Told you this would be up soon! School starts very soon and I'd really like to finish posting by then. I have to warn you. This chapter is a little whammish. But only a little. You'll see. Don't let me discourage you!
Eee. I'm nervous. Okay, here goes.
From Part 8...
Clark curled up on his window seat and stared out into the inky darkness. His mind whirled with too many thoughts to keep straight and organize. Flashes of his day, his past few days, his life before Lois Lane mixed and blended. He’d always looked forward to last period, right? That had always been the case. Not just because of his students. He’d have reacted just the same tonight had it been any other student. Of course he would have. The answer was beyond debating. He would have done the same thing for any human being. The feelings in his heart weren’t the same as they had been for Lana. With Lana, things had been so easy. He hadn’t had to question falling in love. It had just happened. Now things were achingly similar and heartbreakingly different. Clark laid his head on his arm in exhaustion.
“Goodnight stars… goodnight air…goodnight noises everywhere,” he quoted sleepily to himself, recalling years and years of falling asleep to the same story. “Goodnight moon.” Clark paused and got up from his seat. He tumbled into bed, pulling the covers tight around his chin in a mocking version of his childhood routine. “Goodnight Lois,” he whispered to the dark room.
Silence filled the apartment.
Part 9 (and about 2 weeks later)
The sound of her heels scraping against the concrete steps echoed in the air around her as Lois Lane made her way to the door of 344 Clinton Avenue. Every waking moment—and a fair share of her nighttime musings— had debated this action. Lexy’s words the previous night had been like a jury sentence, dully resounding in her head. She could still smell the stale scent of alcohol on her breath when she had uttered the words that had shaken the unmovable Lois Lane.
“It looks like you and Mr. Kent are pretty cozy,” Lexy said softly, a curious gleam in her eyes. “And while you have completed all that we’ve asked of you, it really hasn’t proved anything, has it? You stole some test answers. Big deal. Any thug or sneak could have done it. You got us some fake IDs. An awfully convenient gift, but what does it prove other than the fact that you have some high up connections?”
Lexy paused to take a breath and the girls around her stared in mute silence. Lois’ gaze shifted rapidly from Jill to Lexy, trying to decipher the looks in their faces and to ease the tightening knot in her stomach.
“No,” Lexy continued. “None of those things are what the Rosettes are about, Lois. We don’t just rule high school, we own it. It’s about having fun with no consequences. It’s about a mentality, a certain mindset. Rosettes have nerve. Daring. Smarts. In short, we’re as savvy as any punk gang on the streets and then some. But I’d like to think we pull things off with a lot more flair and poise.”
Lois was getting a little weary of the smug tirade. She skewered Lexy with a glare. “I understand how exclusive the Rosettes are and I feel I’m capable of pulling off whatever you ask of me.” Lois hurried on when she saw Lexy open her mouth to speak. “But I refuse to serve as your flunky, pulling jobs with no benefits. If I don’t move up in the ranks soon, I’m out of here.” Lois took a step forward. “Empty promises mean nothing to me. Now tell me what you need me to do and once and for all I’ll prove my worth and merit.”
The room was silent save for the ticking of the clock on the wall and the light sound of breath being shallowly inhaled. Lois glanced around the room sharply, noticing for the first time the undercurrent of fear throughout. It dampened the area and Lois’ stubborn gaze met five pale, sweaty faces. She turned back to the smugly confident Lexy and grimaced as the sad, frightened faces lingered, burned into her retinas. The cause she was fighting for tripled in worth in her mind. It wasn’t just about snagging a job at the Daily Planet anymore. This was personal. She knew these girls. She knew that in their heart of hearts they had merely been swept away by a bad crowd and the glamour of Lucifer’s star. All save for Lexy Hartness. In the dim light of Jill’s empty kitchen her face was all angles, harsh and unforgiving. A far cry from the beautifully and immaculately made up girl who attended high school with a pretend ditzy attitude. The girl wasn’t innocent. The fact was dawning slowly on Lois as she took in the surroundings and her mind continued to blaze. She had to complete this last task and break the story. So much more was at stake here than she had ever anticipated. More than an unsolved murder, Lexy was the ringleader of a bona fide gang. Gang. The word echoed in Lois’ mind, nagging her.
This was bigger than high school, Lexy had said to Lois a few days ago. This was big. What was big? She continued to stare at the girl. Her elbows were on the table, her Hollister shirt snugly containing ample chest and showcasing her tight stomach. Who knew that behind such innocent lurked something so much darker?
Drugs.
As soon as the thought skittered across her conscious, Lois halted, her eyes growing a fraction wider. Snatches of conversation she had heard and strange events began to snap into place. The major cash inflow she had noticed for Lexy. The special shipment she had overheard Lexy talking to Jill about. The shocking week where Lexy had simply dropped her friendship. She hadn’t been thinking about Lois at all. Rather she had been busy, just she like said.
But busy with school and homework? Or preparing to sell drugs to innocent high school students? Her theory was perfect and it fit. She knew it to be true. Lois kept the dawning realization off her face with a modicum of difficulty. She had no proof. Some brilliant speculation, but Lois knew that Perry White would only accept hard evidence. The only way she would ever get close enough to get the information and facts she needed would be to prove herself once and for all. There was no question now that she had to accept this last initiation and pull it off flawlessly. Lois squared her shoulders and faced Lexy.
“What is my final task, Lexy?”
Lexy’s ice blue eyes never left Lois’ as she gave an innocent blink that fooled and hoodwinked all of Metropolis High.
“Why you need to seduce Mr. Kent, that’s what, Lois.”
Lois noticeably paled as the earth rocked around her. “Excuse me?” She meant to sound imperious but her damn voice betrayed her with a shake.
“You heard me, Lois. You’re obviously one of Mr. Kent’s favorites, so in reality, we’re letting you off easy.”
Lois’ brain was churning, her stomach twisting sharply. This was wrong. They hadn’t asked her to do it. She hadn’t…
“You’re insane if you think Mr. Kent would compromise his integrity and lower himself to sleeping with one of his students,” she ground out.
“Then I suppose we have nothing left to talk about and no business to conduct,” Lexy said thoughtfully, tilting her head slightly, as if appraising Lois’ worth.
At Lois’ mutinous expression, Lexy smiled, though it lent no warmth to her face. “That’s the deal, Lois. Just how badly do you want to be one of us? Enough to compromise your favorite teacher? Though I have to say I think we went a little too easy on you. Who wouldn’t envy your assignment? You’re going to get some mind blowing sex.”
Lois grabbed her jacket and Lexy continued.
“Take a picture of him naked in bed and bring it here in two days. If you do it, you’re one of us. Goodbye Lois.”
Lois ran from the room, fumbling with the front door. She didn’t stop running until her breathing was so ragged she couldn’t stand. Numb, she slumped down the wall of a deserted convenience store. She pulled her knees to her heaving chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them. A cold hand sinuously snaked into her chest and squeezed. She had made her decision. The case was the most important, if not only for her job’s sake but for the innocent kids at risk because of Lexy’s corrupt morals. And that was why she knocked on Clark Kent’s door at 10 p.m., wearing a short black dress and killer heels.
The knock echoed loudly and the sound startled Lois. Oh God, had she really knocked? Was she really going to do this? A black purse swung from her arm, though it seemed heavier than it should be with the weight of the camera inside. When the knob turned, she very nearly fled. Lois’ heart beat a rapid tattoo in her chest and sharp pains stabbed her stomach. And then, before she could rethink everything, it was done and Clark Kent stood in the doorway, blinking sleep and surprise out of his eyes.
“Lois?” His voice was incredulous, his hair mussed. He must have been napping, it was too early for him to have been in bed. She must have stood there quietly for a long while because Clark’s eyes focused and grew more lucid.
“Lois? Are you all right? Is everything okay?”
Oh God, he was acting nice. Why was he doing that? Couldn’t he see she was here to destroy him? “I’m fine,” Lois said, willing her traitorous voice not to betray her. “It’s cold, can I come in?”
“Oh, um, yes, yes of course.” Clark stepped back to allow her to brush past him. He absently finger combed his hair as he shut the door after her.
“I’m sorry about the mess,” he said a little awkwardly. “I wasn’t expecting any company.” Clark was silent for a moment. “How did you which apartment was mine?”
I stole the address from the office. “Oh… just from around.”
Lois realized at that moment that she had done it again. Jumped headfirst without checking the water level. She was flailing and she had absolutely no idea what to say. On the drive over she had only focused literally on her next second. Turn on the car. Change the radio station. Don’t dwell on the act she was about to attempt. She had gotten out of tough scrapes by sheer grit and determination before. She thought she could do it again. Sex appeal. Sex appeal. She knew she had it. She knew Clark didn’t find her repulsive. For a moment the appreciate look she remembered from Clark’s eyes the night he had saved her from Claude flashed in her mind and refueled her determination.
Clark was watching her, an endearingly confused expression on his face. She fought back the urge to giggle a little hysterically. The tension in the room radiated, but she wasn’t sure if it was from her, him or their combined fire. There was nothing laughable here. Somehow she had to convince that gorgeous, straitlaced teacher to strip and pose. Great. Like Clark Kent was some great exhibitionist. The image of him running around in tight spandex flickered across her mind and left her with the ghost of a grin. How ridiculous. Besides, she could tell her was warring with himself. It was painfully obvious that he was uncomfortable with her being there. They stood there in a silence that grew more tangible with every passing second. For once she forced her mind to map out possible repercussions. Clark thought she was 17-years-old. If, by some huge, long stretch of imagination, he fell into bed with her, she knew the emotional effects would devastate him. Even when the truth came out about her true age, it would be no balm for Clark. Clark, who took on people’s problems to spare them the burden. Clark, who took such an interest in his students’ lives’. Clark the teacher. Clark the protector. Clark the lonely. An unbidden image of Clark losing that tight control ravaged its way across her tortured mind and left her knees shaking. She locked them tightly together, distressed by the red tinged chaos in her mind.
If Clark Kent thought he had had an illicit relation with a student, it would tear him to shreds.
“Why are you here, Lois? What are you trying to do to me?” His voice broke and Lois’ breath caught in her throat as she caught the desolate expression in his face.
“Do you need me to say it? Is that it? Is that what you want? Do you need to know the truth? To know that I can barely stand to look at myself in the mirror? That I’ve lied to my parents and lied to myself? That I can’t face my memories or come to terms with my future? You’ve vanquished me, Lois Lane and I don’t think you were even trying. I didn’t want to believe you were trying. But here you are, dressed like this,” Clark broke off and then continued, his voice growing stronger with each word. “I’m quitting. How can I work in that place anymore? How can I stand to live here, haunted by these memories? You had better leave. Please go home. I’m so angry I can hardly see straight but that’s not all.”
Clark had his fingers tightly fisted against his side, sweat dripping down his hair. Lois stared at him openmouthed, the camera weighing heavily in her bag.
Clark heaved a sigh, and visibly seemed to calm down. “Lois, since my wife passed away, I haven’t felt anything for anyone. I could hardly allow myself to feel because look at the risk associated with it. I thought if I kept my heart locked away, nothing would ever touch me again. That was a foolish notion. You came into my life and I have to tell you this. As soon as I do, I want you to leave,” Clark’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Please leave after I tell you this. You have nothing to fear from me. I just want you to be safe. I’m packing my belongings. I’m leaving Metropolis and you’ll never see me again. It’s better like this for you. But please, before I go, grant me this one thing.”
Her voice stuck in her throat and her eyes burned, tears stinging the backs of her eyelids. “Anything, Clark.”
“Let me tell you this: I love you. I know it’s so wrong and I regret the burden I’m transferring to you. I regret that, Lois, but I could never bring myself to regret the love in my heart. It’s shameful and vile, but please believe me when I say it’s sincere. I want you to forget me, but please keep the words in your heart and know that they were heartfelt. Let them comfort you when you’re sad. And when you find someone your own age who you can love back, remember them one last time and then forget. Forget me, Lois.”
The tears weren’t staying behind her eyelids any longer. They streamed down her face silently and she could hardly bear to look into Clark’s face. The face of the man she had almost destroyed without another thought in her head. She chanced looking up into his eyes and they seared into her soul, a sad mixture of regret and anguish. She had to tell him the truth, the whole truth. Her job didn’t matter anymore. The kids at school didn’t matter. Lexy, Jill, their ridiculous gang. Nothing mattered.
Nothing except the man in front of her. The man who was offering, no demanding, to uproot his life and destroy his soul and memories for her. The words spilled out of her, and she had no control over their eloquence.
“Clark, I have to tell you something too. And please promise to hear me out. Do you promise that?”
Clark gave a tiny nod, though he seemed a little emotionally burned out. The anger and passion had left his eyes and now they appeared merely soft.
“You have to let me finish. No interrupting?”
“Yes Lois. I promise,” Clark said. His voice when he spoke was ragged.
“A few weeks ago I banged on the door to the Daily Planet and demanded a job. Perry White, the editor, told me there wasn’t a spot, but I was persistent. I talked to my younger sister, Lucy, and she told me about the girl-led gang at Metropolis High. I returned to the Daily Planet and struck a deal with Mr. White. I would go undercover as a high school student. If I could write a decent exposé, he would give me a job. My dream job.”
Lois paused in her story, watching Clark’s face for some reaction. The color had drained from his cheeks, but he seemed to have taken her “no interruptions” command seriously. He did not speak, so she continued her story.
“I’m 23 years old. I graduated from college with a journalism degree. When I got here, high school was just the same as I remembered. The cliques. The homework. The conversation. It was all things I could handle. But I didn’t count on you, Clark. You were that bit that never truly fit in with my plans. From the very beginning, I found myself looking forward to your class in a way that didn’t fit with my carefully laid plans. Did you know that your class is the only one I actually did my homework for?” She looked at him, a weak smile on her lips, but Clark’s face was stone. She swallowed nervously and continued. “And by and by, I got closer and closer to the gang. I stole test answers and manufactured fake IDs. I kept up the charade with them, but with you everything was so different. I was a different person around them, but around you, Clark, I was me. It was my outlet for all the stress of having this dual life. I felt connected with you. I don’t know if you can believe me, or if you’re repulsed by me, but Clark, please believe me when I say I love you too. I love you back. I’ve fancied myself in love before, but it’s never been this.”
The words finally stopped. Clark was leaning against the sofa, his face still grayish pale beneath his tan. Finally, after a long while, he spoke. “You’re… oh God. You’re not 17?”
Lois shook her head and watched as an internal war raged in Clark’s mind.
“I—I hardly know what to say.”
“It seems like we’re avoiding something important here,” Lois said softly. “We’ve both made some declarations.”
Clark gave her a small smile. “Give me a minute; this is a lot to take in. I can’t believe this. I…” His expression changed. “It’s still meaningless. I still had feelings for you when I believed you were 17. It’s not right. I still need to go, Lois.”
Lois slapped him across the face. “How can you say that this is meaningless? Yes you had feelings for me when you thought I was younger, but news flash, Clark Kent! I’m not underage. I didn’t act that way around you. I didn’t finish the illusion. I have to wonder if my subconscious didn’t just want you to find out. You fell in love with me, Clark and I fell in love with you. The age thing isn’t an issue anymore.”
“The fact that it was an issue in the first place means something important, Lois,” Clark said, setting his jaw mulishly.
“You’re being so,” Lois sputtered for the right word, “
stupid!”
Clark paused. “Stupid? I don’t think anyone’s called me that for at least a good six years. Maybe since high school,” Clark finally smiled. “Are you sure you’re not 17?”
Still on edge and nervous, Lois didn’t have the patience for such good-natured teasing. She grabbed his T-shirt and yanked him down to her level. “I’m going to kiss you, Clark Kent, and you better not run away.”
Lois caught a glimpse of a wide, deer-caught-in-headlights stare before she stood on her tiptoes to meet him halfway and their lips met. The tension drained from her body as he gently kissed her, his hand resting hesitantly on her back. A few moments into the kiss and he snapped, transferring his arm to her waist and pulling her tightly against him. She kissed him harder, releasing weeks of pent up love and lust. She pulled back for a moment, keeping her eyes shut. Her senses seemed magnified in the darkness and she was keenly aware of the light brush of stubble against her chin and his body heat radiating and keeping her warm. She rested her head in the hollow of his neck, tilting up to caress the underside of his jaw with a kiss. His pulse beat erratically beneath her lips and she reluctantly opened her eyes.
“I’m not going to run,” he said softly. He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap on the couch. “But you have to explain something to me.”
Still half drugged by his kisses, Lois nodded her assent and shivered as his large hand cupped her shoulder. His fingers played with the strap of her dress.
“What was the meaning of all this,” he playfully flicked the strap and looked at her inquisitively. “The dress and the time, I mean.”
Lois felt cold ice drench her scalding insides. The camera. Lexy. She had forgotten her assignment. Seduce Mr. Kent. He had her pulled on his lap, she was definitely halfway there. But… There was no way she could go through with it now. And there was no way she could convince him to go along with it either. He deserved better. Lois felt like screaming. Every time she made a step in the right direction she was forced at least fourteen steps back! It was infuriating. It never even entered her mind to lie.
“Okay, so I’ve been on my way to joining the Rosettes, as you know,” Lois began. Clark nodded thoughtfully, his chin gently bumping the top of her head. “They gave me three initiation tasks. My first one was to steal some test answers.”
“From me?”
“No, Redwick. Let me finish. I did that easily enough. Anyway, my second task was to get some fake IDs for the girls. Now that one was a little more difficult, but lets just say I know guys who know guys.” Lois fell silent. She didn’t know how to phrase the next part. “And then last night I got my last test. My test was…” Lois broke off and stood. It was just too intimate sitting there. She paced for a moment and finally convinced herself to just say it. “My last test was to seduce you, Clark.”
