Clara Kent Superwoman

Chapter 18: Lois Lane

Sam and Bobby had been suspended for adding meteor rock to the Hay Maze, Jason had cited it was a health and safety violation, it was strewn across the path and research had shown it could have detrimental long term health effects.

Clara and Lex hadn't talked about their pact since, it was a silent part of their relationship, they understood each other. Instead, they talked about music, movies, football, comics, and generally got to know each other better. They were planning to go riding together sometime soon.

The weeks after Halloween had seemed to pass in a whirl wind of studying, reporting and farm chores. The football season was in full swing, and Jason Teague was in his element, the team had never done so well, and Coach Arnold was clearly becoming as angry as he was insecure in his position. Lucas Lang looked happier than ever, sighted laughing and joking with his team mates, and was spending a lot of time with Jason. Whitney had become quiet, almost wraith-like, and seemed to be focusing her energy on studying and cheerleading. Chloe was in a frenzy of reporting, college applications and preparations for winter finals. Clara was also busy, but she made sure to take time out to spend time with Chloe and her parents.

The air grew colder, the days shorter, and naturally that meant more time was spent indoors than out unless necessary. For Clara, this was not a foregone conclusion; she often liked to walk her family's property in the dark, feeling the chill, but not the painful bite that her human compatriots must feel. Clara often wondered what it would feel like to experience things as her parents did: the bite of cold, the burn of fire, fatigue, aches and pains, the human condition.

It seemed odd, to want to feel the bodily troubles of human life, the only pain Clara had ever felt had been induced by meteor rock and that wasn't pleasant at all. But still, in many matters growing up Clara felt excluded from her peers: losing teeth, scraped knees, commiserations over colds and toothaches, the sympathy between girls for period cramps, and the jovial complaints about exhaustion after Phys-Ed. Those normal experiences Clara had been excluded from, she would smile or frown and laugh with the others, and felt that pang when she had to lie.

Until she had accidentally revealed herself to Chloe she'd had no one to talk to about all this. She'd felt almost alone at school, hiding behind rehearsed platitudes and making excuses with a smile. Ever since, Chloe had been her closest confidante, she knew all of her woes, her heartaches and her deepest darkest secrets. For over 3 years Chloe had been there for her whenever she needed, a phone call or a run away, she had never turned her down.

Until this week.

If Chloe wasn't available, and it was near a holiday, there was only one reason. There was only one thing in the world, or one person, who Chloe would prioritise above her best friend, and that was her cousin.

Lois Lane

Every time Lois had visited Chloe growing up, and Clara had come around to play, Lois had never failed to mercilessly tease her, about her "clueless country ways", her "lumberjack clothes" and her "goody goody" ways. Lois Lane had never been afraid of authority, while Clara had always respected it, Lois was brash, Clara was cautious, Lois liked attention, Clara was more reserved, Lois was insatiably curious, and Clara had a big secret.

As they grew older things only became worse, puberty began and once a year Lois would arrive at the Sullivan's, "dumped" there, as she put it, by her General Father, while her sister Lucy remained with him. Lois made it clear she didn't like country life, it was boring, quiet, and as she matured it was obvious she was a girl who craved action.

Despite her best efforts to the contrary, Clara was extremely irritated by Lois Lane.

Lois Lane was the only person who got under Clara's skin, and she was back in Smallville. Clara had hoped that Lois's time away would have matured her, made her more tactful and understanding. No such luck, Lois hadn't been back to Smallville since Clara and Chloe were 15, now she was back, a Freshman at Metro-U, older, wiser, and far more opinionated.

Thanksgiving was in a few days, and Chloe's cousin had come to stay out of the blue, she had a reading week for all her Freshman classes at Metro-U but it didn't seem much actual reading was going to get done.

Lois Lane was not the dainty, intelligent but ultimately tactful blonde her cousin was. She was the same height as Clara, far more buxom, auburn haired, and very beautiful. She was also a loud, opinionated, insensitive, tactless, boisterous 19-year-old army brat who was very used to getting her way. She'd taken to calling Clara "Smallville" when they were younger, the name had stuck, Clara hasn't taken it as a simple name, to her, Lois was making a comment on her life. To Lois Lane, Smallville was boring, simple and bland. For Lois to call Clara "Smallville", Clara worried she must be too.

Clara always felt inadequate around Lois. At times, frustrated to the point that she felt in danger of slipping. She made it a point to do all the chores that demanded hard physical labour when Lois Lane visited. Particularly splitting wood, with her bare hands, it may not physically challenge her but it made her feel better.

Yesterday, Lois had visited the High School and looked at The Torch articles. She had blithely told Clara that her "Cutesy pie" journalism was fine for the "sticks", but if she wanted to make the big leagues she needed to grow some "cajones" and put a little "bite" into her reporting. Chloe's articles did not receive the same criticism. When Chloe and Clara could spend time together alone, in class and at The Torch, all Chloe could talk about was all the wonderful things in Metropolis Lois had done. That Lois had a spot on the University paper already, that, that Lois had even gotten an article published as an intern columnist at the Metropolis Inquisitor.

The Kent's definitely had enough fire wood to last three winters that day.

Clara knew it was wrong, and against everything her parents had taught her, she knew she should be happy for Chloe, she didn't have much family and they didn't visit often. Clara knew she should be a lot of things, but she also knew she was extremely irritated by Lois Lane, and she would be quite relieved when she returned to Metropolis.

Clara could have survived this visit without incident, avoided Chloe until Lois was finally gone and dedicated herself to her chores. But it seemed Hurricane Lois would not pass quietly by Smallville, because on this visit, Lois Lane caught wind of a Luthor in town.

Lois Lane was used to getting what she wanted, in work and in life.

Clara had been preoccupied with the physical aspects of the human experience; she had neglected to realise it was the emotional that was more important. She was about to recognise the first stirrings of more serious human conditions:

Jealousy and Anger.