Kryptonite

Chapter Two

"Thank goodness you're here, Dee," her mother sighed with relief as the door swung open, raising her straggly red head from its dejected position. Dee smiled reassuringly, though inwardly she was weary. She needed to put up a strong front for Sally.

Sally Lawrence had not been favored by fate. She had not been blessed with the strength of spirit and vitality that was necessary for life. She was a hopeless dependent. Once, Sally had been quite pretty, with the luxuriant red hair she had passed on to her daughter and weak blue eyes. All that had attracted her was unwonted relations with a dark haired man with flashing green eyes that had left her high and dry, with the addition of a pregnancy at twenty.

Paul Lawrence, her father, had welcomed his only daughter back with open arms, knowing very well that his daughter was not able to support herself. Despite this, he loved her. He'd raised his granddaughter up, and delighted in Dee, who had what her mother had lacked. Sally had gone on to work as a secretary for her father's copywriting company, where she earned a small wage typing up some letters and using company minutes chatting with her middle-aged would-be poet friends.

"What is it, Sally?" Dee said patiently, settling aside her school books on the Formica kitchen table.

"I just wanted to know if I could have twenty dollars. I'll pay you back, I promise," Sally pleaded.

"What did you do with your paycheck?" Dee asked her, eyebrow raised as she surveyed her pale, skinny mother. Dressed in skintight jeans, a loose silk shirt in purples and yellows, and slippers, Sally almost looked like a teen, except for that empty look in her eyes.

"Oh, well, I thought I'd save it for something... but I need that twenty now."

"Fine," Dee said, extracting a bill from her yellow Kipling wallet.

"Thank you thank you thank you," Sally cried in a bubbly tone, kissing her cheek with each 'thank you'. "I'll be back by one," she added, as she ran out of the door. Shaking her head, Dee turned to the huge pile of homework awaiting her.

Her grandfather exited from his bedroom, and smiled broadly at the sight of her. "Hello, Diana," he greeted her. He was the only one who called Dee by her full name. "Had any lunch, darling?"

Shaking her head, she smiled back as she sat on a chair and opened a textbook. "Won't have time, from the looks of this," Dee sighed.

"I'll fix you a sandwich," he offered.

"You are the greatest man alive," she said thankfully, then turned to pet the fluffy black and white cat that had jumped onto her lap.

"What kind?" Grandfather asked, rummaging through cabinets.

"Tuna, if we've got any. In honor of Rex," Dee answered absentmindedly, poring through a page of Greek history as she scratched behind the cat's ears. She settled into her studies comfortably as Paul bustled around in the kitchen, then placed a plate before her.

"Thanks," she said, her pen scrawling with the likeness of lightning. It was really too bad her mind was exceptional when it came to multitasking, Dee thought, chewing slowly. Her thoughts were slowly reverting back to that irritating ass, Ryan. Well, if it was the last thing she did, Dee would not let him harass a nice girl like Valerie.


*

The next day, Ryan noticed in English class that Dee looked supremely confident. Which wasn't a surprise, really. She always had an unbelievably inflated ego for someone so small. He turned to one of his closest friends, Jack Saunders who sat across from him. "So are you going to Natalie Jordan's party on Saturday night?" Ryan asked, chin propped in hand.

"Yeah, I guess, but only because I have absolutely nothing better to do. Plus, I owe you one," Jack sighed, resolved.

"Yes, you do. I don't understand how Kristy Scott can take on that terror every weekend AND after school and still manage to survive," Ryan shivered.

"That's my brother you're talking about," Jack laughed, punching Ryan in the shoulder.

"Speaking of Kristy," Ryan started, an evil look on his face, "why don't you just ask her out?"

"No comment."

Dee, who of course had overheard the conversation, turned back with narrowed eyes to glare at the two of them. "Will you two stop it?" she hissed, looking at Kristy, whose normally pale face was bright red with embarassment.

Ryan leveled his cool gaze on her agitated face. "Why should I?"

"Ry, stop it." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Maybe because you're being an utter bastard to someone who's never even said a word against you."

"I'm entitled to the freedom of speech. If people happen to overhear and disagree... well, that's their problem," he said pompously, not noticing the teacher walk in, and standing up.

"Please, Ryan, spare us your idiocy. You know perfectly well that the amendments only apply to those of the HUMAN race," Dee said archly, turning away to stare angelically at the teacher who was now eyeing the two of them with displeasure.

"If the two of you have quite done with your little love spat, I'd like to pursue our lesson," Ms. Rondell said, her face pinched and sour.

Both of their faces were crimson for the rest of the class.

*

"Kristy," Jack called, as the girl he sought rushed into the onslaught of students hurrying to get to their class.

She ignored him, cheeks blazing. Kristy repeated to herself, you will not cry, you will not cry. She managed to hold the tears back, and was surprised when she felt a hard hand tighten around her arm, pulling her back. Whirled around, Kristy found herself facing a pale Jack. The same Jack Saunders who had the walnut brown hair tumbling into heavy lidded, misty eyes of a dreamy azure shade and stood nearly half a foot taller than her. The one boy who she'd had a crush on her entire eighteen years.

"Yes?" she asked, cursing inwardly at the trembly quality to her voice.

"I'm sorry about that. In English class." Why did he have to look so damnably adorable, as he stood there against a wall and his arm propped against it?

"You don't have to apologize," Kristy said shortly. "I completely understand." And she did. She knew she wasn't the type of girl that guys like Jack dated. She wasn't flirtatious or fashionable at all. In fact, Kristy and her best friends were given the unnattractive name of 'the Wallflowers' by the cheerleaders.

"I... I'm still sorry. Ryan didn't mean to be rude like that."

"Fine. Now will you get out of my way? I need to go to my next class."

"Look, Kristy, I never meant to.."

Lashing out in sudden anger, Kristy's eyes burned into his. "You know what, Jack Saunders? You and your lousy excuse of a friend are right. I do like you. I have liked you for a very long time. But that doesn't mean I always will be stupid enough to do so. Now get out!" Kristy pushed him from her with a newfound strength and stomped to Calculus, somewhat amazed at herself. So was Jack, who remained in the hall staring after her until a dean noticed and dragged him off to class by the ear.

*

"She's not that damned CLEVER," Ryan ranted heatedly, furiously slamming his milk carton down. He had only sat with Valerie for lunch that day, not feeling too social.

Valerie nodded reassuringly. "Do not worry, Ryan," she said, patting her shoulder. He didn't even notice the touch. "I'm sure that one day, she too will feel that you like her so."

Ryan whirled to glance at the exquisite and serene face. "What?" he ground out. "That isn't.. it isn't even.. are you on drugs?"

Affronted, Valerie lifted a silvery eyebrow at him. "Well, what else can it be? If you did not like her, you would just leave her be, no?"

Laughing hysterically, he chewed hard on his apple. "Trust me, this is not a case of a love/hate relationship. It's purely hate. Jeez, as if anyone could like a bitch like Dee. It's just not possible."

"I guess it's true what they say about eavesdroppers," Dee whispered in Ryan's ear, making him jump a mile high and curse violently. In a normal voice, she added, "But you really shouldn't talk about people behind their backs, you know."

"Hey, Dee," Valerie said through giggles. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I just wanted to ask if you'd like to meet my friends. You know, get acquainted."

Natalie Jordan, the nosy nelly that she was, had crept up to view the scene. She shrieked at Dee, "As if, Dee. No one worth their stuff would be seen hanging out with the wallflowers." Her high pitched laugh echoed throughout the cafeteria.

Dee didn't even blink. "No one asked you." People started snickering as Natalie pinkened.

Valerie chimed in with, "Actually, I'd love to meet your friends, if they're half as cool as you are." She linked a slim arm through Dee's, and the two of them went towards her friends confidently, all eyes on them.

*