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Hey Leanne, don't forget this one! Hope you can update soon. Pretty please with Clark on top?????? 
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Yeah I know! But we all get to reap the benefits!!Comment
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Chapter Five
Kal quietly fumed the rest of the day. Lois Lane could drive a man, even a Kryptonian man to do something crazy. His eyes widened. He had heard the expression ‘driving me crazy’, now he understood what it meant. That certainly described the young woman known as Lois.
When she’d told the other boy she was seeing someone from ‘back East’, whatever that meant, he had been instantly jealous. Even if he had realised that he really had no right to be. It wasn’t like they were actually a couple, he thought.
Still, Lois had seemed to revel in the fact that he was jealous when she had told him the truth. What he didn’t understand was why was she jealous when he had spent his lunch period with that Mandy girl. He had caught the angry looks she’d shot his way when she’d been sitting with the other girls. He quietly laughed to himself thinking that if she had been Kryptonian and equipped with Kryptonian abilities, Mandy would have been a pile of ashes.
He couldn’t understand why Lois would not just admit it, however. Why did Earth women play these games, he wondered. His father had told him a few stories of the things women did. Not that Louise had done, Jor-El had assured him. Still, in the short time Jor-El had been on Earth, he had seen women acting coquettish, pretending to be shy when flirting with young men or flirting with others in full view of the young man they were trying to make jealous.
He hadn’t liked Mandy. He thought she was too forward for a girl and more aggressive than he liked. He also hadn’t liked what she had done in chemistry class. Kal had seen the way she had deliberately spilled the acid and he’d moved quickly to stop Lois from being burnt with it. He hadn’t failed to catch the vicious smirk on the blonde girl’s face, nor missed the way she had cursed under her breath when he had taken the brunt of her attack instead.
He had one more class, which was economics. Lois wasn’t in the class but then he remembered in her schedule she was down for a journalism class. He was also taking a government class so he could learn more about the way this strange world worked.
Both Mandy and Alicia were in the economics class with him and they began a tussle over who would get to sit next to him. Mandy seemed to win by tripping Alicia up. Kal chose to ignore her and helped Alicia to her feet, glowering at Mandy, who had turned away in a huff. Good, he thought as he followed Alicia to a pair of desks. He hoped the cheerleader had got the message that he didn’t like girls who played such games.
As soon as class was over, he packed up his books and headed out the door. Mandy got there first, smiling up at him.
“So, coffee? The Beanery?”
“I’m sorry, but I must decline,” he said, inwardly wincing at the way it sounded. Wouldn’t a simple ‘no’ have sufficed, he thought.
“But …”
“Mandy,” he said politely, “I am sure you’re a very nice girl, but I am not interested.”
“You bastard!” she hissed.
Had she been one of those odd reptiles he had seen an image of in one of his books, he was sure she would have risen up and bit him or something. Instead she turned, her long hair flying behind her.
Alicia tapped him on the arm.
“Don’t worry about her. Mandy’s one of those girls who likes to think the world revolves around her.”
“I did get that impression,” he replied, walking out with Alicia.
The girl glanced at his books.
“You really should put those in your locker, instead of carrying them home.”
“They are not that heavy,” he assured her.
“Still, there’s kind of an unwritten rule about homework. We leave it until the last minute.”
Kal frowned at her. “Wouldn’t it be better to do your homework first so you have time for other activities?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” she laughed. “What’s your locker number?”
He bit his lip, then recalled what the woman in the office had given him.
“Oh, it’s 312.”
Alicia showed him a row of narrow metal doors installed neatly along the corridor wall. There were about twenty in each row, with one row below. The doors all had some kind of security device.
“Here’s yours,” she said, standing beside one which had the numerals he’d given her painted on it. She frowned at him as he stared at it, confused. “Don’t you know your combination?”
“Uh … we don’t have these where I come from,” he told her lamely.
“That’s okay. I’m sure Mrs Brodie must have given it to you along with your schedule. Here, let me help.”
She took his books from him and began looking through the pile, coming up with the class schedule.
“Here it is,” she said. She showed him how to unlock the security lock and opened the door. “Shove your books in there.”
“Thank you,” he replied, smiling at her.
“No problem. Hey, are you going to the Beanery?”
“Uh, actually, I think I’m expected at the … at home,” he said. “I have work to do.”
“Oh, that’s right. You’re staying with the Kents.” She frowned. “It’s funny. My dad’s in the farmers’ union with Jonathan and he never said anything about them taking in an exchange student.” She bit her lip. “The Kents kind of keep to themselves anyway. I guess it’s one of those things they don’t talk about.”
Kal nodded in agreement, not that he really understood what she was talking about.
“Well, I can give you a ride home if you want,” she said.
“That’s okay. I was going to walk.”
“It’s a long way,” she told him.
“I like to walk.”
She shrugged. “Well, okay. See you tomorrow?”
He smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Alicia.”
Kal had memorised the journey from the farm on the way to school that morning and felt fairly sure he could find his way back on foot. He walked at a normal pace for the humans, still being cautious about using his abilities. He decided he needed the time to consider what had happened that day.
He couldn’t help thinking about Lois and the way she had been jealous of him. He was definitely attracted to the girl, but could he really act on these feelings? He was only supposed to be on Earth for a year, in which time he was supposed to make up his mind what he wanted to be on Krypton.
Jor-El had wanted him to study the sciences. While Kal enjoyed his lessons in botany, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be the kind of scientist his father was. It looked like more than he was prepared to handle. Not that he was lazy, he told himself. It just wasn’t something that interested him.
He liked the stars and the planetary constellations, but that was something Jor-El frowned upon. While there was no actual rule on Krypton that said he had to follow the same path his father had done, the El bloodline was considered to be one of the highest orders on the planet and therefore they must set an example to others.
He sighed as he reached the river and began crossing the bridge. He didn’t understand why his father was being so rigid about this. Why couldn’t he make his own choices about the work he wanted to do?
He stood on the bridge looking out over the water, brooding. He felt sure Lois would not be so pressured into doing what her father expected of her. Whatever it was her father did, he was absolutely certain she would not follow the same path.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a truck passing behind him, heading north. Something seemed to slip from the bed of the truck. On the opposite head, heading toward the item that had fallen onto the road, was a smaller vehicle, very similar to the one that Lois was driving. Kal straightened up, wondering whether he should warn the driver of the smaller vehicle, but it seemed the man was going too fast and it was too late for the warning.
The car hit the obstacle on the road and Kal heard what sounded like a loud bang, guessing that the rubber covering the wheels had burst. The car careened out of control, heading straight for him. The driver looked terrified, his face white with shock, his eyes wide in fright.
Kal hesitated. If he used his powers to try and stop the vehicle, the driver would see, but if he didn’t, the man would surely crash into the barricade and his car would fall into the river. If the impact didn’t kill him, Kal thought, the fall into the shallow water would do it instead. As much as Jor-El had cautioned him about using his abilities, he couldn’t just let the man die.
He stepped aside, moving fast enough to be a blur, grabbing the back of the car and shoving hard enough to turn the out-of-control vehicle so it was no longer aiming at the barricade, in the same direction the man had been wrenching the steering wheel, then used his strength to aid the man, who was frantically pressing on what Kal now knew was the braking system. The engine whined in protest, but came to rest in a ditch at the end of the bridge.
The driver got out, visibly shaken, shivering with shock. Kal ran toward him at normal speed as the man removed the leather covering on his hands, tossing it inside the car, gazing in disbelief at the vehicle.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
The man lifted a shaking hand, combing his fingers through tousled red hair.
“I could have sworn I was going to hit you.”
“Lucky for both of us you didn’t. You would have gone straight into the river. You might have been killed.”
“I don’t even know how I managed to get out of it intact,” the man said.
Kal nodded. “I saw it happening and I just … I didn’t know what to do.”
The redheaded man shook his head looking perplexed.
“I just … I don’t know what happened.”
Kal sighed in relief. At least the man didn’t appear to have seen what he’d done. He glanced at the metal. There didn’t seem to be any marks to give any indication that he’d done anything except stand there watching in horror as it unfolded. Hopefully the man had been in too much shock to have seen anything.
“Are you okay? I mean, do you need me to stay? Or I can contact someone?”
“I have a phone in my car,” the man said. “But I would appreciate it if you would stick around.”
Kal nodded. “Yes, I will.”
The man smiled at him. “By the way, my name’s Lex. Lex Luthor.”
“Kal Novak,” he said, deciding to stick with the name he’d given at school. If the A.I. had done its job, any background check would not reveal any anomalies.
He watched as Lex went to the car and took out a small device, pressing some buttons on it. This must be the phone he’d been talking about, Kal thought, realising it was a communication device of some sort. It was different from the one Martha had used the day before.
Lex walked around his car, inspecting the damage. The front two wheels were damaged beyond repair. Kal saw him sighing, then talking on his phone before returning to sit beside Kal on the riverbank.
“Somebody will be by shortly,” he said. “Thanks for sticking around.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So, where are you from, Kal? I don’t recognise the accent.”
“Eastern Europe,” he said automatically.
“Where in Eastern Europe?” Lex smiled. “It’s a big continent.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter really.”
He could see Lex filing the information away, knowing full well the man would be running some kind of check on him later.
“What brings you to Smallville?”
“My father thought I should learn about other cultures,” he said truthfully. “I’m staying with some friends of his. The Kents.”
Lex frowned. “I don’t know them, unfortunately. I just moved to Smallville myself about a week ago. My father sent me down to oversee the plant.”
“Plant?”
“The fertiliser plant. My father’s Lionel Luthor.”
Kal frowned at him. He remembered what Jonathan had said, but apart from the fact that Jonathan's friend had supposedly been swindled, Kal didn't feel he should judge the son by the father. Kal didn't think it was fair to judge someone firstly based on their parent, and secondly, on someone else's opinion. So he played it safe. “I’ve never heard of him.”
Lex laughed suddenly. “Well, I find that rather refreshing. Especially since, according to people in this town, Lionel Luthor is like the devil incarnate and I’m the son of Satan.”
Kal frowned at him, puzzled by the reference, but didn’t comment, not wanting Lex to think he was completely lacking in intelligence. It was something he would have to ask the A.I. about later.
He found himself liking the rather brash young man, who couldn’t have been more than six or seven years (in Earth terms at least) older than him. Lex seemed highly intelligent although Kal had to wonder if the other man hid behind his intelligence as he also seemed very closed-off. He appeared to be very interested in Kal’s background, however, asking very personal questions, and didn’t seem to like it when Kal turned those questions back on him.
Lex was in the middle of a story about partying at some club in Metropolis, which Kal guessed was the city, when another vehicle arrived. Kal immediately recognised it as Lois’ car.
“Lois,” he said, rising to his feet.
“The Kents called asking where you were,” she said, sounding perturbed.
Kal nodded. “I didn’t mean to worry them,” he replied, gesturing to Lex, who had also stood up. “Lex was in an …” He tried to remember the exact wording, “…accident, and I was just staying with him until his, uh, people arrived.”
Another vehicle turned up, stopping behind Lois’.
“And it looks like they’re here,” Lex told him. “Thanks for waiting with me.”
“Oh, you’re welcome,” Kal said. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Feel free to stop by the mansion,” Lex said. “I’d be interested to hear more about Eastern Europe.”
He nodded, watching as the older man went to speak to the driver of the other vehicle. Lois huffed impatiently.
“Well come on. Get in. I’ll take you home.”
She was silent as she drove to the farm. Jonathan and Martha came out to greet them.
“Oh good, you found him,” Martha said as Lois got out of the car. Kal followed uncertainly. “We thought you might have gotten lost.”
“I found him talking to Lex Luthor,” Lois told the couple. “Appears Lex was in a minor accident and Kal was staying with him to make sure he was okay.”
“Oh, well, that’s good of you, Kal,” Jonathan said, “but we’d prefer you to stay well away from the Luthors.”
“Why? I do not understand. I mean, I know what you said about Mr Luthor and your friend, but ..."
“You don’t need to understand, son,” Jonathan replied. “Just stay clear of them.”
Kal frowned at him. Jonathan seemed so adamant, but he would rather know more. Lex hadn’t seemed like a bad person; certainly not enough to warrant that sort of reaction.
“But why …” he began.
“You’ve got chores to do before dark,” was all Jonathan would say.
Kal looked helplessly at Lois, who just shrugged and waved her hand impatiently. She still seemed to be angry with him, which he supposed he could understand in some respects, but he didn’t understand why she was so dismissive. Had something happened since she’d come to find him in the physical education class?
He immediately set to work, doing his chores, wishing he could use his super speed. He decided not to spend time worrying about what couldn’t be changed right now and became absorbed in the work.
He looked up a short while later to see Lois watching him. She seemed almost mesmerised. He glanced down at himself. He’d removed his shirt, not wanting to get it dirty. He didn’t feel the heat or cold so the temperature didn’t bother him at all.
Lois approached him, her gaze raking over him, her face carefully blank, but he could tell from the look in her eyes that she appreciated what she saw.
“Uh, I brought you some lemonade,” she said.
He realised she was holding a glass in her hand with what he recalled was the same beverage he’d been served the day he’d come to the farm.
“Thanks,” he said, taking the glass from her and sipping the cool, refreshing liquid.
“It’s, uh, hot out,” she commented.
He nodded. She seemed to be struggling for words.
“Uh, so, I should get back to the base,” she said.
“You’re not staying for dinner?” he asked her.
“Would that I could,” she replied quietly with a sigh. He frowned at her.
“I don’t understand.”
“Probably not.”
“You are a very strange hu … woman, Lois Lane.”
She frowned at him and he mentally kicked himself. She was too sharp not to have caught that.
“I should go,” she said, still standing in the middle of the barn, gazing up at him. She seemed to be contemplating something.
He put the glass down on the shelf containing the tools Jonathan used in his work.
“I should get back to work.”
Lois seemed to make her mind up, grasping his arm and standing on tiptoe, capturing his mouth with hers. Startled, Kal didn’t respond at first, but her lips were so sweet and soft and she smelled so good he returned the kiss, his hand going to her waist to pull her closer. He opened his mouth under hers, gently thrusting his tongue in her mouth.
Lois pulled away with a gasp, staring up at him with wide eyes as if she couldn’t quite believe what had just happened.
“I need to go,” she said, turning and running out. Kal started for the door but was too slow, hearing the car start up a few moments later.
What had just happened?
***
Lex strode into the library, pulling off his suit jacket. His houseman, Raines, followed him.
“Have the car towed and then I want every inch of it gone over.”
“Is there anything in particular you’re looking for, sir?” Raines asked.
“I don’t know.”
He sat at the glass table, opening up his laptop and accessing his contacts list, before picking up the phone. The other end was answered after a few rings.
“Phelan, it’s Lex. I have a job for you.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you to dig up everything you can on a Kal Novak.”
“Who?”
“That’s what I want to know. He’s very cagey for some reason. He’s from Eastern Europe but wouldn’t give me specifics.”
His computer beeped, letting him know he had an email. Lex completed the call, telling Phelan to contact him with an update within forty-eight hours. He looked at the email. Instructions to call a number. He dialled it and waited.
“Joe’s Deli.”
“This is Agent Lima. Do you have something for me?”
“You have the wrong number, sir.”
Lex hung up, leaning back in his chair, steepling his fingers, staring into nothing. The phone rang a minute later.
“40 degrees, 45 minutes, 25.47 seconds north, 73 degrees, 58 minutes, 19.12 seconds west. 10pm.”
The phone was hung up with a loud click.Last edited by phoenixnz; 10-05-2015, 02:54 PM.Comment
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Yay Leanne!! I'm so happy you've had time to update this story cause I've really missed it..Poor Kal, he's still confused! Those Earth girls will give him a headache and a half! Ooh but Lois kissed him, I mean really who can resist??? So weird to think that Lex would, of course, still have his hair. Loved the way you changed the bridge incident too, and of course Lex just can't help himself can he? Eww and Phelan is involved too. That man is a total worm. And what are the co-ordinates for I wonder?Comment
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Great chapter. I liked that Kal told Mandy that he's not interested in her and how you changed the bridge accident and meeting Lex. The ending is very intriguing and I can't wait to see where that storyline goes. I also can't wait to see what happens next with Lois & Kal after their kiss.Comment
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What the frack is Lex up to already? Can't he ever just have his a$$ saved by someone and say 'Thank you' and 'let me buy you a beer'? 😠Comment
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I agree Sherry, ungrateful bastard!Comment
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Since the meteor shower didn't happen, of course Lex would still have his hair. As for Kal, yep, he's really confused, and even more so by Lois' behaviour in the next chapter. Speaking of which ...
The answer to some of your questions about Lex are in the next chapter as well. Yes, he is a total worm.
I wanted to change the meeting but Lex will play an important part in the plot, especially with what happened in the last part of the chapter. As for the aftermath of that kiss, read on, my friend, read on.
You're kidding right? Our Lex, be grateful? *snort* You know how he hates a mystery.
Anyways, hop on over to the AFF as I have a little something something awaiting ...
Chapter SixComment
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Chapter Seven
Kryptonians couldn’t read minds but Kal would have given anything to know what Lois was thinking. He’d been in Smallville a month and he still couldn’t figure her out. One minute she was acting like they were the best of friends, the next she was … Kal couldn’t describe it, but in many ways she was like a character in a novel he had read. Yes, Lois was exactly like that Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
She hadn’t kissed him again since that first time, which was a pity. Kal rather liked kissing Lois. He would never admit it to her, but he’d been dreaming about doing more than kissing her.
He wondered if her behaviour had something to do with the fact that he had steered clear of the likes of Mandy and barely talked to Alicia, although the girl was nice enough. She clearly understood that Kal was not interested in her romantically.
Kal sighed heavily, trying to concentrate on the lesson.
“Kal-El, you are distracted.”
He stared at the Brain Interactive Construct. It had chosen to configure itself as a human, albeit a shorter male of the species. It also spoke with an accent similar to those Kal had heard from the young men in the town. Kal wondered if the construct had left the cave while he was in school so it could learn how to assimilate the culture. It certainly seemed far more knowledgeable than he was about the idiosyncrasies of American teenagers.
“I want to know about women. Earth women.”
Brainiac adopted a smirk.
“I am afraid, Kal-El, that is a subject I am unable to assist you with. I can give you facts, but I cannot help you delve into the female mind.”
“Great,” he said sarcastically.
“Since your mind is elsewhere, Kal-El, I suggest we end the lesson for the evening. Perhaps it would be best if we were to end the lessons in assimilation and return to recording data. That is, after all, the purpose of your visit to this primitive planet.”
“They’re not that primitive,” Kal defended. Perhaps technologically speaking they were thousands of years behind Krypton, but their ideas were certainly on a par with his own planet. They too wished to find ways to save their civilisation using peaceful methods.
The artificial intelligence adopted a derisive expression, wrinkling the human nose. Brainiac had no use for human emotions. Or humans in general.
Kal left the caves, making sure the secret chamber was sealed with the tiny crystal his father had given him. The crystal could only be activated by someone with Kryptonian DNA and was safe from detection. He still didn’t want to take any chances.
As he left the cave, a light flashed on the entrance.
“Kal? Is that you?”
Kal shielded his eyes and the light was lowered.
“Lex?”
“I had a guard checking the area,” the older man said, smiling at him as Kal approached. “He told me someone was down in the caves. I thought I’d better come and see what was going on. The last thing either of us want is another rave.”
According to what Kal had learned, the caves had been discovered a couple of years earlier by a girl who was descended from the local Kawatche tribe. Her grandfather was a professor in Native American studies at Central Kansas and they had been searching for the caves for longer than Kyla had been alive.
The land had belonged to Luthorcorp, and Lionel had had full intentions of building an office park, but of course with the discovery of the caves, the land could no longer be developed. Lex had apparently convinced his father there would be better PR in them preserving the caves as a heritage site than bulldozing them and the state government had given them full conservatorship.
About six months after the caves had been discovered, several students had decided to hold a rave which had had tragic consequences. No one really knew what had happened but three students had been killed in terrible accidents not long after the rave. Luthorcorp had decided to have guards patrolling the area to prevent another incident.
“I’m sorry, Lex,” Kal said. “I was studying for a term paper.”
The lie slipped smoothly off his tongue. He had been studying in some respects, although, of course, it hadn’t been for a term paper.
Lex shrugged. “I appreciate that Kal, but you can’t just go into the caves when you feel like it. These caves are a valuable asset to the Heritage Council and if it were discovered that Luthorcorp was allowing you free rein …”
He nodded, trying to seem understanding, even though the constant security presence would hinder his efforts to make his reports through Brainiac. He should have known not to come while there was still daylight. At least when it was dark he had less chance of being detected. A cold wind blew around them and Lex shivered.
“It’s freezing out here,” he complained. “Come on, Kal, I’ll give you a ride home.”
“Thank you, but I …” He’d been going to say he could get there faster on his own but remembered in time that it would be dangerous for Lex to know about his abilities.
An idea came to him and he looked at the older man.
“Actually, I wondered if I could talk to you about something.”
Lex arched an eyebrow at him. “Oh?”
Kal pretended to shiver as the cold wind blew around him.
“You’re right, it is freezing. The mansion is closer, isn’t it?”
Lex studied him thoughtfully, then nodded. He led the way to his Porsche, a model similar to the one he’d been driving when Kal had met him, and they got in.
Once at the mansion, Lex ordered some hot chocolate for Kal and poured himself a small amount of liquid in a glass. Kal remembered from the few visits he’d had to the mansion that Lex preferred to drink a beverage he called alcohol. Scotch to be exact.
He’d talked about the process to create the Scotch, something to do with fermenting and aging and Kal had tuned out very quickly. Lex had made some remark; something to do with Kal’s people preferring something he called ‘Vodka’, but Kal was too young to drink anyway, according to the American drinking laws.
“How about a game?” Lex asked, indicating the pool table.
It was another thing his new friend had introduced him to on his infrequent visits. Pool was a strange game. Each player took a long stick and hit a white ball, which would collide with a coloured ball and the object was to get the coloured ball into a pocket. Kal had slowly realised the game was not just a matter of skill as it seemed to involve a little bit of physics and geometry, or knowing at what precise point to hit the ball to send the next one on the right trajectory and knowing just how hard to hit it.
Lex set up the table as a man came in with a cup of hot chocolate on a tray. Kal took it. Hot chocolate was one of many things he was coming to enjoy about this culture. Kryptonian food was nothing like this. Their dried supplements were ingested like the humans would ingest various medications. It was rather boring.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
“Women!”
Lex was leaning over the table as he took a shot but looked up at him.
“Are we talking women in general or one in particular?”
“Um …”
“Who is she?”
“You’ve met her. Lois.”
“The tall one with the mouth?” Lex nodded. “Yes, I’ve met her. Not my biggest fan,” he grumbled.
Kal nodded. “Yeah, Mr Kent’s kind of …” He decided the rest was better left unsaid. “Anyway, she’s kind of …”
“Contradictory?”
“The thing is, she, uh, she kissed me like a month ago and now it’s like she’s doing her best to stay far away from me.”
“Let me guess. She’s got you wondering which way is up and which is down?”
Kal frowned at the reference.
“I hate to say this, Kal, but none of us understand the fairer sex. That’s why we’re so captivated by them.”
“It’s not just that. She’s always, I don’t know, we always seem to be arguing.”
Lex stood up, his hand on his stick. He grinned.
“Well, I don’t know, Kal. It sounds like love to me.”
Kal rolled his eyes. “That’s not funny. And I don’t think it sounds like love.”
Lex frowned at him. “Haven’t you ever heard the saying: ‘you always pull the pigtails of the one you love’?”
“What are pigtails?”
“Girls, little ones, usually, put their hair up into what looks like tails, one on each side.”
“I still do not understand.”
Lex sipped his scotch. “Well, pulling hair is supposed to hurt.”
Kal frowned. “Why would someone want to hurt the person they love?”
“Well, sometimes love is painful.”
“Have you ever …”
“Loved someone? I was dating this woman a couple of years ago. Helen. She was a doctor. I wanted to get married. She didn’t. She took a research grant at Johns Hopkins instead.”
“But did you love her?”
“Sometimes it’s not about love, Kal. It’s about mutual benefits.”
That sounded rather cold to Kal. He wasn’t sure if his parents loved each other but he knew they loved him, even if his father could be rather distant at times. Then again, he was a scientist and often absorbed in his work.
“What do I do, Lex? I like her and I know she got jealous of me talking to another girl, even if she won’t admit it. I just wish she wouldn’t play games with me all the time.”
“Then maybe it’s time you put all your cards on the table,” Lex said simply.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Have you ever played poker, Kal?”
“No,” he said, wondering what ‘poker’ was.
“Back in the days of the wild west, a lot of the men would make their money from playing poker with their fellow cowboys. A few had the talent to become what they used to call card sharps. These were people who made a living off knowing how to bluff. There used to be a television show called Maverick which featured one such character. Anyway, like I said, these were in the days of the wild west when as they say, men were men.”
“I have seen something like this. Jonathan watches old movies on a Sunday.”
“Then you know the kind of situation I’m talking about. Well, these games could often get rather violent, especially if it was suspected that one of the card sharps was cheating. So, to prevent this, they would tell the players to put all their cards on the table.”
Kal considered this for a moment.
“So you think I should just tell Lois. I’ve tried though. I told her I preferred to be direct.”
“Then perhaps you should try another tack.” Lex walked over to the desk and opened the drawer, taking out two small slips of cardboard. “Here. If this doesn’t work, nothing will.”
Kal looked at the slips Lex gave him. The name Maroon 5 was typed across the top in bold font. He frowned at it.
“Maroon 5?”
“I may not know everything about women but I do keep up with the Billboard charts. They’re apparently the hottest music act around at the moment. Trust me. Take her to the concert and she’ll be putty in your hands.”
“What if she says no?” Kal asked.
“Then you’ll know where you stand with her and you can move on to the next girl. Kal, if Lois is jealous of you even talking to another girl, even if she won’t admit she’s jealous, then she has feelings for you. I guarantee it.”
Since the next day was Saturday, Kal spent the morning doing his chores before heading out to the Beanery. Jonathan had begun teaching him to drive and while it certainly seemed a much slower process than running, it was at least a way for him to get to and from town without anyone detecting his abilities.
Kal listened as Jonathan lectured him about the road rules, his hands on the steering wheel.
“Always keep your eyes on the road when you’re driving. Sometimes it’s not about you being a careful driver but about knowing what the other driver is going to do.”
“So you have to anticipate their actions,” he nodded, recalling one of Jonathan’s first lessons.
“Exactly. You’re doing great, son.”
Kal glanced at the older man, then returned his focus to the road. He often wondered why Jonathan and Martha never had children as they seemed such a loving couple and would have made wonderful parents. Jonathan was kind but firm. They’d had a few little clashes here and there, mostly over his visits to Lex, but when they were working together on the farm, Jonathan would tell him stories about growing up on the farm and about his parents.
Martha had been teaching him to cook and he rather loved baking cookies with her. It was funny, he thought, that most of his pleasures on this planet revolved around food. Then again, since their diet was rather boring, it probably wasn’t that much of a surprise that he would love the food the best.
Kal pulled up beside the coffee shop and put the truck in neutral, turning to Jonathan.
“Why did you and Martha never have children?” he asked.
Jonathan looked a little taken aback, but inhaled and let it out slowly.
“Well, you know Martha couldn’t have children.”
“Why? I mean, couldn’t the doctors fix it?”
“Unfortunately it wasn’t something the doctors could fix.”
“But there had to be another way,” Kal insisted. “I just … I think it’s a shame the two of you were never parents. You would have been good parents.”
Jonathan smiled. “Thank you, son. That’s nice of you to say. I suppose we could have adopted, but the process can be complicated and sometimes expensive. We put everything we had into the farm.”
He glanced out the front windscreen. Chloe and Lana were watching them, clearly having seen them pull up.
“There’s your friends,” he said. “Have a good time and call me when you want me to pick you up.”
“I can get a ride back,” Kal told him. “Thank you for the lesson.”
“You’re welcome Kal,” the blond smiled.
He got out of the truck so Jonathan could slip into the driver’s seat and approached the two girls. Lana smiled at him.
“Hi Kal. Another driving lesson?”
He nodded and smiled at her. “Jonathan thinks I’ll be ready to get my licence soon.”
While driver’s education was taught at the high school, Jonathan had decided it couldn’t hurt if he gave Kal extra lessons. If he’d grown up on the farm, he would have learned much earlier, the older man had told him, as farm kids had to learn to drive various farming vehicles, like tractors.
He followed the two girls inside the coffee shop. Lois was already inside, sitting in their usual booth. Chloe slid in next to her, while Kal had to sit opposite Chloe so Lana could slide in to sit beside the window.
The waitress came over and took their orders. Kal slid his hand behind him to check his back pocket where the tickets sat. Still, he wasn’t going to ask her in front of Chloe and Lana.
She was avoiding him again. He’d tried to catch her gaze but she quickly looked away, flushing. He just didn’t get it. Either she liked him or she didn’t. Why did she have to keep playing these stupid games?
The conversation was nothing very stimulating. Chloe and Lana talked about movies they had seen and an English paper, which Kal had already completed, even though it wasn’t due for another week. Lois would probably leave it until the last minute. He’d noticed that about her. She usually rushed to do her homework and asked Lana to look it over for her. Never him.
Finally about an hour after they’d eaten, Chloe and Lana decided to go to the bathroom. Kal refrained from rolling his eyes. It was another thing he’d noticed about women on this planet. They all seemed to want to go to the bathroom at the same time. What exactly did they do in there anyway? he thought.
Lois continued to avoid his eyes as he settled back in his seat after letting Lana out.
“Uh, Lois?”
She finally looked at him. “Yes?”
“I was wondering … I was given tickets to a concert. Would you like to go?”
“Who’s playing?”
“Maroon 5.” She snorted, looking amused.
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Do I have to give a reason?” she asked sharply.
“I guess not,” he said, sighing, humiliation at being soundly rejected burning his face. “And I guess I have my answer then.”
She frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. I’m gonna go.”
“Wait a minute,” she said as he stood up to leave. “Kal …”
He ignored her, dropping some bills on the table to pay for his share of the food before leaving. He heard her scrambling after him as he left the café but he began walking along the street, his shoulders hunched, hands in his pockets. He thought about running off at super speed but there were too many people on the street.
A hand caught his arm. “Kal!”
“Forget it, Lois. You made your feelings pretty clear.”
She frowned at him, seeming genuinely puzzled.
“What feelings? You just said a concert. You never said anything about feelings!”
“Well, then tell me why you don’t want to go to a concert with me.”
She huffed and chewed on her lip.
“Well, if you must know, it’s because I don’t like Maroon 5. If you’d said Whitesnake I’d have been all over you like a rash.”
He frowned at her, not understanding the reference.
“Then why have you been avoiding me?” he asked. “You’ve gone out of your way to avoid talking to me for weeks.”
She pulled his arm and he let her pull him into the alley rather than fight her.
“I’m not avoiding you on purpose,” she said.
“That’s funny, because that is exactly what it looks like to me.”
She huffed again. “You are such a jerk sometimes, Kal.”
“Me? Why won’t you just tell me what’s going on instead of avoiding the issue?”
She bit down on the corner of her bottom lip, as if she was contemplating something, then fisted his shirt, pulling him closer and pressing her lips against his. Kal was startled for a moment but began to get into the kiss, thrusting his tongue forward to meet hers. Lois whimpered, her arms sliding around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair.
Kal found himself suddenly pressed up against a hard surface, realising she’d pushed him up against the brick wall. He curled his arms around her waist, holding her close. Lois whimpered again, then pulled away slightly, panting for breath. Her gorgeous hazel eyes were wide.
“Uh …” She was turning red, but it was hard to tell whether it was because she was out of breath or it was something else.
“Lois?”
She continued to pull away, breaking the embrace.
“I’ve gotta go,” she said.
“Lois!”
She turned and ran without another word, past Chloe and Lana, who were staring open-mouthed in shock.
“Holy …” Chloe said, for once seeming completely speechless.
“I have to go after her,” Kal said, trying to brush past the two girls. Chloe stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Let her go,” she said. “You and I need to have a little talk.”
“But she …”
He sighed and followed Chloe away from the alley and down the street to a bench. Lana followed silently, her cheeks flushed and eyes appearing slightly glazed. Chloe made him sit down.
“Look, Lois has what I like to call a tightly wound bolt reflex. Don’t ask me where it comes from, I mean, I’m no shrink, but I think it has something to do with why she’s never really had a steady boyfriend. The thing is, Lois … she and her dad have issues.”
“They don’t have to be ours,” he pointed out.
“No, you’re right, they don’t. But she scares easily. Especially when things start to get hot and heavy like they were just now.”
“She kissed me,” he said.
“Maybe she did, but from the looks of things you two were about ready to take a rocket to the moon.”
He frowned at the blonde.
“What are you saying?”
“You want to know the real reason Lois is avoiding you? Because she’s afraid she’s going to do something stupid like she did just now. Look, Lois is my cousin and I love her, but when it comes to you, she doesn’t exactly think or act rationally. Trust me, you’re the first guy I’ve ever known her to ever lose her cool over and it takes a lot for my cousin to lose her cool.”
He knew it. He could sense it when she’d pressed him against the wall. He thought he’d imagined it, but he felt her temperature rising, her heartbeat quickening with desire. He may not know a lot about Earth women, or women in general, but he knew enough. If Lois had been an animal, or rather a different kind of animal, he would have said she was in heat.
She wanted him, and he wanted her just as badly.
He left the girls, telling them he needed to clear his head and wanted to walk back to the farm. He’d done it before and they didn’t question it.
Despite Chloe’s warning to give Lois some space, he found himself heading to the army base. Figuring it would take Lois about fifteen minutes to get home, he walked for a few minutes then ran at super speed, passing the gate at a blur. He’d been a couple of times to Lois’ father’s house and knew where it was.
Lois’ car was in the driveway. Kal glanced at it as he walked up the path to the door.
She opened the door to his knock.
“Go away, Kal,” she said, trying to close the door on him.
“No,” he said. “I can tell you’re upset.”
She ducked her head, clearly trying to avoid looking at him.
“I’m not upset. I’m embarrassed. Now go away.”
“Not until you talk to me.”
She glared at him. “I don’t know what it’s like in your country, but when a girl says ‘no’ in this country, she means ‘no’.”
“I just want to talk,” he told her.
“What part of leave me alone do you not understand? I know you don’t have a problem with understanding English, Kal-El!”
“I’m not going away until you talk to me. What are you afraid of, Lois?”
“I’m not afraid,” she said.
He softened his tone, one foot inside the house.
“Then why are you shaking?” he asked.
She stepped back, looking up at him, her eyes wide with … he wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it definitely wasn’t fear. Her hand trembled as she lifted it to her lip, as if remembering the kiss they’d shared. He could still taste her on his lips, remember the sweetness of her mouth, the delicate scent of her perfume.
“Kal,” she said, sounding almost as if she was about to cry. “Please! Don’t.”
“Don’t what, Lois?”
“I can’t.”
“You’re not making sense,” he said.
She seemed to make a decision, raising her hands and laying them flat on his chest, trying to shove him out the door. He stood still, refusing to let her push him. She continued to try, wailing when her efforts were in vain.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She pressed her face into his chest, not uttering a word. Kal kept holding her.
After a few minutes, she pulled away. He smiled down at her.
“Feel better?” he asked.
She punched his shoulder. “Jerk!” she said with affection.Last edited by phoenixnz; 07-08-2015, 11:03 PM.Comment
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Oh Lois you silly silly girl!!! Forget control and just jump the boy! Or at least let him into your heart. Poor Kal I feel so sorry for him, we women are hard enough to understand when you're born and raised on Earth, let alone Krypton!!! Oh by the way Leanne, thanks for the early birthday present😄Comment
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Great chapter.Comment
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Hope Lois never hears about that one especially when progress has been made with her and Kal in each others arms. *sigh* Now even though it was just advice, it's safe to say that when it comes to Lex, most often than not, you will crash and burn. Hope Kal remembers that and keeps his distance.
Update soon!
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Give up, Lois. You fell, hard.
Amazing chapter!Comment
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great story...
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