"No parties, no boys over, no staying out past curfew..." dad listed as he stood by my feet. I was lying under the truck, fixing something underneath it.
"Ouch!" I hissed as I slit my thumb open, "Son of a..." I slid out from under the truck, putting my thumb into my mouth to clean it before it healed itself.
"Did you hear me?" dad asked me, I looked up at him.
"Of course I heard you," I told him, "Dad I'm not gonna destroy the house, get arrested or get pregnant, don't worry." He gave me a stern look making me smile at him before I turned to face the house, "CLARK! LITTLE HELP OUT HERE!"
He walked out, mom following him, "What's up?" he asked curiously.
"I need a lift," I told him as I lay back down on the floor, he nodded and picked up the back end of the truck. "Thanks."
"The truck picked one heck of a day to snap and exhaust hanger," Dad sighed as I took the wrench from him to finish up.
"Okay, I left the number of our hotel on the nightstand," mom told us, "I think that's everything."
"That ought to do it," I muttered as I slid back out, I nodded to Clark who put the truck back down.
"I'm definitely raising your allowances," Dad told us making me grin widely before I swiped Clark's pizza slice.
"If you need anything..." mom carried on.
"Call," We finished together.
"Mom, it's a couple of nights in Metropolis," Clark sighed, "We'll be fine."
"I'm sure they'll be fine," Dad told mom, "And soon, madam, so shall we be."
"Oh, I almost forgot," Clark muttered, "Sorry." He pulled out the card we'd bought them from his pocket making me frown at him before I turned to mom and dad.
"Happy anniversary," I smiled at the two of them as I hugged them.
"Thanks," Mom smiled at the two of us, "Bye-bye."
"Thanks for the card," Dad smiled at us, before moving to get in to the truck, "Think fast!" With that he tossed a rag at me making me catch it with a laugh.
Clark and I stood side by side as they drove off before we swapped a look and a grin, "Grab your stuff before we miss the bus," I told him as I walked back inside, grabbing my bag from near the door.
"What are you gonna do now that you're officially home alone?" Pete asked as we walked towards the bus stop around fifteen minutes later.
"We were thinking of having a few people over," Clark replied as I smirked slightly.
"Do my ears deceive me or is Clark Kent actually suggesting a party?" Chloe asked in shock, I looked up at her. "Oh, right of course. It was Izzy's idea."
"A small gathering," I shrugged, "You guys, a few other people, maybe Lana." I glanced at Clark who blushed slightly.
"With or without her possible action-figure boyfriend?" Chloe asked with a smirk, she glanced at Clark who looked at me.
"8 o'clock," I told her, "And the key word is 'small'."
"Small?" she asked me with a grin making me grin back.
So it didn't turn out to be small... that night I sat on the sofa making out with Jamie as Clark ran about the house trying to prevent people from breaking things. "So this is what you call a small gathering, right?" Chloe's voice shouted over the music making me pull away from Jamie who just moved his lips to my neck instead.
"Do you even recognise half these people?" Clark asked me as I turned my head towards them, I glanced around and shrugged. "Hey, watch the glass!" I smirked at the sound of shattering glass. Clark groaned and headed off to fuss again leaving me to pull away from Jamie only to lock my lips on his again.
"Hey," Jamie muttered as he pulled away slightly, "We should go somewhere quieter." I smirked and nodded as I kissed him again, pulling away slowly as I stood up, took his hand, pulling him along with me as I grabbed two beers and led him out of the house.
"Izzy?" Pete's voice called as I left, but I barely heard him.
"Where're we going?" Jamie asked curiously, I grinned and nodded towards the barn.
We ended up on the sofa in the loft, making out as we lay across it. "I think maybe we should take this to the next level," Jamie muttered into my neck as his hand slipped under my shirt. I bit my lip, arching against him as he bucked his hips into mine, letting me feel just how turned on he was. "Izzy?"
"Mmm," I muttered biting back a moan as he nipped at my collar. Tugging at his shirt, I pulled away and locked my gaze with his making him smile down at me before pulling his shirt over his head leaning back in to smash his lips against mine.
"Lana, what's going on?" I heard Whitney's familiar voice asked from down stairs.
"I told you when we got back together that I needed some breathing room," Lana's voice replied as I pulled my lips away from his.
"Izzy," he muttered, trying to catch my lips with his again.
"Shh," I muttered with a smirk, he gave me a look before turning to glance at the stairs before he turned and pressed his lips to my collar again, I let out a small gasp as my eyes flickered shut.
"So you sneak off to a party without me?" Whitney's voice asked angrily making me shake myself to concentrate on their argument, biting my lip as Jamie pushed my shirt up, pulling me to sit up as he pulled it over my head before he locked his lips on mine again.
"I didn't sneak," Lana snapped at him, "And why are you mad at me? Is it because it's Clark's party? I'm starting to get the feeling you don't trust me."
I gasped as the loft started to rattle around us making Jamie sit up and scramble off of me, "What's that?" He asked as he backed off, I sat up and pulled my shirt back on, following him down the stairs as I fixed it.
"Izzy?" Lana asked in shock as she took in Jamie's shirtless-ness and my general ruffled-ness.
"Was that you guys rattling the loft?" Whitney asked with a grin, I rolled my eyes at him as I fought back a blush.
"No," Jamie replied, "there's something up there."
"Lana, go get Clark," I told her making her nod okay before she ran off to the house.
"What exactly did we walk in on here?" Whitney asked as I glared at Jamie who was smirking. "Oh." Whitney sent us a grin.
"Shut up," I grumbled at him as Clark walked into the barn with Lana and Chloe. The latter giving Jamie a surprised look since he still hadn't put his shirt back on, Clark glaring at him for the same reason.
"Kent, get up here," Whitney called, he turned on a flashlight and headed up, Jamie following as I sent him a look.
"What the hell did we walk in on?" Lana hissed at me when the guys were far enough away from us. I grimaced at her in answer making her give me a 'are you serious' look.
"Earl!" Clark's greeted in shock, making me turn and bolt up the stairs to them. "Hey back off! I know him."
"Earl, what are you..." I hesitated when I saw him, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see your dad," he replied, "He's the only one I can trust."
"He's out of town," Clark replied.
"What's wrong, Earl?" I asked curiously as I reached out for him, Earl started to shake violently as Clark joined me closer to him, making me glance at him in surprise as the veins in his hand bulged and turned green. "Call an ambulance."
"This guy should be in a detox centre," Chloe commented as we stood in the waiting are of the hospital a while later.
"He's not on drugs, Chloe," Clark told her.
"Then why was he shaking like a junkie?" Chloe asked us.
"Earl worked on the farm for six seasons," I told her, "We spent 12 hours a day with the guy out in the fields. He even tried to teach Clark how to play guitar..."
"Said it was a good way to impress women," Clark added.
"We're all a sucker for a guy with a 6-string," Chloe smirked, "How come I never heard you play?"
"Cause he sucks," I replied with a grin.
"I kept snapping the guitar strings," Clark told her, "I think Earl got sick of replacing them."
"You know, just because you spend a lot of time with someone, doesn't mean you know their darkest secrets," Chloe commented to us.
"He was like family," I sighed.
"Then why did he leave?" Chloe asked us.
"He took a job in the LuthorCorp plant," I replied, "It was full time and the pay was better." My gaze turned as two cops entered.
"Where can we find Earl Jenkins?" one asked making me turn completely.
"Exam room 3," the nurse replied, "Down the hall."
"Excuse me," I called over, "We're friends of Earl's. Is he in some kind of trouble?"
"Oh yeah," the second cop told us as screaming sounded from down the hall.
"We need some help in here!" someone shouted making us all run down the hall, getting there in time to see someone get thrown against a shelf.
"What the hell?" one of the cops asked as he ran over, trying to stop a shaking Earl, only to be thrown across the room.
"Earl!" I yelped as Clark and I ran forward, Clark tried to stop him shaking, only to be thrown backwards making me gasp and rush over to him.
"Clark, are you okay?" I asked him as he sat up, giving me a shocked look.
"Hi, you're home early," I heard Clark greet in shock as I walked through the front door, mom and dad were stood at the bottom of the stairs making me grimace.
"We called six times last night," mom told us as she noticed I was there, "spoke with six different people, none of whom knew who either of you were."
"No, that's a lie actually," Dad commented, "There was that one guy who said something along the lines of 'Izzy's busy in the hay loft with her boyfriend right now'."
"It was supposed to be an intimate occasion," Clark defended as I avoided dad's gaze.
"Where have you two been?" dad asked us, glaring in my direction.
"The hospital," I replied.
"That's it," Mom started, "I'm never leaving home again."
"Who got hurt?" Dad asked me angrily.
"Nobody," Clark replied, "But we found Earl Jenkins hiding in the loft. He was looking for you, dad. He's all messed up."
"What's the matter with Earl?" Dad asked in shock.
"We don't know," I replied, "But he's wanted for murder."
"Earl?" Dad asked in shock, we nodded. "What did he have to say for himself?"
"We couldn't get close," I replied.
"How come, the police?" dad asked.
"No," Clark replied, "Because when I got near him, I got sick. It was weird. I mean, every time I stood next to him, it got worse. It's kind of like..."
"Like what?" Mom asked.
"Kind of like the way I feel around meteor fragments," Clark replied. Dad and Clark left for the hospital a few minutes later, dad muttering something to mom before they left. Biting my lip, I turned to head up the stairs.
"Isabelle," Mom called warningly, making me stop dead half way up the stairs. "Would you like to explain what this friend of yours meant about you being 'busy' with Jamie?"
"Mom, it's nothing," I replied as I turned around.
"Really?" she asked, I nodded and she turned to the kitchen, grabbing a familiar shirt from the worktop. "Your dad found this in the loft... and those marks on your neck and collar doesn't make me think it was nothing."
"We were..." I started before biting my lip, "I was..."
"Did you sleep with him?" mom asked me making me bite my lip and shake my head. "Sweetheart?"
"I was going to," I replied honestly as I walked back down the stairs and sat on a chair at the table. I chewed on my lip nervously as mom gave me a look, "I uh... Whitney and Lana came into the barn and then Earl started to shake the loft so we stopped. We didn't go that far..." She nodded in understanding. "I get that you're disappointed in me, mom..."
"I'm not," she replied making me look up at her in shock. "If you're ready, then you're ready. Just... be careful, and I suggest you don't flaunt it in front of your father."
"So your mom didn't freak?" Jamie asked as he draped his arm around my shoulders.
"No," I replied, "She surprised me though. I mean, I thought I was gonna be grounded for the rest of my life." He chuckled slightly and pulled me into his side as we stopped with the rest of the group by the metal gates in front of LuthorCorp ready for our field trip.
"Hello everybody, I'm Gabe Sullivan, plant manager and proud father," Chloe's dad greeted us all, "Hi, sweetheart."
"Hi dad," she greeted back before stepping behind Clark.
"Welcome to LuthorCorp, where we give a crap," Gabe joked making me roll my eyes as I glanced sideways at Chloe.
"Kill me now," she muttered to me making me chuckle before I leant into Jamie's side.
"A little fertiliser humour there," Gabe chuckled, "All right, before we go inside, I need you to remove all your cell phones, pagers, jewellery. Anything that jangles, dangles or rings needs to go in these plastic trays right here." I pulled my phone out of my pocket before unclipping my bracelet and necklace, dropping them into a passing tray. "All right, any other questions?" Clark raised his hand, "Yes?"
"I heard there was a third level to the plant," Clark replied, "Is that true?"
"Yeah yeah," Gabe nodded, "That's where we do the alien autopsies." He laughed as I rolled my eyes again, "I think we better get started."
"Don't encourage him," Chloe groaned.
"This way everybody," Gabe told us, "All right, people, let's stay together."
"Buddy system?" Jamie muttered as he leant his head down towards mine, his lips brushing against my ear making me laugh and pull away slightly. My gaze landed on Pete who was frowning at us from the other side of Clark and Chloe.
"Watch out for these babies," Gabe told us, pointing at a load of pipes, "262 degrees, they get hot." I rolled my eyes as we walked single file down the hallway to avoid the pipes, jumping slightly as Jamie held on to my waist, slipping his hands up my shirt slightly as he pressed his chest against my back.
"So, we should go out tonight," he whispered in my ear before nipping at my earlobe. "Maybe pick up where we left off?"
"I'll think about it," I told him as I pulled away slightly, biting at my lip.
"This is it," Gabe told us as we walked through a double door, "The plant's mission control. 100,000 tons of animal waste is processed here every year. Trust me, the results can be pretty explosive. So if any of you had beans for lunch, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Some of the other students laughed, including Jamie as I rolled my eyes once more.
"Among his peers he's considered witty," Chloe sighed.
"Mm-hmm," Pete laughed, "Where's Clark?" I turned my head towards him before looking around finally noticing Clark wasn't with us. A frown etched its way on to my face as I thought that over Clark usually included me in things.
Rattling started up from a side room making me turn my head, "What the heck? Excuse me," Gabe commented as he started for the door, only before he got there Earl walked through it, with a gun.
"Don't move!" Earl warned everyone, aiming the gun at Gabe's head. "Take me to Level 3. Now!"
Jamie pulled me backwards, his arms slipping around me as he held me close to him, "Jamie," I muttered.
"It's gonna be okay," he muttered back as he ran a hand through my loose hair.
"Earl," I called as I pulled out of Jamie's arms, Jamie frowned at me as I walked forwards, freezing as Earl moved to aim his gun at me. "Earl can't you just put the gun down? We can figure this out without threats."
"Move back Isabelle," he told me warningly, I frowned at him. "Move Isabella, and don't involve yourself. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."
He made us all sit down by the wall, Jamie planting himself on one side of me as Pete sat on my other side, Chloe next to him. "I swear, I don't know anything about Level 3," Gabe told him making me bite at my lip in worry.
"You're lying," Earl snapped at him.
"He's not lying!" Clark shouted as he walked in with blueprints. "I found these blueprints. There is no Level 3."
Earl took the blueprints off of him and opened them up on a table as I sent Clark a look, Clark replied by shaking his head, telling me to let it go. "Every night, I go down to Level 2, I follow the red pipes down that long hallway, I go to the door, I open it and I take the elevator down to Level 3," he explained before turning to Clark. "You're just like everybody else. Now you get over there and you sit down." Clark moved towards us taking a seat between me and Pete.
"What the hell is going on?" I hissed at him as Jamie turned around to mutter something to Whitney on the other side of him.
"Earl says Level 3 made him sick," Clark replied, "I checked, there is no Level 3." I bit at my lip and turned towards Gabe and Earl as the phone rang. Gabe answered it.
"Lionel Luthor," he told Earl.
"Speaker," Earl replied as I leant my head on Jamie's shoulder, he turned his head and pulled me closer to him. "Mr Luthor, I've finally got your attention, haven't I?"
"Earl, why don't you come out?" Lionel asked, "We've got a lot to talk about."
"Just tell me what you were using down on Level 3," Earl told him angrily.
"You're sick Earl," Lionel replied, "Let everyone go. We'll get you help." I sat up straight as Ear started to shake violently, holding on to a gas valve to steady himself.
"Earl," I yelped as I got up, running over to him against the protests of the other students. "Earl?" He broke the valve off, his arm shooting backwards, colliding hard with my stomach, tossing me backwards.
"Izzy!" a few voices shouted as I yelped and landed with a groan on the other side of the room, my eyes closing in a wince.
"See what you made me do? See what you made me do?" Earl shouted as he looked up at a camera, "See what you made me do?"
"Izzy?" I heard as I pushed myself to a sitting position with a groan before I slid myself back to the group, letting Jamie pull me to sit on his lap.
"Are you okay?" he asked me quietly as I curled into his chest, I nodded as I swapped a look with Clark who was giving me a concerned look.
"Your methane gas-valve just broke," Earl told Lionel over the phone, "The whole place is gonna go up."
"We need to do something," Whitney commented quietly.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Clark replied.
"That man's nuts," Whitney countered, "He's not listening to the cops and that methane gas is gonna blow."
"Whitney, I don't want you to get hurt," Lana told him in concern.
"I'm not putting my life in that man's hands," Whitney told her, "Three of us can take him no problem. How about it, Clark, Jamie?"
"I'm in," Jamie nodded as he glanced at me.
"Jamie..." I started.
"I'll be fine," he told me softly as I frowned at him, I nodded with a sigh. "Clark?"
"I can't," Clark muttered.
"It's okay," Lana told him as I turned my head towards him, nodding slightly as Jamie shifted me off of his lap, standing up with Whitney. "Guys..."
"Lana it's okay," I told her as they started towards him.
"Luthor, I trusted you," Earl looked at the camera, "You told me you were trying to help people." I sat forward as he turned his head, "What are you two doing?"
Lana let out a yelp as Earl pistol-whipped Whitney, before turning it on Jamie who knocked it out of his hands. Earl punched Jamie in the face, sending him to the floor beside Whitney. "Jamie/Whitey!" Lana and I yelped as Earl retrieved the gun.
"It's all, your fault, Luthor," Earl snapped at the camera as I slid over to the guys, Whitney groaned and sat up as Jamie hissed.
"Are you guys okay?" I asked them, they swapped a look before nodding getting up so I could help them back over to the group.
It was around ten minutes later that the doors opened, making me look up to see Lex enter wearing a bulletproof vest. "What kind of man sends his own kid to do his dirty work?" Earl sneered at him as I ran a finger under Jamie's eye which was definitely going to bruise.
"I'm not doing anybody's dirty work, Earl," Lex replied, "This is my plant." He looked towards us, "How are you three?"
"Whitney needs a doctor," I replied simply.
"What are we gonna do about these kids, Earl?" Lex asked as he turned back to him.
"I never meant to hurt anybody," Earl told him, "I tried talking to your father, but he wouldn't listen to me."
"I know the feeling," Lex told him as he took his vest off, "Earl, you say that everybody's been lying to you. I'm gonna tell you the truth. My father doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about anybody in this room. Because if we all die, his PR firm will spin it, his insurance company will pay out, and you, Earl, will go down as the bad guy."
"I'm not the bad guy," Earl told him, "I'm just trying to get better."
"How are you gonna get better by killing a bunch of kids?" Lex asked him, "If you let everybody go, I'll take you to Level 3."
"You stop lying," Earl told him, aiming the gun at him too.
"Let them go, and I'll show you where it is," Lex told him smoothly. "Earl, trust me. I'm a man of my word." There was a moment of silence as Earl thought it over, finally he turned towards us.
"Get out," he told us all, "Get out, get out! Everybody, get out!"
I scrambled to my feet, pulling Jamie to his before I helped Lana with Whitney as we all started filing out of the plant. "Clark?" I asked as Jamie helped Lana get Whitney out, we were all rushing for the blast doors that were closing slowly.
"I'm gonna go help Lex," he told me, I stopped running. "You go, I'll be okay. Don't worry about me." I sighed and nodded before running back to the door, rolling under it to get out.
"Izzy!" Mom shouted as I got back to my feet. She pulled me into her arms, "Where's Clark?"
"He's still inside," I replied, "I tried to get him to come with but..." she nodded in understanding before turning to Lionel.
"Open the doors," she told Lionel.
"They're safety locked and can't be opened until the gas levels have gone down," Lionel replied as I glared at him.
"My son's still in there!" Mom shouted at him.
"So is mine," Lionel replied simply making my glare darken before I walked over to Jamie who was sat on the back of an ambulance. A blanket was tossed over my shoulder by a paramedic making me frown at him.
"In case of shock," he told me making me sigh and nod before I carried on walking.
"Hey, you okay?" I asked Jamie as I sat next to him, he nodded and turned his head.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he nodded, "You?" I nodded and he smiled before wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me into his side as he hugged me close.
"I was worried about you," I muttered to him as I rested my head on his shoulder.
"I was worried about you," he replied. "He threw you clear across the room."
"I'm used to falling out of trees and stuff," I told him, "I learnt how to land so I don't hurt myself too much."
We sat curled up together for a while as I watched mom and dad talking to the SWAT agent and Lionel Luthor. After a while the doors opened themselves and Clark walked out with Lex, Clark jogging straight to mom and dad to hug them as Lex walked over to Lionel and glared at him. "I'm gonna go see my brother," I told Jamie, he nodded and pressed a kiss to my temple making me smile at him before I jogged over to my family.
"Hey," I greeted Clark, "You okay?" he nodded as I hugged him.
"Mr Luthor, what can you tell us about Level 3?" a reporter called, making me pull away from Clark and turn towards the crowd.
"I think you're referring to a redundant storage area at the base of the plant," Lionel replied, "Mr Jenkins is a very sick man who desperately needs medical attention..."
"That's why my father and I have pledged to find Mr Jenkins the best medical care possible," Lex interrupted, "He was a LuthorCorp employee and here at LuthorCorp, we always put family first. Isn't that right, Dad?" I smirked as Lionel sent his son a look.
"Mr Luthor, is it true the government is trying to shut you down?" a reporter asked.
"No, no, no," Lionel replied, "No more questions, please. My son has been through quite an ordeal today." I watched as Lionel hugged Lex awkwardly. Lex looked over his dad's shoulder towards us making me give him a sheepish smile, he offered one back.
AN: Okay, so what do you guys think?
I'm getting the feeling as I write that Jamie will be pretty important in Season 1 of this story, let me know what you think of him?