A/N: This chapter turned out longer than I thought it would! I kind of always know where I want to go and how I want to end a chapter but sometimes it takes me longer than I think to get there. And I do have a tendency to write long chapters! Sometimes I think maybe I should split it into two chapters but then it seems to interrupt the flow.
Thanks so much for the reviews to date. I try to reply personally but if by chance you didn't get a response I would like to say thanks to andi, Jane, Shejie 18, clarkfan325, and highlander348 for leaving a review on the last chapter.
As always, reviews make my day!
That said, here is the next chapter; enjoy!
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Chapter 3.
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Clark glanced across the diner to where Chloe and Pete sat. Great, Lois wasn't here, that meant he could order what he liked.
A pretty young blonde from behind the counter approached him. "What can I get you?"
"Um, I'll have an iced coffee, thanks."
Handing the money to the girl, he quickly glanced towards the door. Still no sign of Lois.
Just maybe he could get away with this.
The girl handed him a glass. He gazed longingly at the scoops of ice-cream and cream, it had been ages since he last had one of these. Grabbing the glass he walked back to the booth.
"Don't let Lois see that," Chloe remarked, an amused smile on her face.
"She is driving me crazy," he returned and sipped at the straw. "You should see the lists she gives my mom.
Pete let out a chuckle. "Glad you and not me, man."
"There is hardly any food in the house," he whined.
"Well it must be working," Chloe said, her eyes skimming over him. "Because you look great."
He did? He smiled. "Ah, thanks."
"You're welcome," Chloe shrugged,
"You should have seen the kick, Clark, punted through goals last week," Pete enthused, "I've never seen anything like it. He was just like one of those professional kickers."
Chloe appeared surprised, then frowned. "Since when have you ever learned to kick like that?"
He looked up. "I haven't."
"He saw Chad kiss Lana," Pete said.
Chloe went sort of still. "Oh." She picked up her cup and took a sip. "Must have been in a fit of jealousy then."
Clark felt his own cheeks reddened, and hastily returned his attention to his ice coffee. His thoughts drifted to Lana. He'd passed her in the corridor this morning at school. She had glanced his way and smiled at him, causing him to walk straight into Lois.
"Ouch, Clark!" she exclaimed, "You just stepped on my foot with your big clumsy feet."
"Sorry," he'd mumbled.
Lois eyes drifted over to Lana, she snorted. "You need to get that lovesick dopey look off your face, Smallville, way too obvious."
Looping her arm through his, she began dragging him down the corridor. "You're lucky I was here before you ended up making a fool of yourself," she chatted.
He'd glanced over his shoulder to where Lana stood at the lockers, and much to his surprise she was looking his way, at him.
"Are you going to finish that, Clark, or continue to stare dreamily out of the window," Chloe quipped. "Because you know it's only a matter of time before Lois gets here."
Chloe was right, and that would be the end of his iced coffee. He began sipping on the straw.
"You might want to speed it up too," Pete added, "Lois has just walked through the door."
He quickly shoved the glass at Pete. "Pretend it's yours."
Chloe let out a half laugh. "As if that'll fool her."
Lois went to plonk herself on his side of the seat. "Shove over, Clark."
He scooted across the seat.
Lois dumped her bag on the table and began rifling through it.
"Did I ever tell you all how much I hate school," she grumbled.
"Like every day, Lois," Chloe returned.
"Well today was the worst ever."
The contents of her bag ended up strewn over the table.
"Mr Davies gave me detention," she exclaimed, "for practically nothing!"
"What did you do?" Clark asked, curious. Lois was always in trouble.
"I only shoved Brett Jones in the chest, but he had it coming, that guy is a first prized jerk."
Clark agreed, the amount of taunts he'd suffered at his cruel remarks. "Hope it was hard."
She shot him a quick grin. "Not nearly as hard as I would have liked."
"I don't know. You can shove pretty hard, Lois," Chloe spoke up, "Did you knock him over?"
She bit down on her lip. "He might have stumbled a bit, before falling on his ass."
Pete nodded in approval. "Way to go."
Lois resumed rifling through her bag.
"What are you looking for?" Clark asked.
"Money, spent my last five bucks buying cigarettes."
"I thought you were giving up," he couldn't help saying.
"Don't start, Clark."
Oh, so it was okay for her to give him a hard time about what he ate, but it wasn't okay for him to say anything about her smoking.
"So aren't you supposed to be in detention right now?" Chloe piped up.
Lois shrugged. "As if I'm going."
He gave her an incredulous look. "But Lois, you could get suspended."
She glanced sideways at him. "Lighten up, Smallville, so what if I get suspended for a couple of days … and damn but I can't even find one dollar in here."
Then her eyes landed on the two glasses in front of Pete. She raised an eyebrow, glancing his way. Clark quickly averted his eyes.
"Wow Pete," she began, "You must be really craving the caffeine today, to buy a chocolate thick shake and an iced coffee."
"Yeah … well," Pete stammered.
"Okay so which one is Clark's?"
Clark sighed and met with Chloe's gaze as she mouthed, I told you so.
Pete merely pushed his precious glass of iced coffee across the table to Lois. Lois turned to face him, eyes narrowing.
"I can't even have at least one day where I can indulge myself?"
"What you do after try outs is up to you, Clark, but until that day, no!"
She picked up the glass and sipped on the straw, his annoyance increasing. She was so frustrating.
"Um, I have to help my dad with chores," Pete hurriedly said, as he vacated his seat, "See you all tomorrow."
"Yeah, I have to study for biology," Chloe added, and made a similar hasty retreat.
He watched them leave, thanks for deserting me in my hour of need, he felt like yelling after them. His gaze rested back on Lois, who was obviously enjoying what was his iced coffee.
"I might need to lose a few pounds," he began.
She snorted. "A few, try a lot."
He gritted his teeth and spying the packet of cigarettes, he picked them up.
"Yeah, but that isn't going to damage my health, were as these," he continued, brandishing them in her face. "Will, yours."
She snatched the packet out of his hand, and quickly shoved them back in her bag, but there was a quick flash of guilt on her face. "I didn't know you cared so much, Clark," she replied in a sardonic tone of voice.
"You're the most annoying girl I know, Lois, but I actually do care."
His words were strangely comforting. She knew he did. Chloe was right about that too; Clark did have a kind heart. But she couldn't allow herself the luxury of getting too attached. Her whole life had consisted of never being in one place longer than twelve months. Friends came and went. And Clark was … well kind of likeable. As different as they were, she felt an odd connection with him, ever since that morning when he'd told her; it's all my fault.
If she was completely honest with herself, she even enjoyed her mornings spent with Clark, running alongside him. It was sort of soothing, she almost felt content, for her that was.
His mom would have breakfast waiting for them when they returned. She felt … part of a family again. But it wouldn't last; it never did.
"You've gone quiet," he observed. "That's not like you."
"Just enjoying the coffee," she returned.
"Yeah, I was enjoying it too," he grumbled, "Before you came along."
She did give him a hard time, and he just took it. There was a certain kind of inner strength about him. It puzzled her. For someone so young how had he learned such self-restraint?
Chloe was right about that too; you just don't know him. But she was starting too.
"We can share it." She pushed the glass across to him. "Your turn."
A slight frown dented his forehead as he looked down at the glass. "We exchange germs," he began, hesitatingly.
"Wouldn't be the first time," she quipped.
His cheeks reddened. Oh Clarkie, she inwardly mused, he really was so clueless.
"But if you don't want to," she continued, "I'll take it back."
She went to reach for the glass, but he pulled it away. His eyes met hers. "I'm good with that."
Picking up the glass, he sipped on the straw and handed it back to her. Then his eyes fell on her essay paper. He frowned, again and went to reach for it when she quickly snatched it up, shoving it in her bag.
"I suck at spelling."
He had already seen the 'D' scribbled in red pen.
"I suppose you got an 'A'+++."
"No, it was only a 'B'."
"Wow, Smallville, that's a come down for you isn't it?"
As much as she tried to hide it, he still had the feeling she was disappointed with her result.
"I could help you," he began, "you know with the editing."
She raised an eyebrow. "And give you something to tease me about."
"I won't tease you. You do a good enough job of that for the both us."
She seemed to be contemplating the thought.
"Think of it as returning one favour for another. You give up your time to train me, and I'm sure I can find time to edit your essays."
She smiled, brushing her shoulder against his. "Okay, I need all the help I can get."
Pulling the essay paper back out of her bag, she handed it to him, ignoring the warm smile on his face. He began reading, his hair falling into his eyes. She inwardly sighed. He was easy on the eye, not that she'd ever tell him in a million years. Averting her eyes from his face, she looked up to see two people enter the diner.
"Well what do you know, Lana and her boyfriend Jock have just entered the café."
Clark attempted to look over his shoulder.
She put her arm through his. He frowned. "What are you doing, Lois?"
"Helping you out here, Clark," she sighed, "You don't want to look desperate and dateless."
"Now say something funny."
"Like what?"
She rolled her eyes. "Think, Smallville."
"Um … Brett Jones is a buffoon."
She laughed loudly.
"That wasn't even really funny, Lois."
"I know," she returned through gritted teeth, "It's called pretending, Clark."
"Now, move a little closer to me."
He leaned towards her, looking unsure.
"Touch my hair," she encouraged.
His eyes skimmed over her hair, still looking totally unsure of himself. Then, much to her surprise, he raised a hand, wrapping her pony tail around it, before tickling her nose with the ends of her hair.
Oh crap, did he have be so cute about it.
He smiled that gorgeous smile of his. Chloe was right about that too, damn it.
She managed a smile back. "Good work, Smallville, there may be some hope for you yet."
"Wow, a compliment from the formidable, Lois Lane," he teased, he still had hold of her hair, and tickled her nose with it again.
She sneezed.
His smile widened. "You allergic to your own hair, Lois?"
By the expression on his face, she could tell he was enjoying himself now.
"Hmm, cute, now you can let go of my hair, Clark."
Her hair slid out of his hand. She totally ignored the little flutter of her heart. She hadn't been out with guy for a while, that had to be it.
She looked up to find his eyes resting on her hair, a slight puzzled frown denting his forehead. "Do you dye your hair?"
"What girl doesn't?"
Lana, of course, didn't. Miss perfection over there, who stole the odd glance their way from time to time, Lois had noticed. Huh, interesting, did she possibly like Clark?
"What is it normally?" he asked, distracting her.
"Boring old mousy brown."
"What's wrong with brown?"
She sighed. "Blondes have more fun," she quipped.
Though Lana was probably an equation to that rule.
"C'mon, let's get out of here," she began, nudging him, "I'm hanging out for a cigarette."
"Lois," he began, "Maybe you should cut back with the smoking …"
"Save the lecture, Clark, that's my job."
Spying the glass of iced coffee, she grabbed it. "Oh wait, we have to finish this first."
They shared what was left of the iced coffee and went to leave, passing Lana and Chad's table.
"Who'd ever think, Kent," Chad spoke up, "That you would be capable of attracting such a babe?"
Lois spun around, eyes narrowing. How dare he insult Clark!
"You might want to shut your mouth," she fumed, spying the muffin on his plate, she picked it up and shoved it in his mouth, grinning. "That ought to do it."
Clark, stood there stupefied for a moment. Had Lois just done what he thought she had? A furious look crossed Chad's face as he spat out the muffin.
"You want to get your girlfriend in line, Kent," he growled.
He blinked. Ha, yeah, as if anyone could get Lois in line.
"Lois," he began, a slow smile crossing his face, "She has a mind of her own and I kind of like that about her."
He glanced her way, noticing the look of surprise on her face. She smiled. And it felt good, standing up to Chad. He'd probably pay for it come the try outs.
The mornings were starting to get chilly. It was getting harder to drag himself out of bed, but Lois was always on time. And he certainly didn't want her waking him up again.
"You know there's something I don't get," she chatted, as they jogged down the dirt road.
"What's that?"
"The family resemblance, who do you take after? Your dad has fair hair, your mom red, so where did you get the dark hair?"
Trust her to ask. It was probably only a matter of time before she found out.
"I was adopted."
She shot him a sideways look. "Huh, I never knew."
"My mom couldn't get pregnant."
"So, they adopted you as a baby?"
He shook his head. "No, I was about three years old."
He could clearly see the curiosity in her hazel eyes.
"You don't remember anything?"
"I was too young."
"So what are your first memories?"
He tried to recall them. "I-It was like waking from a dream."
A dream he had no recollection of. The bright sunlight hurt his eyes. Where was he? Who was he? How did he get here? Walking on unsteady legs that had never been used, he stumbled towards the only object in sight.
He didn't know what it was.
He didn't know anything. His mind was a blank slate. But he had to belong somewhere.
Crouching down, he peered inside the metal object. A big smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Eyes, like his, stared back at him in astonishment.
This must be where he belonged.
The woman wrapped him up in a cloth of some kind, She held him in her arms. He touched his own cheek, then hers. They were the same.
They uttered sounds he couldn't understand, but a distant memory told him he heard sounds like this before. He tried to copy them.
'Mom,' the woman pointed at her chest. 'Dad,' she pointed at the man.
'Mom,' he tried to speak, 'Dad.'
A tremulous smile crossed her face. "Oh look, Jonathon, he can talk."
She, mom, dressed him in clothes. She sat with him, teaching him. "Hands," she said touching his hands, holding up her own hands.
"Feet," she continued, grabbing his bare feet and tickling them, making him laugh.
"Nose." She tweaked his nose. He pulled on hers. "Nose!" he exclaimed.
White flakes fell from the sky, covering the ground.
"That's snow, son," his dad told him.
"Pretty." He grabbed at it with his bare hands. "Snow. Snow."
Snow was funny.
"Careful, Clark. You have no mittens on, snow is cold."
He stopped and glanced up at him; what was cold? His dad crouched down alongside him and grabbing a handful of snow, he placed the snow into his hands. "You see, son, its cold."
"Not cold," he said.
His dad rubbed his hand, a look of astonishment on his face. "W-What," he stammered. "Your hands are warm, how is that possible?"
"Hey, Smallville." Lois nudged him. "Where did you go?"
He blinked, shook his head. Funny how he recalled those distant, first memories now.
"I-I was remembering something."
"Yeah, what?"
"Snow."
She gave him a funny look.
"My first memory."
"Oh."
"What's yours?"
"My mom, putting baby Lucy in my arms. I couldn't help thinking how ugly she was."
Clark let out a laugh. "Really?"
She smiled and nodded. "I'll race you to the end, Smallville."
She took off and he followed in hot pursuit, determined to beat her. One of these days he would, then he could rub it in her face for a change.
They were neck and neck. The road came into sight. He gave it all he had, passing her. It almost felt like flying. All those years he'd never experience the real sensation of running with his own strength. It was kind of liberating.
The cold wind blowing on his face.
He remembered the time he'd reached up to the stove, grabbing the handle of a saucepan.
"Clark," his mother exclaimed. "Don't …"
Hot water spilt all over him.
"Oh my god, Clark …" his mom gasped, grabbing him by the arms. "Clark …" her voice broke off there, as her hands touched his face, arms, searching for burns. "I-I … there's not a mark on you."
That's when he knew, by the expression on his mother's face; he was different.
His breathing came in hard laboured breaths. His lungs burned. But there was something to this running.
"You just got a lucky break, Clark," Lois panted.
He grinned at her. "Right Lois. And you look really out of breath."
She glared at him.
"Probably from smoking," he pointed out.
Her hands rested on her hips. "Shut up, Smallville." She went to punch him in the arm. "And don't get cocky, doesn't suit you."
They began walking back to the farm, both trying to catch their breaths. A few minutes passed. Rays of golden light stretched out across the landscape as the sun slowly rose.
"You never tried to find your real parents?" Lois asked at length.
He shook his head. "No."
"Why?"
"They obviously didn't want me so why would I."
There was another brief silence. Clark waited for the next question. He really didn't mind discussing it, with her that was.
"You're not even remotely curious where you came from?"
He glanced sideways at her. "Sometimes."
"It could be somewhere mysterious, exotic," she continued, with a dramatic wave of her hand.
He smiled, bemused. If only she knew. By the way I'm an alien Lois. Wherever he was from, they looked just like the humans that inhabited this planet. They had to be related in some way?
Not that it really mattered.
He knew no differently after all, his real first memory was finding his mom and dad in their turned up truck. That's when his life had begun.
Voices whispered on the still night air. He could make out fragmented words. 'He's so young … how do you know … earth … will he be safe there? We are risking his life.'
'And here … he will die … like the rest of us.'
A woman was sobbing. She sounded so sad, so heartbroken. 'He won't ever know us …'
'We will live on, through him.'
'But he will be the last of our kind.'
'I'm sorry … you have to let him go … Lara.'
Soft arms tenderly held him. 'Kal-el … Kal-el … my son … you will have a long journey.'
She lowered him into the space craft.
'We will always love you … be brave … be strong.'
Suddenly he was cut off from the world he knew. Encased in darkness, bereft and alone, his cries the only sound. The humming of the space ship lured him into a deep sleep. His tears dried on his cheeks as his ship hurtled to a far distant planet called earth.
Clark abruptly woke up, half tangled in his bed sheets, heart pounding. That was … A dream he'd never had before. Shoving a hand through his hair, he pushed the bed covers aside.
Was it a dream?
He tried holding on to the scattered images, the words. Pulling his clothes on he stumbled down the stairs. He headed straight for the desk, grabbing pen and paper. He needed to write this down before he forgot it, a sense of urgency overwhelming him.
The hallway light switched on, and his mom came down the stairs.
"Clark," she began, "What are you doing?"
He turned in his seat to look at her.
"Are you alright?"
"I had a dream …"
"Of your father again?"
He shook his head. "No, it was … I-I don't think it was a dream, but a memory."
His mom crossed the floor towards him, tying the belt around her dressing gown. Picking up the piece of paper he had just written on, he handed it to her.
He watched her face carefully as she read it, a frown denting her forehead.
He swallowed. "I think she was my mom, my birth mom … and she called me Kal-el."
A hand fluttered to her mouth. "Are you sure, Clark?"
He raked a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure of anything … but it was so real."
There was something he needed to do.
Clark switched on the light in the storm cellar. Walking across to the dusty old desk, he pulled the sheet off the space craft, much in the same way his father had done when he'd first shown him all those years ago.
His heart rate increased at the sight of it. The strangest feeling, something he couldn't define, stole over him. Was it possible that his real parents had placed him in the space craft to save his life? And here ... he will die like the rest of us.
Reaching out a hand, he ran it across the ship's outer casing. It appeared to hum beneath his touch, as if knowing who he was.
He felt the unusual markings around its rim. Grabbing a torch from the bench, he flicked it on and peered closely at the markings. They were symbols, symbols that made no sense to him. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. What could they mean?
A shiver went through him.
Was he Kal-el, the last of his kind? 'We will live on, through him.' Just … who were they? And what did that make him?
Clark stopped by the trophy case. His eyes resting on his dad's photo. Just two days to go, two days where he would find out if he cut it or not.
'You were meant for much more important things than winning football games.'
Maybe he was, but not anymore. The memories, from so long ago, left a deep ache in his heart.
"I do trust you, Clark. I do. I guess there's always going to be a part of me that's a little afraid. But that's just being a parent."
"Penny for your thoughts," came a voice.
He spun around to see Lana. For a moment he was speechless. She was the last person he'd thought would talk to him considering what had happened in the diner.
"I was … just dreaming," he replied.
She smiled in that sweet way of hers.
"About the football try outs?"
He nodded.
"I'd heard you had signed up for them," she continued, brushing a strand of hair back from her forehead. "I remember you played a few games in our freshman year."
"Seems like a long time ago now," he sighed.
"It does," she agreed. "So why the change of heart?"
"Last year of high school, thought I'd give it a shot."
This was the longest conversation they had had since his freshman year. He couldn't understand it.
"I just wanted to apologise about the other day, Chad, was being such a jerk."
Oh, that must be why.
"I ... yeah," he stammered. "Just a bit."
A smile crossed her lips. "But you surprised me," she continued.
He did?
"The way you spoke to him." Her eyes rested on his face, a slight puzzled frown on her forehead. "You, sounded more like your old self."
Right, okay, that was good, now reply with something half intelligent, he silently chided.
"Ah, thanks."
Great going, he inwardly moaned.
"Well I better head to class."
He nodded. "Yeah, me too."
"Good luck on Friday at the try outs."
"Hopefully I'll came out of it still intact," he smiled.
She smiled in return. "I'm sure you will."
He watched her walk away. Why was it so easy to talk, and even flirt with Lois, but in front of Lana he was a stammering fool.
Sighing, he turned around and his eyes rested on Chad. He stood, ten metres away, leaning against his locker, glaring at him.
Clark swallowed, yep he was a dead man come Friday.
Chloe clacked away on her keyboard. Pete whizzed across to her desk on his wheelie chair.
"Did you hear what Lois did to Chad?" he asked.
"Yep."
Lois had gone on and on about it. What an insufferable jerk Chad was, and how Smallville surprised her with the way he stuck up for her.
"Careful," she'd teased, "Before you know it you'll also be a Clark fan."
Lois had merely snorted. "Okay I admit he can be kind of cute, and charming in his own way, and he has a great mom."
Well, well, Chloe mused, Lois calling Clark cute and charming.
"It sounds as if he's growing on you."
Clark, was like that. Before she knew it; it had snuck up on her. Just as well she wouldn't have to worry about Lois developing a crush on him. Lois and boys was kind of disastrous, and soon as a guy even attempted to get serious with her she'd head for the hills.
Speaking of the like, Clark walked into the room, a dreamy look in his eyes; a smile on his lips.
"Someone looks pleased with themselves," she remarked.
She watched him sling his bag off his shoulder and onto his desk. She had meant it the other day when she said he looked great. All that physical exercise and eating healthy was beginning to pay off. Her eyes rested on his arms. She could make out the muscle definition beneath the blue top he wore. His chest was … kind of impressive. His waistline had slimmed down a bit as well. Damn, but Lois was right, at this rate he would be hot stuff before too long. And she did, but didn't like that thought.
"Lana spoke to me," Clark said, shattering her little indulged perusal of him.
It felt like a rock had settled in the pit of her stomach. Of course, only Lana could put that look on his face.
"Wow," she began, her voice catching in her throat. "Now you're beginning to look great, she suddenly notices you."
That came out sharper than she'd intended.
Clark looked up surprised. Chloe nibbled on her lip, well it was the truth.
"Not you too. Lois, has already been at me about that."
Thank god for Lois, she didn't pull any strings.
"I don't mean to burst your little bubble, Clark, just that you're my best friend and I don't want to see you get hurt."
His face softened. "Advice, noted, besides I don't think you have to worry, just because she talked to me doesn't mean she's into me."
"Yeah, but if she is, I'd be going for it," Pete added.
Chloe shot him a glare.
He shrugged. "C'mon, just about every male in Year 12 has had had a crush on her at some stage throughout high school."
"I wonder which head they were thinking with," she muttered as she returned her attention to the computer screen, silently fuming.
Friday rolled around. Clark actually got to sleep in that morning. Lois had instructed he was not to do any physical exertion the morning of the try outs. He wasn't about to disagree if it meant a morning free of Lois bossing him about.
The morning was strangely quiet with just him and his mom at the breakfast table.
"No more dreams, memories?" she asked.
He shook his head. But since having that dream or memory or whatever it was his curiosity about his own origins had begun to resurface. He had spent last night copying down the symbols, engraved into the space ship, onto a piece of paper.
He was sure answers would lie in the decryption of the symbols, but seeing he was from another planet where would he begin to even decipher them?
"It sure is quiet without Lois here," his mom continued, a slight wistful note in her voice.
"It's great," he added.
"I don't know, she has this way of making the world seem so much more alive."
Clark stopped chewing. His mom was kind of right. He'd sort of missed his morning run with her. It had become habitual; running with Lois, arguing with Lois, disagreeing with Lois, being friends … with Lois.
"That's because she's always in trouble," he pointed out.
A small amused smile played at the corners of her mouth. "She's good for you."
He choked on his cereal, and glanced at her. Seriously?
"She has a way of drawing you out of your shell," his mom continued.
"Yeah, that's because she pokes and prods till I have no other choice."
His mom's smile widened. "Maybe that's just what you need."
Just what he needed … yeah right.
Lois wasn't at school that day. Out of all the days when the football tryouts would be happening, though that wasn't till the end of the day. Still, he wouldn't have thought she'd miss it.
English was boring without her, though the teacher seemed thrilled she was absent. Lois did like to make his life a tad difficult, always speaking out of turn or questioning something he'd say.
"Where is Lois today," he'd whispered to Chloe during class.
"I don't know," Chloe whispered back. "She was still asleep in bed when I left. She's probably wagging it again."
She'd already missed too much school, but then Lois was a law unto herself. And his mom thought she was good for him!
Lois not at school meant he could order what he liked at lunch time, and considering the boring contents of his lunch box he was going to. He brought a hamburger, expecting her to suddenly pop out of nowhere and give him a hard time about it. But it never happened.
Huh, glancing around the lunch room, it kind of wasn't the same with her not being here.
"What, you're missing Lois now?" Chloe had quipped.
"Of course not," he'd snorted.
"Don't worry I'm sure she will be here for your try outs. I know she wouldn't miss it."
But come the end of the school day there was still no sign of Lois. He barely had much time to think about it.
His stomach twisting into knots once in the change rooms.
Pete grinned at him. "Nervous?"
"A little, what about you?"
"Nah, I'm good."
Clark sometimes envied his strong self-esteem, nothing daunted Pete. And he had a bad feeling that Chad and his friends were not going to make it easy for him.
Leaving the change room with Pete, they began walking towards the oval. He was just passing the seat bleachers when someone grabbed his arm from behind, pulling him under the bench of seats.
For a moment he feared the worse, Chad had come for payback, but it was Lois' face he saw. Instant relief hit him.
"Lois," he sighed.
"What ... why?" she frowned, "Who did you think it would be?"
He shook his head. "Never mind, and where have you been all day and why are dragging me under here?"
"I can't be seen," she replied, looking furtively around.
"How come?"
"I got suspended."
His eyes widened. "Again!"
She pressed a finger to his lips. "Shss, not so loud."
"What did you do this time?"
She bit down on her lip. "I got caught smoking behind the gym."
"Lois!"
"Tone down the hissy fit, Smallville."
He shut his mouth. At this rate she was going to get kicked out of school.
She looked him directly in the eye. "You ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied.
He'd been working out in the mornings with Lois for the last month, practicing footy with Pete in the evenings. He'd lost ten pounds, had more energy than he'd had in years and it felt good.
"Okay, go knock them dead soldier," she grinned and punched him in the arm. "I'll be cheering for you from under the stand."
He rolled his eyes at the military terminology. She was so … Lois. Then a thought took hold.
"Why don't we strike a deal?" he suggested. "If I make the team, you give up smoking."
She frowned, not appearing to like the thought.
"You did say at the beginning of the year that you would give up," he cajoled.
"And we still have another seven months to go."
He sighed. "What does it matter if it's in one week or seven months?"
She chewed on her lip, looking deep in thought. "Alright," she grumbled. "It's a deal."
He smiled. It really was the last thing he'd expected her to agree to.
"Now get out there, Clark, and don't let me down."
He expected her to punch him in the arm, again, as she usual did but much to his astonishment she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.
"For good luck," she murmured in his ear.
"Where did you go?" Pete hissed when he caught up to him.
"Just, Lois grabbed me for a chat."
"What's with the smile?"
He frowned. "Nothing." Was he smiling?
His eyes scanned the oval, the rows of seats. He spied Chloe, she waved to him. He waved back.
"Good luck, Clark," she called out.
He was going to need all the luck he could get given the glowering look on Chad's face. But this was his defining moment, time to do something significant in his last year of high school. Time to face life.
He would take whatever Chad happened to throw his way. His father had always said to him, 'hard work is what keeps a man honest, Clark.'
And he had worked hard for this. He would play fair, it was in his nature after all. He had had a good mentor.
'I miss you dad.'
'I'm always there is spirit, son, watching over you.'
He took the heavy knocks, managed to get through no matter what was dished out to him.
When the coach ordered him to do the kick off, he stood, ribs aching and bruised. As he kicked the ball it wasn't Chad kissing Lana that he envisioned. It was his dad. His dad dying to protect him, dying … for him; that's what a parent does, Clark. His birth mother giving him a chance at life when all was lost, 'be brave … be strong'.
He kicked with every last ounce of his being, and watched amazed as the ball sailed straight through the middle of the goal posts. The stunned look on the other player's faces along with Chad, was his reward. It didn't matter what they did to him, the only thing that mattered was believing in himself. He was giving this chance at life; it was time he seized the moment.
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A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it? Please let me know. Feedback is always very much loved and appreciated and I really like reading what people think. I do especially love reading what people like the most, what their favourite scenes/parts were.
I love writing this story. It allows me to capture so many different moments and facets in Clark's life.
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