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In The Night: The Weeknd
"Hey, hero." Pete walks over with Chloe and Clark as I open my locker.
"How's your neck?" Chloe hugs me and I freeze.
"Uh, it's—it's fine." I reply.
"Sorry. Sorry." She pulls away. "I forgot you don't like being touched. I'm sorry."
"I'll give you a pass, considering." I look at the bag in her hand.
"The rare, sold out sour kind. As promised." She hands me the bag filled with Coke and Mentos.
"Thank you. Alright, all of you, my backyard after school."
"Do we need to bring a hazmat suit?" Pete asks.
"Your body, your choice." I fix my hood on my head and then grab my science book. "So what can I do for you ordinary citizens?"
"Who'd you get for Mister Austin's class?"
"Miles." I shove a notebook into my locker. "What about you guys?"
"I got yours truly." Chloe looks at Clark.
"Condolences."
"Can you guess who Clark has?"
"I don't need to guess. Save me the extra mouth movement." I inquire before Pete and Chloe give me looks, making me exhale. "Oh, don't tell me, Lana Lang." I look at Clark. "Oh my god, just look at his face. You don't have to see it."
"Actually, you might want to." Pete hands me Clark's paper and I look at my name on it.
"You have to be shitting me."
"My exact thought when I pulled out the piece of paper." Clark nods.
"Aw, I think it's great. You two spending some quality time together." Miles walks up and wraps his arm around my neck.
"And on that humble note." I close my locker with a grimace and walk away.
"Hey." Mateo heads over to me.
"Hi." I grin before kissing him.
"Who'd you get for Mister Austin's class?"
"Miles. What a shock." I raise my eyebrows and he chuckles. "How about you?" I pull my hood off my head.
"Lana." Mateo shows me his paper.
"Lucky. Lana's a babe."
"Is there something I should know about?"
"Lana and I briefly dated. It was for like, ten seconds, but..."
"Huh. I guess I have competition then." Mateo tells me.
"She is prettier than you." I nod and he grips my waist, making me laugh. "Hey."
"Oh, yeah?" He kisses me and we start walking down the hallway with our lips still connected.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"You promised me everything would be ready on time." Lana says as I help organize the counter.
"That was before the plumbing started leaking. It hasn't been replaced in years." The construction worker tells her.
"How long will that take?"
"Um, I can't really give you a straight answer, not until I crawl up there. You resurrect the past, you get the problems that come with it."
"Lex Luthor is going to be by later. He's going to need numbers and a timetable. And a better explanation than that."
"Want me to pound him?" I ask as the constructor worker walks away.
"Not yet." Lana tells me and I nod. "Thank you for helping, Brianna. I really appreciate it."
"What are surrogate girlfriends for?" I tell her and she chuckles.
"Is Mateo okay with this?"
"He has no choice but to be, babe." I wink at her and she laughs before a man enters.
"I'm sorry we're not open yet." Lana says.
"It's about the assistant manager position. I know I'm late but if I can get an application." The man tells her.
"Yeah, yeah. Let me just give me a second." She walks over to the desk.
"Great. I really appreciate this, Miss...?"
"Lang."
"Lang."
"Yeah. Just to warn you, my aunt's not taking anymore interviews until next week." Lana takes out a form and a pen.
"Well that's alright. I happen to have all the time in the world. I'm Jude Royce." Jude holds out his hand Lana shakes it.
"Hi."
"Hi. So I understand that Lex Luthor has a stake in this project."
"Yeah. He's one of the owners. Why? Do you know him?"
"Well, a lifetime ago in Metropolis."
"It must have been interesting."
"Well. Let's just say there's a reason he's in Smallville. You know my advice. Stay away from him. When Lex gets involved, things usually turn out badly." The man inquires before walking away.
"Do you know him?" Lana turns to me.
"Never seen him before in my life." I shake my head before I look up at the ceiling. "Oh, man." I look at the leak.
"Yeah." She sighs.
"Let me check up there. Get a closer look."
"Brianna, be careful."
"I know."
"Thank you."
"Anything for you." I say aloud before making my way up to the ceiling and I look the leaking pipe.
"What do you see?" Lana calls out.
"Just your standard leak."
"Brianna Brady." I hear Lex say and I look down, locking eyes with Clark as he enters with him.
"Lex Luthor." I nod at him
"What are you doing?"
"Just hanging out. You?"
"I hear we've sprung a leak." He chuckles.
"Is everything alright?" Clark questions as I look back at the pipe.
"Just a little weirded out." Lana replies.
"Relax, it's just a leak." Lex tells her.
"No, a friend of yours just came by. Applied for the assistant manager's position. He told me to, um, stay away from you."
"What was his name?"
"Jude Royce." Lana hands him the application as I make my way back down.
"What is it, Lex?" Clark asks as I head over.
"When did he leave?"
"Just before you came in." I inform and Lex quickly heads out. "Lex!" I rub Lana's shoulder before following after him. "Lex!" I turn him around.
"Who's Jude Royce?" Clark now stands beside me.
"Trust me, guys. I have no idea who Lana met today, but it couldn't have been him. Don't worry about it. I'm not." Lex heads into his car before killer and murderer start blaring from it.
"What the hell is going on?" I shout and Lex rolls down the windows as a crowd gathers near the car.
"I don't know!"
"Feel under the dash." Clark suggests and I cover my ears before Lex pulls the cd out from under the car.
"Looks like someone decided to get creative while I was inside."
"What were the screams?"
"I assume it's someone's twisted idea of a joke. And a successful one, we've managed to draw a crowd."
"Lex."
"Guys. This really doesn't concern you." Lex drives off and I bite the inside of my cheek.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Let's just get this over with. Fifteen minutes, that's it." I head out of his car.
"I'm counting as we speak." Clark tells me.
"Didn't realize you could count." I open the door and head inside.
"Hello, anybody home?"
"Hey. Pull up a microphone, son." Jonathan sits with Martha at her table. "Hey, Brianna."
"Hi, Jon." I wave. "Martha."
"Hi, Brianna." Martha grins.
"Hi, Chloe. What's going on?" Clark questions.
"Since I couldn't find you all day, I decided to start my biological interview at the beginning. And unlike a certain so-called friend of mine, your parents gracefully agreed to be interviewed." Chloe tells him.
"Chloe's been asking us some very...interesting questions, Clark." Martha nods.
"Thank you. Now we just have a few more to go...so. We were talking about the early days. So what was involved with adopting Clark?" Chloe asks.
"Well, well, um, it was like any normal adoption, I guess." Jonathan replies.
"Okay, well, can you take me through the process? Did it take weeks or months? Did you guys use a lawyer or did you use an agent—I'm out of tape." She takes her tape out of the canard. "That's okay, I'll just get some extra C-90's in my car. I'll be right back." She grins at us before leaving.
"Chloe's researching your life for a school project?" Martha inquires.
"And when did that happen?" Jonathan wonders.
"We just got the assignment today. I didn't know she was going to go Mike Wallace on me." Clark remarks.
"You know, I actually some questions myself about your son, guys." I nod. "Tell me, did he secretly do ballet?"
"No."
"I was asking your parents, Kent, not you." I pat his arm with a grin. "Tell me, did he listen to New Kids On The Block when no one was around? Did he have a shrine of Winona Ryder? Was he a Trecky? Did he bag groceries for the elderly like a good, little boy scout? Did he make friendship bracelets for all of his girlfriends? Oh!" I clap my hands. "Was he a choir boy? I gotta know that one." I urge and Martha and Jonathan start laughing.
"Okay, that's enough." Clark goes to lead me away, but I go around him.
"Jon, Martha, you gotta tell me. I mean, your son is very unique in his own way, but I just wanna get a good glimpse of his early female esteem days."
"You know, here's a thought, why don't you help Chloe?" He leads me to the door with his hands gently on my shoulders.
"Will you at least tell me if he was a Trecky? I need to know so I can cause your son severe physical anguish for the rest of his life!" I call out.
"Shut up." Clark now picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder.
"Hey. Kent, put me down or I'm putting you down!" I warn as he carries me out of the house. "Kent, I'm serious."
"Yeah, I know you are." He now sets me down. "We'll do your interview tomorrow, okay? I got something to do."
"Don't bullshit me, Kent. Just say you're getting your daily Lana fix." I cross my arms. "But tomorrow. My house. Fifteen minutes. Ten, even. That's it." I point at him before walking away.
"What's a Trecky?"
"You can figure it out on your way to church!" I keep walking.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Lana." I enter the Talon. "I got your call. What—" I cut myself off as I see the contractor lying unconscious on the floor. "What happened?" I kneel down to the man.
"I don't know. We walked in and he was laying here." Lana tells me. "Brianna, is he alive?"
"Yeah." I check his pulse. "Yeah, he's alive." I close my eyes in relief as he wakes up. "C'mon." I help the man up before Lana, Clark and Lex join in.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I came in the back door and somebody jumped me. Forced me to let him in then bashed me over the head." The contractor explains.
"Did you see his face?" I question.
"No."
"Look." Clark speaks up and he starts walking over to a wrapped box with a bow is sitting on a table.
"Kent." I lean my forearm again his chest as I keep my gaze on the box.
"What?"
"Shh." I whisper and I start listening for any ticking noises. "Okay, it's not a bomb." I remove my arm from his chest.
"How do you know that?" Clark wonders.
"There'd be a ticking noise. It's faint, but you'll ear it at the very last second."
"That wasn't there when I locked up." Lana informs.
"Call the police." I tell her and she nods before rushing away. "Lex." I walk over to the box to see Lex's name on the envelope. "Your name's on it." I hand over the envelope.
"Zero consequences." Lex pulls out something from envelope.
I now reach my hands out and start to take the cover off the box. I bite the inside of my cheek before fully taking the cover off, now revealing a hand with a ring on its finger.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"You know, you're really good at all this crime scene stuff." Lana tells me as we sit.
"I read a lot." I nod.
"Then you have a pretty amazing mind, Brianna Brady."
"I love you too, babe." I wink and she laughs.
"How are you? How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt when I talk anymore." I fold my hands. "How's Whitney?"
"He's doing okay."
"Good. That's—That's good."
"How you holding up?" Clark walks over and sits down.
"Was fine until it showed up." Lana tells him.
"Yeah, stupid question."
"What kind of sick person would do a thing like that?"
"I don't know. But I've never seen Lex so freaked out before."
"Join the club. That guy warned me. He said everything Lex touches ends badly. How much do we know about him and his past?"
"I want the three of you to know how truly sorry I am about this." Lex walks over. "I promise this won't affect the grand opening."
"We'll be infamous before we even open the doors." Lana gets up and walks away.
"Lex." I now stand up. "Do you know who he is?" I raise my eyebrows.
"Max Kasich. And yes, I know him a long time ago in Metropolis."
"Do you have any idea who might have done this to him?" Clark wonders.
"I don't know." Lex replies.
"What about your old friend, Jude Royce?"
"I doubt it could have been him, Clark."
"Why?" I question.
"Cause he's been dead for three years." Lex tells me.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
I rock myself back and forth as I print out an article on Club Zero in the Torch office. Once it finishes printing, I hand a copy to Clark before taking my own. I head over to Chloe's desk and I sit on top of it before crossing my left leg under me.
"We'll do the interview after this?" Clark breaks the silence.
"Can't wait." I keep reading the article.
"Can't be as excited as I am."
"I'm doing internal cartwheels, Kent." I nod. I then see my father standing against the wall, making me quickly turn back to the article in my hand.
"Now as kind as that sounds, Pete, I really don't feel it falls under the something amazing test." Chloe enters with Pete and Miles and I rub my eyes with my hand.
"What test?" Clark asks.
"I'm not finished. Clark didn't just push Brain Dead away. He put him through a door. I'm talking splinters and broken hinges. How he did it, I still have no idea. The guy was like twice our size." Pete inquires and I share a quick look with Miles.
"Clark, any comments?" Chloe questions.
"Uh, well we were six years old. Twice our size was like three feet tall." Clark nods.
"If you need any more ancient history, ask the source. I've got an appointment at the student store." Pete tells us.
"Have fun, I know I do every morning." I nod with a mocking grin.
"Our very own special club, Bri." He holds out his fist and I bump it before he leaves.
"So the mystery that isn't Clark Kent deepens." Chloe quirks up.
"Mystery?" Clark raises an eyebrow.
"Yeah, since you've continued to play obstructionist, I've had to find information through other means." She picks up a folder. "For instance. I've found that your adoption was done through Metropolis United Charities. But this is the strange part, they were only in business for six months, and what I can tell, yours was the only adoption they handled."
"I can't believe you did this, Chloe."
"You didn't know? I just assumed that your parents would have told you. I mean, weren't you interested?"
"Why would I be? My biological parents are either dead or didn't want me. The point is your prying into my private life."
"I was just trying to be thorough."
"This is a class project. I'm gonna spend a half hour with Brianna. Fifteen minutes, even. That's it, that's all I need. I'm not some mystery for you to solve." Clark grabs his things and walks out the door.
"Clark, I just..." Chloe trails off and I hop down from the desk.
"Did you research me too?" I walk over to her. "After Blair broadcasted my collapse to the whole school, did you research me?"
"Yes." She admits. "But I just wanted to-"
"So you, uh, you know about my dad?" I look down.
"I'm so sorry for what happened to him, Brianna. But I know he'd be proud of his daughter for how far she's come. How much she's changed."
"Doubt it." I leave.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"C'mon, son. The cows aren't going to feed themselves." Jonathan says as we walk through the gate.
"I got it, Jon. Let the suspected Trecky sulk." I take the bag of feed from him.
"I'm not a Trecky. I didn't do ballet, I didn't listen to New Kids On The Block, I didn't have a shrine of Winona Ryder, I was not a church boy and I didn't bag groceries for the elderly." Clark tells me.
"Wow, refusing to help the elderly."
"Wait, I didn't mean-"
"You're a cruel, cruel man." I shake my head. "Better start cracking open that bible and pray for no eternal damnation, Kent." I turn and start to walk.
"I hate you!" Clark calls out.
"Get in line!"
"Late night?" Jonathan asks as I listen in.
"I was helping Lana." Clark replies. "To her credit, she's not gonna let the whole body part incident delay the opening of the Talon."
"That's what happens when you get into business with somebody like Lex Luthor."
"If it wasn't for Lex, the Talon would be a parking garage."
"Son, he cast a very, very long shadow. I just wanna make sure none of you kids get hurt, that's all. Look at what happened to Brianna. She almost died, Clark."
"That wasn't Lex's fault. It was Whitney's. And the past is in the past. The best we can do is look to the future."
"Okay, you got me. Speaking of that, how's Chloe's paper coming along? I'm assuming she's done with her interviews?"
"I'm not sure."
"Look, Clark, if she mentions anything to you about the peas, I'm sorry, it's the first thing that came to mind." Jonathan jokes.
"And if she mentions anything to me about the Metropolis United Charities?" Clark questions.
"I use to think perseverance was an admirable quality."
"Since I learned the real truth, I hadn't thought about the adoption. Dad, Chloe told me that the agency we used was only open six months and I was the only kid adopted."
"Look, son, the process is a really tough one even if you go through normal channels. With you, it was just a little more complicated, that's all."
"Is everything legal?"
"Yeah, it's legal. It's just that...it required a higher level of access than I or your mother had."
"What's that mean?"
"Let's just say it's a very long road from what's hidden in the storm cellar to what's written on your birth certificate. So, you interview Brianna yet?"
"Not yet. But I'm dreading every second of it." Clark exhales and I roll my eyes.
"C'mon, son, you gotta admit she's got a certain charm." Jonathan tells him.
"Charm isn't the word I'd use."
"Quick witted. Funny. Smart. Helpful."
"If you mean annoying, rude, cocky and arrogant, yeah, I agree."
"Dick." I mumble.
"But I gotta hand it to you. Having lunch with her after school three times a week, you're very brave." Clark goes on.
"Jackass." I hear a thudding noise. "You guys hear that?"
"Hear what?" Clark answers.
"I heard it too." Jonathan walks over to me. "The whole herd is just over that rise, we oughta be hearing something." He continues to walk and me and Clark follow him.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
I place a single hand on Clark's bicep as we watch the pesticide people swarm the field from a few feet away.
"What do you think happened? Why would LuthorCorp dump their stuff here?" Chloe continues to take pictures before I see a car pull up, Lex then getting out of it. "Um, I'm going to go take from some different angles." She walks off and my eyes water as I look at the dead cows.
"Mister and Miss's Kent. I have no idea how this could have happened, but I'll do everything in my power to find out. And I'll pay for your livestock of course." Lex walks over to Martha and Jonathan.
"Oh, you think that's how you solve everything, don't you, Lex? Just sprinkle a little money on it and hope the problem goes away. Well, obviously, some things are a little more difficult than that." Jonathan walks away and Martha follows him.
"I didn't think it was possible to fall any further in your father's eyes." He says as me and Clark head over to him. "Obviously, I was wrong. You know, I'd never intentionally allow something like this to happen."
"Does this have anything to do with Club Zero?" I ask.
"I think so."
"You need to tell the authorities everything you know. This just isn't about you anymore." Clark walks off and I follow him.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Alright, well, just tell him that Clark Kent called. Thank you." Clark hangs up as I sit at the table going over the articles. "I'm sorry about the cows. I know you wanted to ride one."
"We both know that's not realistic." I look at another article.
"Who was that?" Martha enters.
"I'm trying to reach Lex. He's not in the office. He's not at the mansion and his cell phone goes straight to voicemail." Clark sighs. "Where's dad?"
"Still supervising the removal of the cows."
"Lex said he'd pay for that."
"Clark, this isn't just about money. We don't know what health threat this poses to us or to our neighbors."
"Martha, I don't think this is Lex's fault." I speak up as Clark heads over and sits next to me. "I think someone is trying to set him up cause of what happened at the night-club." I hold out the article.
"Until this is cleared up, I don't-"
"Mom, Lex has been always good friend to me." Clark tells his mother. "To both of us."
"I know that, Clark. I'm usually the one that defends him, but there are some things in his past that are a little shady."
"I thought in this family we don't look at the past."
"Clark, I grew up in Metropolis, I know the Luthor world. It looks glamorous and fun, but the kids grow up to fast and they can get into trouble. Whatever is happening to Lex is starting to affect you. The both of you. Body parts in boxes and poison cows. Gunshots." She looks at me. "This isn't normal."
"What do you want me to do, mom? Cut him out of my life?" Clarke suggests.
"No, I just want you to cool it off for a while until we know what really happened. Your father and I just don't wanna see you pulled into this problem. Either of you." Martha walks out.
"Listen to your mom, Kent. She knows what's best for you. Whether you wanna admit it or not." I look back at the article.
"What about yours?" Clark asks.
"What?" I crane my neck to him.
"What's your mom like?"
"Your typical standard mom, Kent."
"And your dad?"
"Look, I don't really have time to do an interview. I'll just write down my birthday and what I did in free time when I wasn't high, okay?" I raise my eyebrows before I grab his notebook and pen.
"You weren't in your backyard yesterday after school."
"Yeah, I had a thing. Didn't the others show you my text?"
"Yeah, they did."
"So why are we having this conversation?"
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Chloe enters from the corner of my eye. "How you doing?"
"That depends if it's on the record or not." Clark replies.
"Okay, I deserve that. Look I didn't mean to ambush you with the whole adoption agency thing."
"Hey, you saw a story and you went right for it. That's what journalists do."
"You're right, you're right, and I didn't think about how it would hurt you. And...as much as journalistic instinct rebels, I would much rather have a friend then a subject. So, I'm dropping the whole thing."
"Thank you."
"Can I ask you a question? Totally off the record. Do you ever wonder about your biological parents?"
"Every day of my life."
"Brianna, I'm sorry too. About...what I did. Really, very sorry." She sits on the other side of me.
"You don't control what's on the internet." I tell her.
"But I do control what I search on it. Never again. Promise."
"Chloe, can you please just drop it?" I rub my tired eyes with my hand. "You did nothing wrong. Promise."
"Looks like I'm not the only one doing some digging. What's Club Zero?" Chloe looks at the articles before nudging me.
"Part of Lex's past he asked me to stay out of." Clark tells her.
"Um, oh, by the way, I brought over some pictures for your parents. I figure they could use it for insurance purposes and stuff. I gotta go." She sets down the photos and I look through them.
"Chloe." I furrow my eyebrows.
"What?"
"It's the same guy." I look up at her.
"But he..." Chloe comes back and look at the photos she gave me. "But he's..."
"Apparently not." I get up before stopping.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Still no word from Lex." Clark says as I sit on the Torch desk while rocking my leg. "Nobody's spoken to him since this morning."
"I've pulled the records on your dead guy's license plate. It's registered to a John Smith." I inform.
"Very original." Chloe walks over.
"Agreed. He has an address in Metropolis and he does not work for the CEP."
"How'd you do that?" Clark walks over with furrowed eyebrows.
"I hacked into the DMV database." I hop off of the desk.
"Okay, woah. Look at you." Chloe lightly punches my shoulder.
"I will later in the bathroom mirror." I nod and she chuckles. "Chloe, call Metropolis PD and have them go to that address."
"What's going on?" She asks and I take out the handgun from the back of my jeans. "Woah, woah, Brianna. Where the hell did you-
"Call Metropolis PD." I take out the clip and check the ammo.
"Why?"
"Lex may be in serious trouble." I shove the clip back it before cocking the gun. "Now, you want something that's not on the internet and off record?" I turn back to face her. "After I collapsed, the police thought I was lying about what happened. So they sent me to juvie. Mountain Youth. Stayed there for a week." I place the gun in my hoodie pocket. "Miles was the only one who visited me. Who wrote me. Any chance he got." I pause. "Disoriented. I guess that comes closest. Disoriented. Fear, confusion—all those things. But disoriented comes closest. I felt like I'd been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else. For a while I thought I was trapped in some coma dream, something I might not wake up from, ever. Until I did. After getting half of my life choked out of me by a girl who hated my father because he put her dad away for first degree murder of his wife and rape of his son. Maybe you can start your paper with that." I look at Clark while nodding and I leave.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Kasich." Clark whispers to himself and we run over to the scene to see a body bag being carried out.
"Excuse me. Did you find anyone else in there?" I ask and the police officer shakes his head. "Do you know where we can find Club Zero?"
"You're six months too late, Miss." The officer tells me.
"What do you mean?"
"Well it closed down. It was an old warehouse on 78th and Main."
"Stay here." Clark tells me.
"No." I follow him.
"I'm serious, Brianna." He turns to face me. "Just stay here. I'll call you later. I just want you safe." He now walks off.
"Gonna have to take more than puppy eyes, Kent." I see him super speed away before I start to run.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
I enter the building with my gun raised as I see Lex fly through the aquarium.
"Lex!" I get back as gunshots are fired at me.
I crouch down before Clark enters the building. I see him use his super speed to run across the room and push a couch underneath Lex as he's falling. Clark then runs up the stairs, knocks the contractor into a column and out, runs back down and enters this time moving at normal speed. I exhale before scoffing.
"Lex!" Clark shouts.
"Get down. A man with a gun is up there." Lex inquires.
"Where?" He asks and I place my gun in my pocket before rush over.
"You mean that guy?" I point to Jude up top.
"Brianna?" Lex questions.
"You okay?" I kneel down and take the ropes off his wrists.
"You just saved our lives."
"What happened?"
"I have no idea. How did you guys find me here?"
"The internet." I inform. "And what did I say about telling me what to do?" I look at Clark before I get Lex out of the straightjacket.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Hey, Brianna." Lana greets as I enter the Talon with Mateo. "Hi, Mateo."
"Hey." I grin.
"The place looks great, Lana." Mateo looks around.
"Thank you." Lana smiles.
"Hey, Clark. Hey, Lex."
"Mateo Morris?" Lex holds out his hand.
"That I am." Mateo shakes it.
"Brianna's mentioned you quite a bit."
"She has?"
"All good things."
"Don't lie to him." I shake my head.
"You're not funny." Mateo kisses me.
"Really? Cause I think I am. Lana does too, right?"
"Off the charts." Lana chuckles and I hear glass shatter from afar. "I better get back to work." She walks off.
"I'll help." Mateo tells her. "Be back in a bit."
"Like you'd cross my mind." I inquire and he kisses me before leaving.
"Almost too nice." Lex comments.
"Okay, you can leave too now." I mock a grin.
"How about I thank you?"
"For?" I furrow my eyebrows.
"Saving my life." Lex softly hug me.
"You saved mine back at LuthorCorp. Guess we're even." I nod.
"Not even close." He rubs my shoulder before walking away.
"Did I give you enough for your report?" I cross my arms and lean against the counter.
"It would make a good project." Clark nods.
"Glad I could save your grade." I nod back.
"I said it would make a good project. I never handed it in."
"Do I even wanna know why you did the stupid thing you did, Kent?" I turn to him with a hard fence.
"Cause after carefully sorting out the vulgar feelings I have towards you, you went against the rules for the assignment. You promised me a fifteen minute interview and I'm not letting you leave until I get it."
"Good luck with that." I turn and start to walk before I'm picked up by the waist.
I clench my jaw as he carries me back over to the desk. He sets me down and I turn to him with a glare. Clark looks down at me with raised eyebrows, making me glare at him even harder.
"I can do this all day." Clark inquires.
"So can I." I tilt my head up at him and we start to stare at each other.
"When and where were you born?"
"August 8, 1987 in Denver, Colorado." I say after a few seconds.
"After collapsing on the field that night, how did it make your perspective on life change?"
"It made me realize that all sins committed are just to fill the void."
"Can you elaborate further?"
"Before I turned to substances, I was doing other things with my friends. And at the time, the only thought I kept thinking was, we're all gonna die anyway, so who cares? And I just kept acting like it didn't bother me, and that I didn't care, and that I wasn't angry. But I was. I was really angry. And I didn't wanna admit that, so I took it out on other people. My mom, Miles, Layton. I hurt them and the worst part is, is that I didn't even remember what I did cause I was so out of it. I was too fucked up. I still don't remember. But they somehow found it in their hearts to forgive me. To take me in, to give me a second chance. And when I see myself collapsing on that field, I just think about how I would be dead. How it would be all over if I wasn't given a second chance. Cause if Miles wasn't in my life, I would be dead." I nod and he slowly nods back.
"What's the greatest memory you have of your childhood?" Clark asks and I see my father standing a few feet away, making me thickly swallow with watery eyes.
"Uh, pass."
"You don't remember?"
"I do. Pass." I turn to him and he nods as I feel a tear drip off my eyelash. "I think I gave you more than enough, Kent." I turn and quickly wipe my face before walking off.
Why am I seeing him again?
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
🪐🌙✨🚀🌌☄️
clark willing to fail his assignment just to spend more quality time with brianna🥰 and i'm so fucking sore from the concert, but it was worth it!!
PULL THE TRIGGER
his dimples make me weak
four years later
christ
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