I take a personal day. I think I've earned it. I've earned a lot more than one day but I'll settle for now. I wake up late and don't bother with putting on jeans to go to the coffee shop, completely intent on wearing pajama bottoms for the rest of the day. I'm about to leave when there's a knock at my door.

I open the door to find Lex shifting from foot to foot, brandishing a white paper bag and two cups. "Thought you might like some company. Figured you didn't have anyone else to call in town." I open the door wider in a silent invitation. "I hope you like blueberries."

"More than most berries. Or most blue foods, for that matter."

"Great, cuz I got you a muffin full of them."

"But those coffees are just for you I suppose?"

"Oh yes, of course. Why, did you want one?" I shrug. "I remember last time you were debating between a cappuccino and a mocha so I got you both. Whichever one you don't choose, I'll drink." I giggle a little. "What?"

"You've got a billion dollar company to look after and you somehow remember lil ol' me's coffee order? Just makes a girl feel special, that's all." He smiles, holding up my choices. "I'll take the cappuccino." He looks a little dejected, but hands me my drink. Of course he wanted the cappuccino.

Lex walks around my apartment, letting his fingers trail over the picture of Camille and me at the beach. In the picture, Camille and I are both toting large pink plastic cocktail glasses, our cheeks red from both too much sun and too much alcohol. Camille's arm is slung around my shoulders, hand creeping dangerously close to copping a feel. Her devilish grin reminds me she actually did. "When was this taken?" He asks.

"Spring Break a couple years back. We took a roadtrip to Palm Beach."

"You look happy."
"I was. Happy and drunk." He snickers and takes a sip of his drink, cringing and setting it down on the counter. "I wouldn't mind being drunk right now, if I'm honest."

"Then drunk you shall be." He twirls his keys around his pinky finger.

"You're like a bald genie" He bristles, raising his hand to his scalp.

"I thought the genie was already bald."

"No, he has a ponytail." He sighs.

"Let's get those drinks."

"But it's ten a.m." He shrugs, eyes fluttering around the room.

"Well, then, we'll get mimosas." I nod. A very suitable option. I head towards the door, draining my cup of its frothy goodness. Lex flips open his phone, scrolling and holding it to his ear, a scowl reaching the corners of his mouth. "We have to make a stop on the way."

I nod, grabbing my purse. Lex looks me over.

"Are you really going like that?" I look down at my pajama bottoms with little giraffes on them and my tee shirt sporting a huge donut with a smile on its face and a halo atop its head with the words "sugar is holey" framing its body. I want to nod again, but I know the right answer.

"Do I have to wear work clothes? Technically, this is my day off." He smiles, motioning towards the door.

"Wear whatever you want, just make sure it's something you'd feel comfortable showing up in the tabloids in." I blush, imagining trashy reporters deconstructing the cheeto dust that never quite washed off the thigh of my pjs. So instead I change into fitted jeans with absolutely no cheeto dust on them and a shirt with no smiling donuts on it as Lex waits outside my door.

We drive away from the town, making me question Lex's sense of direction. He coasts to a stop right outside of a farm at the outskirts of town. I recognize the figure strolling towards us.

"Clark! Shouldn't you be in class?" The wide smile on Clark's face stretches a little further.

"Had a free period." He turns his attention to me, confusion clouding his features. I stick out my hand, which he takes tentatively.

"Sarah." He nods.

"How do you do?"

"Pretty damn badly, if I might say so." His mouth twitches into a shy smile, revealing a sharp tooth that pulls at his bottom lip. "How about you? Have you seen Lana yet?" He blushes, shaking out his shaggy curls to say no.

"She's been holed up in her house across the road. Her aunt has probably been taking care of her. I was just about to say hi, see how she's doing." Lex nods, already heading towards the door of a neat and comfortable house across the way which looks like the HGTV embodiment of Kansas.

"We'll stop by, then drop you off at school on our way back into town."

I follow along, biting my tongue from mentioning the sweet promise of day drinking. Clark goes a deep scarlet, looking undecidedly between us and the house. I pull at Lex's arm, making him slow.

"Mr. Luthor, I think Clark would prefer to visit her alone." Mr. Luthor looks between Clark and me, eyebrows knitting together. The corner of his mouth lifts into what I think is supposed to be a pleasant and friendly smile, but comes of instead as a self satisfied smirk.

"He's fine with us joining. Aren't you, Clark?" Clark's eyes bug a little, popping and then dropping to examine his thick working boots.

"I'm sure Lana would want to see everyone."

Seeing Lana is awkward, to say the least. She sits at the coffee table, usually neat hair contorted into a bun slipping off of the top of her head with wisps framing her face. She has on a sweatshirt which drowns her tiny frame and jeans which look like the ones she uses when she paints. She offers coffee and tea, which no one takes her up on.

When she looks at me, she nods, like we're sisters now or something. She gives me a look of kinship and I can't help but feel guilty that I'm still thinking of making myself an Irish coffee instead of having to mope around here for another ten minutes. Clark asks for the bathroom and I kick myself under the table for not thinking of that first.

When he's gone, Lex scoots closer to Lana, taking her hand in his own, and an uncomfortable feeling begins to pool in my stomach, chilling my bones. His smile is warm and sugary in a way I haven't seen before. Lana looks to the side and eventually I can sense her need to slip out of his grasp, which has been lingering longer than either of us like.

"Lana, how are you holding up?"

"I'll be fine. I'll just need time."

"I'm so sorry this happened. I should have reported him to the police when we first fired him."

"It's ok, Lex, it's not your fault."

Lex's other hand comes up to rest on the side of Lana's face. "I couldn't forgive myself if I ever let anything happen to you."

"Could I take you up on that coffee, Lana?" I ask. She startles but then smiles, tugging her hand from Lex's. Clark comes down only to announce that we have to be leaving, meaning I'll have to wait for that cup of joe.

We drive Clark to school, Lex asking how his studies are going, whether he has a date to prom. Clark evades most of the questions, saying studies are the "same old, same old" and that he's not sure he's even going to the prom.

"Why wouldn't you go to the prom? It's a rite of passage for people your age." Clark shrugs, grabbing his backpack and scooting towards his door.

"I just don't think it's in the cards for me." With that, he leaves, running towards the school just as a bell begins to ring.

Lex laughs, shaking his head. "So...mimosas?"

I mean to say "yes", but instead what comes out is "What exactly do you think you're doing with Lana?" All humor fades from his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the fact that you're very clearly trying to bang a not-yet-legal teenager."

"Don't you dare belittle my feelings for her like that. Lana's a good person. She's sweet and beautiful and smart and she's a dear friend, nothing more." Even he seems unconvinced by his line, but he keeps his eyes on the road, not looking into my eyes. "I think maybe we should get a drink some other time. I still have work to do and you should probably rest after everything that's happened." I nod, slamming the car door a little too loudly when he drops me off.