chloe nodded, pulling up an old junior yearbook picture of Anna who had been a year ahead of her. "Something like that. I mean how else would you explain the heavy winter coat? It hasn't been that cold in Kansas this winter. Not like Gotham." She shivered, remembering the bone-aching East Coast cold they had recently escaped.

Isis' frown only deepened when the picture finished downloading. Although both Principal Kwan and the photographer had probably been livid, Anna had taken her junior yearbook picture heavily mascaraed, her hair a Manic Panic blue-green. Isis wondered if the profile shot was hiding either a nose- or eyebrow-ring. Or both. "She was a blonde," Isis murmured.

"How can you tell?"

"Her roots were beginning to show," Isis said, indicating the thin line of corn-silk yellow.

"Good eyes."

"I was looking," Isis mumbled, as if deep in thought, staring intently at Anna's picture. She straightened. "Chloe can I keep the article or could you make me a copy or something?"

Chloe turned in her chair. "Sure. Go ahead and take that one. I've got the link in my e-mail. Why, do you think you might know something? I thought this was the first time you were hearing about it."

"It is. There's someone who should see this is all." Isis smiled brightly. It felt hard and brittle. "Hey, if anything comes of it you'll be the first to know," she lied. She glanced down at her watch. "Bell's gonna ring in about five. I gotta get out of here Chloe."

"Okay. Hey do you have sixth period lunch today?"

"Dunno, Chloe. I'll see what I can do."

" 'Kay. See you around Isis."

She was almost out the door when she remembered: "Chloe, you're not going to print this story. The real story that is."

Chloe shook her head, leaning back in her chair. "It'd be cruel to the Constantines who don't have a clue."

"Hopefully they'll never find out."

On a sigh: "Yeah."

§§§

Clark set his books down across from Isis sitting at a far table in the library . "Hey."

She looked up with startled eyes. "Oh, hey Clark. Did the bell ring?"

"Yeah. Like a minute--"

She was already getting her things together. "Thanks."

"--ago. You're welcome," he said to her back.

Clark looked up as Pete put his stuff down moments later and said, "Hey, did you see Isis go by?"

"You mean a gold and brown blur about yea high?"

Grinning, Clark nodded. "Yeah. I wonder what was up?"

Pete shrugged. "Probably remembered Kwan had some class for her to cover. Dude, is there anyone that guy doesn't have it in for?"

"No. But you know that, Pete. Hey, so recovered from Gotham yet?"

Pete groaned. "I'll be catching up on sleep for the next month. What about you Clark? It's fifth period and you still look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."

"One of the freaky side benefits of, uh," Clark glanced around quickly, "being a farm kid."

"Yeah, well, farm boys get all the luck. Hey, did you manage to finish the holiday homework?"

Clark held up his assignment.

Grinning Pete held up his. "So you aren't perfect after all."

Clark snorted. "Me, perfect? Biggest exaggeration of, like, the year."

"I quite agree, gentlemen."

Clark and Pete looked up into the irate face of Smallville High's librarian.

"Mr. Kent and…Mr. Ross? There is a Please Be Quiet sign just above your heads, and you can read, can't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," they said.

"I suggest you heed it in the very near future." With that she turned on her heel and walked away.

Pete leaned across the table. "Do you realize she's been the school librarian at every school we've been at since kindergarten?"

"Kindergartens don't have libraries, Pete."

"Yes they do and she was there! She has it out for me man."

"Hey, sounds like she's the only woman who isn't taken in by the Ross charm."

A sly look came over Pete's face. "Well her and Selina Kyle."

Clark groaned.

§§§

"I didn't say you could sit here," Dylan Strauss said, eyes on his green peas and mashed potatoes.

"I didn't ask," Isis answered with arched brow.

"Then go away."

"You don't go away," Isis shot back.

"I don't know what you're talking about Ms. Ross."

Isis slid Chloe's article across the table.

"What's this?"

"I think you know."

Dylan Strauss looked up from the article. A heartbeat's pause. "I have no idea what this is about."

"Yeah ya do. And you're feeling pretty smirky about it, aren't you?"

"…Actually I am."

Isis' voice dropped to a whisper: "You killed a girl, Dylan."

"Too bad it wasn't one of you."

"One of us?!" Only the cafeteria din saved her from having every room head in the room turn toward them.

Dylan chuckled. Rose from his seat. "See you around, Izzy."

§§§

Mrs. Kerrick warned Dylan another lateness would earn him a detention. "You aren't the only person coming from fifth period lunch, Mr. Strauss, yet somehow your fellow classmates seem to make it here before the Late Bell."

But Dylan didn't hear her. Sitting in his chair on the far side of the classroom, one row way from the tall windows, he kept Seeing Isis Ross let herself into a teacher's restroom, drop to her knees and empty the contents of her stomach.

It made him smile.

§§§

Chloe called Isis while she was driving. She touched the answer key. "Yes, Chloe?"

"Hey, what happened to you at sixth?" came the question through the Benz's speakers.

"I had to talk to someone during fifth then I got all tied up at sixth. I'm sorry I stiffed you, Clo."

There was a pause then, "Are you all right Isis? You sound tired."

Sigh. "I am, Chloe. I'm going to the Mansion now to relax," she lied.

Chloe smiled although she knew her friend didn't see it. "Okay, get some rest."

"I'll try. Bye, Clo."

"See ya, Ice." Chloe flipped her phone closed just as Lana brought her another coffee. "Hey so how's Isis? Is she gonna come to our movie-day on Saturday?"

Chloe grimaced. "She sounded so out of it, I didn't even ask. How about you try popping the question tomorrow?"

"Nope," Lana said, briefly leaning on the countertop. "If I ask Isis then I might as well ask Lex, in which case you'll have to ask Pete and Clark, when I thought you were studiously avoiding our beloved Farm Boy."

Chloe made a face.

"If you keep doing that your face will get stuck that way."

Chloe stuck her tongue out at Lana.

Who snorted and said, "Oh yeah, real mature."

"Hey, I thought so."

§§§

Friday, January 3rd

Lex had to admit that there were few sights more satisfying than that of a woman lying in your bed wearing your shirt, the evidence of your kisses and the scent of your body as her only covering.

As if she could hear his thoughts, Isis half-turned in her sleep so that she was nearly on her back. With a smirk he looked at the mess he had made of her small, delicate, green-gold braids. She'd be five kinds of mad when she got up. Or maybe she'd look in the mirror and remember.

Lex turned away, straightening his collar. He could stay home and work today. Hadn't Isis asked him just as much oh so recently. Hence her little "parting gift." His body hadn't quite shaken its languid lassitude and his cheeks were definitely pinkish. Lex grinned to himself, looking down at his cuffs. There was something to be said for born-again virgins.

When he turned back to Isis somehow a green-gold braid had slipped over her closed eyes although she hadn't moved. Lex's mouth briefly bent into a frown at the odd color contrast as he brushed the hair from her face. She turned toward his touch and Lex found himself tempted to kiss her forehead.

Just a caress of skin, Lex promised himself as he leaned over her. The kiss was quick, almost fraternal, as the combined musk of their bodies rose up from her skin to meet him.

He left before he could become addicted.

§§§

Just a lil FYI, in case you were wanting to know: the next chapter's gonna be called "One, two, Freddy's coming for you" or something very close to