under the influences

[laura_kent]

Her parents always taught Laura to be cautious when dealing with Kryptonite. But she wasn't completely unaware of the effects certain types of the meteorite would have on her. She knew that green made her sick and powerless. Blue just removed her abilities, with no negative side effects.

And red... well right now, red was like riding a new high. All her worries -- about school, about dating, about finances -- they were gone. They didn't matter anymore.

Laura hadn't purposely sought out red kryptonite. Matter of fact, it affected her quite accidentally. Her geology class were studying different minerals and one of her classmates brought in the meteorite piece. Of course, as soon as Laura was near it, she was drawn to it. She felt an overpowering need to hold it... keep it... and with superspeed it was really easy for the Kryptonite to go missing from the classroom and stay in her person.

Comments

[william_kent]

It isn't unusual for Wil to meet up with his sister during lunch or after class, so when he can't find her right away, he assumes maybe something held her up. He puts his hands in his pockets and keeps an eye out, not really concerned that anything might have happened to her just yet.

[laura_kent]

Laura spots her brother before he sees her, and with a giggle, she blurs past him, stopping to tap him on the shoulder, before blurring away. In public sight of others, none the less.

[william_kent]

Wil doesn't have superspeed, but his siblings are still young enough that they can be seen as a blur still. And he sees enough to know that it isn't Jon.

Jon would never be that openly reckless. Though before today, he didn't think his sister would be either. "Laura!" he hisses with alarm. But she's already gone, and he breaks into a jog, trying to follow without drawing more attention to himself.

[laura_kent]

Of course, her goal is to have Wil catch up with her, so she blurs ahead... stops and waits... blurs ahead... stops and waits... blurs ahead... stops and waits. Three times.

[william_kent]

"Laura, stop!" Something is wrong, and he doesn't have a clue what it is. But he can't just... not follow.

[laura_kent]

She waits for him to catch up completely. They are far enough from the university now. "Hey Wil! You going to come have some fun with me!"

[william_kent]

"What's gotten into you?" he asks, not exactly answering. This is out of character for his studious sister, and they must be too old for the teenage rebellion thing... right?

[laura_kent]

"Nothing." She believed that. "I just want to go out and have some fun. How about Vegas Wil? Ohhh Texas! Mexico!"

"I can get there in a matter of seconds."

[william_kent]

"I can't. And we can't just run off, we have studying to do."

[laura_kent]

"Yes we can. We can do anything we want Wil."

"I am so tired of studying. So tired of trying to impress people who don't care." The glint of the red meteorite in her hand reflected off the sunlight.

[william_kent]

Wil notices the red glint, and tries not to make it obvious he's looking at it. It looks like a meteorite, but he's not sure he's seen a red one before. Fortunately he's far enough away that its siren call doesn't have a hold on him too.

"Why do you think they don't care?"

[laura_kent]

"Because it is the same thing day after day after day... nothing changes. I am not changing the world by studying."

[william_kent]

"You aren't yet. But you're going to be a doctor. Isn't that changing the world?" he asks. He's not going to run anywhere with her, unless it's the only way to keep track of her. He wants to keep her talking, keep her here, and then he's going to call his parents.

[laura_kent]

"That is taking forever. I want to do something amazing today!"

[william_kent]

"How about tomorrow? We could skip class and go out of town," he suggests, not really meaning it but feeling like she really needs to stay here. If she runs without him, he'll never find her. And he's not sure Dad or Mom will be able to either.

[laura_kent]

"You really need to make a plan to skip class?" Laura was feeling restless. Wil was holding her back...

[william_kent]

"You don't even know where you want to go yet," Wil points out. He can sense that he might be losing her, but maybe if she tells him where she's going...

[laura_kent]

"Mexico! Definitely Mexico." Laura always wanted to visit the desert. "One last chance to come with!"

[william_kent]

Wil knows he's about to lose her. But maybe that will help his parents narrow it down. "I can't."

[laura_kent]

"You are such a spoilsport." She will feel bad about this later. But right now, Mexico is on her mind. And she blurs off.

[william_kent]

As soon as she's gone, Wil pulls his phone out. He's usually the quiet one in the family, but he knows full well how to step up when the situation calls for it. He dials the house phone, hoping that his Mom is there.

[slayers_desire]

His mother is definitely home. She picks up the phone. "Hello?"

[william_kent]

"Mom, it's me. Something is wrong with Laura."

[slayers_desire]

"Laura?" April immediately projects her voices, frowning with how hard it is to get a good read on her eldest daughter.

"She is using superspeed. Where is she going?"

[william_kent]

"Mexico," he says, hardly believing it himself. "She's blowing off her studies, saying she wants to do something fun today instead of wasting time on stuff no one cares about."