reason to smile ~ jonathan kent

and so we meet again

Frantically rushing around her bedroom, Tilly got herself ready for the day ahead. It was an important one. Today was the day of making her grand entrance, and she wanted it to be epic. She'd be damned if she was going to let even her father ruin her day with his negativity. This was her day. Her return. Her entrance.

The girl was going to make it count.

Still moving quickly, Tilly moved down the stairs, holding her black heeled boots in her arms so that she wouldn't break her ankles – that would be just her luck. Wondering over to the refrigerator, Tilly grabbed some avocados and began preparing them for her breakfast to go with some toast. What could she say? To be a bitch, she must be a basic one first.

Turning on the television, Tilly flicked between channels until she found one, broadcasting another news story on Superman. She watched intently as she continued to eat her breakfast, smiling lightly at the goodness and heroism being represented by him.

Her father soon walked in, sighing loudly, before sauntering over to the coffee machine in the corner, making himself a black coffee, as he does every morning. Bitter. Just like his soul.

"Turn that shit off" he groaned, slamming the mug he was pouring his coffee into onto the counter loudly. The loud bang caused Tilly to slightly flinch in her seat.

"B-but I'm watching it," she stuttered, attempting to remain confident, despite knowing how her father's temper is unpredictable to say the least. Immediately, she internally cursed herself in doing so but knew that what was done was done.

There was a pause for a moment, filled with a silence full of tension. Tilly hated it. Soon, she could hear his slow footsteps approaching from behind her chair, and she could feel her body begin to shake in fear, despite trying to cover it up. He hovered over her body intimidatingly, before lowering himself so that his mouth was close to her ear.

"What did I say about stuttering?" he growled.

She took a deep inhale, doing her best to hold back the tears she felt threatening to fall. She couldn't show him weakness. He taught her that lesson one too many times.

"To not" she swallowed thickly.

"That's right" he spoke through gritted teeth, "now, I won't ask you again, rid my TV of that bastard"

She nodded harshly and felt his presence leave from behind her body slowly, allowing her to get up. Tilly took another shaky breath as she moved over to the television and turned it off with a click of the button. At this, her father made a small grunt before walking out of the room.

The blonde girl hesitantly walked back over to where the last part of her breakfast was still sat and grabbed it, eating the rest of it in one massive bite as she walked back upstairs to her bedroom. Stopping in front of the full-body mirror on one of the walls of her bedroom, facing her bed, she gazed at the sight before her.

She let her finger trail from her neck, down to the top of her chest, using her eyes to examine her body. Tilly left her bedroom, not even twenty minutes ago, feeling confident for the day ahead. Now, she only felt like the shell of her previous self.

She closed her eyes, attempting to regain her strength she felt when she woke up, with taking another deep breath to ground herself – the same old routine. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Tilly opened her eyes again, moving her gaze back to her form reflected in the mirror.

She was confident. She was strong. She could do this.

She owned this town once. She can do it once again.

Patting down her clothing, making sure her outfit was to perfection, Tilly made a point of plastering her typical smirk on, that usually resided on her face. She slowly turned and strolled out of her bedroom, down the stairs towards the front door. Putting on her boots, fastening them with the sound of a satisfying zip echoing, Tilly felt herself growing more confident. She placed her hand on the handle of the front door, hesitating for a moment before turning the handle quickly and strutting out of the house. She was ready.