Chloe Sullivan has spent the last three weeks preparing for her big move to Metropolis. All those years of working so hard and running The Torch at Smallville High had finally paid off, as she was headed to bigger and better places with the first step being her new job, at The Daily Planet.
After four drama filled years at high school, Chloe was happy to leave the town and to move on. There's so much "wall of weird" that one person can handle, and Chloe definitely had her fair share. She had nothing stopping her anymore as her feelings towards Clark weren't returned. Instead she got the privilege of watching his on-off relationship with her best friend. Who could resist the damsel in distress, especially when it came in the form of beautiful teen Lana Lang. With that and his clear statement that they were just friends, Chloe had come to terms that her true love wasn't in the small Kansas town of Smallville.
It was time to stop being second best and to hopefully find someone who appreciated everything about her. It was time to put Clark, Smallville and The Torch behind, and Chloe was taking the first step.
Many thoughts ran through Chloe's mind. She then began to think about the fateful moment where she said goodbye to the Kent's, and not Clark. Martha and Jonathan were like second parents to her. They were they for her when she first moved to Smallville in the eighth grade and helped her with the grief of losing her mother to a mental institution.
All this made it all the harder to say goodbye to them, even though she managed to dodge saying goodbye to Clark. As the thoughts continued to run through her head, a wave of sadness threatened to overwhelm her body.
She hoped into her car, holding back tears and began the engine, oblivious to the fact that her best friend was super speeding towards her. Clark cared a lot for Chloe. She is the one person he trusts with everything and the thought of not seeing her again or not saying good bye really troubled him. He knew that he doesn't show much appreciation towards her very often, with the thoughts of Lana somehow always overpowering him and resulted in a lack of actions towards Chloe.
After everything they've been thru, and after all the times Chloe was there for him, he never put his heart out there. He didn't tell her what a great person she was, and what a relief it was to have someone who knows his secret to not look at him differently.
As Chloe began to drive out of her parking spot, she abruptly stopped to a harsh halt to see none other than Clark standing in front of her there, looking the most upset he's been since his dramatic break up with Lana.
"Clark! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouted through her open window
"Chlo! How could you leave without saying goodbye? I thought we were best friends" said Clark, moving towards Chloe
" I'm sorry Clark, but you've been so absorbed in your own self pity since the break up, that I thought you wouldn't notice if I left" said Chloe, with her bright green eyes beginning to water.
"Chloe Sullivan, how could you say I wouldn't notice!? You're my best friend! You're the one person I trust with everything! I care about you more than you think. You know damn well that I'd not only notice, but I'd miss you like crazy! You didn't even leave an address" Clark said, as he walked even closer to his thin best friend
Clark opened the car door, and picked Chloe up. Chloe had almost forgotten what it was like to be in the presence of Clark. His strong muscular body felt so soft against her skin, as he held her tight.
"Clark, please put me down! I'm not a toy you can just pick up" she said, playfully punching him.
"If I put you down, then I can't do this" he said, as his lips softly met hers.
Although Chloe had kissed Clark many times before, this kiss defiantly was the best. It had the soft touch, the passion and of course the guy. Happiness besieged her body. She could feel something different in this kiss compared to the others, but she couldn't quite figure out what. Then the thoughts of Metropolis and the daily planet ran through her head, and sadness came right back and that's when she abruptly released her lips off Clarks.
"WHY! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT CLARK!" she yelled, as she harshly released herself from his grasp.
Clark was bewildered.
"Chlo… I know I can't convince you to stay. I just thought it was time I finally showed you… just how much you mean to me" he said, shyly looking at the grey gravel underneath his size 10 feet.
"This is not fair" she whispered, tears streaming down her smooth pale face.
This was too much for Chloe to handle. Although this should be a good experience compared to the other guys who liked her. Especially since they were all "meteor freaks" who tried to kill here, at least once.
She turned her back to Clark, who was still standing there, and she froze like a statue. She couldn't do this again.
"Chloe, you can't just turn your back on me and Smallville. If you feel the way I do, then you can't possibly do this!" he pleaded.
Fury overwhelmed Chloe.
"How dare you?! How dare you say I'm turning my back on you! I was always there for you Clark. I had to watch you and Lana for four years! I was ditched at the school prom by you for her! I was always put on the back bench and it was you who turned your back on me! When you got sick, I put my entire heart on the line, and it was returned by you muttering my best friend's name!" she said, in full hysteria.
"I was never good enough for you… "She whispered, slowly moving on the floor, to sit.
Clark had never seen Chloe like this. He always knew her as the strong intuitive reporter. She looked so vulnerable and sad. Remorse overwhelmed him as he noticed just how much pain he had caused his best friend. He couldn't think of what to say.
Chloe just sat on the side of the road, embarrassed about her recent outburst.
The awkwardness between them seemed to grow.
"You have always been good enough for me Chloe. I am so sorry if I ever made you think otherwise." He said, tenderly
He walked over to where she was sitting, and sat his muscular body right next to hers. . He put his arm around her petite body and she embraced it as she felt his unnatural body heat. The feeling of his clean plaid shirt against Chloe's pale skin was somewhat comforting to the reporter, and his warmth made her feel better.
"I just can't do this anymore Clark. I need to move on, even if my heart doesn't want me to" she said softly
"I still think about the first time I met you. I remember showing you around Smallville High, then my family's farm…and the kiss. You were my first kiss Chloe, something no one can take away from either of us" he said as he squeezed her and moved the embrace in even closer.
Chloe was too weak and drained to fight Clark.
"After everything with Lana, I was just so hesitant to get into another relationship. After all the hurt I put her through, I didn't want to do the same to you…"
Still clutched in Clark's warm arms, Chloe put her hands around his waist and hugged him.
A smile came across Clarks face. Chloe doesn't remember seeing that big smile in quite a while. It's so beautiful and shows off his bright blue eyes. Just another aspect she loved of Clark.
"I guess the reality of losing you finally gave me the courage to admit my feelings" he whispered into her ear.
Tingles jolted up and down Chloe's spine. She looked at Clark and his sharp featured face and started feeling weak; she quickly looked back down at the ground.
"No" she said, still looking at the ground, avoiding his face.
"Ch..." he said, but before he could finish saying her name, she got up.
"I can't keep on putting myself in this trap" she whispered.
The day of when she read out her letter seemed to be on continuous replay in her head.
The moment when Clark muttered "Lana" reassured her that nothing can happen.
"You're my best friend Clark, and I wouldn't trade our friendship for the world, let's just leave it at that" she said, giving her friend a last hug.
Clark wholesomely embraced Chloe and leaned his head on her silky blonde hair.
She let herself out of his embrace and walked over and sat in the driver's seat of her red convertible beetle and began the engine and drove off towards Metropolis.
She turned her stereo on, and a stream of tears covered her delicate cheeks.
She couldn't believe what she just did that, but she was determined to stick by her decision and her independence.
Clark just stood like a statue on the dirt road as he saw the car get smaller and smaller.
A single tear formed in his eye before gliding down his cheek.
"I love you Chloe" he whispered as the car slowly diminished into the distance