“So how’d you’re parents take it?” Pete asked Clark as they walked out of school. It was already a few days after that night in Metropolis and this was the first time Clark had been to school since then. “I tried to call you up and ask, but your mom said you needed to rest.”

Clark shrugged uncomfortably and frowned. “Yeah, I know,” he apologized. “I was in bed for about two days with a major headache; I could barely talk at times. Which was probably not a bad thing,” he muttered. “My dad kept apologizing to everyone and my mom wanted to know everything that happened with Sarah, and of course, I couldn’t tell her anything because I didn’t remember a thing about it.”

“Wait a minute. So you’re telling me you remember walking home with me…” Pete started.

“And the next thing I know, we’re all driving down from Metropolis and it feels like someone’s planted a metal spike in my forehead,” Clark finished uncomfortably. For some reason, every time he thought about Sarah, he’d find himself getting nervous, awkward. He supposed that it was perfectly natural, but he couldn’t talk to anyone, not even his parents, about it. Something always stopped him. Pete noticed it and glanced at him quickly.

“What’s the matter now?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Clark said immediately. “I’m fine.”

“Sure you are,” Pete nodded sarcastically. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, honest,” he tried to put him off. Glancing up ahead, he noticed Lana and Chloe sitting at a picnic table and waved to them. “How are you guys doing?” he asked quickly, sitting down besides Chloe. She smiled at him and shrugged listlessly. There were a number of dark bruises that Clark could see on her jaw and arms, but they didn’t seem to bother her too badly. Lana had gotten off relatively easy, when compared to Chloe. She moved a little stiffly, but there weren’t any visible bruises on her.

“Oh, we’re just fine this morning, Mr. Kent,” Lana joked with him. “Chloe and I were just discussing going out for boxing next year. Maybe even the wrestling squad.”

“You’ve got my support,” Pete said, touching the top of his head gingerly. “You wouldn’t believe the size of the lump I woke up with after Chloe went all “Fight Club” on me.”

“Hey, if anyone was going insane, it was you, buddy boy,” Chloe said hotly. “I was just a little innocent girl defending herself.”

“Mmm…,” Clark muttered, nudging her gently with his shoulder, “well, I’m certainly glad I’ve got this little, innocent girl watching out for me.” Chloe nudged him back, her face practically glowing.

“Glad you feel that way,” she said. Then her smile fell away and she looked down at him seriously. “But you are going to have to earn another rescue, Kent.”

“What?” Clark laughed.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“I’m serious,” she told him, biting into her lunch. “I’m thinking three dinners at least ought to buy you another rescue. But if you want the cavalry to come running, the price goes up to two gifts. And for me to nurse you back to health,” she laughed, “you better break out the chocolates.” He rolled his eyes and opened his lunch as everyone laughed. All in all, things were starting to get back to normal, he thought.

“It’s not every day I get asked to do this,” Principal Kwan said lightly, staring over his desk. “We don’t make a point of admitting felons back in at this school.”

“Yeah, funny policy, that,” Sarah remarked. She shifted around in her seat and touched her jaw lightly where it was still bruised. “And you might want to check the note on the bottom there. All the charges were dropped.” She nodded to the folder he held and smiled brightly at him.

“Yes,” he muttered. “Rather convenient, but that’s what I’d expect from having a lawyer for a father.” He flipped through the pages idly, scanning the contents.

Sarah smiled at him and toyed idly with the nameplate on his desk. “Yep, my dad. It was all him, and Mr. Hanlon the prosecutor, and nice old Mr. Udel, the judge. They were all really helpful.”

“I see there’s a few comments in here from the officer in charge of your arrest,” Kwan said, holding up the paper.

“That would be Ms. Sawyer,” Sarah frowned. “She wasn’t so helpful.”

“I can see that,” he said, reading. “She does everything here but call you a sociopath- no, wait. Yes she does. ‘Arrogant, manipulative, dangerous…’” he said reading out loud. “So tell me,” he finished, looking up at her, “why should I even consider letting you back in here?”

Sarah leaned back in her chair and glanced out the window. From her vantage point, she could see Clark and Chloe and the rest at their table, laughing together. The bruise on her head started to ache again suddenly. Her smile dipped into a sneer, and then grew larger.

“Do you really want to know why?” she asked him, still looking outside.

“I’m waiting,” he said testily.

“I want back in because of everything I’m missing; friends, love, affection, hell, even a moment’s kindness would be nice. I want everything I can’t have, and you know what?” she turned to him. “I’m gonna find a way to get it even if it kills everyone in this sorry excuse for a town. And along the way, I’m gonna do what I want, to whomever I want, whenever I want. I’m gonna have a grand old time, Kwan, and I’m gonna have it at everyone’s expense.” She leaned forwards and smiled at him. “Things are gonna change around here,” she promised him in a low voice. “And not for the better.”

He stared at her in cold shock. Finally, he started to sputter, “Well I think that about answer that-“

“Oh be quiet,” she told him, rolling her eyes. His mouth snapped shut audibly. She glanced at him and smirked. “Be glad I didn’t tell you to bite your tongue,” she muttered. She walked around his desk and sat on the corner. Leaning over him, she pulled his tie out of jacket and tugged on it lightly. Kwan stared at her, his eyes bugging out in fear.

“You like?” she asked. “I’m learning to control things better now. If I concentrate on it, I can still order people around without them going all happy idiot on me.” She ran her finger over his face, letting the nail pass lightly around his eyes. “It’s not useful that often, but it’s fun to see the fear.”

“Well, here’s you big shot, Kwan,” she whispered in his ear. “You could tell the school about me, call the cops, do something. I’m a danger to all of your students, and not just the male ones. I’m a ticking time bomb and it’s your duty to protect them.” He looked at her fearfully, the muscles in his jaw writhing as he tried to speak.

“But you’re not going to do that, do you know why?” She walked back from behind his desk and sat down in the chair again. “Because you’re not going to remember any of this. You’re going to sign all the right forms to get me back in here, and then you’re going to forget all about this little conversation, except for this: I want you to remember there’s something wrong with me. You won’t remember what it is, but you’ll know it, deep down. I want it to be like a splinter in your brain, just itching away at you every time you see me. Just driving you mad, you know what I mean?” Principal Kwan stared at her, his eyes pleading silently. “Well what are you waiting for,” she snapped suddenly, “get to it!”

All at once, the fear left Kwan’s eyes and he picked up the file he’d been studying. “I don’t think we’ll need this, will we?” he asked her. She smiled and shook her head as he dumped it in the garbage can. “There, I think that puts everything in order,” he said lightly. He paused as he glanced at her again, and stared at her oddly.

“Is there something the matter?” she asked, innocently.

He shook his head quickly. “No. It’s nothing.” He opened up a desk drawer and started to pull out some forms. “Now, let’s see about getting you re-enrolled,” he said brightly.

“Yes,” Sara said quietly, glancing out the window again. “Please do,” she smiled, looking down at Clark.