The Storm Herald Series {#Wattys2018}

1.2

"Mackenzie, you do realize that Woodburn is having a field day with this!" Perry snaps at me, his dark face scrunched up. I roll my eyes,"it's not exactly my fault Lois decided to give him the story." Perry glares at me, his eyes giving me the look of 'if you don't shut up, I will most likely kill you', he's that pissed.

"I have to give you the same penance I gave Lois," he sighs. "Three weeks unpaid leave." My jaw drops.

"What!? No! Perry!" I protest, then promptly kick the wall. He huffs,"at least you're handling this better than Lois."

***

"I'm taking my three weeks of vacation," I tell Jeanne again. She huffs at me,"c'mon, you're leaving?" I nod,"yeah. I'll in Kansas for that time."

"Why?"

"Because I want to," I tell her. She rolls her eyes,"alright. But be safe, ok?"

"I will," I promise her. She nods, before looking over her shoulder,"I have to get back to work. I'll see ya in three weeks."

"See you in three weeks," I reply back, waving. She walks off, so I leave, too, heading to my car. First stop, coffee, then the airport.

Pulling alongside the curb, I struggle to parallel park, because that is never my strong suit. After I finally park, and I mean FINALLY because I'm bad at parallel parking, I stop it and get out, heading into the coffee shop.

"Hey, Mac N Cheese," Isadora greets. I roll my eyes,"child, why are you like this?"

"I am no child," Isadora laughs, starting to make me my coffee. I raise an eyebrow at her,"yes, you are. And I sometimes wonder how I'm friends with you."

"I thought it was because I'm charming and have charisma," she laughs. I try to keep a straight face, but then I start laughing.

"Gosh, we're idiots," I snicker, ignoring the looks coming from an old man and woman sitting at a window table.

"I'm not, you are," comes Isadora's snarky reply. I raise an eyebrow at her, as she hands me my coffee.

"Thanks, Iz," I smile, paying her. She smiles back,"you're welcome. . . Mac N Cheese!" I groan inwardly, but start laughing again,"you nerd."

***

The plane touches down in Kansas at about five o'clock, meaning it's about six back home in Metropolis. This time, my brother isn't here to greet me, but I guess I'm fine with it. My family has no need to know I'm in Kansas. Besides, last I heard they were both acting in new movies, so they're most likely not here.

I call an Uber, and while I wait, I start to pace. Martha and John know I'm coming, but they didn't say anything about Clark. Is he ok? Is he even living there anymore? Thousands of questions race through my head, even on the way to the Kent's property. Is he ok? Is he safe? When the Uber gets there, I stare out the window for a few minutes.

"Y'know, staring at it isn't going to make you get out," the driver says to me. I look at her,"I know. I'm just. . ."

"Nervous?" she finishes. I nod,"nervous. I haven't been here in five years."

"Well, I think they'll be happy to see you again," the Uber driver states, her grey eyes glinting. "Go get 'em, Tiger." I smile at her, as I climb out of the car,"thank you."

"You're welcome. Everyone needs a little pep talk sometimes," she tells me. "Have fun." I grab my bags out, and watch the car pull out.

Wow, Uber driver and motivational speaker.

I walk up the drive, then step onto the porch. I'm about at knock on the door, when I hesitate.

Are you really ready for this? a voice nags at me. Are you really?

I answer the nagging voice by knocking on the door. It opens a few seconds after, Johnathan's face smiling at me.

"Hi, Mr. Kent," I greet.

"Mackenzie. It's good to see you," he tells me. "Come in, come in." He opens the door wider, and I step into the house, smiling at the smell of cooking hamburger meat. When I come in, Martha immediately rushes over, hugging me tightly.

"Hi, Mrs. Kent," I laugh, patting her back. "It's good to see you, again!"

"So formal," Martha laughs. "How many times will I tell you, call me Martha!" I chuckle,"you know me. It will be weird to call you by your first name." She smiles at me.

"I'm going to go put my stuff in the guest room," I tell them both, going up the stairs. I'm about to open the door to the guest room, when I feel strong arms wrap around me. Spinning around, I face the culprit, seeing none other than the beautiful, cerulean eyes of Clark Kent. I set my bags on the floor and laugh, as he picks me up and spins me around.

"A simple 'hello' would have been nice," I tease him. Clark tilts his head,"and how would that be fun?"

"It would be sophisticated," I say, trying to not laugh.

"But I ain't sophisticated like you city person," he chuckles, it a fake Southern Accent. I roll my eyes,"you are, too, Clark."

***

"So how come you're visiting?" Clark asks. I look over at him, then chuckle.

"Y'know when I saw you on Ellesmere Island? Well, Lois, the woman with me, wrote a story about you," I explain. "But our boss wouldn't publish it in the Planet, so Lois, being herself, gave it to this Woodburn dude. She knows him, I don't, but that's besides the point, since I was there at Ellesmere Island and I didn't stop Lois from publishing the story, I got the same penance as her."

When I finish my story, I look over at Clark. His face is straight, revealing no emotion at all. Silence ensues for a while, save for the crickets chirping. Finally, Clark replies to my story, with a small chuckle.

"At least you weren't fired."