Chapter 01 — Drive

Zoey Stella York glances up at the top of the school bus when a thud echoes throughout. She brushes a strand of bright curly blonde hair behind her ear and turns her emerald green eyes, hidden behind a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses, back to the book in her lap. The chatter of the students around her doesn't stop. Sitting in front of her were Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan. Pete was an African-American boy with a bright smile, and Chloe was a blonde-haired reporter in charge of the school newspaper. While they were friends, Zoey didn't consider them close friends. They were friends more with the son of her godparents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. As the bus nears Smallville High School, Zoey shoves the book she was reading into her backpack. The bus stops, and the students start to climb off of it. "So, anyone ask either of you to the dance," Pete asks, walking down the bus stairs.

"Not yet," Chloe replies. They glance at Zoey.

"No," Zoey tells them before walking into the crowded high school hallway. She had always been a person who kept to herself. She had been since her parents died when she was seven years old. She's standing in front of her locker, digging through her backpack when a hand slams down onto the locker next to her. Wordlessly, she looks up to find Shane Burke.

Shane was a senior and a star running back on the football team. He was tall with hazel eyes. Many of the girls at Smallville High had a crush on either Shane or Whitney Forman, another senior on the football team. Except Zoey wasn't one of them. In fact, she couldn't stand either of them. And she had no idea why Shane had taken a sudden interest in her at the beginning of the school year.

"Are you going with anyone to the homecoming dance," Shane asks, leaning in close.

Zoey stares at him for a moment, then turns back to her locker. "No."

Shane grins. "Great! Then you can go with me."

Zoey grabs her binder and history book before closing the locker. "No."

She starts down the hallway, intending to head to her history. Shane quickly follows. He drapes an arm around her shoulders. "We'll have a great time, Zoey. What color is your dress? I want to get a corsage that matches it."

"I don't have a dress because I'm not going," Zoey states, rolling her eyes. She wanted to yell at him; to scream that there was no way she was going to the homecoming dance with him because she had no interest in going at all.

"I'll get a red one then. That'll probably go with whatever dress you pick. Oh, and I'll pick you up at six. Don't worry, I'll make sure my truck is clean."

Shane grabs her wrist and Zoey stares at him, wondering when he was going to realize that she had no interest. Her eyes widen when he presses a quick kiss on her cheek.

"I'll see you later," Shane says before taking off.

Zoey walks into the classroom, utterly confused at what had just occurred. She sits down at her usual desk and shakes her head. She had no idea what was going on, but she just wanted to get through her day without any more strange occurrences.

Zoey raises an eyebrow when the familiar red pickup truck pulls to a stop in front of Smallville High that afternoon. She had stayed late to take advantage of the library being empty to do some research for a science project. Martha was supposed to be picking her up. "Is everything okay," she asks, seeing the concerned look on her godfather's face.

Jonathan Kent motions for her to get in. "Clark was involved in an accident at Loeb Bridge," he explains as she climbs in. Jonathan was a man in his mid-forties with sandy blonde hair and tanned skin. Zoey remains quiet as he speeds over to where Loeb Bridge is. Police cars and ambulances surrounded the area. He jumps out of the truck and runs down to where Clark is sitting with a red blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Zoey stands next to the pickup, watching as a crew works on pulling a destroyed Porsche out of the river. "Clark! Son, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Clark replies.

"Who's the maniac who was driving that car," Jonathan demands, looking at the sheriff.

"That would be me." They turn to see a young bald-headed man. He, too, had a red blanket wrapped around his shoulders with a cut on his face. He holds out a hand. "Lex Luthor."

Jonathan stares at him for a moment, then yanks off his jacket and drapes it around Clark's shoulders. "I'm Jonathan Kent. This is my son."

"Thanks for saving my life," Lex tells Clark.

"I'm sure you would have done the same thing," Clark replies.

"You have quite an extraordinary boy there, Mr. Kent. If there is any way, I can repay you?"

"Drive slower," Jonathan retorts, then walks off with Clark.

"Are you okay," Zoey asks once they make it up to the truck.

"I'm fine," Clark answers, opening the passenger door. Zoey looks between the two Kent men and silently climbs into the truck.

Zoey walks up to the barn's loft. Jonathan had turned the area into a hangout space for Clark and Zoey; that way, they could have friends over without parents hovering over them. Except Zoey never really hung out in the loft. She would mostly stay in her room. She rolls her eyes, finding that Clark is watching Lana through his telescope. Lana lived across the road from the Kent farm with her Aunt Nell. Her parents had passed away in the meteor shower.

At first, the Kents had tried to keep Clark's secret from Zoey. But that only lasted a couple of months. Clark and Zoey had been playing in a field when she had been stung by a bee. Typically, it wouldn't have mattered. Except Zoey was allergic to bees. Seeing that her face had started to turn blue and she started to have trouble breathing, Clark grabbed Zoey and raced her back to the house for help. Even when she had been focusing on trying to breathe, a seven-year-old Zoey had noticed what had happened, and once she was better, she had told the Kents what Clark had done.

"You know that's really creepy, right," Zoey says, sitting down on the old couch. A desk was in the corner with an old trunk as a coffee table. Clark scowls but doesn't respond. She constantly teased him about his massive crush on Lana. "You should just ask her out."

"She has a boyfriend," Clark argues.

"Then, when they eventually break up, you should ask her out."

"What makes you think that they'll break up?"

"Because Whitney is a senior, and Lana is a freshman. He'll go off to college, and she'll be here. Alone. They'll end up breaking up." Zoey stands up. "Anyway, Uncle Jonathan wanted me to ask you if you had gotten all your chores done?"

"Seeing as I'm not you, yes."

"Whatever," Zoey replies, then walks out of the loft. Ever since the two teenagers had hit puberty, they had become more agonistic towards each other. And nothing that the Kents did was making the two teens as close as they had been as children.

Zoey silently follows Clark down the dirt driveway that leads to the Kent farm. They notice a shiny new red pickup truck with a giant blue bow parked in front of the barn as they reach the house. "Hey, Mom," Clark shouts, running over to the truck. "Whose truck?"

"Yours," Martha answers, climbing down from the tractor. "It's a gift from Lex Luthor." She pulls out a card from within her jacket and hands it to Clark.

"'Dear Clark. Drive safely. Always in your debt. A maniac in a Porsche,'" Clark reads. "I don't believe it. Where are the keys?"

"Your father has them." A worried look appears on Clark's face as he searches for Jonathan. Martha turns to Zoey. "I ran into Shane Burke's mother at the store. She told me that you guys were going to the homecoming dance together."

Zoey rolls her eyes. "I'm not going to the dance. And I told him that multiple times, Aunt Martha. But he refused to listen to him. He must've gotten hit too many times while out on the football field to remember that no means no."

"I think it would be good for you, Zoey," Martha tells her. "You should do stuff outside of school and the farm more. Have some friends."

"I have friends."

"When was the last time you hung out with Pete or Chloe without Clark around," Martha argues. Zoey remains silent. "Sweetheart, we just worry about you."

Zoey shifts. She knew there was no way of getting out of this. "If I go to the stupid dance with Shane, then can I go to the Monet art exhibit in Metropolis next month."

Martha smiles. "Deal. And hey, maybe you'll have some fun at the dance."

A strange crunching noise comes from within the barn, and the two women go inside. "I didn't dive in after Lex's car," Clark shouts, pulling his arm out of the wood chipper. "It hit me at sixty miles an hour! Does that sound normal to you? I'd give anything to be normal!" Clark walks past them, and up into the loft. Martha shoots her husband a look, and Zoey shakes her head, heading in the direction of the house.

"Did you know that I'm an alien," Clark asks as he and Zoey head towards the Luthor Manor to return the truck that Lex had given Clark. Zoey shoots him a confused look. "My spaceship is in the storm cellar. Dad says I came down during the meteor shower. He and Mom found my crashed ship on the side of the road."

"So, you're an alien," Zoey replies, nodding. She smirks, waving her pointer finger in the air. "Have you phoned home yet?"

Clark shoots her an annoyed look as they up to the gate outside of the Luthor Manor. After getting no reply from the intercom, Clark parks the truck, and they climb out. Clark pulls open the gate wide enough for them to slip through. He quickly closes the gate back, and they make their way inside. It was made of stone and had many details that reminded Zoey of the old European castles she had seen in pictures. They walk around the mansion, searching for the new owner. They finally come across a couple of people in a large room with a fireplace, fencing. A fencing sword is thrown into the wall, inches away from Clark's head.

One of the fencers pulls off their mask. "Clark," Lex asks. "I didn't see you."

"Uh, we buzzed, but no one answered," Clark replies.

Lex grabs the sword out of the wall. "How'd you get through the gate?"

"We squeezed through the bars," Zoey quickly says. She eyes the other fencer, a blonde woman. "We can come back if this is a bad time."

"Oh, no, no. I think Heidi has sufficiently kicked my ass for the day," Lex replies, tossing his mask on the couch. The woman nods and walks out of the room. He shoots Zoey a questioning look.

"This is Zoey," Clark says. "She's...she's my sister. I guess." He looks around the room. "This is a great place."

"Yeah? If you're dead and in the market for something to haunt."

"I mean, it's roomy."

Lex walks out of the room. Clark and Zoey exchange a look, then follow him down the hallway. "It's the Luthor ancestral home, or so my father claims. He had it shipped over from Scotland stone by stone."

"Yeah, we remember trucks rolled through town for weeks, but no one ever moved in."

"My father had no intention of living here. He's never even stepped through the front door."

"Then why'd he ship it over?"

"Because he could."

They enter another room. This was one filled with various types of workout equipment. Lex pulls off his fencing jacket. "How's the new ride?"

Clark exchanges a look with Zoey. He sighs. "That's why I'm here."

"What's the matter," Lex asks. He hands Clark and Zoey each a water bottle before opening up one for himself. "You don't like it?"

"No, it's not that. I can't keep it."

Lex sets his water down and turns to them. "Clark, you saved my life. I think it's the least I can do." Clark awkwardly looks away. "Your father doesn't like me, does he? It's okay." Lex rubs his bald head. "I've been bald since I was nine. I'm used to people judging me before they get to know me."

"It's nothing personal," Clark weakly defends. "He's just not crazy about your dad."

"Figures the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Understandable. What about you, Clark? Did you guys fall far from the tree?"

Clark remains silent. "We better go," he says, breaking the silence. "Thanks for the truck."

Clark and Zoey start to walk out of the library. "Clark," Lex calls out. They turn to the young billionaire. "Do you believe a man can fly?"

Clark chuckles. "Sure. In a plane."

"No, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about soaring through the clouds with nothing but air beneath you."

Zoey stares at him. "Lex, people can't fly."

"I did," Lex tells them. "After the accident, when my heart stopped. It was the most exhilarating two minutes of my life. I flew over Smallville, and I didn't see a dead-end for the first time. I saw a new beginning. Thanks to you, Clark, I have a second chance. We have a future, Clark. And I don't want anything to stand in the way of our friendship."

Zoey and Clark make their way out of the mansion. "He's a very intense guy," Zoey mutters.

Zoey smooths down her pale blue dress Martha had brought for her. She hadn't seen Clark since earlier that morning when they had arrived at school. She looks around the gym. It had been no surprise that Lana and her boyfriend, Whitney Foreman, had been crowned homecoming queen and king. Chloe was dancing with Pete. And she was currently standing next to the wall, waiting to see if Shane would actually come back with the glass of punch he said he would get.

Zoey wouldn't deny that she was actually surprised that Shane had indeed shown up to take her to the dance. She had expected this whole evening to be a prank. That she would be dressed up and spend most of the evening waiting for someone who never had any intention of showing up.

"Hey." Zoey looks up and finds Shane standing in front of her. He grabs her hand. "Let's go somewhere more quieter. Get to know each other."

Everything in her being is yelling at her to say no. But she doesn't. "Fine," Zoey softly says, allowing him to lead out of her the gym. She knew that Martha would be happy when Zoey told her that she found the evening tolerable. That it wasn't as bad as she figured it would be. Zoey's caught up in her thoughts that she doesn't realize that Shane had led her out of the building. It's not until she feels something pour down on her that she snaps out of her thoughts.

Zoey wipes the substance out of her eyes and discovers that she's been covered in red paint. She looks up to find Shane high-fiving with a few of his friends from the football team. There's a bright flash and she finds that one of the cheerleaders had taken a picture of her.

Silently, she walks around them and begins the journey back to the Kent farm. She knew it would take her a few hours to make it home. But at least the paint would be dried by then. She just hated that the dress Martha had gotten for her was now ruined.

A honking knocks her out of her thoughts and Zoey stops to see a silver Porsche pull up beside her. The window rolls down to reveal Lex sitting behind the steering wheel. "Zoey, is everything okay," he asks, concerned.

Zoey raises an eyebrow. "You remember who I am?"

"Of course, I remember you, Zoey. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Lex stares at her. "You're walking along the highway, looking like you're reenacting a scene from Carrie. And you say you're fine." He leans over and opens the passenger door. "Get in. I'll give you a ride home."

"I-I-I'm fine."

"Zoey, let me give you a ride home."

"I don't want to ruin your car."

"Believe me, it won't be the first someone has cleaned my car that had some questionable substances in it. I'm not leaving until you get in."

Zoey bites her lip. She really had no desire to walk home. She climbs into the sports car, making sure not to touch anything that wasn't necessary. "It's actually paint," she quietly tells him. "I guess I'm not weird enough for pig's blood. And Clark isn't actually my brother. His parents are my godparents. But I've lived with them since my parents died and it's like we're siblings. I'm sorry. I'll shut up now."

"My mom died when I was thirteen. Cancer."

"I'm sorry."

Silence settles in the car as it drives along a dark highway. She lets out a breath, seeing the familiar driveway for the Kent farm. Even in the dark, she could easily recognize it. Lex stops the Porsche in front of the gate and Zoey climbs out.

"Thank you for the ride. You can just send the bill for the cleaning costs and I'll pay for it," Zoey nervously tells him.

Lex smiles. "Zoey, don't worry about it."

"Thank you. I mean it."

"It's no problem." Zoey shoots him a soft smile and starts towards the house. "Zoey." She stops and looks at him. "If you need someone to talk to, just stop by the mansion."

Zoey smiles and nods, then makes her way towards the house. She takes a deep breath before opening the door and stepping. "Zoey, we…oh my gosh, what happened," Martha asks, walking over to her.

"Um, Shane and some of the football players, along with some of the cheerleaders, decided to cast me in their version of Carrie," Zoey softly explains.

"Oh, sweetheart," Martha sighs. "I don't think we'll be able to do anything about the dress. Hopefully, the paint will wash out of your hair."

Zoey shifts. "Is…is it okay if I stay home from school on Monday?"

"Of course," Jonathan tells her, surprising both Zoey and Martha. He was normally the one who would tell her to keep her chin when it came to bullying and not let it bother her. "But just Monday. Tuesday you'll have to go back."

"Sweetheart, go get cleaned up and we'll see about everything else in the morning," Martha says. Zoey nods and quickly makes her way up the stairs.

After taking a hot shower and being relieved that most of the paint washed out of her hair, Zoey finds herself in bed, unable to sleep. Even though the night had ended with her being subjected to a cruel prank, part of her felt that she had managed to make a new friend.

Zoey quietly climbs off her and walks over to her desk. She opens up the blueberry iBook. The messaging app was already open.

'What do you know about Lex Luthor?'

Zoey bites her lip. She didn't expect him to respond that night. He was probably busy.

'Stay away. Bad guy,' is the reply that she gets.

Zoey sighs. She wasn't sure if she believed him given her own experience with Lex. He seemed like a kind man who drove too fast in a sports car at times. She's about to close the laptop when another message appears on the screen.

'Zoey, stay far away from Lex. I went to boarding school with him and he wasn't a good guy.'

Zoey quietly debates on whether to tell him what happened to her that night. But she elects not to. She didn't want to worry home. 'Okay, Ollie.'

You can't go on thinking

Nothing's wrong, oh oh

Who's gonna drive you home

Tonight?