As Lena was walking through the hallway, she heard arguments coming from the study room.
"Lena." she knows it was her mother's voice. With a deep and long-drawn sigh, she prepares herself for a lengthy talk. She entered the room and found her mother sat opposite Lex. Her brother smiled dearly at her, but there was an apologetic look on his face.
"Good evening Mother."
Lillian nods her head and handed her an invitation card. She flipped it open and saw the elegant signature of Anna Wintour at the bottom.
"It's for the Met gala tomorrow. I'll be leaving early in the morning for a business trip to France so I want you to go."
"You know that I'm not particularly fond of this type of event," she said in a low voice.
"I'm not asking you. I am telling you to go." Lillian said in a cold voice. A shiver went over her. She resigned in defeat for she knows she cannot win against her mother. Resisting will just prolong the agony.
"Are you going?" she turns to Lex.
"I'm sorry Lena. I have a meeting with one of our clients in L-corp."
"Fine." she walked out and went to her room. The door closes behind her with a click.
She lay on her bed, breathing heavily. She was trying to clear her head when she heard her phone ringing inside her bag. She pulled her cell out and saw that it was an unknown number. She lifted it in her ear.
"Hello?"
"Lena?"
It was the only word she heard and yet, she could feel her heart pounding in her ear.
"Kara? What a nice surprise. Where did you get my number?"
"I bumped into Winn when I was on the way home. You know the rest."
"Oh.. And why did you get my number?" the ghost of a smile hovered on her lips.
"Just because."
"This is a fruitful conversation."
She heard Kara laughing softly, but it was contagious that she suddenly felt better.
"Have you had your dinner?" Kara asked.
"Nope, I've lost my appetite."
"Hmmm... That's not good. What happened?" Kara asked, concern in her voice.
Lena is not like everyone else. She doesn't approach her feeling like an open book. Talking to Kara made her feel vulnerable and usually anxious. But behind all that was this safe feeling like she couldn't hide away her inner thoughts from her.
Next thing she knew, she was already telling her about the conflicts she had with her mother.
"Ever since my father passed away, she became controlling and manipulative. She cared hugely in reputation and appearance. What people thought or might say. Lex and I accepted that at first. Thinking maybe it's just her way of grieving, that soon it will pass. But as years go by, she became emotionally unavailable."
"I'm sorry to hear about that," Kara said in a soft voice.
"I just... I missed her. There was a time when she will wait for me to wake up on Saturday morning, asking if I want to go shopping. And I'll always say yes. Even now every time I think about it, it never fails to wind me. I wonder will I ever get used to it."
Kara sighed. It was not so much the words that were terrible, but the voice in which they were said.
In a subconscious reaction, Lena stared at the ceiling, listening to Kara's breathing. Remembering the warmth she gave when she leaned closer to her side in the library.
"I'm sorry," she said in a soft voice as she regained her composure.
"Lena..."
"Yes, Kara?"
"Would you like to go shopping tomorrow? It's a long weekend, I mean the holiday and all. I know a perfect place in the district where they make the best pancake in the whole National city."
This made Lena laughed. Kara easily made her taste a strange exquisite bliss every time she does that. But she had a better idea.
"Hmmm... I am really tempted to accept that offer. But unfortunately... My mother asked me to attend a gala tomorrow. I was thinking if, well, if you'll consider going with me?"
There was a brief silence on the line before she heard a muffled laugh. "Are you asking me for a date, Ms. Luthor? I mean we just met like a few days ago. But if you are, the answer is yes, I would love to go to the party with you. Just tell what to wear."
Lena was grinning, something in her life she never thought she will do. "Let me take care of that. Just bring yourself. "
"Where are we going?"
"Its a surprise. Do you trust me?"
Kara laughed and Lena like that sound of that.
"I am terribly terrified by this, but yes... I do trust you, Lena."
"It's fixed then. A date tomorrow with Ms. Danvers-- for the charity of course."
Kara smiled. "Looking forward to it, contemplating, but definitely looking forward to it."
