THE RAIN (1/2) ; LEX LUTHOR

4. BOOKS & BONDING

15 YEARS AGO

Alexander Luthor's Perspective

I sighed heavily. "Okay--"

"Who gave you those marks?" she demanded answers, staring at me. I exhaled deeply and tried again.

"It's a very...very long story..."

"I have time. Go." my palms began to sweat. I had never admitted to this before.

"Basically, my dad got mad because I had bad grades..." she raised an eyebrow.

"And?" I shook my head again.

"And he pushed me down the stairs. I don't want to talk about this anymore." as I stood, she stood with me.

"I'm not going to leave you alone..." I raised my eyebrows.

"Why not?" she shrugged.

"Because. I want to do the right thing." she walked around the table and got close to me. I stared into her eyes and she stared into mine. "And the right thing to do is help you...Not to mention, you interest me." I nodded slowly yet her words were now unclear as I stared into her eyes. Almost everything around me seemed to stop as I looked into her eyes. The only thing that seemed to matter was her. Several moments, maybe even a minute went by before I spoke again.

"Yeah..." she smiled at me.

"So. Will you sit down now and maybe...Try to explain again? I can't help you if I'm not enlightened on what's going on..." I batted my eyes a few times before she turned and walked back to her side of the table.

"Can we...not talk about this for a while?" I asked. "I want to...maybe...know about you...I don't want to have to think over what happened between me and my father again..." she tilted her head.

"Why would we talk about me?'' I slowly sat down again and leaned towards her, over the table.

"Because. I'm interested in you too...I don't want to just talk about me. When I just talk about me it all gets too...overwhelming..." she nodded slowly.

"Just...one question first?"

"Sure. Just one..." she leaned closer towards me.

"When was the last time your father hit you?" my palms began to sweat again. I returned to looking into her eyes. I could find the slightest amount of care, comfort inside those eyes. It was at this moment when I really didn't want to talk about myself. I wanted to talk about her.

She was interesting, and pretty. She wasn't the most perfect or patient but that was okay too. She seemed to have many flaws but none in particular bothered me. I began to really enjoy her presence. It seemed for each tiny flaw she had she had at least one thing to make up for it. And not to mention, she was the only girl I had ever seen that didn't have cooties...

She batted her eyes and waited for an answer. I shook my head and did my best to snap out of it.

"This one was from just yesterday." I admitted, rolling up a sleeve and showing her a bruise. She leaned over the table and looked closely. I focused on her as she focused on my bruise. I smiled a little as I studied her facial features. "Does your father ever hit you?" As I asked she turned her gaze to me. She then frowned.

"Well no. Of course not. That's not a normal thing Alexander..."

"Yes. I know. I was just wondering." I laughed a little. She tilted her head a little.

"May I ask why you would ask that?"

"Because. I'm curious about you..." she looked to the ground.

"There's really nothing to be curious about..." she insisted. I leaned a little closer.

"I showed you my bruises, I told you more about me than I've ever told anyone. Ever. Can't you just say at least one thing about yourself?"

"Again, there's nothing interesting about me." she turned and sat back down at her side of the table. I sat back down slowly.

"Well. Maybe you just don't think it's interesting. Tell me something about you. Just one thing? Please?"

"Alex--"

"We'll go back and forth. You say something about you and I'll say something about me. Like an eye for an eye..." she laughed a little.

"...What do you want to know about me in particular?" she looked at me again.

"How about...Basic questions. Like...What's your favorite color--"

"Black." we both laughed a little. "Black and blue." I smiled a little more.

"Mine's grey."

"That's kind of a dull color, isn't it?"

"And black isn't?"

"Well no. I don't think so." I laughed again. Then after a few moments, she spoke again.

"So. What's your favorite--"

"Excuse me." Andrea was then interrupted as a librarian walked up to us and spoke. "The library is closing. It's already five pm..."

"Oh. Alright." Andrea smiled at her as the woman walked away. She looked to me and smiled. "Shall we talk again tomorrow?" I smirked.

"Actually I was hoping you'd let me walk you home..." she smiled a little more.

"If anything, I'm walking you home."I laughed a little and smiled widely. I looked down nervously then looked to her again. I felt like I couldn't get anything out, my hands were sweaty yet again and my heart began to beat fast. I felt like I didn't know how to love but that didn't matter. I felt like she could teach me. And I could see that in her eyes when she looked at me.

It made me feel better. In a matter of a single short conversation she had already given me something most people couldn't. Ever. She gave me hope.