Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Many years ago...

My daily morning routine for high school was always the same for the years I went: wake up an ungodly hour early in the morning (since my dad likely left before I woke up), brush my teeth, shower, get dressed, help my sister, Lena, get ready, and have breakfast before dropping her off and going my own way. Today might have been the first day of junior year for me and the first day of fourth grade for Lena, but I was feeling distracted as I drove to Smallville Elementary to help her get in safely. 

"Are you COMPLETELY sure you have everything?" I asked, feeling my muscles tense up.

Lena nodded as she held onto her light pink backpack, saying, "I do! You know that you don't have to be worried about me, right?" 

I sighed since I knew this would come up eventually. Part of me was afraid of the inevitability that I wouldn't always be there to help her, but at the same time, I knew she was as smart as I was and that she could handle herself no matter what happened. 

"I know you think you're a big girl since you're in fourth grade now, but as your big brother, I--"

She rolled her eyes.

"You have to always look out for me because Dad is too busy and Mom's not around anymore. Lex, I know, you always say that."

"Yeah, but you'll need to hear it again." I said as I pulled up to the school to park. "Come on, let's get you in before you're late for class." 

With that, we got out and I set up her wheelchair. I wheeled her inside, but before I could even get the chance to turn and leave, I found myself freezing up slightly. 

"You know you can go now, right?" Lena asked me. 

Almost immediately, I threw my arms around her in a hug. 

"Please be careful, okay?" 

Lena smiled at me. 

"I will, I promise." 

With that, I sighed in relief and let her go, watching her go off into the hallways. 

Once I made it to Smallville High, I slung my backpack over my shoulder while shaking my bangs out of my face to search for my new locker. I eventually found it, stuffing whatever I could in before looking over my schedule. I had history for first period? If it was science, I would probably feel more awake than I already was. I groaned to myself as I kept my head down to avoid any eye contact with anyone. I didn't want to talk since all I had to do was survive my first day of class. 

I sunk into the desk closest to the front and listened to the teacher's droning through attendance. I could hear the jock next to me snoring louder than a foghorn while using the surface of the desk as a pillow, which didn't really help my mood along with the boring explanation I had been familiar with for the past two years now. It wasn't that I hated school or anything, no, far from it, what I didn't like was being talked down to like I was a complete idiot. Eventually, my name was called. 

"Alexander Luthor?" the teacher asked. 

I groaned upon hearing my full name called as I raised my hand and said, "Here...and I would prefer if you just called me Lex. Only my dad calls me Alexander."

She nodded while I cursed to myself since I knew that this was going to happen more than once like it always did. I spent the rest of class just taking notes, still trying to keep to myself as I normally did. I was always told that there wasn't any time for making friends since they would just get in the way, so I only really interacted with others for group projects. I also sat alone at lunch since it fell in the same category as trying to make friends and be friendly. Besides, it was usually time for me to head to the library.

Once the bell finally rang, I was the first person out to make it to my second period class. It was as repetitive as history was with me correcting the teacher on my name and writing everything down. Honestly, it went like this for the first half of the day, which left Gym class as the last one before lunch. Oh great, running laps was ANYTHING, but fun for me...I stumbled into the locker room to take a shower after doing God knows how many rounds around the gym. 

I changed out of my uniform, but while everyone else went ahead, I took a moment to stare at my reflection: my blue eyes looked tired and I could see that there were bags under them, my brown hair was messier than it was when I dropped off Lena, and I noticed that I was still sweating from earlier. When it came to my looks, I knew that everyone thought I was good looking, but the truth is that I was actually a pretty ugly kid with this awful bowl cut and massive front teeth. I guessed puberty did me a massive favor...

I shook my head at the thought of the past and just made my way to the cafeteria. 

Chapter Text

"A full blown road trip up to Metropolis? Wow, Pete, that's SO cool!" I said while I had lunch with my friends, Pete and Lana. 

"I know, right?! It would've been better if you guys were there though." Pete said as he took a bite of his sandwich. 

"Awww, Pete! At least your summer was actually fun...even if I got lots of neat pictures, I had such a boring summer!" Lana said with a groan. "My dad drove me to look at this giant tree for some reason!" 

I shrugged and said, "I just really helped my Ma and Pa on the farm and played with Krypto all day during the summer. It's not very exciting, but I like it. Sometimes, simple is better, you know?" 

"And of course you spent the whole summer doing chores!" Lana said, laughing. 

"Yeah, that's such a classic Clark move." Pete said. 

I laughed and scratched the back of my head. While I could've done something fun, I knew that more time working the farm was more important compared to running around and having fun. Outside of playing with my dog, Krypto, I worked on trying to master the powers I ended up finding out I had when I turned twelve. My friends sort of knew about these powers since they've activated for the first time during important events like when I flew into a tornado to save Lana or when I ended up sweating so hard that I shot lasers from my eyes and nearly burnt Pete's hair off.

I kept these under wraps during school, even if I could see what was going on in the other classroom with my X-Ray vision or hear what was happening in the hallway. It could be pretty overwhelming with all this, but I was able to go through it with a smile like what Ma and Pa always told me to do. 

"So, uh, what classes do you have next?" I asked. 

Lana and Pete took out their schedules and looked over them before shaking their heads. 

"Ugh, looks like we're all split up for the end." Pete said with a groan. "I have science after this." 

"And I have the theater elective I signed up for." Lana said. 

"Oh...I-I have English." I said nervously. 

I found myself looking over my schedule to avoid showing my disappointment. 

While it was sad that I didn't have any classes with Lana or Pete during the last half of the day, I was excited to meet new people or run into some old familiar faces. I made my way to English class as I happily moved through the hallways to keep my spirits up. I was so distracted that I almost didn't see the person in front of me when I got into the classroom and it almost happened again with the very same student when we got to our desks. I recognized him from Gym class! His tired looking eyes were colored like the sky on a clear sunny day while his brown hair was completely disheveled. 

"Oh! Did you want this desk?" I asked. 

He jumped when he noticed that I was gesturing to one of the desks in the front. 

"Uh, if you don't mind, I would like to have it." my classmate said nervously. 

I nodded with a smile. 

"Okay, I'll just sit next to you then!" 

I slid into the desk next to his, which made him raise an eyebrow while he took out his notebook.

”You know that you don’t have to do all of this, right?”

I shrugged and said, “But you looked like you needed the company. There’s nothing wrong with that.” 

He still looked at me in confusion, but I was able to hold my hand out to him. Despite that, he was able to shake it. 

"Nice meeting you, I guess. We-We have Gym together if I remember correctly." 

I gave him a nod. 

"Sure do! I'm Clark by the way!" I said. 

"Lex..." he said, his voice sounding a mix of annoyed and confused. 

Eventually, the class started and during the attendance, when it got to Lex's name, I could hear him grumbling under his breath that the teachers kept calling him Alexander all day and he had to constantly correct them. I wasn't a fan of him being so upset, so I thought about how to possibly cheer him up when the teacher wasn't looking. However, I could see he was already taking notes. 

"Psst, Lex! What class do you have after this?" 

He looked up from his notebook and right at me. I couldn't tell if he was irritated that I interrupted his note taking or if that was just from everyone calling him by his real name. 

"I examined my schedule so many times today to make sure everything is perfectly organized, so if I'm correct, I think I have science next. You know, it's my favorite subject." 

My eyes immediately lit up as I said, "No way! Me too! Hey, do you think we're going to be lab partners? I'm not much of a science guy, so maybe you can help me out." 

Lex gave me a shrug in response before returning to his notes. I paid attention to the breakdown of the class for the year while I found myself getting excited at the ideas of possible group projects that I could end up doing for this class. Once the bell rang, I followed after Lex. 

Maybe we could find a way to become friends?

We sat next to each other in the front of the science classroom and I couldn't help noticing that Lex's expression had softened a bit. I guessed he wasn't kidding when he said that it was his favorite subject if he wasn't as on edge as he was earlier. 

"Hey, Clark..." I heard Lex say, looking up at me from his notebook. "Uh, thanks for making the last half of this day bearable." 

I could feel my smile widening than it did back in English class. 

"You're very welcome!"

He went back to taking notes as if we didn't even talk, but I didn't mind. Pa always said that sometimes, you might need time to warm up to new people, which I assumed that was the reason why Lex had been so quiet from the classes we had together. Lex always seemed so concentrated from the notes he took while only looking up occasionally to write down anything he might've missed that was on the board. I occasionally asked him for help and he gave it to me. 

I had to admit it, we made a pretty good team...

Chapter Text

The week had gone slower than I expected to be, but at least it was FINALLY Friday now. I was busy stretching during Gym class when Lana (I think that was her name?) came up to me and Clark to join us in warming up. She was nice, but I was still not used to being in a group since Clark immediately had me sit with his friend group during lunch and today probably wasn't going to be any different from that. 

"So...one of the guys is throwing a party at his place this weekend, so are you two coming or what? I need to make sure if Pete and I should go." Lana asked. 

I froze when I heard this request: Me? Going to a party? If I went, who was going to watch Lena if Dad wasn't home? And what if something bad happened while I was gone? I could feel my head spinning from the anxiety. I almost fell over onto the ground, only for Clark to catch me. I felt my face suddenly grow hot and turn red when I saw the way his wild dark curls made his light blue eyes stand out despite the glasses he had on. Wait, what was this feeling? 

"Man, am I glad I caught you!" he said before turning to Lana. "Oh, and about the party, you know I have chores to do on the farm." 

"And I need to watch my sister!" I said, my voice becoming a mix between a squeak and a whimper. 

She shrugged and went back to stretching while Clark helped me up. I just nodded my head to keep my nerves under control and it HAD to be my luck that Clark ended up being my partner during tennis. He moved with unnatural speed and he even hit the ball so hard that I swore that he burnt a hole through the net. I could hardly catch up with him, but he would always smile and wink at me as if he were cheering me on. This felt...wrong, but I shook it off. 

When I managed to get showered and dressed, I found myself looking back at Clark as I walked out of the locker room. What was wrong with me? I was never the type to crush on anyone or even worry about the possibility of romance! But why was this happening now? 

"Well, well, well, welcome back to the table, Lex!" Pete said with a grin when I sat at our usual table. 

I nodded as I took my lunch out and silently ate until I heard Lana say, "Wow, that's an awfully fancy looking lunch. Did you make that yourself or did your parents do that?" 

"I-I actually did it myself since my dad tends to be busy with work." I said, shrugging before stabbing my fork into the salad I made. "So, yeah, I usually pack lunches for me and my sister." 

I almost choked on a piece of lettuce when I saw the way Clark was looking at me in concern. 

"Is that why you always look tired? What about your mom? Can't she help you with the lunches?" he asked. 

I sighed, shaking my head and saying, "She's...not around anymore." 

The entire table fell silent, which made me gulp in worry. Oh no, I killed the mood! Lana covered her mouth with a gasp while Pete gulped, my body shaking in regret. Suddenly, I felt Clark's hand on my shoulder and I almost coughed out the dressing as it burned my throat. 

"Oh, Lex, I'm so sorry." he said with a sigh. "You know we'll be here for you no matter what. It's what friends are for after all!" 

"Yeah, consider yourself a member of the Three Musketeers!" Pete said while gesturing to Clark and Lana.

"But we would technically be the Four Musketeers..." Lana said as she laughed. 

I wasn't sure if I should smile or not, but I eventually found myself doing so. Huh, I guessed it wouldn't be a bad idea to have friends for once...

I walked out of English class with Clark while trying to push out the thoughts of Gym class and lunch from my mind. It still didn't feel right that I found myself being drawn to Clark, but I was open to probably trying something new and treat it like it was some experiment (yeah, that's probably what this was...I honestly didn't have any actual friends, especially in my age group). When we got to science class, I immediately went through the instructions for our first English project of the year. 

"Okay, let's meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school to analyze and prepare for our project at either of our places on the weekends." I said once we sat down. "We decide on our project today after class and read through the text." 

"You're SO good at planning stuff out like this! Maybe you should be the project leader, so I'll follow your lead." Clark said. 

I nodded my head and said, "I'm good at that. So, I plan on telling Lena about our plan once I pick her up from school."

While we were taking notes during the class, I felt Clark tap his pencil on my arm. 

"Hey, just out of curiosity, but is your sister older than you or younger? Can she handle herself while you're gone?" 

I let out a small laugh at the thought of Lena. 

"Lena's not just my younger sister, she's my whole world. She's a smart kid and can handle herself, but I have to help her out as well as care for her since she's paraplegic, not to mention our dad's always working. That's-That's why I'm so tired." 

He gave me a smile and said, "Yeah, I can tell by the way you were talking about her. You must REALLY care for her...in fact, you're a great guy, Lex!" 

My face went red when I heard him. I've never had anyone outside of Lena tell me stuff like that before...

I met with Clark at the library right after school ended, even if I was worried about Lena having to wait for me. We went through the shelves in search of the perfect book for our project. Analyzing a text shouldn’t be that hard…but why did choosing have to be so complicated? 

"Any of Poe's stuff?" Clark asked while holding up a black book. 

I shook my head, saying, "We're going through that in October according to the syllabus." 

I heard him grunt before showing me an impossibly thick looking one. 

"How about Shakespeare?" 

I groaned. 

"Too cliche. We need to be different if we want to stand out from everyone else!" 

Clark nodded and we split up to continue looking around. Naturally, I was still concerned as I looked up at the clock. Yeah, I think I still had time...I examined each and every title on the shelf I was at to figure out something. Everything was either too obvious to do or something my classmates wouldn't even understand, which made my blood boil at the thought of how STUPID they could be (they were probably just jealous of my genius). Then, my eyes settled on a book with a fancy appearance that stood out from the others. 

I ran up to Clark and dragged him over. 

"You found something!" Clark said with a grin. 

"Sure did." I said before pulling the book off the shelf. "So, what do you think?" 

He looked at the title and scratched the back of his head. 

"Wuthering Heights? Doesn't that seem a little too advanced for high schoolers like us?" Clark asked me. 

I smirked in response, saying, "Clark, you've known me for a week now, you know that I like to do things in the advanced way." 

His hesitation turned into a smile, which made my heart beat in surprise. Again, I started feeling strange like I did earlier, my face going red and heated. No! I had to focus on this assignment! I needed to figure out how to outdo everyone in the class. I watched him take the other copy off the shelf, adjusting his glasses to get a better look at the cover. 

"I'll take this one, so we each have a copy!" 

I nodded as I felt the corner of my mouth twitch into a small smile. 

"Smart move...now, let's check these out since I need to get my sister." 

Before I could leave, I tore out a small piece of paper from my notebook and wrote my number down before handing it to him. 

"Oh! I can write mine if you want!" Clark said once he took it from me. 

I watched him do the same, which made me gulp slightly. When I grabbed it from him, I felt his fingers brush against mine for a brief second and I blushed almost immediately. 

"So, uh, yeah. I guess we can read it on our own and I can call you for us to discuss where we're at?" I asked. 

He nodded. 

"Sounds like a plan!" 

Now I was the one scratching the back of my head as I made my way out of the library. 

"See you around, Clark."

Chapter Text

I hummed to myself as I sat at the dinner table and flipped through the book, occasionally writing notes in my notebook to see what to talk about with Lex on what I had read so far. I could hear my Ma coming in as she kissed my head, which made me smile. I could also hear Krypto dashing around outside, possibly chasing the cows around. 

"Ya seem awfully concentrated on that book there." she said. 

I nodded and said, "Yeah, it's for a project for school. We have to get a partner and analyze a book together." 

"And who's your partner, Clark?" Pa asked while he stepped inside and went to grab some water. 

"It's Lex Luthor! We have Gym, English, and Science together." I said.

"Oh! That's Lionel's boy, isn't it?" Ma said to Pa, who nodded in response. 

Lex only mentioned that his dad was busy with work majority of the time, but he always seemed to grimace every time he talked about him. Maybe they didn't get along? I never wanted to ask him since I didn’t want to make him too uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I think so." I said. "He's REALLY smart, probably smarter than Pete is." 

"I didn't think that was possible!" Pa said with a laugh. 

I smiled and said, "Me neither. I've been following your advice and giving Lex some time to warm up to me, so that helps." 

"That's my boy..." he said before ruffling my hair.

"Oh, you big old mush!" Ma said to him. 

I gave them one last grin before returning to my book. 

I dragged the hay bale back to the barn with Krypto running beside me.

I let out a small chuckle before patting him on the head while we walked out together, saying, "Well, that should be the last of it, boy. Since we did tomorrow's chores, I can rest up for once."

Krypto barked in excitement as he ran around me in circles. 

"No, not now...you should rest up." I said. 

"Of course I'd find you out here after doing chores." I heard a familiar voice say. 

I looked up to see Lana walking up to me while Krypto flew over almost immediately and licked her face. I blushed hard as she laughed before Krypto quickly noticed some rustling nearby and dashing off. I let out a nervous chuckle. 

"Just Krypto being Krypto, am I right?" I asked. 

"He's adorable regardless." Lana said. "You up for flying me up to the barn roof like you always do?" 

I nodded and held onto her.

"Hang on!" 

With that, I flew up to the roof before placing Lana down beside me once we got situated. 

"So...yeah, Pete decided to head to the party on his own and I was bored at home since Dad's at this archeological dig." 

"Well, at least this is probably better than the party." I said with a shrug. 

Lana laughed in response, saying, "I disagree! You know I'm a party girl...but I always like being with you." 

I scratched the back of my head before seeing the way Lana shivered slightly

"Y-Yeah, me too...uh, Lana, you're freezing." 

She jumped, shaking her head. 

"No, not really. I'll be fine, I promise."

I didn't really believe her, so I took off my plaid jacket and draped it over her. She looked up at me, which was enough to make me blush. 

"So, uh, did you figure out what book you're analyzing with your partner for English?" I asked.

Lana sighed and said, "I ended up partnered with Chloe Sullivan of all people and she just HAD to go with the basic choice of Romeo and Juliet..." 

"Well, Lex is my partner and we chose Wuthering Heights as our book. He said he wanted to do things more 'advanced' as he always does." 

"That sounds like Lex...I have Art class with him and he's always doing these complicated blueprints." Lana said. "It's impressive, I have to admit."

I nodded, saying, "And that sounds accurate with his whole 'smart guy' thing. I'm planning on meeting up with him tomorrow to talk about what we've read so far for our project." 

Lana let out a hum. 

"He seems to open up more around you, but when it comes to other people like me and Pete, he's withdrawn. Outside of the flight, laser vision, and super strength, you also have making introverts comfortable around you as a superpower."

I laughed. 

"I guess I DO have that effect on people."

Suddenly, Lana kissed me, which took me by surprise.

Chapter Text

"I'm sorry..." I said with a sigh.

Lena looked up from her art project when she heard me, saying, "You've been saying that since yesterday, Lex. I'm not mad at you."

I pushed the glue bottle towards her, my expression softening when I glanced at what she was working on. 

"That's really pretty. Is that a project for school or are you doing it just for fun?" 

Lena glued on a small diamond to the structure.

”It’s for science class. We’re learning about rocks and minerals, so the teacher wanted us to do a model of a cave with these little gems in it and label everything.”

I nodded in response.

”That sounds fun! Let me know if you want any help with anything.” I said.

”I think I’ll be okay, but thanks.” Lena said as she wrote down something on a small strip of paper. “By the way, who’s Clark? You’ve been on the phone with him for a long time last night.”

I blushed hard, trying my best to shield my face out of embarrassment.

”Clark isn’t anyone important! He’s-He’s just my partner for this English project we’re doing, nothing else. It's not like I'm meeting up with him tomorrow or anything!”

Lena raised an eyebrow. 

"And what exactly are you guys reading?" 

I shrugged, saying, "Just this old book called Wuthering Heights. We have to read through it and write papers on it while comparing notes...you'll get to that eventually when you're as old as me." 

"I wanna know what it's about!" Lena said while adding a ruby to her project. 

I laughed and ruffled her hair. 

"You'll find out when you're older. I don't think fourth graders should be reading this kind of thing yet..." 

She scoffed in response. 

"You always say that." 

After a moment of uncomfortably awkward silence, we both just started laughing. 

I gazed up at my ceiling from my bed, the book open on my chest. I had been reading nonstop since I finished helping Lena with her science project, but I couldn't concentrate on anything except for the very thought of Clark. I shook my head before grumbling to myself. No...this didn't feel right at all! I've known him for only a week at this point! Why was I thinking about him like this?!

I debated going to visit him since he wasn't going to that party that Lena was talking about, but of course, I decided against it since I didn't like going to those kinds of things (I already put up with the fancy galas my dad dragged me and Lena to for his work). I groaned before grabbing the book to try and read some more without getting too distracted by my growing interest in my partner. If I had to be honest, I didn't like anyone in this book: Heathcliff only cared about money, Catherine was incredibly selfish, Edgar was a snob, and Hindley was a brat. 

Maybe I could discuss the moral ambiguity of the characters with Clark? Or would I end up rambling like a total idiot? Ugh, I didn't want to look stupid! My brain felt scrambled and I found myself distracted once again, so I put the book down and massaged the sides of my head. 

How was I going to put up with these thoughts eating me up from the inside? This wasn't considered "normal" by society standards and I wasn't sure if I wanted to study this...feeling. There had to be an explanation for this or some kind of hypothesis! Damn it, why can't I think about anything else but Clark?!

The next day, after I said goodbye to Lena, I went downstairs and quickly fixed my hair in the mirror near the door. However, before I could even step outside, I heard the familiar sound of someone clearing their throat, which was enough to make my skin crawl in a mix of anger and fear. 

"Are you going somewhere, Alexander?" I heard my dad ask me. 

I hugged the book close to my chest as if I thought it would protect me while his green eyes glared at me through his glasses. I told myself that I shouldn't feel scared and just go outside to meet with Clark like I promised him the other day, but I found myself unable to move...and I hated it.  

"Yeah, I-I was just heading out to meet with my partner for this...English project." I said nervously as I shuffled around. "We're not friends or anything. Clark, my partner, is just a guy I have a few classes with and nothing else." 

"Clark...I take you're referring to Jonathan and Martha Kent's unusual boy?" Dad said with a raised eyebrow. 

I felt my blood boil when he called Clark unusual, but I ignored the feeling. 

"That's him. Look, like I said, we're NOT friends since I'm going with what you said about me and Lena not needing anything like that. All we're going to do is go through this project and move on with our lives!" 

My dad didn't seem convinced, which was enough to make me sweat slightly. 

"I see. You may go be a useless bookworm as usual, but don't even THINK about befriending the Kent boy. You partially sound like you care for him." 

My heart hurt slightly over being called useless as I wanted to start crying. I gulped, slowly walking outside. However, before I could step away from the door, Dad pushed me away and I collapsed onto the driveway. I heard the door slam behind me while I sat up and cried out in pain before clutching my chest and grabbing the book. 

I told Clark we would meet up not too far from the general store when I called him the other day, so I went over there despite the pain coming from the skid marks I received from the fall. When I saw him, I felt my heart race while I walked up to him. 

"Uh, hi..." I said to Clark.

He grinned at me and I felt my mood lighten up a bit. 

"Lex! I've got so much to talk with you about the book!" he said before gesturing to a nearby bench to sit and talk. "Oh boy, it's a heck of a rollercoaster!" 

I nodded my head as I clutched the book to my chest, wincing when I realized I was maybe squeezing it a little too hard. I REALLY needed to do something about that...

"I agree. Isn't the way that Bronte challenge the class system and moralities of the time fascinating?" 

Clark shrugged, but I had a feeling he understood what I was saying. 

"Yeah, I guess so. However, something's REALLY been bugging me." 

I raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the bench, asking, "Oh really? Do tell." 

"Well, I don't think I liked ANYONE in this book. People can be so terrible and I wished there was something that could've been done about all of this." he said with a sigh. "I think the person I liked the least was Catherine. What about you?" 

Talk about a tough question... 

"I don't like any of them either, but if I HAD to choose, my money's on Heathcliff. What kind of guy kills a dog to get some girl's attention? You didn't even love her since you were too obsessed with the childhood friend dating said girl's brother!" 

He nodded. 

"And I didn't like Hindley or Edgar either. However, part of me felt a little bad for Heathcliff for some reason until the thing with the dog. He could've been a good person, but everyone just treated him terribly, so he decided to be a bad person." 

I playfully rolled my eyes at him and said, "You've got such a bleeding heart! Then again, it's not too surprising from our interactions...no-no offense." 

"Hey, none taken." Clark said to me before gently squeezing my shoulder. "It's also not all that shocking that you were talking about the themes involving the class system and whatnot."

I blushed, wondering if I was being super obvious. Curse my need to constantly be the smartest person in the room! 

"I-I kind of left my notebook at home to show you what I wrote, but all you have to know is that I took SO many notes like I usually do." 

I laughed nervously. 

"Maybe you need a bit of a break? I mean, I took today off from chores to hang out with you, so we probably both needed this."

My throat went dry when I heard that. He...wanted to hang out with me of all people without Pete and Lana being near us? And not during school hours too? Did I just become the luckiest person in the world?

Chapter Text

I sat next Pete in our Math class, eager to start. I still had yesterday's events fresh in my mind on how Lex and I just talked about the book and whatnot, not to mention that I noticed the way he had kept wincing in pain. My X-Ray vision saw that he had scrapes against his chest like he had fallen, so when I asked him about it, he brushed it off and said that he had tripped on the way over. 

"I know what you're thinking and no, nothing special happened at that party sadly." Pete said, which broke my train of thought. “Oh! And the homecoming dance is happening on October 2.”

”But that’s in a few weeks! Time passes so quickly the older you get…” I said.

"Hey, don't freak out, but when Lana and I were in the meeting between the dance committee and the student council to set it up, she asked me to go with her as friends and I said yes. I know you guys went last year and the year before that and I don't want you to think that I happened to break tradition since you guys are basically dating."

It was a no brainer that they knew since Lana was part of the dance committee and Pete was the student council president...Oh no! I realized that Lex didn't know about me and Lana, but I shook it off.

"I'm not mad at all, Pete. Yeah, me and her had been going to every dance ever, but maybe we should change it up a bit for once." 

He tapped his pencil on my arm, saying, "But there's a problem: you need to find a date before it happens. And you know what people might think if you don't go with someone." 

I nodded with a gulp. It couldn't be hard to find a date, right? 

"Keep up, Lex!" I said while we did laps together around the gym.

He ran after me and I also noticed that Lana was tailing close behind. I was admittedly still worried about the dance, but I knew I had to focus on the day before I could even think about who I'll be taking. I didn't want to be seen as a total loser by not going with anyone and part of me was thinking about just staying at home in my room with Krypto resting against my chest. 

“So, are you guys ready for the homecoming dance or what?” Lana asked. 

I looked over at Lex, who seemed as pale as I was at the mention of it.

”Well, uh, kind of…before that, my birthday is on the 28th of September. It’s not a big deal, I don’t like to make it a spectacle.” he said.

I wanted to ask why, but I knew that it might’ve been a sensitive topic. 

"But we should still do something together for your birthday, Lex! Maybe we could get shakes or hit up the arcade after school!" Lana said, smiling at him. 

"I'll-I'll think about it, I guess." Lex said to her while scratching the back of his head. 

Wait, I did that all the time! Was he starting to copy me a bit? I wasn't offended, but it made me curious. I slowed down slightly to let Lana run ahead of me and Lex, so I could run alongside my friend. How was I going to tell him that she and I were dating? 

"Uh...do you have a date for the dance yet?" I asked as I tried to start a conversation with him. 

Lex gave me a nervous look before shaking his head. 

"No, not really. I'm not a dance kind of guy, but I guess I might have to get one or else I'll be seen as bottom of the food chain or worse..." he said with a gulp. 

"A loser?" I said, knowing exactly how he felt. 

"Yeah, that." Lex said. 

I put my hand on his shoulder once we slowed down to stretch out, which made his face turn red.  

"Believe it or not, I don't have one either." 

He looked at me in surprise. 

"You-You don't?" 

I tried to give him a reassuring smile to let him know that he wasn't alone. 

I poked at the corn on my plate during dinner, the threat of the homecoming dance as well as the time limit to get a date looming over my head. 

"You alright, Clark? You barely touched your corn." Pa asked. 

I sighed and said, "I-I don't know, Pa. The homecoming dance is coming up and I don't have a date yet."

"What about Lana? You two went last year and the year before that, so what's wrong? Did something happen between the two of you?" Ma said with a raised eyebrow. 

I shook my head. 

"No, not at all! Pete actually asked her to go with him as friends and she said yes. I'm not mad at either of them since maybe we need to change things up a bit...I'm just scared of being seen as a loser." I said, biting my lip at my parents' reactions. 

"Oh, Clark..." Ma said in concern. 

"There HAS TO be someone you can go with. Ever thought about asking that Luthor boy to go with you as your friend?" Pa said. 

Then, I felt as if a lightbulb went off in my head: I didn't even consider asking Lex! 

"That's it! Thank you, Pa!" I said before hugging him. "I'll call Lex once I finish with dinner!" 

"Always happy to help." Pa said as he patted my head. 

Once I finished eating, I immediately went to my room and grabbed my phone, dialing Lex's number as I looked down at Krypto.

"Wish me luck, boy." I said with a sigh before hearing Lex pick up on the other end. "Hey, Lex, you got a minute?"

Chapter Text

"...And that's how you solve it. It might look hard, but I know you'll get the hang of it eventually." I said as I helped Lena out with her homework. 

I pointed out the equation to her while she nodded. 

"I guess that makes sense. Thanks, Lex!" Lena said with a smile. 

Then, I could hear the phone ringing from my room, so I immediately stopped explaining and gestured her to wait. 

"I'll be right back." I said before running over to answer. 

I almost crashed into my desk when I answered my phone, saying, "How can I help you?"

"Hey, Lex, you got a minute?" I heard Clark ask on the other end. 

I was seconds from passing out when it came to the sound of his voice. 

"I-I was helping Lena out with homework, but I've got time, I guess. Uh, what's up?" 

Clark let out a nervous laugh in response. 

"So, I was talking with my parents about the whole 'no date to the dance' problem and they gave me some good advice." 

I nodded.

"Go on..." 

Clark gulped before asking, "Do you want to go the homecoming dance with me...as friends?" 

If I had a drink on me, I would've spat it out in surprise. He asked me of all people? I wasn't sure what to say as I felt my breath quicken out of excitement...or was it fear? I still couldn't believe it!

"Yeah, of course, sure! I'd-I'd love to go with you!" I said with a nod. "Also, uh, are you doing anything on Saturday? We-We could go to the arcade if you want."

"I'll do Saturday's farm chores on Friday for us to hang out! Oh, this'll be SO much fun!" Clark said. 

For the first time in what I felt like forever, I found myself smiling. 

"Y-Yeah. I should get going with helping Lena out some more, so...see you at school?"

I heard him laugh and my heart pounded in my chest from that. Why was he doing this to me? And why was I liking it so much? 

"You know I'll see you then! Bye!" 

"Sure thing...bye." I said before hanging up. 

Once I put my phone down, I went back to meet up with Lena in her room to continue with the homework. She wheeled back slightly once I came back in, one of her eyebrows raised in thought. 

"Oh no, I know that look." I said nervously. "I'm sorry about leaving you there so suddenly...I--" 

"I'm not mad, Lex. Aren't you going to tell me more about Clark?" she asked as she slowly smirked. 

My face turned red when I heard her mention him. 

"We're just friends! It's not like he asked me to go to the homecoming dance with me or anything!" I said before covering my mouth in shock. 

Lena started laughing while I mentally cursed to myself. 

"You like him, don't you?" 

I nearly choked on my spit.

"N-No! Not like that! We're only going as friends, nothing else. It's not too weird, right?" 

She just shook her head as I cleared my throat and decided to help her out some more. I hated feeling like I was some freak for thinking that someone I called a friend (even if I couldn't say it out loud to risk facing my dad's wrath) was hot, but at least Lena seemed to be on my side as always...

When Saturday came, I immediately rushed to the arcade where I found Clark in the middle of a game of pinball. He looked so focused on it that I couldn't help feeling like it was...no, how could I say that he looked so cute when he got focused like that?! 

I cleared my throat, which made him turn towards me once he finished his game. 

"Oh! Uh, hey, Lex." Clark said.

I smiled and said, "I'm so glad you managed to come meet up with me. I-I thought you probably had chores or something back at your family's farm." 

He shrugged in response. 

"I could never miss out on meeting with you like this, especially if we're going to homecoming! But I thought you would be worried about your sister being alone..."

For some reason, I felt my heart hurt when I remembered that we were doing this only as friends and nothing else. 

"She'll be fine since one of the security guys that works with my dad is babysitting her. Whenever I'm not home or our dad's working, he or any of the others usually watch over her." 

Clark nodded his head. 

"Good to know she always has someone looking out for her! So, uh, what games do you like to play here?" he said while gesturing to everything around us. 

I led him to the skee ball machines right as the high scores started rolling in. I grinned and pointed out my name when it appeared as the highest score. 

"Whoa, is that you?! I didn't really think of you as the gamer type." Clark asked. 

“Isn’t it obvious? You’re looking at the skee ball champion here!” I said with a scoff. "I take Lena here sometimes, so we play the games together. We practically spent all summer in here before school started this year!" 

Clark suddenly tossed me a quarter. 

"I'd love to see it." 

I blushed harder than I think I have ever done before as I slowly put it into the machine and immediately started grabbing the balls before throwing them into the 50 and 100 holes over and over. I could see Clark's amazed expression in the corner of my eye, feeling my confidence boost up. My arms were likely hurting by the end of the game, but I didn't care since I came close to beating my highest score AND I won a free game out of it. I gestured Clark to step forward. 

"Now, it's your turn." 

It was Clark's turn to blush like crazy while he scratched the back of his head with a smile. 

"Uh, did I ever tell you that I don't really know how to control my own strength? I don't want to break the machine or anything like that." he asked. 

"You nearly wrecked the volleyball net during Gym class the other day, Clark, I already know that you're freakishly strong for a sixteen year old." I said before tossing him one of the balls. "Just let me guide and coach you through it." 

He seemed to understand, so I put one hand on his arm. My face turned red again when I realized how...nice his biceps felt, but I was able to snap out of it and led him through it to make sure he threw the balls as gently as possible without destroying the whole machine. I swallowed to keep my nerves under control while telling myself that these feelings and the constant blushing were just the result of hormones (it was the only scientific explanation after all). 

Clark seemed to be getting the hang of it by going from forty points one moment and then fifty the next as I kept reminding him to be gentle. Once he finished the game, I nodded, a small smile forming. 

"Not bad...Not bad at all." I said.

"I'm still a beginner, but we could always learn from each other." Clark said as he smiled back at me. 

My heart started racing while I tried to keep my balance, nearly falling over into a nearby Pac Man machine. No! No! No! This didn't feel right! 

"Is something wrong?" I heard him ask me. 

I almost passed out when he came up to me and shook my head, saying, "N-Nothing. It's fine, it's fine...everything's fine! It's-It's probably getting late and I-I think we should probably start ending home. Excuse my language, but curfew's a bitch and all that..." 

God, I sounded like a total idiot! Clark tried to put a hand on my shoulder, which made my eyes widen. 

"Hey--" 

I flinched out of instinct like he was going to hurt me like my dad would. 

"I-I had fun, so thanks!" 

I immediately ran out of the arcade as I felt like my veins were on fire and I was choking on the air around me. This was SO wrong...but at the same time, it felt like this was the right way to feel about him. Why did it feel like I was on the verge of death though? I couldn't die now! 

"Lex!" Clark said as he walked out and saw me. "Do you want me to walk you home or something? You look like you're going to throw up..." 

"NO! Oh god, I'm sorry for snapping, I feel like such a piece of shit! Anyways, I-I have a question that's been stuck in my head for weeks now." I said, feeling my body shake violently while I backed up against the brick wall of the building. 

His expression went from concern to soft as I gulped. 

"You can tell me anything since you're my friend. What was it that you wanted to ask?" 

I looked up at him, feeling caught off guard by the way his hair was curled and the way his blue eyes shone through his glasses, not to mention how good he looked in plaid. He was amazing, incredible even, and I was fearing that I was a total disaster in comparison with my messy hair, my dumb preppy clothes, and tired looking eyes. How could he be so...flawless? Part of me hated it while the other was in total awe.

"Why...Why are you so nice to me? I don't think I deserve it since I've never had a friend in my whole life. 'You don't need friends, they're disappointing and will only get in the way of success' is what my dad would always tell me and Lena, but when you came in with Pete and Lana...I'm-I'm really not sure how to feel about any of this." 

I could feel the tears starting to run down my face, so I cursed under my breath and started wiping them away. Ugh, I hated getting emotional! When Clark put his hand on my shoulder again, I didn't flinch. My eyes still stung with the oncoming tears as I felt my breath grow slightly ragged. 

"Because I care about you and that's what friends do." Clark said, which made me scratch the back of my head. 

"I-I didn't think you would." I said with a nervous laugh. 

This whole thing felt like something out of one of those dumb romance movies that I suddenly felt the urge to kiss him. Wait, what?! Was it worth going for the plunge or would I just embarrass myself? I just panicked internally until we both heard a scoff. 

"If it isn't the only two guys in the school without a date to homecoming..." Chloe said as she crossed her arms before seeing my reaction. "What's wrong, Luthor? Got nothing to say or have you gone deaf?" 

"Shut up!" I said with a growl. 

"Lex, she does this to everyone. Just ignore her and I can just walk you home." Clark said.

I shook my head, knowing that I had to stand up for myself (and to look impressive in front of him). 

"You should take back what you said, Sullivan! II was having a great night with Clark and I don't need YOU ruining it!" I said, my hands shaking. 

She just laughed and said, "Would you look at that? Two freaks being friends...why don't you go be insane together? That's why you two are NEVER getting dates both to the dance and in general." 

Clark was acting like nothing was wrong (I admired and hated him for that), but I was enraged. 

"I'M NOT A FREAK!" I said while I raised my fist to punch her in the face. 

However, the sound of a car horn beeping was enough to make me stop in place as Chloe smirked. 

"Have fun being dateless!" she said as she walked off. 

Once the car drove off, I felt Clark gently lower my arm down. 

"It's best to just let it go..." he said to me. 

I nodded my head and gestured him to walk ahead to get home. 

Soon enough, it was my seventeenth birthday, but I didn't have time to think about how I was now older or that I finally had a date to the homecoming dance: I HAD to get revenge on Chloe for what she said to me over the weekend! I was too familiar with this feeling since I once stole forty cakes from the elementary school bake sale for not getting first place at the science fair when I was young, so I knew that this should be easy (it also helped that I never got caught for it). But how was I going to get back at her? It had to be subtle like the cake incident. 

Should I spread rumors about her? It felt risky since Chloe was the most popular girl in Smallville High, but I could get some juicy information...What about saying that she was diseased and was going to infect everyone? No, that was too immature. Then, I remembered the dance was coming up and she was obviously a shoe-in for homecoming queen. Wait, what if I somehow rigged the votes for the queen? Maybe doing that would be the best birthday present anyone would give to me...seeing the look on Chloe's face when she ends up being denied of her stupid piece of shitty plastic would make this whole school year.

Yeah, I knew that Clark told me to forget about it and move on, but I couldn't let it slide. My pride was hurt in front of him! Right when lunch started, I found Lana at a table set up for the votes and pulled up a chair next to her. 

"Hey, Lex! Hope you're having a great birthday!" she said. 

I gave her a fake smile in response, noticing the boxes sitting next to her. 

"Thanks. So, this is these are the ballot boxes for the king and queen?" I asked. 

She tapped on them with a nod. 

"Yeah, this is it. Why do you ask?" 

I shrugged to avoid looking suspicious. Hopefully this plan would work out... 

"I thought you might need a little help in sorting out the votes. I know I'm not on the student council or the dance committee, but we're...friends." 

Lana pushed over the ballot box for the homecoming queen and said, "I actually would love if you could sort out the votes for this one, but you have to do it where no one is looking. Even if the results are obvious, I still want it to be a surprise." 

Oh, it was going to be more than just a surprise!

"You can count on me, Lana!" I said as I gave her a salute and took the box from her. 

I immediately went into the mens' room and went into one of the stalls. With that, I sorted out the votes by taking out every single paper that had "Chloe Sullivan" on it and ripping them apart into tiny pieces while the others remained untouched. 

"Damn you, Chloe..." I said under my breath while I threw out the scraps into the trash. 

With that, I walked out to return the ballot box. 

Chapter Text

I finally managed to get my bowtie done before putting my glasses back on and staring at my reflection.  It was the night of the homecoming dance and I was having trouble finding a good color for it to go with my suit (I asked Krypto which one would work and he didn't have much to say), so I ended up just going with red as a bowtie color. 

"So, Krypto...I have another question for you: should Lana and I make things...official?" I asked him. "I'm not much of a label guy, but Lana and I had been talking about calling ourselves boyfriend and girlfriend over the summer. I really do love her and honestly, my nerves are freaking out at the idea of telling her with so many people around." 

Krypto let out a sound that I could best describe as a grumble while I shook my head. 

"I know it's risky, but I saved her life and I DO care about her! I REALLY do! I just need to--" I began to say before the sound of the front door opening caught both of our attentions. 

"Clark! Your friend's here to pick you up!" Pa said. 

Oh, that must've been Lex! 

"Give me a bit, Pa!" I said as I quickly fixed my hair and ran out of my room at top speed. 

When I finally showed myself, Ma gave me a smile while Lex's eyes widened in surprise. His suit looked like it costed more than what my parents make and although he thought that his clothes were stupid, in my opinion, he looked great. 

"Aw, look at my handsome boy..." Ma said, kissing me on the cheek before giving me a hug. 

"Ma! Not in front of Lex!" I said while playfully rolling my eyes. 

She let go of me and I fixed my bowtie as I gave Lex a smile. 

"You look...incredible." he said after a long awkward amount of silence. 

"So do you! Now, let's get going before--" I began to say before Pa stopped me. 

"Now, hold your horses, boys, we should do a quick picture." he said. 

I should've known this was coming! Lana and I always ended up taking a picture together before every dance (well, it was one for me and then another for her to keep), so I guessed that being with Lex wasn't any different. Pa took out the camera. 

On instinct, I immediately grinned, putting my arm around Lex right as the camera snapped two times, the light nearly blinding us. 

"You can keep this, Lex." Ma said as she handed the second picture to him. 

"Oh! Uh, th-thank you, Mrs. Kent." he said. 

After hugging my parents goodbye, I turned to Lex, who was still looking at the picture.

”Ready?” I asked.

He jumped once he heard my voice and nodded his head, his face red as it tended to get whenever he was around me.

”Y-Yeah, of course.” Lex said while following me out the door.

Lex and I met up with Pete and Lana in the gym, which was completely decorated. 

"Whoa, this place looks amazing!" I said before turning to Lana. "You also look, uh...amazing." 

Lana smiled at me and I felt warm inside as the four of us went to grab a table at the back of the gym. Almost immediately, Pete started dragging me and Lana to the dance floor. 

"Come on! I've been in such a dancing mood lately!" Pete said with a grin. 

I looked back at Lex, who was standing by the table, asking, "You coming?" 

"No thanks, you guys go ahead. I was just going to grab dessert and...hang out, I guess." Lex said, shaking his head. "Save me a dance, alright?" 

I gave him a thumbs up before proceeding to dance the night away with my best friends. I occasionally looked back where he was, feeling a little bad that he didn't want to join us, but again, I knew stuff like this wasn't Lex's thing. When I finally managed to get Lana alone to dance with her (Pete was dragged off by Lisa Davis), I gulped. 

"Look, Lana, we've known each other for a VERY long time and we also been dating since sophomore year. We've always been there for each other, right? Well, I've-I've been in love with you since we first talked and...well, would you be my girlfriend?" I said to her. 

Suddenly, Lana threw her arms around me and said, "About time you asked me that! Of course, you can be my girlfriend! I love you too much to say no!" 

We kissed, my heart racing at an intense speed out of happiness. If I was dreaming, oh, I didn't want this to end at all! This was an awesome moment and I was mentally cheering myself on! I immediately felt someone tapping on my shoulder, which made me break away from Lana as we saw Pete standing there. 

"Mind if I take over? I swear, Lisa was being a little too much for me." he asked. 

"Of course not." I said before going off to grab a drink and a slice of cake. 

Once I did, I sat next to Lex, watching him give me a small smile when I did so. 

"You wanted to sit with me? I thought you would be dancing with your friends all night long. You guys seem to be like that and as you know, I never really had a friendship that strong." he asked. 

"Pete asked if he could dance with Lana, so I let him. Besides, you looked lonely and I felt bad that you didn't dance with us." I said while eating my cake. 

Lex seemed surprised by this as he nervously ran his fingers through his hair. I hoped he was having fun despite his jumpy attitude, so I downed my drink once I finished that and the cake. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why so serious?" 

He let out a hum. 

"Just thinking, nothing too big. Hey, Clark, maybe after the dance, could I...talk to you alone?" 

Lex tapped his fingers on the table, almost frantically, so I nodded to make him feel better. 

"Sure thing!" 

Seeing that he probably wanted to get some energy out, I stood up when I once a new song came on and held out my hand to him. 

"Oh! Are you sure? I-I..." he said nervously. 

"Come on! It'll be fun! Besides, I promised you at least one dance." I said. 

His face went red when he took my hand while I led him to the dance floor where everyone was. Despite his jumpy behavior, I was able to get him to dance with me and we had lots of fun. We stood side by side right when they announced the homecoming king and queen, but I saw that Lex seemed slightly disappointed when it came to the results.

I put my hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. 

"Hey, you still have one more year." 

Lex shook it off and got out of my grasp with a sigh.

"I-I think I need a drink." 

With that, he walked off. I was about go after him, but Lana and Pete stopped me. 

"Jeez, what's up with him?" Pete asked. 

Lana shrugged, so we just continued partying until I heard a thump with my super hearing and saw the chaperones dragging a random student away while Lex was grabbing napkins and wiping down his suit, which had a stain on it. I ran up to him as he grumbled curses to himself until he noticed me. 

"Oh...hey..." he said with a gulp. "Sorry, some drunk idiot spilt his drink all over me. Ugh! This suit costs more than what his stupid parents make a year and now it's ruined!" 

I grabbed more napkins and helped him with his suit, saying, "Hey, hey, it's okay. It'll dry off...they kicked him out, so you'll have nothing to worry about for the rest of the night outside of whatever you want to tell me later." 

Lex blushed hard (it was that or the lights just made his face look red) once I finished. 

"I really need to control my temper, I know." 

I shook my head in response. 

"It wasn't that. I just want you to be okay, that's it." 

He just gave me a nod and I stayed by his side for the rest of the night. 

Before I could head home, I went to the parking lot since Lex wanted to talk with me about something. I was curious to know, so I gently leaned against his car once we were finally alone. 

"So...uh, what did you want to talk about?" I asked. 

He gulped before taking a deep breath and saying, "Clark, I-I just wanted to thank you for...well, everything. I was wondering, uh, how did you meet and become friends with Lana and Pete?" 

I wondered where this came from, but since he asked, I knew I wanted to answer. 

"Well, Lana's my next door neighbor, so of course, we've been friends for basically forever and as for Pete? Well, sometime in middle school, I was left hanging on a scarecrow pole by a couple of bullies and I felt super sick." I said. "Pete found me there along with this huge green rock that was nearby. When he managed to get it out of the way with this wheelbarrow and dropped it off into a hole, I felt better." 

Lex nodded and he seemed to have a hint of interest in his eyes when I mentioned the rock to him. I gave him a small smile, knowing that something of unknown (likely scientific) origin like that would get his attention. 

"Cool, I guess."

I smiled, my eyes likely lighting up out of excitement. 

"I knew that would get your attention! What else do you want to tell me?" 

Lex bit his lip in fear, but I was able to give him some more reassurance by squeezing his shoulder. 

"I see you as my best friend!" he said in a panic. "If that sounds too sudden, I'm sorry, but it's the truth..." 

With that, I just pulled him into a hug, much to his surprise. 

"Awww, Lex! You're my best friend too! I'm so, SO glad to have you as a friend!" I said happily. 

Maybe I made his night since I saw him smiling a bit when I did that...

Chapter Text

Ever since Homecoming, Clark and I were closer than ever, much to my shock. Sure, we still sat together at lunch and tried our best to be paired for almost every project, but part of me just wanted to stay by him as much as possible since I still felt amazed from his kindness. We also went to the arcade every Saturday (if either of us had nothing else planned out). Unfortunately, things were getting rougher for me with my dad and I've did the best that I could to try and keep Lena away from it all, but bottling it up at school only resulted in me snapping at anyone who even looked at me weird. 

Halloween wasn't any better since my life was basically a horror show anyways, but I still persisted and tried to act like I was in a good mood by taking Lena trick or treating. Of course, Clark was busy that night, so I couldn't see him. I basically spent the night debating if I should sneak out or not just to get away from it all. However, I decided against it since I felt too cowardly to do so. It was in those incredibly late hours that I realized something in horror: I was in love with Clark Kent. 

Oh god...that's why I felt weird and why I thought it was so wrong! Why did he have to be so charming and sweet? And why did I have to be such an idiot to fall for him?! The "idiot" part was a mix between my insecurities and the heartbreak of finding out that he and Lana were dating. I didn't know who I hated more whenever I looked at them: her or myself. 

Even though Thanksgiving break was coming soon, I didn't really feel any excitement. I was sitting in the library waiting for Clark to talk with him, but he was taking forever and I was starting to get impatient. A random student came up to me. 

"Hey, are you doing tutoring sessions?" she asked me. 

"Fuck off! Can't you see I'm NOT a tutor!" I said, glaring at her. 

The girl just stared at me with widened eyes, which annoyed me even more. Was she purposely trying to make me angry after I was put through hell for the past several weeks?! 

"What are you staring at?!" I asked. 

"Jeez, don't be rude, asshole..." she said under her breath before walking off. 

I rolled my eyes, but faked a smile once I saw Clark running up to me. My heart was also hurting as he smiled back at me, but I could tell it was genuine compared to the one I was doing. He always seemed to carry himself in such a cheerful way, almost as if nothing bothered him at all. 

"Hey, sorry for the holdup, Pete and I were doing some last minute stuff on a project and our homework." he said before noticing my expression. "Hey, what's wrong now? I know you've been acting weird lately, so do you wanna talk about it?" 

"Trust me, you don't want to know about what's been going on with me AT ALL." I said as I swung my backpack over my shoulder and prepared to walk out. 

When I was almost out of the building, I stopped when I felt someone grab onto my arm, turning to see Clark standing there. 

"Stop doing that! You're not my shrink, so I don't have to tell you anything!"

When I groaned and shook my head at him, Clark just stayed by my side. 

"There's no way I'm leaving your side! Lex, you're my best friend and I want to help you!" 

I bit my lip, not wanting to argue as I said, "Just...leave me alone." 

With that, I stormed off to my car and drove home, not wanting to talk with anyone. My blood turned to ice when I saw my dad standing there at the door as he gave me his usual disapproving look. 

"Hello, Alexander." he said before adjusting his glasses. "I take you had a good school day?" 

"You're here early today...what's your game?" I asked while raising an eyebrow.

"There's no game, son. Even though I'm always working, you shouldn't forget that you and your sister aren't the only ones who live here." he said. 

I felt my muscles tense up until I heard the doorbell ring, which made me gulp.

"Go on, answer it." Dad said with a hint of malice in his voice.

I slowly opened the door to see Clark standing there and I felt like this was the worst time ever for him to show up. 

"Clark? What...What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, unable to hide the fact that I was shaking. 

"Let him in, Alexander! You shouldn't let him wait." Dad said. 

With trembling hands, I creaked the door open and let Clark in. 

"Hi, you must be Lex's dad! I'm Clark!" he said with a massive grin on his face. 

I watched them shake hands as my muscles tensed, waiting for the inevitable. 

"Ah yes, you're Jonathan and Martha's boy..." Dad said while nodding. "I hope you're not friends with Alexander here. A kindhearted young man such as yourself shouldn't waste your time with him. I named him after Alexander the Great, but alas, despite his excellent grades, he's not great like his namesake." 

I looked away when I felt tears of anger burn my eyes, but I heard Clark say, "I AM his friend, his best friend actually! He's really awesome and the nicest guy I know!" 

Did he actually mean it or was I just hallucinating that Clark had actually come to my rescue from my worst enemy? I could feel Dad's eyes on me as I wiped the tears away. Then, my muscles tensed in fear.

"I know you probably can't stay long, Clark, but go upstairs to my room. If-If you want, you can meet Lena." I said. 

"But I--" Clark began to say. 

"Do it now!" I said. 

Immediately, he did what I said and I was left alone with my dad. My heart jumped out of shock when he started laughing. 

"You actually went and made a friend?! The best thing you can do with that pathetic country boy is to end that friendship and fast!" he said.

I slammed him against the door with as much strength as I could, saying, "You WON'T talk about him like that! The only way this friendship ends is if either of us dies!" 

Dad shoved me off of him before punching me right in the face. I staggered back as I watched him fix his suit and glasses, but I knew I couldn't fight back much, so I grabbed my backpack and went up to my room. 

"Lex?" Lena asked when I came into my room.