Author's Note...
First of all, shout-out to Annie for helping me (a LOT) with this chapter. And thank you, reviewers. Y'all brighten my day.
"Trust Me" by The Fray. The song reminds me of the Lex from the early seasons, and since he shows up in this chapter and actually says, "Trust me," I couldn't help but tell you how awesome that song is. Listen to it if you ever get the chance.
No more Monday posts! Since I'm trying to finish this story by the end of June, chapters are going to come randomly and faster. Hope you don't mind...
Lastly: Kaitlex!
I'm done. Go read.
Kaitlyn woke up feeling slightly disoriented before she remembered that she was home. Her bedroom was spotless now, having been cleaned—probably by her mom—after her rampage a week ago. Standing to stretch, she walked to the middle of the room, unsure of what to do next. The ticking clock told her it was one-thirty, and the sunlight streaming in her window told her it was the afternoon. I should call T and tell her that I'm back now, she decided. She found her cell phone in her purse, having been a victim to her mother's cleaning. Kaitlyn scrolled through her contacts quickly and nearly called Chloe before catching herself. She's one more contact up; you remember what happened last time, she told herself.
"Hello?" Tatiana answered.
"T! It's Katie, and I'm back home!"
Tatiana squealed on the other end. "Seriously? That's so awesome! You should definitely come to the Talon and tell me 'bout it. A bunch of us are having a little Christmas party there. Just be sure to bring money for coffee or whatever."
"Who's going to be there?"
"Oh, I dunno. A bunch of us. Brett, Lydia, Kyle..."
"Sounds fun. I've had the most psychotic day ever, and I really need a break."
"Then this is da place ta be! We're all getting together around two. I guess if anyone asks where you were, say you were sick. 'Kay?"
"That works. So I'll see you in, like, a half-hour."
--
Kaitlyn parked and locked her silver Accord before walking in the chilly air to the coffee shop, stopping just outside the door to reconsider whether or not she should go in. What if Brooke's in there? I really don't think I can face her today.She shook off the thought and entered, the smell of coffee washing over her. It wasn't hard to spot Tatiana among the crowd of rowdy students. Kaitlyn immediately felt out of place, like an awkward sixth grader on their first day at a new school. Even though it had only been a week since she had last seen this place, these people, everything looked different, as if she were seeing through someone else's eyes. Did I really change that much?
Tatiana jumped up to hug her. "Kate! You're finally here!"
"Of course. I'm not that late, am I?" Kaitlyn asked, following her friend back to one of the tables.
"Not too bad. I was just hopin' you'd come sooner. We've got a lot to catch up on, ya know?"
Kaitlyn's nerves went on edge when she noticed that Brooke was sitting at the same table as Tatiana. Brett was next to her, trying desperately to hold his girlfriend's attention while she glared at Kaitlyn.
"So, are we just gonna sit and talk, or what?" Kaitlyn asked, not feeling welcome enough to sit down.
Tatiana laughed. "Of course not! We've got Secret Santa--don't worry, I brought you something since you weren't here when we drew names--and there's the coffee and food back at the counter. Yo should go get somethin'."
"Okay." She walked to the counter at the back of the store where Lana was standing as cashier. Somehow, the girl seemed more welcoming than the tables full of "friends" that she hadn't really talked to in months.
Lana smiled in greeting. "Hi, Kate. What can I get you?"
"Uh, how about just plain hot chocolate?" Kaitlyn asked.
"Coming right up. Where were you all last week?" Lana asked as she set about making the drink.
"In Metropolis." Wow, why did I just say that?
"Really?" Lana asked, surprised. "What were you doing there?"
"I was in the hospital," she said quickly. Mental hospitals count, right?
"Wow, that must have been really serious," Lana remarked as she handed the Styrofoam cup to Kaitlyn. "I'm glad you're better now. Do you want anything else?"
"Thanks. I think I'll just stick to hot chocolate. Where's Chloe today?" Kaitlyn asked as she paid.
Lana pointed behind her. "Right there, probably working on another Torch article. I don't think she gets the whole concept of Christmas break," she said, smiling. Chloe sat alone at a table, typing rapidly on a laptop.
"Okay, thanks. I'll see you around," Kaitlyn smiled and returned to Tatiana's table, sitting down while making a mental note to talk to Chloe before she left.
Brett was the first to speak to her. "Hey, Kate! Where've you been?"
Kaitlyn opened her mouth to speak, but Tatiana interrupted her. "Sick. Glad yo finally back, girl."
Brooke examined her with distaste. "Yeah, great to see you," she said coldly before turning back to Brett.
Kaitlyn took the lid off of her hot chocolate and watched the steam rise. After a moment's hesitation, she gulped down half of it. Though she knew that she wouldn't be hurt, instinct told her to brace herself for a burned throat. I really need to get used to the freak power.
John, who was sitting at the adjacent table, startled her when he leaned over the back of his chair to say, "Some like it hot."
She glanced up at him and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's great John. You wanna try drinking the boiling hot chocolate?"
"I would, but you're the only heat-proof one here."
"Hm, too bad," Kaitlyn commented. "If you had thrown yourself into the fire instead of me, you'd be able to."
"Someone sounds a little bitter. I'd watch my tone if I were you. Pregnant? Now that's some pretty good blackmail." A grin that could only be described as evil spread across his face.
Her eyes widened. "You haven't told anyone, have you?" she questioned in a low hiss.
"No," he said, looking around thoughtfully. "But there are so many people here. I'd hate to think that someone might overhear."
"You wouldn't dare," she growled.
"Really? Because I got in huge trouble with my parents for absolutely no reason. I think this would be easy payback."
"Oh, T, tell my parents it was John!" That was an awful plan. Once again, I don't think of the consequences before acting. Common sense—zero; idiocy—ten, at least. "What do you want, John?" She felt like she was surrendering.
He shrugged. "I'm not exactly a man with a plan, here. If an opportunity comes along, I'll let you know."
Before the conversation could progress any further, Tatiana stood and announced to the students at the various tables, "Secret Santa time, everyone. If ya don't got yo presents, go get 'em." She turned to the three classmates at her table, "I left mine in da car. Be right back!"
Brett stood. "Yeah, forgot to bring mine in," he told Brooke before leaving. An awkward silence settled between the two girls, exactly the thing that Kaitlyn had feared. She sensed that when it got to this point, she would stupidly say—
"So how have you been recently?"
Brooke crossed her arms and looked at the ceiling to show her aversion to the girl sitting across from her. "Fine. Or better."
"You know, I really am sorry about what happened with your parents."
"That's great. That totally explains why you broke them up."
"I already told you; I wasn't thinking. I really want to make things right between us."
Brooke laughed. "Oh, you are a funny one, Kate. Do you really think a 'sorry' fixes everything?"
"No, but it might be a start."
She finally made eye contact. "Let me tell you something that might be a bit hard to wrap your mind around, Kate; This cannot be fixed. If you were to get my parents back together, I'd be really impressed. I might even forgive you then. But all the emotional damage you did? Well, time doesn't heal all wounds."
Kaitlyn hung her head. "I know." I really wish I could go back and change everything.
Tatiana reentered the coffee shop, Brett and a few other students behind her, each bearing gifts. "Alright, y'all can go find yo Secret Santas--unless they're still outside. Den you'll have ta wait 'till they come in." She headed towards Kaitlyn and Brooke. "Glad ta see dat yo aren't at each other's throats today. Here's your present, Katie; sorry I didn't have time ta get yo somethin' better."
She smiled and took the wrapped gift. "Thanks, T." Before opening the package, she waited for Brooke to leave and find her Secret Santa. Somewhere outside, a car alarm went off. Kaitlyn found that underneath the wrapping paper was a purple shirt. Hey, T did a good job picking this out; it looks like something I'd wear.
Tatiana skipped to the table. "So you like it?" she asked with a sly grin.
"Yeah. What's that smile for?" Kaitlyn asked uneasily.
"Oh, nothing."
Kaitlyn glanced back down at the shirt and examined it. "There isn't a hole in it, is there?"
"Nope. Not even close." Tatiana was obviously enjoying this; the smile on her face gave it away.
Eyeing her friend suspiciously, she checked the tags. "Maternity? Is this the shirt you were telling me about a few days ago? T, that isn't funny!"
"Well, you never would have guessed just by looking at it. You'd totally wear it anyways, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah, but…" Kaitlyn hit the purple shirt against the table. "I had a really bad conversation with my mom about this, and John's threatening to tell everyone that I'm pregnant, and I don't know how to stop him." She hid her face in her hands. "It's been a really hard day."
Feeling remorseful, Tatiana sat down next to her friend. "I'm really sorry, Kate. I had no idea. If you ever wanna talk, I'm here, 'kay?"
The door at the front of the cafe opened, and Kaitlyn caught sight of someone she wished she didn't know. "Oh crap," she whispered, hiding her face by turning away.
"If you own the silver Accord outside, your car was just broken into," Lex announced from the doorway.
A murmur went through the customers. "Wasn't me," and, "Sucks for them."
Kaitlyn whirled around, eyes wide. "What!?" My day just went from bad to awful. She ran to the door, pushing him out of the way, not caring that he was a Luthor or that he probably recognized her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered that the shoulder she had touched while pushing him was surprisingly muscular. The cold air outside hit her hard, but she tried to ignore it. Down the street, her car started, and she broke into a sprint after it. "Hey! That's my car!" The driver ignored her and pulled into the street. "Loser, get out of my car!" The vehicle next to her beeped as it unlocked. She jumped and took a moment to glance at it as she continued to run--a silver sports car that was worth at least five times much as her Accord.
"Need some help?" a voice asked behind her. Kaitlyn could almost hear the smirk in his voice.
"Not from you," she threw back, pelting down the sidewalk. When the stolen car turned a corner, frustration crashed over her.
"Really? Because I'm pretty sure that my Porsche is faster than your legs or your Honda."
Kaitlyn had no time to think. She didn't want to have to go back home and tell her mother that the Accord had been stolen, but she didn't want a Luthor's help, either. The choice was hard, but she was desperate. "Fine," she relented. "What do you have in mind?"
He opened the door to the sleek sports car. "Get in."
She obeyed after a moment's hesitation. Lose the car, or ride with a Luthor? She hated tough decisions like these.
"You may want to buckle your seat belt," he suggested as the Porsche shot down the road, engine purring happily as if it existed for this. Kaitlyn was startled at how easily it took the sharp turn at such a high speed.
"What are you doing?" she cried, clutching the armrests until her knuckles turned white. "You're, like, thirty miles over the speed limit!"
"So is he," Lex answered. Within moments, he was tailing the stolen vehicle.
"How is this helping?" she asked. What's the point of following it?
Lex simply gave her a knowing smile. "Trust me."
I'd rather not, she thought. Her Honda made a sharp turn to the right, hoping to lose the tail.
"He's heading down the county road. Not a very smart move," Lex mused, accelerating even more as he cranked the wheel for a hard right quickly and easily. She could have sworn she felt the car tip. "There aren't any turn-offs for a while."
Kaitlyn, still gripping the armrests, wondered with horror what the bald man was thinking. She glanced over at him, but he was too intent on the chase to notice that she was wondering why he had a smile on his face. They were nearly bumper-to-bumper with the Honda when Lex swerved into the only other lane on the road, the one for oncoming traffic. Suddenly a million worries poured into Kaitlyn's mind. What if he's not trying to stop the car? What if he's abducting me? What if he takes me back to his father? What if they kill me?
Lex snapped in his seat belt before flooring the accelerator, to which the Porsche responded to by lurching forward with a loud purr.
"What are you doing? He's behind us now!" Kaitlyn exclaimed. It's happening, it's really happening. He's kidnapping me; I'm going to die. She started hyperventilating as she watched her car grow smaller in the side mirror.
"Hold on," he ordered calmly before slamming on the brakes. The Porsche squealed in displeasure, not wanting to stop on such short notice . Lex handled the car easily, though, turning the wheel just right so that his sports car did not just do a full rotation but another half as well. It was now perpendicular to the road, blocking both lanes so that the car couldn't pass, only stop or crash. As she always did in frightening situations, Kaitlyn felt herself freezing up as to the point that she could not find her voice to scream. Stopping yards in front of them, the Honda braked before the driver flung open the door and dashed into the woods that bordered the road.
Lex looked over at her and smiled. "Do you want to go after him?"
She couldn't do more than shake her head.
"Well, there's your car."
Kaitlyn was still gripping the armrests, breathing like a fish out of water. That……was crazy. Impossible. Awesome. Dangerous. "Thanks," she managed, eyes still wide in shock.
He laughed, and she was startled to find that it sounded natural, human--and that she liked it. "The pleasure is all mine. It's not every day that I get involved in a high-speed car chase."
She was surprised to find a nervous giggle escape her lips. "I guess that's why you have this car: for the speed?" Kaitlyn looked all around the interior, noticing every intricate and expensive detail while movement came back to her body. Wait, why am I still sitting here? With a Luthor? She moved to leave but froze at his voice.
"Kaitlyn, correct?"
"Yes." Why do you have to remember me? she asked mentally, regretting that she had ever stepped into the car.
"I'm sorry for frightening you last week."
She turned to face him and gave a weak smile. "I plead temporary insanity. Normally, I wouldn't freak out that much."
"Yes, well, you aren't normal, are you?" There was that smirk again, telling her that he knew more than she thought.
"I'm going now."
He put a hand on her shoulder, and her skin tingled. "I'd like to ask you a few questions first."
She wanted to wrench away and say no, but there was something, possibly another wave of fear and adrenaline rushing through her body, that made her stay put. "What?" she asked distrustfully.
"Are you familiar with Greek mythology?"
"Is there a point to this?"
He repeated the question.
"I watched Hercules when I was younger. That's about it."
He laughed. "I'm afraid Disney has a tendency to ruin every legend it touches. What the Greeks say is rather different. You do know who Zeus is, correct?"
She thought a moment. "Isn't he the king or something?"
"At least Disney got that right. He was the head of all the Greek gods. You'd think that since he was their leader, he could get any goddess he wanted."
"Is there a point to this?" she asked again.
His only response was that taunting half-smile. "The one goddess he wanted at the time, a deity named Metis, didn't want anything to do with him, but he pursued her so relentlessly that she was forced to give in. After she became pregnant, Zeus discovered that she and her offspring were a danger to him and would attempt to overthrow him. Of course, Zeus couldn't have that, so he killed Metis."
Reaching for the door handle, Kaitlyn shifted in the leather seat. "Great story. Why are you telling me this?"
Lex shook his head and looked at her with an expression resembling pity. "My father always did like to play God."
Kaitlyn didn't have to think more than a second before realizing just what he was implying--her similarities to Metis. Does Lex know? She opened the door. "Awesome. Now I'll just--"
"The treatment you were supposed to be tested with on Friday was from a project called Metis, created by my father." The knowing look in his blue-gray eyes made her stomach turn to liquid. "It really was no treatment at all, but a lethal serum."
"Thank you for helping me get my car back," she said quickly, climbing out of the car. "Goodbye." Kaitlyn slammed the door quickly, but she still felt his eyes on her. Crap, he knows. He knows, and I am so dead.She felt tears form in her eyes, fueled by her feelings of hate mixed with helplessness. Her Honda, with its hot wired engine still running, was waiting for her. "I'm not going to make it to New Years Day alive," she told it as she turned the car around, avoiding the younger Luthor's piercing gaze.
So how'd that turn out? Everyone in-character? Was the Greek mythology thing cool and Smallville-like, or just weird? I don't know what I'm doing here, so review and tell me what you think!