Peter bounded down the stairs of the Kent house, clad in a standard black suit and matching tie. He flashed a goofy grin when he spotted Clark in front of the mirror, struggling with his own tie.
"Need a hand?"
"Uhh…" Clark considered, feeling embarrassed over his lack of skills when it came to a suit and tie. "Yeah. Thanks."
With a laugh, Peter strode over to where Clark was standing and got in between him and the mirror. He waited until the latter's hands were by his side and then tied his tie with little effort before smacking him on the shoulder.
"There you go."
"Thanks." Clark muttered and cleared his throat. "We should get going, the event starts at six. We have less than an hour."
"And knowing girls, they'll kill us if we're late." Peter added.
He and Clark shared a laugh before heading outside to the truck and only music filled the silence once they were out on the road. When they reached the occasional stop sign, Clark glanced over at Peter. He hadn't brought it up, but the events of the previous day were still fresh in his mind and he couldn't work out how all of the glasses had been caught. Meteor powers was his first thought, but Pete had shut that idea down as soon as he'd said that he wasn't from Smallville. There was something about this guest that he couldn't quite work out, but he would make no fuss over it unless he was left without a choice.
Once it was safe to go, Clark put the truck into drive and pulled out of the road onto another. Out of nowhere, a deer pranced out into the middle of the road. Clark's eyes widened and he slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision. The truck came to a screaming stop, throwing both boys forward. Peter's hand flew out in front of him, preventing him from smacking his face on the dashboard. Clark wasn't so lucky as he lurched forward and smashed his face against the wheel.
He screwed his face up at the impact, but quickly hid behind his arms. Peter looked from Clark to the wheel and back to Clark, in complete astonishment. The wheel had snapped completely in half, with jagged edges on the half that remained attached to the truck.
"C- Clark?" He stuttered, concerned for him and almost afraid to see his face.
Clark lowered his arms and revealed his face. Peter winced, expecting to see several deep cuts and bruises, but frowned when he saw that there wasn't even a scratch on the other boy. Clark looked at him, then down at the broken wheel and his jaw dropped.
"H- how are you not-" Peter couldn't finish the question. The shock was too great.
"Peter, I… my face didn't touch the wheel, I shielded myself with my arms."
"That does not explain how it snapped in half!" Peter cried.
"It was the impact." Clark fibbed.
Peter didn't buy it one bit. The impact may have left a dent, but it wouldn't have broken it in two. His eyes darkened as he looked at Clark, he didn't plan on letting this incident drop onto the table of unmentionable topics. He gave the other boy the once over, in disbelief over the lack of injuries. There should have been a scratch, or at the very least a bruise, but his face remained as clean as ever.
"And you expect me to believe that?"
"No…" Clark sighed. "I wouldn't if I were you but I- I can't explain it. I'm sorry."
"I was bitten by a spider and it gave me all these odd powers… I use them to help people, they- they dubbed me Spider-man." Peter admitted. He wasn't sure if revealing his secret was the right move, but it was the only chance he had at finding out what Clark was hiding. "It's how I caught all of the falling glasses."
Clark hesitated, chewing on his lower lip as he processed what he'd just learned about Peter. He pondered revealing his own secret, but his parents' voices in his head made him decide against doing so.
"People here have weird powers too." He said.
"Including you?" Peter raised an eyebrow.
"Kind of."
"I guess we're walking the rest of the way." He joked.
"Unfortunately, though, I'll have Lex call a tow for the truck."
With a nod, Peter hopped out of the truck and Clark did the same on the opposite side. They walked side by side together down the side of the road. Clark was grateful that the Luthor mansion wasn't too far away, and if they kept a steady pace, they would arrive there before the hour was through.
"So… a spider bite, huh?" Clark scratched his head as they turned a corner.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but back home there's this crazy science company called Oscorp, and these spiders… they were radioactive."
Clark's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't like anything he'd ever heard, but with all that he'd seen in Smallville, he knew better than to banish it into the realm of impossibility. He flashed a small smile at Peter, in an attempt to reassure him.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything." He assured him. "After the things I've witnessed, I can believe it."
Their conversation died as the Luthor mansion came into their line of vision and the rest of the walk was spent with only the sound of their footsteps filling their ears. As they reached the entrance, the faint beat of music caught their attention. The doors were already open and people were pouring through. Clark and Peter joined them.
"Clark!"
His head turned and saw Lex approaching him. He nudged Peter's shoulder and then turned his attention to his friend, greeting him with a grin.
"Lex." He exclaimed. "Nice event."
"Never any less for charity." Lex responded, tipping back his glass full of wine and downing it.
"Right." Clark nodded. "Have you seen Lana?"
Lex gestured past him, and Clark turned around, spotted Lana standing with Chloe and excused himself from conversing with Lex. As he made his way over to her, his eyes glided over her silky blue gown and her curled hair, and he smiled.
"Good evening, ladies." He greeted them with his cheeky, boyish grin. "Lana, you look…"
"Better than Lois?" She giggled and pointed over at the other girl.
Clark glanced in the direction she was pointing and saw Lois conversing with Gwen. She was clad in a bright pink dress, that he knew was not her choice of colour but rather the only option she'd had. He turned back to Lana, annoyed but not letting it show.
"I was going to say you look great." He finished. "And I don't see anything wrong with how Lois looks either."
"Okay, I'm gonna leave you two to… enjoy your night." Chloe excused herself and headed over to her cousin.
Lana smirked. "Got eyes for Lois now?"
"No, not at all. I'm just saying that you don't have to put Lois down to make yourself feel good. I didn't think that was something you'd ever do." He said, disappointment laced in his voice. "And I thought you were done being jealous of her?"
"I am."
"Then prove it." He snapped. "Dance with me, and I don't want to hear another word about Lois."
"Actually, let's get a drink." She suggested.
"Okay." He sighed. "Whatever you want to do, just as long as it doesn't involve being jealous."
"It won't." She insisted. "I'm going to go get us a drink." She added and walked away in a hurry.
Clark remained standing in the middle of the floor. He looked over at his friends; Peter and Gwen on the dancefloor, Chloe conversing with another girl from their high-school and Lois, standing alone near the buffet table. He glanced over at Lana, who was filling two glasses with wine, then back at Lois. Before he knew what he was doing, he had crossed the room and was standing in front of her.
"Aren't you here with Lana, Smallville?" Lois greeted him.
"Yeah." He admitted. "But she's currently getting us drinks."
"I see."
"Anyway, what are you doing over here on your own?" He inquired.
Lois gave a haphazard smile. "I don't want to ruin anyone's night, but I just feel slightly out of place here."
Clark flashed a small smile of his own as he found himself feeling a pang of sympathy for her. He knew how it felt not to fit in somewhere, and it was never a good feeling. Especially when everyone around was oblivious to the misery.
"Hmm, I don't suppose you'd wanna dance, would you?" He asked.
"That depends, can you even dance?" She teased.
"Care to find out?" He chuckled.
"Yes, actually. I want to see how terrible you are."
Clark rolled his eyes at her teasing and offered out his hand. She grinned as she took his hand, leading him out onto the dancefloor instead of allowing him to lead her. His hands rested on her waist and she put her arms around his neck as began to move to the slow song that came on. It was awkward at first, but after a few seconds, Clark allowed himself to ease into the dance and time his steps with her own. Her face lit up in humour when he tripped over his own feet. Without either of them realizing it, they'd inched closer to each other, and Clark's eyes widened when she rested her head against his shoulder, but he remained quiet.
Too caught up in their dance, neither of them noticed Lana over at the refreshment table. Her eyes were locked on them and she slammed one of the two cups she was holding down on the table, and downed the entire contents of the other one. She tore her stare away from Clark and Lois, over to the DJ station and an idea crossed her mind.
As the song finished, their dancing slowed but didn't quite stop. Lois lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled up at him. Try as she might, she couldn't think of a witty remark to throw his way. But she wasn't going to let that stop her.
"Not half bad, Smallville." She complimented. "Though you're no Patrick Swayze."
Clark laughed and twirled her around under his arm as the chorus of the next song blared from the speakers. Though the song was interrupted by a high pitched screeching sound. Everyone on the dancefloor stopped and turned towards the DJ station, including Clark and Lois. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw Lana standing where Lex's hired DJ was standing only moments ago.
"Well, well… would you look at that? I knew it… You, Clark Kent, are one hundred percent infatuated with Lois Lane."
"Lana, what are you-"
"Leave it out, Lex!" She warned, elbowing him in the chest and turning her attention back to the dancefloor. "There's definitely something going on there." She laughed drunkenly. "And with the trashy Lane girl, nonetheless. You really are desperate to make me want you, aren't you?"
Clark's smile vanished from his face and he glanced at Lois beside him. Her arms were folded across her chest and there was no trace of amusement in her expression. Shame crept over him and he mouthed a silent apology to her.
"You don't deserve me, Clark. I've given you chance after chance and you never make an effort. Just a farm boy with barely any brain cells to rub together… yeah, you're destined to be stuck in Smallville your entire life." Lana paused, and turned her attention to Lois.
"I guess skanky college girls are just your type these days." She continued, earning a chorus of gasps from the party guests. "Lois Lane… you do not belong in Smallville. You don't fit in here with us. You're annoying and you talk too much. Clark even told me that he can't stand you. I'll bet that he was dancing with you to get a reaction from me…" She paused, and her eyes scanned all the faces staring back at her. "Well, it worked. I've bit my tongue this far, but I'm just gonna go ahead and say it; I don't like you, Lois. Nobody here does, apart from your cousin. Then again, she's obligated to like you because she's, unfortunately, related to you."
Lois drew in a breath as anger and hurt flooded her at the same time. She didn't care if Lana liked her or not, but she wasn't a fan of public humiliation. She bit down on her lip and glared daggers at Lana.
"Military girls are disgusting, and you, Lois, are no exception. No wonder your dad didn't want to send you to a good school, you'd just embarrass your family. Even your mom…" Lana grinned. "She died because she didn't want to spend another second with a disappointing daughter like you."
"I'm sorry, Smallville… but I can't stand to listen to anymore. I'm gonna go." She informed him before turning around and hurrying out of the open doors.
Clark's eyes darkened and he'd had enough. Having reached his breaking point, he threaded through the crowd and up to the DJ station, snatching the microphone from Lana's hands and giving it to Lex.
"Okay, that's enough." He snapped and grabbed her arm, firmly but gently, leading her away from the crowd and into the halls of the Luthor mansion.
Lana laughed as she staggered drunkenly in her heels, unable to grasp how angry he was feeling. He released his grip on her once he was sure they were far enough from the ongoing party and folded his arms across his chest.
"You promised me no more jealousy and instead you make a fool of yourself in there. It's one thing to rip into me, but Lois hasn't done anything but be kind to you and she doesn't deserve that." He growled.
"And I was going to keep my promise, Clark. Then I saw you dancing with her while you're supposed to be here with me!"
"I was waiting for you to come back with drinks and Lois was standing alone, I only danced with her to be nice."
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that and that you can't stand her. Funny how I'm the only one who can see the truth."
Clark clenched his teeth together in anger, swallowing his words before he could say something he'd later come to regret. He exhaled a breath of air through his nose and caught her as she nearly fell backwards.
"This isn't the Lana I know." He said sadly. "And what you said to Lois was way out of line, you owe her an apology."
"Maybe you never really knew me at all, Clark."
"I'm beginning to wonder about that as well." He sighed. "But I don't think I will ever forget this. It was a real wake up call, if I'm being honest. I can't do this anymore, Lana. Whatever feelings I had for you… after tonight, they're all gone… because now I can't stand to be in the same room as you."
"Clark, wait-"
"No!" He raised his voice. "No more chances. No more games. No more of this toxic back and forth." He added.
Having said all that he wanted, he turned back towards the party room. Though he was no longer in the mood to join the rest of the guests, and continued past the room towards the exit. His eyes glossed over, blurring his view of the floor as he hung his head. Outside the summer air was warm but held a bitter night chill to it, something he was used to having lived in Smallville for as long as he could remember.
Clark stopped as gravel crunched under his feet and looked around. It was probably a bad idea, but he was hoping to find Lois. He couldn't stand her, but it was Lana that he didn't want to be anywhere near at the moment, and it was a strange feeling, but he couldn't deny that the one moment he'd actually had fun this evening, was when they were dancing. At last, he spotted her swinging slowly back and forth on the bench swing that had been oddly placed to the side of the mansion, looking out over the grassy land that surrounded it. He swallowed nervously and made his way over to the bench, sitting down beside her without a word.
"Not now, Clark…" She told him calmly.
"I just… I came to apologize. I don't know what happened there, but I sorted it out."
"Sorted it?" She questioned. "Real nice stand up comedy from your girlfriend." She joked humourlessly.
"Lana isn't- we're not together." He informed her. "And after tonight, I have no desire to be."
Lois sniveled and the sound caught Clark's attention. He looked up and in the pale light of the moon, he could just about make out the tear tracks that had stained her cheeks. She stopped the swinging of the bench with her foot and glanced up at the twinkling of stars in the sky.
"Lois, I'm sorry."
"For what? You didn't do anything." She shrugged.
"No, but what Lana said and did, that's on me."
"Lana is a big girl, Clark. It's not your fault, she's responsible for her own actions. Not you."
"I know, but I feel bad about her attacking you."
"Don't." Lois told him. "I actually had fun in there for a minute, and I'm not upset over her remarks about me. I'm not that insecure… but when she brought my parents into it, that's different." She paused. "That hurts."
Clark tried to think of something to say, but came up blank. He stretched out his arms across the back of the bench, and sat next to her quietly, following her gaze to the stars above.
"You know, I think this is the first conversation we've had where you haven't insulted me."
Lois smiled through her remaining tears and then laughed. "Best believe I'll make up for it tomorrow though, Smallville."
"Would be strange if you didn't." He uttered a little laugh.
Clark felt his anger wash away, replaced with an odd sense of calm and a small smile tugged at his lips. Lois sat back, finding herself feeling a little better than she had when she'd come outside, but also more sleepy. Without warning, she let herself flop against his side, using his shoulder as a pillow and closing her eyes. Clark opened his mouth, but found himself too surprised to speak and closed it again. He rested his own eyes and let the whole world fade away.
Then a voice broke through his peace.
"Clark… you should come see this."
He opened one eye and saw Peter standing before him with a panicked expression on his face. He opened his other eye and sat up taller, disturbing Lois in the process.
"What is it?"
"Some weirdo is in the hall and I think they have some sort of meteor power, like what you mentioned earlier tonight. They're attacking people."
Clark jumped up from the bench and without saying anymore, rushed back into the hall where the party was ongoing. Peter's eyes narrowed and he looked down at Lois on the bench. She looked just as confused as he felt.
