COTW 52: Cat and Mouse

[serafina20]

Doug and Roger were sitting in front of Reynolds's office when Clark arrived. He grimaced, realizing why he had been dragged out of class.

"Hey." He dropped into a seat next to Doug; the empty seat next to Roger was actually closer to the door Clark had come in, but Roger made Clark nervous. He was so adamant that everyone be accepting of gay people, and Clark in particular. Every day this week, he'd loudly invited Clark to sit with him at lunch and then glared at everyone, even though they weren't saying anything.

"Hey," Doug said. "I guess Reynolds wants to talk about the club, right?"

"Looks like."

"He can't turn it down," Roger said confidently. "It'd be un-American."

Clark cocked an eyebrow at him. "How so?"

"It's discrimination, Clark. It's like trying to keep black people out of the school or something. And it's against the first amendment, not letting people talk about what they want. We're allowed to talk." Roger shook his head firmly. "He's got to let us have the club."

"Don't get your hopes up too much, Roger," said Doug. "Lots of schools have tried and failed. He can say that it's not an academic club, and therefore not allowed."

"Yeah, but that chick Chloe could write about it. Get us a lot of publicity."

Clark squirmed. "I don't know if I want any more publicity."

Roger shrugged and said, "Yeah, but this is sort of bigger than just you now, Clark. We're talking about a support group for all gay students, and their friends. I mean, I know it's gotta hard to be gay, but I don't know what to do either. How to support you or, like, Doug or anyone else. After what.... I mean, I handled everything wrong and now..."

"It's okay, Rog," Doug said softly. He punched him in the shoulder. "We get it. But maybe we don't make Clark the center piece of all this. I just asked him because..."

"I've already been outted," Clark sighed. "Except, officially, I'm not committing to any orientation, okay? Please don't make me."

"We won't," promised Doug.

Reynolds's door opened and the man stepped out. "Gentlemen. Please step inside."

Clark watched Reynolds's face carefully as the man sat behind his desk. He wouldn't look at Clark. He looked at Doug and Roger, but his eyes skimmed over Clark like he wasn't there, which was weird, since, somehow, Clark had ended up between the two boys. It was noticeable, in Clark's opinion, and tacky. If Lex was in this situation, he'd never give himself away like that. In fact, Lex would have his eyes mainly on the person who was giving him the most grief, just to let them know he wasn't going to let them take control of the situation.

A sort of jolt went through Clark. Realization.

He could take control of the situation.

"Mr. Reynolds," he said, before the other man could speak. "I'm assuming you called us in to talk about the club Doug, Roger, and I want to form." His heart was in his throat, thrumming in the palms of his hands, but his words were steady.

Reynolds's blinked. "Yes, that's correct, Mr. Kent. I have to tell you that, although I think it's a good idea, I have some concerns."

"You can't tell us that we can't have this club," Roger said right away.

"Roger, he didn't," Clark said softly. "Concerns?"

He still wasn't looking at Clark. "Yes. First of all, it will be a challenge convincing the school board of this. You have my support. I think that any club that promotes open dialogue is a worthy one to have on campus. And I think that, in light of recent events, now is the opportune time. However, as I said, the school board may not be happy with the idea and may open it to the town to decide. I will do my best not to allow that to happen, but it has been issues in other small town schools, so I wanted to warn you."

"This stupid homophobic town can kiss my butt," Roger said decisively. "My best friend killed himself because no one would accept him for who he was. I'm not going to let that happen again."

Clark and Doug exchanged looks.

"If it comes to that," Doug said, sotto voce, "we can always start a geography club."

Clark snickered at the allusion to one of the queer teen novels Mr. Townsend had given him for Christmas.

"What?" Reynolds asked, obviously perplexed.

"Nothing, sir," Clark replied. "I understand the concern about the school board, but I have a feeling that I'm the one that you're really concerned about."

Reynolds finally looked at him.

Clark gazed back, face as bland as he could make it. "Everyone thinks I'm in a relationship with Lex Luthor. If I'm one of the ones heading up this club, then this will become a lot bigger than just a controversial club."

"Yes, you're correct," Reynolds said. "The school and the town were just majorly unconvinced by your relationship with Lex Luthor. You'll be dragging yourself back into the limelight should you do this."

You'd think that knowing this man was a brainless asshole would be enough. But it wasn't. Clark's stomach hollowed out at his words, and an enormous blanket of fatigue dropped over him.

So much for controlling the situation.

"That's hardly fair, sir," said Doug. "It wasn't Clark's fault what happened with those reporters. The sheriff..."

"Yes, yes, I know that the information was leaked by unscrupulous people working for the law, but my point still stands. Because of that information, the school was besieged with reporters. Students were arrested for actions they took against those reporters." He shot a look at Roger, who glared back. "If Mr. Kent goes forward with this club, they will be back looking for more gossip. You'll just be cementing their already very well founded suspicions."

Clark swallowed and bit back a yawn. "They have no basis..."

"Please, Mr. Kent, you are attempting to start a gay social club."

"Hey!" Roger protested. "I'm not gay! And you can't prove that Clark or Doug are gay, either. This isn't a gay social club. It's a Gay-Straight Alliance. And anyone can come to it, gay or straight. I'm one of the straight ones, and you can't say Clark isn't one either."

"That's very nice of you to say, Mr. Hartman, but everyone knows...."

"Everyone is full of shit."

"Language, young man," snapped Reynolds.

Roger glared.

"Clark needs to be allowed to be in the club," Doug said. "It's open to all students who need a place to talk. It makes just as much sense for a straight boy who's been publicly declared as his best friend's lover to need a safe space to go as it does for a gay boy who's been outted by the press. One of the rules we want to have is that no one has to label themselves in any way at the meetings. An individual's sexuality isn't what we're interested in. We just want a safe space to talk about relevant issues."

Reynolds nodded and picked a pen up from the desk. "I never meant to imply that Mr. Kent wouldn't be allowed in the club."

"I was getting to that, sir," Doug said. He glanced at Clark, who shrugged. "Clark is instrumental to helping get this off the ground. He has the confidence and the brains to organize this thing. He's already put together one successful club."

"That doesn't leave him much time to do another," Reynolds said.

Clark felt like waving his arms around to remind the man that he was here.

"Right, but he's got experience. That's all I'm saying. However, I get what you're saying about the possible unwanted publicity. So, if we do have to go in front of the board, why can't we use someone else?"

"Clark's name is on the paperwork."

"I've got something that'll take that right off," Clark said, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

Doug turned to him. "Would you mind, Clark? Helping us out, but not being one of the official people?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, that's fine. And we'll still vote for officers and everything after we form, right? I can do one of those roles in an official capacity." He turned to Reynolds.

Reynolds stroked his chin a moment before nodding. "Do you have anyone in mind?" he asked.

"I was thinking either Chloe Sullivan, Jack Orczy, or Chad James. But I need to ask them first."

"Are you sure about Chad James?" Reynolds asked. "He's rather flamboyant, don't you think."

Clark's eyes burned and he closed them. Though, really, he'd like to laser Reynolds's head off. "I think Chad needs this kind of club more than others. And it'd be good for him to be in charge of something." He opened his eyes again. "I'll ask him and Chloe."

"I'll talk to Jack," Doug said.

"Me too."

Oh, that was going to go well, Clark thought. Jack was terrified of Roger.

Roger leaned over and whispered in Clark's ear, "I need to make up to the kid for being such an ass. You know?"

Roger was a good guy.

"All right, gentlemen. Why don't we meet again with your new team--and Clark--next week on Tuesday. I'd like you to write up a mission statement by that time. It's always best to go into this sort of thing as professionally as possible." Reynolds picked up a folder and handed it across the desk to Clark. "I've printed out some relevant information for you and added the URLs to several websites dedicated to starting up a GSA."

Doug and Clark exchanged looks.

"Thank you, sir," Doug said, surprised.

"You're welcome. Now, please go back to class. Mr. Kent, I need to speak to you for a moment."

Doug and Roger gave him a look as they stood.

He just grimaced and handed Doug the folder. He definitely didn't feel in control anymore.

"I wanted to inform you that your social worker is coming tomorrow to speak with you," Reynolds said when the other boys were gone.

Damn. It'd been a few weeks since everything had happened; he'd begun to hope that the social worker was never going to come. Turns out that Clark actually liked talking with Dr. Carvey; she was smart and funny and always listened to what he had to say. He didn't want to have to talk to anyone else. "Oh." He cleared his throat. "Do you know what time?"

Reynolds's look was sharp. "No, I don't, but I'm not sure I would tell you if I did know. You have a habit of disappearing when you should be in class."

He squirmed. "I guess."

"Also, I wanted to apologize for," he cleared his throat, "for implying that you were at fault for what. Happened to you." Reynolds cleared his throat again and straightened a few papers on his desk. "It wasn't, of course, your fault. Any victim of molestation isn't at fault. Of course."

"Right." Clark's face was hot, and he desperately wanted a nap. "It's okay."

"Good. But, I still think that you should reconsider your association with Mr. Luthor."

"And I think you should just shut up about that," Clark snapped.

"Mr. Kent." Reynolds's voice was so sharp that it sliced through the haze surrounding Clark's brain. "I understand that it's a delicate subject, but you will treat me with respect."

Clark bit his tongue to keep back the laugh and the string of angry words that followed. Instead, he glared sullenly at Reynolds, stewing in the injustice of it all.

"I'll be calling your parents, young man. And you have detention for the next two days. Don't think that your status makes you somehow exempt from the normal rules of this school."

His eyes stung. He had a status. It might as well be the word *Victim* tattooed on his forehead.

"Do you have anything to say, Mr. Kent?" Reynolds asked, obviously wanting to hear an apology.

"Can I go?"

Reynolds glared at him a moment, then nodded curtly. "Go."

Clark didn't need to be told twice.