It Doesn't Do Well to Dream

Chapter 6

Peyton froze as she stared at the photograph on the magazine cover. She had forgotten all about their little run in with the paparazzi. Her gaze shot from the picture up to the couple staring down their noses at her and she grit her teeth behind closed lips.

Wonderful. This was just what she needed.

"What do you want to know," she hedged. If their expressions were anything to go by, the question hadn't done her any favors.

"What were you doing running around Metropolis," her not-mother asked shrilly.

"Without any security," her not-father added.

Peyton couldn't help but roll her eyes a little and gestured to the doorway.

"Ok, first of all, I invited Lex to dinner and he's right here."

Merrill actually let out a gasp as Lex stepped into view and bowed his head briefly in a respectful greeting.

"Mr. and Mrs. Woods, nice to see you again. I hope I'm not imposing."

Samuel grunted a bit suspiciously but still stood to shake his hand.

"Not at all," Merrill said before her husband could speak. "I suppose it's not often that Peyton has friends over. Go ahead, have a seat! The first course should be in shortly."

Lex pulled out a chair for Peyton and she shot him an amused look as she quietly thanked him and sat down. He followed suit in the chair right next to her. Samuel shook out his napkin and put it back in his lap.

"You still need to explain why you ran around the city unaccompanied," he pressed.

For some reason, Peyton felt that explaining she needed to get out of the house because she was really an adult from another universe trapped in their daughter's body wouldn't go over too smoothly. Usually people didn't take that sort of news very well. Perhaps it said something about Lex that he had accepted it so quickly. She cleared her throat to stall a moment longer.

"Oh, well, you see, with it being so close to Christmas I thought I could go get presents for-"

Lex kicked the side of her foot under the table and when she cut her eyes at him he subtly shook his head.

"Ha," Peyton faked laughed. The expressions on the parent's faces said just how much they were about to buy into that story. "Can you imagine," she asked in a higher voice. "For real though, like, Lex and I needed a break from our project, ok?" She sighed in a very teen drama-esque way. "Is that so bad? You guys were working and Metropolis isn't that far away. Sheesh."

She cut her eyes back over to Lex and he vaguely nodded in approval.

Samuel continued to frown.

"You know we have a rule about going out with an escort. Perhaps you don't realize just how dangerous it is for you with-"

"Oh, Samuel, I'm sure she understands now, don't you dear? Let's talk about this another time; we have a guest."

"A guest who was running amok with her. Going to lunch and holding hands," he added with distrust growing in his voice.

Peyton slapped her forehead into her hand and groaned.

"We're just friends, uh... dad. Please don't be weird about this."

When she looked to Lex again he just shrugged marginally and played up a look of disappointment. Peyton glared at him before rolling her eyes again.

Dinner finally arrived after that and Peyton was blessed with a distraction and a few moments of quiet as everyone started eating.

There was barely the sound of metal on porcelain as everyone started on their bowl of soup.