Chapter Ten

Jeff Palmer hated being invisible. Well, he wasn't actually invisible. That was impossible. Still, somehow people never managed to see him. He had been sitting at a small table in the middle of the Beanery and no waitress had stopped by. He was getting so frustrated he got up and poured himself his own cup of coffee to take back with him. No one had even yelled at him for being behind the counter.

Today was a day when he really needed the caffeine. It was another boring day in Smallville, the town where nothing happened. The only news that caused for a headline was that Julian Luthor had woken up two days ago.

Big deal, Jeff thought as he opened his Advanced Chemistry book. He had been helping his mother for months giving the mansion a good scrub. His Mother had remained employed since the tragic Luthor accident. Jeff and his mother had a sweet deal going on for the past year. His mother remained in charge of keeping the mansion clean. Most rooms remained shut off and closed when Lex returned to Metropolis to watch over his hospitalized brother. But Lex ordered that his and Julian's bedrooms were to be kept ready for them, along with the kitchen, Lex's study, and a few other rooms. Since no one lived there, the work was easy and in return they got to live in the guest house for free and cash in fat checks every week.

Lex Luthor, or to be specific, his assistant, reached out to them informing them of the date Lex would return with a still comatose Julian. His mom then had to spend a lot of time doing a deep clean of additional rooms that were to be reopened, making sure the kitchen became fully stocked, and other preparations so everything would be ready.

The town gossiped about the Luthor's return. There was some sympathy for the young Luthor, but most of the town was united on their hatred for the house of Luthor. The plant had closed shortly after Julian's accident. There was much debate if the plant closing was related to the accident at all.

Jeff had never really interacted with Lex since the guy was off partying in foreign countries or supposedly studying at some boarding school. The Luthor mansion was Julian's home. If Jeff had somehow been able to interact with him, maybe he would have been more popular at school, being able to give his classmates gossip on the young Luthor.

But Julian was a ghost. Jeff never saw Julian when he helped his mom, nor the times when he snuck in by himself and explored the mansion. There were a few times he believed he heard noises coming from the library or kitchen, but by the time he arrived, no one was there.

Jeff had been emboldened by Julian's absence, so he went into Julian's room and proceeded to read his comic book collection. Julian was a kindred Warrior Angel fan and had a rare comic Jeff had been unable to track down to read.

The next day a wrapped present was on Jeff's bed with a handwritten note that read: For You. Inside was the comic.

Jeff had been afraid to go off alone in the mansion after that.

He lifted his head up from the chemistry book and his mouth dropped open at seeing Julian Luthor walk through the front door.

"Pete!" Julian said and walked over to where the jocks where sitting. "Pete, please tell me you remember me."

"Sure, I do. It's hard to forget someone who screwed your family over."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ross Creamed Corn. You stole my family's business."

Jeff sipped his coffee, intrigued and confused by the events unfolding before him. And a little hurt if he was being honest with himself. He was being ignored for the jocks. Again.

But there was something odd about Julian's behavior. Julian seemed scared, a little panicked. Nothing at all like the cool composed depictions in the Luthor portraits. When he heard Julian had woken up, he assumed the guy would take a few days to recover and then be as elusive as ever. Not walk around town in broad daylight talking to people.

"No, Pete, I need you to remember. We're friends. We had a study group scheduled last weekend, but you couldn't make it…"

"That hospital must have given you some strong drugs if you think we're friends. I don't know you and the entire world would be better off if you Luthors disappeared."

By now, the entire coffee house was watching Julian. He was self-aware as he looked around, looking for what Jeff didn't know, but his eyes went over him like everybody else. To Jeff's surprise, Julian muttered "Sorry" and then headed toward the counter.

Then the next strangest thing happened.

Julian noticed him. "Jeff?"

"You remember me?" You see me?

"I think so. You work, well, your mom works at the mansion. You live there along with your sister, Amy, right?"

"Amy's living with Dad. But, pretty close. Want to sit down?"

A second after Julian sat down, a waitress appeared to take his order. Jeff rolled his eyes. Figured.

"So, the rumors are true? You have some kind of amnesia?"

"I don't know what to call it. I mean, I have memories, but everything seems scrambled. Were we friends?"

Jeff laughed. The thought that he could have friends alone was funny, let alone friends with the elusive Julian. "Look man, no offense, but you're a ghost. I've lived next to that mansion almost as long as you did, and I never once saw you in person. I may be invisible, but it's like you were able to walk through walls or something."

"Say that again." Julian suddenly seemed earnest.

"What? Walk through walls?"

"Of course!" Julian stood up abruptly. He was about to race off right as the waitress brought the coffee. He muttered that he had to go and threw a few bills on the table. Jeff quickly followed Julian to see where he was going.

He finally was able to stop across the street from the Smallville Savings and Loans. Julian was staring intently at the building. What Julian found so interesting in the red bricks was beyond him.

"It's not there." Julian said.

"Huh?" Jeff panted for air.

"It's not there. That means…I really am Julian Luthor."