Gemma stalked around Kara with a smirk on her face, taking slow, deliberate steps as she pushed the confused freshman toward the back of the closet and placed herself in front of the door. Crossing her arms over her chest once she stopped walking, she looked up and down at Kara before letting out a laugh. The expression on Kara's face became even more confused as Gemma cackled at her.
"You? Seriously? You're pathetic."
"What do you mean?" Kara said, narrowing her eyes. She had no idea what was going on, but she was rubbed the wrong way by being called pathetic.
"Don't pretend you don't know," Gemma said, her voice sounding bored and detached. "I know your secret, little Danvers."
Kara frowned, trying to keep her cool. She wasn't going to let Gemma bait her into admitting to anything, not when there was a chance she was completely bluffing. But a chill ran down Kara's spine nonetheless. Did Gemma know she was from Krypton? She couldn't. Kara and her cousin were the only two Kryptonians left, and hardly anyone knew about their existence, let alone their enhanced capabilities under a yellow sun.
"You're an alien, aren't you?" Gemma hissed.
Kara glared at her. "No, I'm not. Why would you even think that?"
"Doesn't matter why I think it, I know it's true," Gemma countered. "Where are you from, then? Starhaven? Naltor? Daxam?"
"Why does it matter?" Kara asked, cutting her off and trying to keep desperation from ebbing into her tone. On one hand, she was relieved that Gemma didn't know what planet she was from and that since Krypton was gone, it didn't seem to be on Gemma's radar. But on the other hand, this was not good. Gemma really knew that she wasn't human, and that rumor alone could be enough for the rest of the school to look into it and manage to find out the truth. "I'm just a normal kid, like you, trying to go to school and live my life. Why do you care if I'm an alien?"
"Aliens took my mother from me," Gemma growled, spitting the word 'aliens' at Kara like it was poison on her tongue. "And I could go after just the one species, but that's the best part—it was a rebel group of refugees from multiple planets. Refugees who we welcomed into our nation, our city, rebelled against us because we were human. My father sent me to this school to be away from the likes of you, Kara, and I don't like that you've intruded on my safe haven."
"That doesn't make sense," Kara said, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What were they rebelling against? Most of those are peaceful planets! They wouldn't just kill humans for being human!"
"Of course, you'd defend them," Gemma said, glaring at Kara as her voice dripped with contempt, "because you're one of them. And when I find out what species you are, you're done for, Kara Danvers… if that's even your real name. In the meantime, I know your secret, and lucky for you, as long as you don't step out of line, it's safe with me. Getting you kicked out for being an alien would be too easy. I'm going to bide my time with you. Consider this your warning, kid."
Gemma turned sharply then, opening the closet door before looking over her shoulder and adding, "Don't get any ideas, either. You wouldn't want Lena to see you for who you really are, would you?" Kara's face paled. Gemma smirked, her eyes glimmering with delight at Kara's fear. "That's what I thought. See you around."
Kara was suddenly painfully aware of the tight walls of the closet, and she quickly pushed her way back out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her and taking a deep breath in to calm her overwhelmed nerves. She had missed a significant amount of her class already, and she didn't know what was worse—playing hooky and saying she was sick, or showing up late with no good excuse. When thinking about returning to a classroom setting made her feel as if she was choking, she turned away from her class and headed out into the courtyard.
Nobody else was outside. They were all busy in classes or offices. Making her way over to a bench, tucked off to the side and surrounded by little trees and bushes with brightly colored flowers, Kara sat down, looking up and smiling as she watched the birds flutter around. Birds fascinated her, since they hadn't had birds on Krypton, and she loved to watch them soar around and listen to them sing. Taking her glasses off and holding them in her lap, she closed her eyes and felt the sun on her face, letting her superpowers heighten the bird's songs and fill her ears with music.
She jumped when she became aware of another sound—someone walking down the path toward her.
"Did you really skip class to get a tan? That's ballsy," the voice joked. Kara opened her eyes and smiled as she put her glasses back on; it was Andrea.
"No," Kara chuckled, "I didn't feel well and was already running late to class, so I came out here to enjoy the sun for a minute."
Andrea nodded, sitting down on the bench next to her and leaning lazily against the back of it. "That makes sense. I had a free period, usually when I come out here during free periods I don't run into people, though. It's a nice surprise. Are you feeling better now, at least?"
Kara shrugged. "A little," she said, "I think the fresh air is helping. And it's nice to have company right now that doesn't make me feel terrible."
Andrea tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"It's just been a difficult adjustment," Kara confided. "I was hoping more people would be kind here. But so far, I haven't been lucky."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Andrea asked, an earnest expression on her face.
But Kara merely shook her head. "No, that's okay. I appreciate your offer, though. I just need to adjust on my own time."
Andrea nodded. "I understand. I'm going to head back inside, but I want you to know you can come to me with anything."
Kara gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Andrea, that's very sweet of you."
A wide, warm grin spread across the brunette's face as she patted Kara's knee and stood up. "Of course. I'll see you later?"
"Absolutely," Kara said, a sparkle in her eyes as Andrea waved and walked off down the path back into the building. Kara went back to enjoying the sun then, while Andrea turned the corner and promptly linked arms with Gemma, who had been leaning against a column listening to their conversation, and walked off with her down the hall.
…
Lena had to admit, she was impressed by Kara's resilience. It was common that new students at Mount Helena weren't accepted quickly. Most of the students had parents or siblings who were alumni and knew what to expect coming in. All except for a handful of select, lucky students came from families that were rolling in money and were incredibly powerful figures in National City. The students who didn't fit that bill, like the Danvers, were able to secure a place because their parents worked for government or other very powerful people.
Typically, new students would band together with the kids of family friends, or they'd eventually fight back against the teasing and opinions toward them would change, allowing them to successfully join a clique. If you can't beat them, join them, Lena supposed was the mindset behind that. But Kara… Kara was something else entirely.
Every time Lena walked down the hallway, she witnessed Kara helping someone, regardless of the teasing they threw her way or which family they came from. When Eve Teschmacher, who was known for her brilliance but also for being incredibly untrustworthy as a friend, lost her grip on her books and her things went clattering to the floor, Kara was there helping her pick them up. Just as quickly, Kara was there to help the confident Leslie Willis when she noticed her shoe was untied, or to hold the door open for the misunderstood and often mistreated Nia Nal. It was a refreshing difference to see someone actually being kind to others, and it was certainly turning heads.
As much as it warmed Lena's heart, she felt something else claw at her insides when she witnessed such things. It was a feeling similar to fear, but she wasn't necessarily afraid. She'd only felt it a handful of times, like when Lillian would praise Lex only to instantly turn around and point out everything wrong with her… perhaps it was jealousy? But she wasn't jealous of Kara. She just had a sense that it was only a matter of time before enough people were so moved by Kara's selflessness and kindness that they accepted her into their friend groups, and when that happened, Lena would be alone again. As much as she was fascinated by Kara's kindness, Kara was her friend for now, and it made her uncomfortable to consider how quickly that could be taken away.
You're being ridiculous, she chastised herself. For whatever reason, Kara had chosen her. She didn't need to worry about Kara leaving her. Kara was honest, selfless, and kind; she wasn't going to abandon Lena like so many others. Right?
Lena's mind was focused on the latest act of kindness she'd witnessed from Kara—helping a student break open a locker that was stuck shut, because nobody else seemed strong enough to break it—when she walked past the chemistry lab, having decided to use her free period to get a new book from the library and read it outside. She froze when she caught something out of the corner of her eye. It was Kara… and Andrea. Lena felt a chill run down her spine as she stared through the window in shock.
It wasn't Kara's fault. Lena hadn't said anything about Andrea; she had never fathomed the possibility that Andrea would want anything to do with Kara, so she hadn't thought it important to mention. What the hell did she want? Lena recognized the lazy smirk on Andrea's face when Kara was focused on the experiment, the way Andrea genuinely looked at Kara as if she were her prey and instantly snapped her expression to easygoing and friendly the minute Kara looked up. Of course, Kara would buy into Andrea's game. But what bothered Lena was what reason Andrea could possibly have by trying to get close to Kara.
Since Andrea had started to become friends with Gemma Cooper, who Lena was indifferent towards but who was from one of the most powerful families in the area, Andrea had had little reason to bother with anyone below her social status. She had become pretty nasty to other students, in fact, though Lena was no longer surprised by that. Her former friend was brilliant, but could also be incredibly manipulative.
Lena picked up her pace, forcing herself to continue onward as her mind reeled with this new realization. She had a horrible feeling that Kara was in danger, but she had no idea what Andrea could possibly use against her. Nevertheless, Lena didn't even want to give her the opportunity to dig. She needed to figure out what Andrea knew and what sort of game she was playing at, or else Kara was going to be in some deep shit.
For the rest of her free period, she sat on a bench outside, trying desperately to focus on her book to no avail. Her mind raced with memories of her fleeting, beautiful, but ultimately terrible friendship with Andrea, and she found herself trying desperately to put together the puzzle of what Andrea wanted from Kara. The problem was, Lena had absolutely nothing to go off of. Kara didn't have big, horrible secrets. She didn't come from a corrupt, wealthy family like so many other students did. No matter what potential explanation Lena came up with, it just didn't make any sense.
These were the thoughts on her mind when she met with Lex for their post-class chess match later that day. The two of them started off with small talk and basic banter about how their days had been, but Lex became aware quite quickly when Lena failed to put up a significant fight in chess that something was up.
"What's the matter?" Lex asked, his calculating gaze searching Lena for any tells about what was going on.
Lena sighed. "You said you sort of have a thing with Gemma, right?"
Heat rose into Lex's cheeks and his eyes widened. "I mean—sort of. Maybe. Why?"
"Do you know her well enough that you could help me figure something out? Andrea is getting close to Kara, and I don't think her intentions are good. I need to find out what she has on Kara, and I think you might be able to do that by asking Gemma."
"You're asking me to manipulate someone I might genuinely care about to get information for you?" Lex asked, his eyes widening in mock surprise. For a moment, Lena was worried she had really crossed a line. But then, Lex broke out into a boisterous bout of laughter. "I'm honored. I'll get that information out of her; anything for my little sister."
"Thank you, Lex," Lena said, giving him a relieved and grateful smile.
The two continued playing and chatting until eventually, Lex inevitably won. Although Lena's clearer mind after asking Lex to help allowed her to make a partial comeback, there was no way she'd be able to return fully enough to win.
On her way back to her room to get her things to study, Lena paused outside of Kara and Alex's door. She seemed to hover for a moment, unable to decide whether or not she should knock. She was considering inviting Kara to study with her in the library, but suddenly, she felt worried. Realistically, there was no reason for Kara to say no or to decide Lena wasn't worth it anymore, but the young Luthor couldn't shake the nagging feeling that it was a possibility, especially after what she'd seen earlier.
In the midst of her deliberation, the door swung open to reveal Kara, who had her hair down and had changed out of her uniform and into a loose white sundress and sandals. She had a bag slung over one shoulder, only zipped part of the way with corners of notebooks sticking out, clearly shoved in haphazardly.
"Lena! What's up?" she asked, and Lena looked at her with a surprised expression on her face.
"I was about to knock," she said quickly. "Are you going to study? I was going to change and see if you wanted to study with me in the library."
A bright smile spread across Kara's face and her eyes lit up in excitement. "That would be amazing! I'm having so much trouble in geometry, do you think you can help me?"
"Absolutely," Lena said, feeling the nervousness that had been gripping her chest dissipate into relief and joy. "I'm just going to change out of my uniform, and then I can meet you down there!"
Kara nodded, grinning. "I'll snag some of the comfy seats!" she called as she bounded off down the hall.
Lena smiled to herself as she entered her room, changing out of her uniform as well and changing into a soft gray T-shirt and jean shorts. She left her raven-colored hair back in its neat ponytail, packing up her own books that she wanted to take with her, most of which were library books that she intended to return and replace, before heading down to the library as well.
Walking into the dim, soothing atmosphere, Lena took a deep breath in and sighed contentedly. The smell of worn books and freshly brewed coffee from a nearby kiosk filled the air, and the only sounds that could be heard were the soft clicking of keys from students on computers and the occasional murmur of a study group tucked in a corner. Lena dropped off the books she'd finished at the front before making her way to the back of the library, where deep red armchairs were set up in little circles around circular chestnut tables. There, she found Kara sitting in one of the armchairs, a textbook open on her lap and a coffee from the kiosk sitting on the table in front of her while she wrote on a notebook leaning against the chair's armrest.
"You picked the best spot," Lena commented in a soft voice as she sat down in the armchair next to Kara's. The blonde looked up, grinning proudly.
"Why, thank you," she said, "I'm glad you think so."
The two of them talked for a bit as Lena cracked open a new book and Kara worked on solving geometry problems. For a while, Lena would take breaks from her reading to help Kara figure out how to solve a set of problems, but after a bit, Kara was able to get through the last of them herself without needing much help. Even though the concepts came easily to Lena, she enjoyed tutoring Kara; although the blonde had a lot of energy and could easily get distracted, she really tried to understand, and she was typically able to get a grasp on things pretty quickly and apply what she'd learned in a short period of time.
When they eventually fell into silence, Lena's mind started to wander once more. She remembered seeing Kara with Andrea earlier and frowned, wondering if perhaps she should say something about her own experiences with Andrea. She didn't want to seem petty, however, and found that she was also a bit concerned that Kara would side with Andrea. Though their falling out had definitely not been Lena's doing, Andrea had a nasty way of spinning stories to suit her side better.
But when she looked over at Kara, she found that her tongue seemed to be tied and heart clenched. Lena could see from the way her eyebrows knit together and she kept her hair hanging in front of her face that something was clearly bothering her. It didn't seem like the best time to tell her that someone who was being nice to her didn't actually intend to be her friend in the long run. Reaching over, Lena gently tapped Kara's shoulder, and the girl lifted a bewildered gaze toward her.
"Hey, how are you holding up?" Lena asked.
Kara looked back down again. "I'm fine. Today was just a really long day."
Truthfully, Kara couldn't stop thinking about her encounter with Gemma and the stakes that were involved. Part of her wanted more than anything to tell Lena the full truth, to take the possibility of Gemma ruining their friendship out of the equation entirely. But she also knew, deep down, that that could be a very bad idea. To begin with, there was the chance Lena wouldn't forgive her for lying, even though she had only told a couple of white lies so far. But telling Lena also put her at risk. Gemma could come after Kara all she wanted, but Kara couldn't bruise or bleed. Lena could. That was a risk Kara didn't think she could bear to take.
"I know you were really tired earlier, but it seems like more than that," Lena said gently. "Did something happen today?"
"I'm fine," Kara said, though Lena caught the exhaustion in her voice. "People just… still aren't being very nice to me because I'm not from here. It's just something I'll need to get used to, though. I can't spend every day sad and worried about being bullied, now can I?"
"I suppose not," Lena said, a frown etched into her features. "But you also can't just let them push you around. If they're making fun of you because of where you're from, you should at least tell a teacher or the principal. Bullying is one thing, and this school is notorious for failing to deal with it properly, but bullying because you're not from here is another story. They could get in big trouble for that."
"I know," Kara said. "That's just a can of worms I don't really want to open." More than Lena will ever know, she thought. "Besides, I don't want to start off my time here narcing on someone. I'd rather try to make friends because they like me for me. I want to bring out the good in people. So far, it's not like I'm in any physical danger. It's just words. I can solve this without needing to get them in huge trouble."
"I just don't find it fair," Lena said, shaking her head. "I mean, I understand, and obviously, if that's what you want to do I'll support it. I just know some of these people, and I know that as much as you want to bring out the good in them, sometimes you can't." She looked down at her hands, thinking of her mother, who was the mastermind behind all sorts of nefarious projects and who, despite Lena's best efforts to keep Lex on the right path, was slowly drawing him down a darker path—Lena could feel it. She was hanging onto what good parts were left of her brother while she still could. "With some people, the bad just ends up outweighing the good."
"I refuse to believe that," Kara said, and Lena was surprised by how adamant she sounded. Her eyes snapped up to find Kara's ablaze. "People can always choose to be good, no matter how much bad they've done. Everyone is capable of good, sometimes people just need a bit of help to realize that."
Lena narrowed her eyes. "Kara, don't be naïve. You should want to see the good in people, but you can't save everyone. Some people aren't meant to be good."
"And what about you?" Kara asked.
"Huh?"
"What about you? What did you think you were before we met?"
Lena frowned. "That isn't fair."
"Isn't it?" Kara asked, her eyes burning into Lena's, challenging her.
"Luthors aren't meant to be good," Lena explained, as if it were common knowledge. "Naturally, I didn't think I was. But I'm adopted. I could just be an odd one out."
"So, what I'm hearing is, you thought you were inherently bad before we met," Kara said, a faux thoughtful look on her face, "and then after we met you realized maybe you can be good, and you don't think that has anything to do with the fact that everyone else just judged you based on a bunch of assumptions?"
Lena was quiet for a moment, her narrowed eyes meeting Kara's. Then, she looked away. "That's awfully harsh," she muttered.
"Well, I didn't exactly like being called naïve either," Kara said, her voice tinged with a defensive edge. But then, her tone softened and relaxed. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't have called you out like that. But you know you are capable of good, right Lena? And if you're capable of good…"
"I know," Lena said, sighing. "Other people must be, too."
"Exactly," Kara said, smiling a little. "You don't have to forgive everyone. But… everyone deserves a chance, you know?"
Lena studied her for a moment, a small smile forming on her lips. "I don't think anyone in the entire world is as hopeful as you are, Kara Danvers."
"Better get used to it," Kara joked. "I've got enough hope for the both of us."
Having eased the tension, the conversation melted back into friendly chatter as they had at the start of their study session. Kara wasn't aware of the looks Lena was giving her as she worked on homework for her English class, the ones that studied her with an expression of curiosity and concern intermingled into one. Lena didn't want to push further; not when Kara clearly didn't want to go into detail. But she couldn't help but wonder what was holding Kara back. Did it have to do with why Andrea was getting close to her?
Lena knew that she would just need to be patient, but she was itching to know more. The more time she spent thinking about the entire situation, the faster the gears in her head turned. She didn't want to witness Kara undergo the same challenges she had undergone. Maybe Kara could see past peoples' dark intentions, but Lena knew better. Kara didn't deserve to be played for a fool. Lucky for her, Lena wasn't going to allow it to happen.
A/N Thank you guys for the kind words and follows so far!
I'm having lots of fun writing this and planning the plot so I'm excited to see how y'all feel about it.
Hope you enjoy this latest chapter!
Until next time!
Nana