"You don't know the meaning of loyalty!"

Lena flinched away from her mother's harsh words. Her face scrunched up, shame burning her cheeks. "He did terrible things."

"He's misunderstood! A genius, trapped in the body of a man! He's better than you'll ever be." Lillian's tone was biting and she stepped towards her daughter. Her hands shot forward and wrapped around Lena's forearms, forcing her to lean backwards over the counter.

Cowering in fear, Lena tried to make herself smaller, very aware of the fact that she couldn't defend herself.

"I had to do the right thing." Her breath was coming in shorter and shorter pants, panic blooming in her chest. Her mother started to scream at her, inches away from her face. Her heart was pounding but her mind was gone; her eyes stared ahead, unfocused.

"You should have been there for your family! You call yourself a Luthor? Then act like it! Close ranks when you're supposed to, you useless piece of garbage!"

The slap that rang out through the empty kitchen hung in the air for several seconds. Lena's teeth bit down on her lip but she didn't make a sound, didn't move, adrenaline pumping through her veins at a sickening pace.

Lillian scoffed and stepped to the side, letting her hands drop. "Get out of my sight," she hissed, a terrifying expression on her face.

Lena darted through the opening, making a beeline for the stairs. Collapsing in the solace of her room and pressing a hand to her inflamed cheek, she felt the tears dripping down her face.

You're weak.

Simple.

Stupid.

Useless.

You don't deserve the life you have.

Getting her tears under control, she stood up and faced herself in the full length mirror. She stared at the scared, flushed face looking back at her and berated herself for being so weak, so impressionable and emotional.

Boxes, Lena.

The town flew by outside the window and Lena pulled the earbuds out of her ears, going through her bag, rearranging it even though she knew by heart where everything was. Zipping it up, she knocked on the divider between her and the front of the car. "James?"

"Yes, Ms. Luthor?"

"Can you drop me off here? And please call me Lena."

"Your mother requested that you be driven to the door."

Of course Lillian had done that. Of course she had already taken as much control as she could over Lena's life, somehow, from a hundred miles away. Wasn't the whole point of her sending her out to Midvale to make her disappear? "Please?"

James glanced in the rear view mirror and saw her pleading face. "Any particular reason, Ms. Luthor?"

"Lena. I just don't want to be that kid, the one who shows up to her new school in a blacked out SUV. It makes people stare and god knows I don't need any more of that."

"All due respect, you have a lot of suitcases in the back. And I'm sure there will be other cars just like this one, Midvale Preparatory Academy may seem small but it's an elite boarding school." He pulled onto a side road and out of nowhere appeared a pristine, three story building with glass walls. They drove past several more elaborate-looking buildings and a row of tennis courts, then stopped in front of a building with tall marble columns and faded, old bricks.

Checking her bag again, Lena hesitated. "What if they hate me?"

James just chuckled and opened her door. "They won't hate you. What makes you say that?"

A frown etched its way across her face and she stepped down, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Because of Lex."

"You can't let that define you," James' voice was quiet and he had a knowing expression on his face.

Ever since her brother had been sent to jail, Lena had been quiet, withdrawn. After her hospital stay her mother had pulled her out of the private school in Manhattan's Upper East Side and sent her to the suburbs so she could have a fresh start. It was a small enough town, Midvale, that surely not everyone knew what her brother had done, and at least those who did wouldn't actively blame her and shout insults down the hallways. Not that it wasn't her fault.

"You'll be fine. Want me to come in with you?"

Shaking her head, Lena mounted the steps. "I'm just getting my key, right?"

"I'll be waiting out here. Call if you need anything." James leaned against the SUV, pulling his shades down.

She waited in the short line, staring at the ground, her hair hiding her face.

"Name?"

"Lena."

"I need your full name, dearie."

"Luthor. Lena Luthor," she mumbled, hoping no one would overhear. The nice-looking secretary handed her an envelope, key and ID.

"Thanks." She ducked away before anyone could pair her name with her face. James was waiting with the door open and she jumped in, eager for the isolation of the back seat.

"So where to now, Ms. Luthor?"

"Looks like my dorm is across the quad from the science building, so that's a plus."

When they got to the dorm, James put the car the car in park and glanced back at her. "How are you feeling? Nervous?"

The look he turned on her was almost condescending and she recoiled. "This is my sixth school. I'm over the first day jitters." Her voice shook, making her sound a lot less convincing that she wanted to.

"You know, I've been driving your mother around for a long time," James started. "And I've seen a lot of your family. I think this will be a nice change for you."

They started unloading her bags and boxes from the back and moving them into the dorm. On their third trip, a finger tapped her shoulder and Lena nearly jumped out of her skin, whipping around.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I'm Ms. Kincaid and welcome to Midvale Prep! You must be Lena Luthor."

"News travels fast I guess," Lena muttered, shaking the offered hand.

"Well, we do have to review the personnel files of all applicants and then again when you get accepted, so I know all about you." Ms. Kincaid smiled but it didn't do much to offset her ominous-sounding words. "Don't worry, you'll fit right in here."

"I hope not."

The older woman's smile wavered but she clapped her hands together and it returned in full force. Stealing a glance at Lena's papers, she pursed her lips. "Room 104? That's right down the hall, I'll show you."

James picked up the boxes and they followed her down the hall. When they got to the room Lena looked around, keeping her face blank.

"It's a single, so you don't have a roommate," Ms. Kincaid was explaining. "There's an electronic key fob to get into all the dorms and a separate key to get into your room. There are also check-in times and a couple guidelines to living here but we'll go over all of that in our first dorm meeting tonight, once everyone arrives."

"Alright, thanks." James' tone was clearly dismissive and the woman left, giving them both another smile. "So what do you think?"

"I think..." Lena inspected the room; empty cinder block walls painted over with an off-white color, a standard dresser drawer and bookshelf, a desk in the corner with a wooden chair. Her mind jumped, unbidden, to her brother. Was this just a nicer version of Lex's jail cell? Was her brother already getting into trouble in prison?

"I think this is a big mistake."

"It can't be all that bad. Someone donated a boatload of money two years ago and they used it to build that fancy science center you saw."

Lena sighed, sitting down on the bed. "That was my mother. She wanted me to come here for high school—hated the idea of me in the house."

Familiar with the rocky relationships of the Luthors, James nodded. "You didn't want to come?"

"The trial gave her the last thing she needed. The only reason she hadn't gotten rid of me yet was Lex. With him locked up..." Feeling the familiar pang of sadness that always came with talking about her brother, she trailed off, running her hand along the cheap mattress. It was partly her fault; if she hadn't landed herself in the hospital maybe Lillian wouldn't have forced her to leave. She still couldn't quite decide if she was happy to be out of there.

Used to the young girl losing herself in her thoughts, James slid his shades back on. "I'll go get the rest of your things, Ms. Luthor. And don't forget, orientation starts tomorrow. I'll be staying in a hotel down the street for a few days, so just let me know—"

"No, you should go. I'm sure your wife wants you home." Tired of feeling bad, Lena tried to dismiss him. The job paid well but driving her around meant James had to leave at a moment's notice whenever Lillian called, and he left a disgruntled wife with a a two-year old boy each time.

"Your mother said she'd check up on you," he said uncertainly. "I don't want her to think I'm not doing my job."

"It's fine. We both know she'll blame me anyways, if not for that, she'll find something else. You might as well go."

He smiled, not sure if he should be taking orders from a sixteen year old girl. "If you're sure. I'll just finish with the bags."

"Leave them." Suddenly, all she wanted was to be alone. "I can bring them in." Seeing his eyebrows raise, she gave him half a smile. "I just want to be a normal teenager for once. Normal teenagers bring in their own bags. Normal teenagers don't have brothers serving almost forty years in prison. Normal teenagers don't think about—" She shook her head, not finishing her sentence. "I saw a diner a few blocks from here. You should go grab lunch, you drove non-stop."

"Alright." He tossed her the keys. "I'll come back for the car later. Call if you need me."

"I won't." The words came out a little harsher than she meant them to and she got up, opening the door for him before he could ask any questions. "I'll be fine."

"Need some help?"

Lena turned towards the voice, raising a hand against the setting sun. A tall shock of blonde hair stood a foot away. "No, I'm good, thanks," she mumbled, continuing to roll her two biggest suitcases down the pavement.

"You sure? Those look a little heavy." Something in the girl's voice made her look back and her heart started pounding in her chest.

The girl was pretty. No, she was gorgeous. She smelled like fresh baked cookies and vanilla and had on a Midvale Prep t-shirt and skinny jeans that accentuated her long, slim legs. Pearly white teeth flashed at her, set in a face framed by golden, wavy hair. Wide blue eyes stared at her from behind black hipster glasses, crinkling at the corners even though the girl couldn't be much older than her, and Lena felt the corners of her own lips raising in an automatic response to the infectious smile.

"What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't," Lena said stupidly, staring at her crossed arms. They were corded with muscles Lena had never noticed before on a girl, and tan, like she spent a lot of time in the sun—something Lena avoided like the plague.

"Well then, what is it?" When no answer was forthcoming, the blonde shrugged good-naturedly. "I'm Kara. Kara Danvers." Everything about her oozed confidence and she extended a well-toned arm for Lena to shake her hand, the goofy smile still on her face.

Lena jumped back instinctively at the sight of a hand coming towards her, colliding with something big and solid and warm. A squeak escaped her and she turned, coming face-to-chest with a broad-shouldered, brown-haired boy.

"Mike, you scared her." The blonde girl, Kara, put a hand on her shoulder and Lena tensed. She wasn't used to strangers touching her. She wasn't used to anyone touching her.

Kara pretended not to notice but her heart fluttered in her chest; Lena's skin was cool to the touch despite the summer air and when she brushed Lena's hair with the back of her hand, the long, dark silky strands were as glossy as they looked.

"This is my boyfriend, Mike." Kara kissed his cheek and Lena followed the movement with her eyes. "Mike, this is..." She trailed off, waiting for an answer.

"Lena," she breathed, barely audible.

"Lena Luthor?" Nothing in the boy's face changed but Lena winced internally at her own name.

"That's me."

As he looked her up and down, something in his eyes did change and Lena felt like she was being examined. Kara seemed to sense it, too, because she cleared her throat, breaking the tension.

"Let me get that for you." Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed the handle of one of the suitcases, almost lifting it off the ground. "What room are you in?"

"104," Lena said faintly. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why someone as pretty as Kara was paying her any attention, and she hoped it wasn't because of her last name. It seemed like Kara didn't even know her first name but she'd learned not to be too careful.

"Bangarang." Kara gestured for her to lead the way and she went to open the door, feeling the blonde's eyes on her back. The other suitcase was clearly meant for Mike and he brought it after them without protest but Lena could tell he was annoyed.

When they reach her door, Lena shifted uncomfortably as Mike whispered something in his girlfriend's ear. "...say something...her..." Kara raised an eyebrow and shot Lena a glance, setting the suitcase down.

"I'm meeting a few friends for dinner later if you want to join us."

The look on Mike's face said he does not want her to join them.

Seeing Lena hesitate, Kara smiled again. Something about the wide grin and the blonde's genuinely hopeful expression made her feel bafflingly warm and she felt her muscles relax. "Sure," she said, surprising herself.

"Mike's head of the football team," Kara said proudly, "So it'll mostly be tall, hairy neanderthals, but I'll be there and a few of them are bringing their girlfriends to make up for the testosterone. We'll come by around 5:30?"

Mike's brown eyes flashed and Lena swallowed. "Sure," she stuttered in a more subdued tone, backing away from his closed off expression. "I just—forgot something." She practically ran past them in her hurry, shutting the back door of the car as she slid in.

The familiar smell of leather greeted her and she traced the seams of the fabric, watching through the blacked-out windows as Kara and Mike left her dorm. They were chatting and holding hands and Kara was looking at him like he hung the moon—she must have imagined it. No way someone like Kara was with him if he wasn't a decent guy.

Kara was looking around and for a short, hot second Lena wondered if the blue eyes were searching for her. Then the couple walked right by the car, not seeing her, and Lena let out a relieved sigh when they disappeared into one of the other buildings.

She slipped out of the car and went back to her room. Starting to unpack, she slowly hung up her clothes, fingering each one. Did it matter what she wore to go to dinner?

"Make a good first impression."

Shaking her head, she tried to ignore her mother's voice, tried not to think back to that night. "It's just dinner, Lena. Just wear something casual."

An hour later James left for New York City and she was sitting on her bed in designer jeans and a casual-looking green blouse. She nervously sprayed a bit of perfume on, a bottle of Dior that had been an old Christmas gift, and with every passing minute she considered backing out but she had no way to contact Kara and she knew the second those blue eyes were on hers she won't be able to turn her down.

What is this?

She didn't even know these people and yet here she was, waiting nervously.

The weather was nice so she went outside, standing nervously by the door. Seeing someone approach, she pretended to be on her phone but a hand waved by her face. "Yes?"

"Whoa. You must be Lena." A blonde boy she'd never seen before was standing in front of her.

"Yes," Lena said again. "How do you know my name?" I hate the media.

"Oh, I'm Tom, Kara's friend. She's already at the diner but she told me to come find a pretty girl with 'startling green eyes'." His fingers hooked quotation marks in the air. "I'm guessing that's you."

"I don't have startling green eyes," Lena said, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks. Kara thinks I'm pretty?

"Are you stupid? Yeah, you do." Thomas linked their arms and pulled her towards the gates, not noticing how Lena's muscles locked at the physical contact. "Kara got one thing wrong, though. You aren't pretty. You're beautiful."

"That's nice of you to say." Her cheeks flushed even darker with embarrassment and she was looking at her feet when he slowed down.

"Here we are."

The school gates were still in sight as Lena read the sign by the road.

Midvale Diner.

"Creative name," she remarked pushing open the door.

"Laugh all you want but it's been around since like, 1860. I'm sure most of its business nowadays is from us but they make a mean apple pie and have the best milkshakes for miles. Kara can chug one in under a minute."

Lena scanned the diner for the only other face she knew, the atmosphere buzzing in her ears. It felt warm and homely if not a bit overwhelming, all the sounds and smells, and she was just regretting letting Tom drag her over when she spotted Kara.

"Tom! Lena! Over here!" Kara stood up, waving them over. She was at one of the larger tables and surrounded. As they got closer Lena saw that they must have dragged over half of the diner's chairs and she shied away from the sheer amount of people. "Everyone, this is Lena. She's new here, so show her the ins and outs of Midvale Prep." Kara patted the newly empty chair next to her and Lena sat down.

"If I had known you were the most popular girl in the school, I would've stayed in my room." She had to lean in to be heard and flyaway blonde hairs tickled her nose. The smell of warm vanilla hung around Kara and Lena breathed it in.

"I figured as much," Kara whispered back with a wink, wrapping her arm around Lena's shoulders. "You gotta taste this, it's the best way to start your year here." She raised her voice, holding out a massive chocolate milkshake with two straws. Lena reached for the one closest to her but Kara stopped her, her arm slipping off Lena's shoulders. "Oh wait. That's Mike's, take mine. You aren't afraid of germs, are you?"

As someone who had carried out many a science experiment, Lena wasn't really a fan of contamination in any form but one look at Kara's face said that the blonde didn't expect her to say yes. "It's fine." She put the straw to her lips, picturing the same red plastic in Kara's mouth minutes before. The image almost made her blush.

They leaned forward at the exact same time and out of the corner of her eye something flashed. When she straightened up, Kara was smiling at her.

"It's good, huh."

"Yeah, I—"

A familiar hand shot in front of her face. "And a polaroid for the lady." With an exaggerated bow, Thomas held out the undeveloped film.

"Thanks," Lena said, a little startled, taking the picture and slipping it into her purse.

Under the table, Kara kicked his shin. "Let her settle in before you go doing all your weird stuff, Tom."

"You want me to wait? You can't keep a lady this beautiful waiting, Kara," Tom said with an offended look. He dropped the act and grins at her. "Hey. Never really introduced myself—I'm Thomas, the backup QB."

"What does that mean?"

"It means if Mikey here gets injured on the job, I'm in. Mostly I play defense though."

"Tom, leave her alone you dork," Kara ribbed. "We ordered a ton of food and appetizers for the table, I hope you like fries?"

"I love them."

When they left the sun was going down but the air was muggy and warm. It was nothing like the radiating heat in New York City that Lena was used to and she seemed to be more fine with the heat than anyone else. They took up the entire sidewalk and Lena couldn't stop herself from constantly eyeing the road, making sure they weren't in the way of any cars.

"Which orientation are you?"

Lena did a double take at Kara's question. "What?"

"I'm running one of the groups. It should've said on the pile of papers they gave you which one you're in."

"Oh, right." Thinking back to the envelope, Lena tried to focus on the letters. "I think I'm in the green group."

"Awesome! That's under me. We're the best," Kara winked as Mike's arm looped around her waist.

"Me and the guys have a preseason meeting but I'll come over when I'm done?"

Kara planted a kiss on his hand. "What makes you think I want you there?" He pouted and Lena chuckled at the childlike expression on such a burly guy. "What makes you think my family wants you there?"

The sound of Lena's quiet laugh was like music to Kara's ears, light and airy, and suddenly she wanted to hear it again. She wanted to make her laugh properly. She'd never wanted anything more.

"Oh please, your mom loves me. Nice meeting you, Lena." He kissed Kara's neck and ran to catch up with his friends. Kara watched as they teased him and he put Tom in a headlock.

"He seems sweet."

"Yeah," Kara said, a small smile on her face. "We'll be together two years next month."

"Two years? Wow, that's...wow."

"I know. It's crazy to think about, even to me. But he was...he really knows me, you know? He may seem cold, but once you get to know him...he's family."

Something in her voice sounded different and her blue eyes had darkened but Lena chalked it up to emotion. "I wish I knew what that felt like," Lena sighed, thinking of her mother.

Kara tilted her head, remembering something she had seen on TV not too long ago. "Don't you have a brother?"

"I do," Lena said coldly, all her walls coming up. The betrayal she had felt when her brother was arrested still stung and she had yet to fully wrap her head around what he'd done. The last thing she wanted to talk about was Lex, and Kara seemed to sense that, frowning a little.

"Sorry," the taller girl said sympathetically. "I have a sister, but I can't even imagine what it must be like—"

Lena wasn't ready to have this conversation with anyone, let alone a girl she had only just met, so she turned to her dark brand of sarcasm. "Having a psychopath for a brother?"

"No! No, I just meant I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I was in your shoes," Kara explained. "It just seems like it sucks."

"It's really none of your—oh."

There was an awkward moment when the two girls stared at each other, Kara with a contrite expression on her face and Lena with an impassive one.

"So—"

"Do you want—"

They both broke off, Lena looking embarrassed and Kara smiling. "Go ahead."

"No, you go," Lena said politely.

"I was just gonna ask if you wanted a tour of the place. I'm the head tour guide here, so it would be from the best of the best." She winked and was rewarded with the chuckle that bubbled out of Lena's throat.

"Best of the best, huh?"

"That's right."

The idea of an evening running around with Kara was appealing and Lena found herself nodding. "I'd like that."

"Bangarang! What do you want to see first?"

Kara was looking at her expectantly and Lena's throat went dry. "Science," she got out. "I like science."

"Alright, we'll start there. We just got a new science building." Kara grabbed her hand and Lena froze for a moment.

What is with everyone here and touching each other?

A second later their fingers intertwined like it was nothing. She could feel the warmth of Kara's skin and her hands were larger than she'd expected, enveloping Lena's own. For years her mother had scolded her, told her that "No man wants a woman with hands bigger than his," but hers and Kara's were almost the same size.

"It was built my freshman year," Kara was saying, "And it's got a ton of cool stuff I've never used. Fancy lab equipment and a laser cutter! I'd be afraid of cutting off my hand, but my sister told me that's not how it works."

"Did your sister go here?" Very conscious of her hand still in Kara's, Lena worried that her palms were getting sweaty but something about the blonde's enthusiasm lessened her anxiety.

"Nah, she went to public school and now she's in college out west. Here's the lobby, chemistry is on the upper level, bio is here on ground level, and physics is the one below us." She pulled Lena into various rooms, explaining what classes and teachers were in each one, her hand warm around Lena's

Lena wasn't really listening, more curious about Kara's life than the building. "What college does your sister go to?"

"UCLA." Much to Lena's disappointment, Kara let go of her hand to plop down on one of the couches. "What do you think of the Philip Schenk Science Center?"

Lena had been staring at Kara's hands; they moved a lot when she talked. In fact, her whole body seemed to hum with energy even when she was sitting still. Her hands would run through her hair or push up her glasses or fidget in her lap with a hair tie. When she noticed that Kara had stopped talking, she looked away quickly.

You idiot. Say something.

A shiny rectangle on the wall caught her eye.

"What's that?"

Kara shrugged. "No idea."

"I thought you were the best of the best?"

Lena didn't consider herself a funny person but Kara laughed; a happy sound that made her throat vibrate and her eyes scrunch up and Lena found it adorable.

"Go over and read it if you want." Her eyes followed Lena as the other girl stood up, fixing her shirt self-consciously. She saw the emerald green eyes dart back and forth and saw Lena's entire body stiffen. The breathy exhale that escaped Lena's lips wasn't lost on her and she was on her feet in a second, her fingers reaching for Lena's arm.

"Lena? Are you okay?"

Lena shook her head, the ground dropping away underneath her. She's going to hate me. God, she's going to despise me.

"What's wrong?" Kara joined her in front of the plaque and read it in a quiet voice. "Science center donated courtesy of Lillian Luthor...What does that mean?"

"It means there isn't much I can do that my mother's money can't make go away," Lena said bitterly, surprising them both. She sounded, to her own ears, like a spoiled, entitled brat and she wondered if her mother had been right about her all along. She was afraid to look up and see if she had alienated her only friend but she forced herself to.

Kara was biting her lip, her teeth worrying the pink skin, and Lena's eyes fastened on blonde's mouth, too shy to look her in the eye. "There's something different about you," she said slowly. The words Lena had said didn't go with the tone she said them in and Kara saw right through her façade. Saw right through it, because only a few years ago that was her. "Only someone in a lot of pain says things like that."

They held eye contact for a long moment before Lena looked away, feeling vulnerable.

"Come on," Kara said gently, tugging at her arm. Lena didn't flinch away, just shook her head like she was clearing it of cobwebs. "I'll show you the arts building." She could see the change in Lena's body language when they walked back outside and let out a sigh of relief.

The arts building was lined with paintings and photographs and sculptures, and Lena glanced around, a little overwhelmed. "This is all stuff done by the students?"

"Yeah." Kara was getting a little jumpy as Lena peered at a photograph. "Don't look at—"

"Kara Danvers, sophomore...You took this?"

"Yeah, for a project."

Lena stared at the picture, her fingers millimeters from the wall. It was a portrait of a brunette girl from the front, mid-laugh, wearing nothing but a swimsuit. She was looking at the person behind the camera—Kara—with a mixture of love and admiration in her eyes and Lena felt a strange spike of jealousy as she tried to figure out Kara's framing. The girl had a perfect body and Kara had captured every inch of it, the planes of her face and the curves of her body. Who was she? Maybe she was Kara's best friend, maybe it was her idol.

"That's Alex," Kara interrupted her train of thought.

"Alex."

"My sister," Kara explained, and Lena felt a powerfully strong wave of relief that she didn't understand.

"Can I see your other pictures?"

Kara shifted from foot to foot, biting her lip. She'd never felt like this before about showing her work. It was on the walls, for crying out loud. But this new girl looked like she read into photographs more than the usual audience of a football player, who glanced at them with a grunt. "Uh, sure. Most of the them are at home, but some of them are in the photo room." Fishing out a key ring from her back pocket, she went over to a cabinet.

Lena's curiosity was piqued. She keeps them locked up? When Kara bent over to open a drawer, she felt the need to look away, staring at the light bulb.

"Some of them are film, which I love, but most of them are digital—it's easier for sports and yearbook stuff."

They sat on the floor next to each other and Lena flipped through the binder, Kara's comforting scent wafting around them. She could sense Kara getting more and more nervous as she got farther and farther back but she didn't stop. The photos ranged from pictures of dogs—Kara's dogs, Krypto and Osh, a white husky and a heart-meltingly, adorable grey whippet—to pictures of Mike and their friends, but most of the pictures were of people. Taken from afar, taken up close, framed like they were taken in secret.

The photos transitioned from digital to film, and it was clear which medium Kara preferred. The film ones were framed more delicately, she could tell, and they had a certain touch to them that she could only describe as delicate. They were only of women, and Lena wondered if that was on purpose or just by chance. There was one girl that was in several of the film photos, in racy poses, too, but Lena didn't ask, stamping out the jealousy that licked at her insides like fire.

"That's pretty much it," Kara spoke up, fidgeting with her glasses. There were still a few pages left and Lena couldn't stop, hungrily devouring the images. It was like seeing the world through Kara's eyes and she couldn't get enough. "Do you want to see the rest of the building?"

"Hang on," Lena's eyes were darting over each picture faster and faster. "I want to see the end."

"Uh, they aren't really—" Kara's voice died in her throat as Lena reached the last page.

An old film photograph along with a strip of negatives sat in a protective sleeve, a family smiling back at her.

Squinting, Lena recognized the young girl as Kara. Sitting on her lap was a younger boy and they looked like siblings. The couple in the photograph had their arms around the two children and she could see Kara had the man's nose, the woman's eyes and strong jaw line.

Feeling as though she'd invaded Kara's privacy, Lena mumbled an apology and started to close the binder but Kara put a hand on her leg and she froze. "Lena. It's okay. I just...I haven't really shown anyone that picture. I keep it in there for myself."

"Who are they?" Lena asked. The weight of Kara's hand on her knee was warm and heavy and very much there and she tried not to stare at the way the blonde's lip trembled.

Kara swallowed. "That's my family." The sympathetic look Lena shot her unhinged something in her and she sniffled.

Kara's eyes were shiny with tears and Lena was so close could see flecks of dark grey in the blue irises. Her chest tightened and she couldn't think of anything to say.

"I thought you said you had a sister," she blurted out. Stupid, tactless girl. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."

"It's okay. I did—I do. Have a sister, I mean." Kara stumbled over the words and Lena put a hand over hers, feeling it tremble.

"You don't have to explain." Kara's throat bobbed up and down and Lena couldn't stop her eyes from raking in the lines and tendons and skin. "You just met me and I'm asking personal questions and being rude."

Kara saw Lena's face fall and rushed to console the other girl, forgetting her own sadness in the process. "No, no. You're being really sweet; I offered you a tour and started crying. You must think I'm insane."

"I don't think you're insane," Lena said adamantly. "And hey, I'm usually bad with family stuff, for obvious reasons, but if you ever want to talk I'll be here."

"Yeah." Kara traced a finger over the faces in the photograph, looking sad, then closed the binder. "I have to get home for dinner. I'll see you tomorrow."

While she was getting into her car she wondered what it was about the new girl that made her want to tell her everything. Something about the eyes, maybe. Behind Lena's eyes she had seen a pain that matched her own in a way that no one else's had since she was eight years old.

She can't dump her history on Lena. They'd only just met. Even Mike didn't know the full story—Mike didn't know half the story.

Starting the engine, Kara exhaled and began to drive.

Maybe one day she could tell Lena everything.