Chapter 02 — I'll Be There For You
Zoey picks at her scrambled eggs as she, Clark, Jonathan, and Martha are in the kitchen one sunny morning. While she had gone out of her way to avoid Lex, she made it a point to keep him at a distance. She trusted Oliver. He was one of her oldest friends. And if he was telling her that Lex was a bad guy, she was inclined to believe him. But part of her was confused. If Lex was such a bad guy, then why did he stop and help on the night of the homecoming dance.
Of course, since the homecoming dance, she had become subjected to more bullying by Shane and his friends. She didn't know why they had suddenly become fixated on her. She just wished it would stop. A few weird things had occurred since then: Greg Arkin had attacked people with bugs and a football coach had been attacking players. The only things that the incidents had in common were meteor rocks and Clark stopping each of them.
"This is incredible," Martha says, causing Zoey to look up. The headline and accompanying picture were talking about Lex robbing Smallville Savings & Loans the day before. "Why would Lex Luthor need to rob a bank?"
"I've seen some strange things in my day, but this definitely takes the cake. Well, almost," Jonathan replies.
"He got away with a hundred thousand dollars."
"I know Lex," Clark argues. "It wasn't him."
"Clark, I know that he's a friend of yours, but come on. You saw him with your own eyes," Jonathan points out.
"I don't know what I saw."
"There must be some kind of reasonable explanation for this," Martha says, looking between them. "I hope."
"Me too." They turn to see Lex standing outside of the screen door. "I hate to think I have an evil twin."
"Lex, we didn't hear you pull up."
"May I come in," Lex asks. Martha nods and he enters the kitchen. "I promise I'm not packing heat?"
"Why aren't you in jail," Zoey questions, speaking for the first time that morning. The Kents were very used to Zoey being quiet. The fact that she was speaking so freely to someone outside of their family had caught them all off guard for a moment.
"Because I was hosting a reception for two hundred fertilizer distributors in Metropolis at the time of the robbery," Lex informs them. He hadn't missed the surprised looks that had flashed over the Kents' faces.
"Any leads?"
"None. That's why I wanted to talk to you, Clark," Lex says, turning to him. "Your name was on the witness list. Did you actually see this person?"
"Yeah," Clark answers. "He looked just like you."
"Except his fingerprints and signature didn't match mine. You sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you?"
"What gonna happen now?"
"Hopefully, the money will turn up. In the meantime, the Metropolis tabloids will have a field day, and I'm sure certain people's opinions of me will be cemented in stone."
"I gotta get to work," Jonathan says, then walks out of the kitchen.
"I'm sorry you got thrown through that window. I promise I'm not a criminal mastermind," Lex tells them.
Zoey snorts. "A good criminal would have worn a mask. A mastermind would have robbed the bank without the bank knowing," she mutters, before walking out of the kitchen.
Zoey isn't surprised that Clark uncovers the truth regarding the bank robbery. Tina Greer, one of their classmates and someone who had been infected by green meteor rock was responsible for the robbery. The connection between meteor rocks and people gaining bizarre abilities had become very apparent to Zoey. And yet, she couldn't help but wonder how they never previously made that connection.
None of that mattered the morning when she and Clark walked down the stairs to hear Martha and Jonathan discussing financial matters for the farm. "Fifty-four thousand five hundred and one dollars and thirty-eight cents," Clark says.
"Hey, uh, guys, I'm sorry, we didn't mean for you to hear all that," Jonathan tells them.
"You don't have to protect us," Clark says, glancing at Zoey. She nods. "Is it that bad?"
"Yeah, it's pretty bad. We might have to take out a bank loan," Martha tells them.
"Another one? The interest alone would put us up to—"
"Clark, don't."
"Maybe I can help."
"You already have," Jonathan reminds. "Last season you saved us four part-time hands."
"I'm thinking bigger picture. You know, forget about this whole high school thing and try out for a pro-sports team. I could make a ton of many in endorsements," Clark tells them. Jonathan and Martha exchange unamused looks. "Just trying to lighten up the mood."
"As much as we'd love to see your face on a cereal box, we'd settle for you both getting to school on time," Martha says.
"Why don't you ask Uncle Max," Zoey questions, looking between her godparents.
"You're going to miss the bus," Jonathan pointedly reminds her.
Zoey sighs and walks out of the house with Clark. "Do you think your uncle would help," Clark asks as they walk down the driveway.
"I know he would. Uncle Max has offered and Uncle Jonathan turned him down," Zoey explains as they reach the end of the driveway. The bus pulls up and climb onto it. Zoey automatically takes the only empty seat while Clark joins Pete and Chloe who were sitting in the back of the bus.
It's during lunch when the peace of Zoey's day is interrupted. She looks up when someone sits down across from her and rolls her eyes seeing Shane was sitting there. A brochure for the University of Gotham is in front of her. "I need a scout to show up at the game this weekend," Shane tells her.
Zoey picks up the brochure and drops it on the table. "Leave me alone," she coldly says.
Shane leans in close. "You're tight with the Waynes and the Waynes are big donors to the University of Gotham. Talk to whoever you need to, but make sure this Friday night there's a scout there."
"I don't know who you're talking about."
Shane pulls out a newspaper article and drops it on the table. Zoey was very familiar with the Star City Observer, specifically the Entertainment section that focused more on the lives of Star City's upper-echelon residents. There was a picture of Zoey from her uncle's annual Fourth of July party. In the picture, seated next to her, was Bruce Wayne. "Make sure the scout is there or everyone will know the truth about you."
Zoey's gaze floats across the books on the built-in bookshelves. "Zoey, I hope you haven't been waiting long," Lex says, walking into his study. "I hope your godparents are still coming to the community meeting tonight for local farmers."
"As far as I know, they are," Zoey softly answers. She shifts. "Do you know anyone at the University of Gotham?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't know anyone there. Can I ask why?"
Zoey bites her lip. "My, uh, I guess you could say bully wants me to make sure there's a scout from the University of Gotham at the game this Friday."
Lex leans against his desk, curious. "Is this the same person who dumped red paint all over you?"
"Yes. I normally wouldn't ask anyone about something like this, but, uh, I'm tired of finding rotten food in my locker. And getting pushed into lockers."
"Have you told your godparents?"
"They have enough on their plates to worry about. I don't want to add more. Plus, I think Aunt Martha feels a little guilty since she convinced me to go to homecoming in the first place. I just want to take care of it quietly."
"I'll see what I can do. Does this bully happen to have a name by chance?"
"Shane Burke. He's the running back on the football team. And thank you. I really appreciate it, Lex." Zoey starts to walk out of the study but stops at the door. "Uncle Jonathan…he won't take you up on whatever you offer him."
Lex raises an eyebrow. "You sound very confident about that."
"Uncle Jonathan won't even take an interest-free loan from my uncle, Lex."
"And who's your uncle?"
"Max Carmichael," Zoey states, then walks out of the study.
Monday morning arrives and Zoey finds herself wondering what exactly will happen. She starts to open her locker when a hand slams it shut. Zoey looks up and finds a very angry Shane. "So, the scout from the University of Gotham was at the game Friday night. And he talked with Coach afterward," he coldly begins.
"Now you can leave me alone," Zoey informs him.
"The scout told Coach that while I'm one of the best running backs he's seen this year, that I will not get any kind of offer for Gotham."
Zoey stares at him. "Leave me alone."
"Because someone told them I don't meet their standards for their code of conduct."
"Leave me alone."
Zoey starts to walk away, but Shane grabs her and shoves her into the lockers. She winces at the sharp pain that shoots through her back. "This is your fucking fault and you're going to fix it. I mean it, York. I want a spot—"
"Zoey, are you okay?"
Shane jumps back at hearing the soft voice. He turns to see Lana Lang standing behind him. "Lana," he cooly greets. "Everything's fine. Zoey and I were having a nice chat about…history class. She's fine."
Lana shoots him a disbelieving look. Shane had a reputation through the cheerleading squad for being too pushy. "I'd like to hear that from Zoey, Shane."
Zoey quickly ducks around Shane and makes her way down the hallway. She slips into the nearest girls' bathroom and into an empty stall. She takes a deep breath. She felt like she couldn't win; that it didn't matter what she did, Shane would never her alone. And she knew it was all because someone had taken a stupid picture that didn't mean anything.
"Zoey," Lana softly calls out. "Zoey, are you okay?"
Zoey opens the stall and walks out to find that Lana is standing there with Chloe. "We saw you run in here," Chloe explains. "Clark and Pete are outside, guarding the door."
Zoey blinks. "Why are they guarding the door? It's the girls' bathroom. Shane's not going to assault me again in the girls' bathroom."
Chloe and Lana exchange a worried look. "Zoey, you need to go to Principal Kwan," Lana tells her.
Zoey shakes her head. "It won't make a difference. No one would ever believe me. I-I-I know what everyone thinks of me. That I'm a weirdo who has no friends. That I'm the freak who got dropped on the Kents' doorstep and didn't talk for two years. No one cares about the truth. That I'm a person who had to deal with the trauma of watching my parents die in front of me. And that after they died I was stuck in a car for two days with their dead bodies. Just like I know no one actually cares that Shane Burke has been bullying me since the start of the school year and that he, along with a few of the football players and cheerleaders, poured red paint on me at the Homecoming dance. If Lex had shown up and given me a ride home, I would've walked the entire way home, covered in red paint and freezing. Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Martha complained to Principal Kwan about it and nothing happened. So, telling Kwan about what happened makes no difference."
A silence settles over the bathroom after Zoey finishes her rant. Chloe clears her throat. "I think that's the most I've ever heard you say. Ever."
"I heard some of the senior cheerleaders Carrie'd somebody," Lana begins. "I didn't agree with it. It's part of the reason why I quit the squad. I don't understand how they can do that to someone."
Zoey shifts. "Technically, it was paint and not pig's blood. I think of it as a made-for-TV version."
Chloe laughs. The warning bell rings. She loops her arm through Zoey's and the three of them walk out of the bathroom. "Please tell me how in the hell I missed your dark sense of humor?" They stop, noticing that Clark and Pete are nowhere to be found. "Where did those two run off to?"
"Probably to class," Zoey answers.
"Which is where we should be headed before we're late," Lana adds.
It's around lunchtime when Clark and Pete make a reappearance. They sit down across from Chloe and Zoey at the table. "Where have you two been," Chloe questions, immediately jumping into reporter mode.
"We've been meeting with Principal Kwan," Pete answers. "We're were telling him about what Shane has been doing."
"He's been suspended for the rest of the week," Clark finishes. "Apparently, that scout from the University of Gotham didn't think that Coach would do anything so he stopped by this morning to have a word with Kwan. He was there when we went to talk to Kwan. The University of Gotham has a zero-tolerance policy in regards to bullying."
Chloe scoffs. "More like they don't want to lose that big donation from the Wayne Foundation."
"Why would the Wayne Foundation care about bullying," Pete questions.
"Martha Wayne cared about bullying," Chloe tells him. "After she was murdered, a lot of places in Gotham adopted zero-tolerance policies when it comes to bullying."
Zoey shifts. "Well, I, for one, am glad that Shane will be leaving me alone for a few days. But I do not look forward to when he comes back."
Clark shakes his head. "We won't let anything happen. You should have told me how bad it was."
"I didn't want to bother anyone about it," Zoey weakly defends.
"Zoey, you're our friend. We have your back," Pete tells her. "Someone messes with one of us, they mess with all of us."
Zoey smiles. She finally knew what it felt like to have friends. She knew that it was mainly her own fault. She pushed people away or refused to let them in. "Thank you," she softly says.
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
