INT: THE TORCH NEWSROOM - NIGHT
Chloe puts the paper to bed as she edits another story. Clark sits across from her staring blankly at the computer monitor before him.
Chloe retypes a few sentences and looks over at Clark. She shakes her head and continues to edit, she looks over at Clark again and stops typing.
CHLOE
Are you going to just be like that all night?
CLARK
(snaps out of a daze)
What? Did you say something?
Chloe gets up from behind her desk and walks over to Clark.
CHLOE
You've been Mr. Mopey all week. What's going on? I mean, if I wanted to see brooding all night, I'd be at home watching Angel.
CLARK
I am not brooding, I'm in deep thought.
CHLOE
You're brooding.
Clark gets up and walks over to the wall of weird. He glances at the stories plastered onto the wall. Chloe grabs his arm, and pulls him to towards the door.
CLARK
Where are going?
CHLOE
Somewhere that's not here.
EXT: SMALLVILLE PARK - NIGHT
Light from a nearby street lamp illuminates the small park. There is no one there, it is completely peaceful.
CHLOE
Clark, just do it!
CLARK
No! This is stupid.
CHLOE
It is not. It'll liberate you Clark. Be a risk taker and just do it.
Clark sits atop a giant slide looking down at Chloe shaking his head and mouthing the word no.
CHLOE
(rocking back and forth)
Clark, just slide. Bring your momentum forward and just slide.
(holds her arms up)
Oh and don't forget to put your arms up, that's the most important part!
Clark smiles a toothy grin and slides down, as Chloe claps in victory. He stops at the bottom and just sits there and then looks up at Chloe, who's smiling down at him.
CHLOE
See, I was right. Tell me I was right.
CLARK
I'm telling you you're crazy.
Clark gets up and walks over to the geo dome and climbs to the top. Chloe quickly follows and sits right next to him.
CHLOE
Remember how scared I was to climb this thing in first grade. It might as well have been Mt. Everest.
CLARK
And how mad you were when Pete and I would climb up here, and you'd be stuck down there.
CHLOE
Then one day you said, "Chloe, you're climbing to the top." And you and Pete were on either side of me, helping me climb up one bar at a time. You guys stayed with me all through recess until I got to the top.
CLARK
(looks at her)
You were so happy, until you realized you were too scared to climb down.
(imitates a little girl voice)
I can't get down! I can't get down!
Chloe smiles at him and hits him on the shoulder.
CHLOE
So what's wrong? You've been off the past few days.
CLARK
It's just stuff.
CHLOE
(jokingly)
Just stuff? Stuff like will I get to talk to Lana today, or like I can't believe my unrequited love has lasted this long, or what does Whitney have that I don't have ...
CLARK
(serious look)
Not everything's about Lana.
Chloe's smile fades as she realizes the troubled look on Clark's face. She moves in closer and puts her hand on Clark's hand.
CHLOE
(looks into his eyes)
Clark, talk to me. You know I'll always be here to listen. Whatever it is, we'll find an answer.
CLARK
(looks up into the stars)
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
CHLOE
(takes a deep breath)
You know, the first time I realized what it meant to put words to paper, I think I was hooked.
CLARK
I don't know what I want to do. Sometimes, I just get so confused, like I'm supposed to be doing more.
Chloe gently grabs Clarks chin and turns his face towards her. She looks intently into his eyes.
CHLOE
Clark, I think you know what you want to do, it's just doing it that's the hard part. People get so scared of who they want to be, that denying they know is easier to live with.
CLARK
Maybe so, but it doesn't make living any easier.
A couple strolls past the park holding hands and laughing. The man steals a kiss from his girlfriend and she playfully giggles at his affection.
CHLOE
Good grief, PDA.
CLARK
Oh come on Chloe, you know you wouldn't mind a guy showing you some PDA.
They look at the couple take a path through the woods. Chloe glances at Clark still watching the couple as they walk out of view.
CHLOE
Yea, if it were with the right guy.
CLARK
Don't worry Chloe, that guy's out there. And when you find him, he'll be the lucky one.
CHLOE
Really?
CLARK
Or maybe it'll be his unlucky day, I always get that confused.
Clark smiles sarcastically at Chloe. Her eyes narrow into slits and she shakes her head.
CHLOE
Why am I even friends with you?
CLARK
My charm? My witty personality?
CHLOE
(pauses)
Nah...Pitty. I took pity on you playing all alone at recess. You were like Rudolf, not allowed to play in any of the reindeer games.
CLARK
(smiles)
Good one. I like that comeback, I'd like to give you a 9.8 for that slam.
The two of them laugh and Clark feels more at ease. Chloe looks into his eyes and smiles.
CLARK
Thanks.
CHLOE
For what?
CLARK
Being here.
Just then a loud female scream comes from the woods. Clark and Chloe quickly jump off the geo dome and run towards the screams.
EXT: SMALLVILLE WOODS - NIGHT
The girl runs past Clark and Chloe as her boyfriend is yelling into the phone for police. He starts to run after his girlfriend, but Clark quickly stops him.
CLARK
What happened?
THE BOYFRIEND
(points over his shoulder)
There's a dead body over there.
(into his cell phone)
There's a dead body in Happy Hallow woods...
He pushes Clark aside and continues to chase his screaming girlfriend. Clark and Chloe stand there for a moment. Looking in the general direction the man pointed at. Chloe takes a step forward and Clark quickly grabs her arm.
CHLOE
Hey!
CLARK
Hold on little miss Murder She Wrote. It could dangerous.
CHLOE
Clark if I don't check the scene of the crime now, I won't have a chance when the police come in here and tape everything off.
Chloe pulls her arm away from Clark's grasp and makes her way to the dead body. Clark shakes his head and walks after her.
The body of a teenage girl fully clothed lies in a pile of leaves. She looks as if she's peacefully sleeping. Chloe freezes in her tracks, Clark comes up from behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders.
He surveys the scene of the crime looking for a sign of struggle, anything that would tell him that yet another freak of the week has been created by the meteorites that accompanied him to Smallville. Chloe notices the intense look in Clark's eyes.
CHLOE
Clark? Are you okay?
CLARK
(snaps back to reality)
What? Yea, I'm good. I was just thinking of how young she is, you know.
Clark continues to ponder the possibility of this too being his fault and the guilt gradually builds. The recent rash of young deaths have had something to do with him. That fact alone has made it hard to sleep many nights. And now he stands before another dead body. Another life cut short, dreams never fulfilled, a family torn apart. Clark pulls Chloe closer to him.
CHLOE
(squints her eyes)
Clark, I think that girl went to our school. I think she was a freshman.
CLARK
(takes a deep breath)
I think we should leave before the police get here.
Chloe starts to walk away, but Clark takes another look at the young teenage girl and closes his eyes as the guilt begins to take hold of him.
EXT: SMALLVILLE HIGHSCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY
Chloe rifles through her satchel. She opens and closes three folders. Mrs. Lockwell begins collecting history papers. Pete hands his paper forward and looks over at Chloe as she continues to look through another folder.
PETE
What's wrong?
CHLOE
I can't find my paper. I thought for sure I had it. I can't believe this is happening.
PETE
Did you leave it in your locker?
CHLOE
God, I hope so, because if it's at home I'm just going to kill myself. I spent three weeks researching that paper. I had the footnotes, bibliography, even a great cover page, and if I have to get marked off for not having it today ...
PETE
(jokingly)
You're going to cry?
CHLOE
(looking straight at him)
Not funny.
Mrs. Lockwell walks up to Chloe's desk and watches her frantically search for her history paper. Pete quickly turns to the front of the class when he sees Mrs. Lockwell stare at him.
MRS. LOCKWELL
(turns to Chloe)
Chloe, did you forget your history paper?
CHLOE
I'm sorry I must have grabbed the wrong folder out of my locker.
MRS. LOCKWELL
Well, go get it. But next time be prepared or I'll be forced to mark you down a grade.
CHLOE
(relieved)
Oh, thank you Mrs. Lockwell.
Chloe gets out of her seat and rushes out the door to her locker. She makes her way to down the hall. Before she reaches the stairs, she can hear a hushed argument in the stairwell. She quietly walks down the stairs and sees two guys at the foot of the stairwell. Chloe ducks down so they can't see her.
TAD MURRAY, 17, senior, stands in front of BRIAN SPEAKER, 17, senior. Tad grabs Brian's letterman's jacket in frustration.
TAD
Brian I'm telling you to get a grip.
BRIAN
How can I get a grip after what happened. What's wrong with you, man? You make it seem like I should be okay with what happened.
TAD
Look, if you don't pull it together all of our lives are gonna change. We'll go to jail. Do you want to go to jail?
BRIAN
No, but what we did was wrong Tad. A girl's dead from what we did.
Tad throws Brian against the wall and Chloe cowers even more totally scared of being seen now. Chloe's eyes widen as she realizes what the two are talking about.
TAD
Shut up! She was your girl Brian. You keep that in mind, when you fight with your conscious.
Mr. Brennen opens his door and peaks into the hallway. When he sees Tad and Brian standing in the stairwell, he looks at his watch and shakes his head in disappointment.
MR. BRENNEN
Shouldn't you two be in class?
TAD
Yes, sir. We're heading to class right now.
BRIAN
Yea, we were just walking to class.
MR. BRENNEN
I suggest you two walk faster. Get to class.
Mr. Brennen steps out into the hallway crossing his arms in front of him. Tad looks over at Brian and the two of them begin to walk to class. They pass Mr. Brennen and continue to walk down the hall until they reach their Civics class open the door.
Chloe continues to cower in the stairwell. Her heart racing as fast as her mind processes what she's just heard. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.
Suddenly she feels a hand touch her shoulder and she jumps up in fear holding back a scream.
PETE
Whoa! What the...Chloe? What are you doing?
CHLOE
(relieved)
Pete. Thank God.
PETE
Mrs. Lockwell sent me after you. You better get your butt to your locker and get your paper. She's not happy.
CHLOE
I am. I'm going right now.
Chloe runs down the stairs and quickly attempts to open her locker. She turns the dial right, then left, then right and pulls on the lock. It doesn't open. Chloe starts again with the same result. Pete sees the agitation in Chloe's actions.
PETE
Chloe?
Chloe continues to mess with the lock.
PETE
Chloe?
Chloe is in a zone to open her locker. Pete reaches for her shoulder and slightly pushes her to get her attention. Chloe turns to look at Pete.
CHLOE
I'm trying to open my locker. Can't you see I'm trying to open my locker! I need to get my paper, before Mrs. Lockwell decides to just give me an F.
PETE
Okay..wait a minute. What's going on? Is this about the girl found dead last night? Is that why you're so upset. Everyone is. Look, Mrs. Lockwell will understand if you need to see the counselor.
CHLOE
What I need is my paper!
Chloe finally opens her locker and reaches for her history folder. She quickly checks to see if the paper is in there and snaps it shut when she sees her cover page.
CHLOE
Found it! Let's go.
PETE
Wait a minute, you're not going to tell me what's bothering you?
CHLOE
Pete, now is not the time.
Chloe puts the paper to bed as she edits another story. Clark sits across from her staring blankly at the computer monitor before him.
Chloe retypes a few sentences and looks over at Clark. She shakes her head and continues to edit, she looks over at Clark again and stops typing.
CHLOE
Are you going to just be like that all night?
CLARK
(snaps out of a daze)
What? Did you say something?
Chloe gets up from behind her desk and walks over to Clark.
CHLOE
You've been Mr. Mopey all week. What's going on? I mean, if I wanted to see brooding all night, I'd be at home watching Angel.
CLARK
I am not brooding, I'm in deep thought.
CHLOE
You're brooding.
Clark gets up and walks over to the wall of weird. He glances at the stories plastered onto the wall. Chloe grabs his arm, and pulls him to towards the door.
CLARK
Where are going?
CHLOE
Somewhere that's not here.
EXT: SMALLVILLE PARK - NIGHT
Light from a nearby street lamp illuminates the small park. There is no one there, it is completely peaceful.
CHLOE
Clark, just do it!
CLARK
No! This is stupid.
CHLOE
It is not. It'll liberate you Clark. Be a risk taker and just do it.
Clark sits atop a giant slide looking down at Chloe shaking his head and mouthing the word no.
CHLOE
(rocking back and forth)
Clark, just slide. Bring your momentum forward and just slide.
(holds her arms up)
Oh and don't forget to put your arms up, that's the most important part!
Clark smiles a toothy grin and slides down, as Chloe claps in victory. He stops at the bottom and just sits there and then looks up at Chloe, who's smiling down at him.
CHLOE
See, I was right. Tell me I was right.
CLARK
I'm telling you you're crazy.
Clark gets up and walks over to the geo dome and climbs to the top. Chloe quickly follows and sits right next to him.
CHLOE
Remember how scared I was to climb this thing in first grade. It might as well have been Mt. Everest.
CLARK
And how mad you were when Pete and I would climb up here, and you'd be stuck down there.
CHLOE
Then one day you said, "Chloe, you're climbing to the top." And you and Pete were on either side of me, helping me climb up one bar at a time. You guys stayed with me all through recess until I got to the top.
CLARK
(looks at her)
You were so happy, until you realized you were too scared to climb down.
(imitates a little girl voice)
I can't get down! I can't get down!
Chloe smiles at him and hits him on the shoulder.
CHLOE
So what's wrong? You've been off the past few days.
CLARK
It's just stuff.
CHLOE
(jokingly)
Just stuff? Stuff like will I get to talk to Lana today, or like I can't believe my unrequited love has lasted this long, or what does Whitney have that I don't have ...
CLARK
(serious look)
Not everything's about Lana.
Chloe's smile fades as she realizes the troubled look on Clark's face. She moves in closer and puts her hand on Clark's hand.
CHLOE
(looks into his eyes)
Clark, talk to me. You know I'll always be here to listen. Whatever it is, we'll find an answer.
CLARK
(looks up into the stars)
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
CHLOE
(takes a deep breath)
You know, the first time I realized what it meant to put words to paper, I think I was hooked.
CLARK
I don't know what I want to do. Sometimes, I just get so confused, like I'm supposed to be doing more.
Chloe gently grabs Clarks chin and turns his face towards her. She looks intently into his eyes.
CHLOE
Clark, I think you know what you want to do, it's just doing it that's the hard part. People get so scared of who they want to be, that denying they know is easier to live with.
CLARK
Maybe so, but it doesn't make living any easier.
A couple strolls past the park holding hands and laughing. The man steals a kiss from his girlfriend and she playfully giggles at his affection.
CHLOE
Good grief, PDA.
CLARK
Oh come on Chloe, you know you wouldn't mind a guy showing you some PDA.
They look at the couple take a path through the woods. Chloe glances at Clark still watching the couple as they walk out of view.
CHLOE
Yea, if it were with the right guy.
CLARK
Don't worry Chloe, that guy's out there. And when you find him, he'll be the lucky one.
CHLOE
Really?
CLARK
Or maybe it'll be his unlucky day, I always get that confused.
Clark smiles sarcastically at Chloe. Her eyes narrow into slits and she shakes her head.
CHLOE
Why am I even friends with you?
CLARK
My charm? My witty personality?
CHLOE
(pauses)
Nah...Pitty. I took pity on you playing all alone at recess. You were like Rudolf, not allowed to play in any of the reindeer games.
CLARK
(smiles)
Good one. I like that comeback, I'd like to give you a 9.8 for that slam.
The two of them laugh and Clark feels more at ease. Chloe looks into his eyes and smiles.
CLARK
Thanks.
CHLOE
For what?
CLARK
Being here.
Just then a loud female scream comes from the woods. Clark and Chloe quickly jump off the geo dome and run towards the screams.
EXT: SMALLVILLE WOODS - NIGHT
The girl runs past Clark and Chloe as her boyfriend is yelling into the phone for police. He starts to run after his girlfriend, but Clark quickly stops him.
CLARK
What happened?
THE BOYFRIEND
(points over his shoulder)
There's a dead body over there.
(into his cell phone)
There's a dead body in Happy Hallow woods...
He pushes Clark aside and continues to chase his screaming girlfriend. Clark and Chloe stand there for a moment. Looking in the general direction the man pointed at. Chloe takes a step forward and Clark quickly grabs her arm.
CHLOE
Hey!
CLARK
Hold on little miss Murder She Wrote. It could dangerous.
CHLOE
Clark if I don't check the scene of the crime now, I won't have a chance when the police come in here and tape everything off.
Chloe pulls her arm away from Clark's grasp and makes her way to the dead body. Clark shakes his head and walks after her.
The body of a teenage girl fully clothed lies in a pile of leaves. She looks as if she's peacefully sleeping. Chloe freezes in her tracks, Clark comes up from behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders.
He surveys the scene of the crime looking for a sign of struggle, anything that would tell him that yet another freak of the week has been created by the meteorites that accompanied him to Smallville. Chloe notices the intense look in Clark's eyes.
CHLOE
Clark? Are you okay?
CLARK
(snaps back to reality)
What? Yea, I'm good. I was just thinking of how young she is, you know.
Clark continues to ponder the possibility of this too being his fault and the guilt gradually builds. The recent rash of young deaths have had something to do with him. That fact alone has made it hard to sleep many nights. And now he stands before another dead body. Another life cut short, dreams never fulfilled, a family torn apart. Clark pulls Chloe closer to him.
CHLOE
(squints her eyes)
Clark, I think that girl went to our school. I think she was a freshman.
CLARK
(takes a deep breath)
I think we should leave before the police get here.
Chloe starts to walk away, but Clark takes another look at the young teenage girl and closes his eyes as the guilt begins to take hold of him.
EXT: SMALLVILLE HIGHSCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY
Chloe rifles through her satchel. She opens and closes three folders. Mrs. Lockwell begins collecting history papers. Pete hands his paper forward and looks over at Chloe as she continues to look through another folder.
PETE
What's wrong?
CHLOE
I can't find my paper. I thought for sure I had it. I can't believe this is happening.
PETE
Did you leave it in your locker?
CHLOE
God, I hope so, because if it's at home I'm just going to kill myself. I spent three weeks researching that paper. I had the footnotes, bibliography, even a great cover page, and if I have to get marked off for not having it today ...
PETE
(jokingly)
You're going to cry?
CHLOE
(looking straight at him)
Not funny.
Mrs. Lockwell walks up to Chloe's desk and watches her frantically search for her history paper. Pete quickly turns to the front of the class when he sees Mrs. Lockwell stare at him.
MRS. LOCKWELL
(turns to Chloe)
Chloe, did you forget your history paper?
CHLOE
I'm sorry I must have grabbed the wrong folder out of my locker.
MRS. LOCKWELL
Well, go get it. But next time be prepared or I'll be forced to mark you down a grade.
CHLOE
(relieved)
Oh, thank you Mrs. Lockwell.
Chloe gets out of her seat and rushes out the door to her locker. She makes her way to down the hall. Before she reaches the stairs, she can hear a hushed argument in the stairwell. She quietly walks down the stairs and sees two guys at the foot of the stairwell. Chloe ducks down so they can't see her.
TAD MURRAY, 17, senior, stands in front of BRIAN SPEAKER, 17, senior. Tad grabs Brian's letterman's jacket in frustration.
TAD
Brian I'm telling you to get a grip.
BRIAN
How can I get a grip after what happened. What's wrong with you, man? You make it seem like I should be okay with what happened.
TAD
Look, if you don't pull it together all of our lives are gonna change. We'll go to jail. Do you want to go to jail?
BRIAN
No, but what we did was wrong Tad. A girl's dead from what we did.
Tad throws Brian against the wall and Chloe cowers even more totally scared of being seen now. Chloe's eyes widen as she realizes what the two are talking about.
TAD
Shut up! She was your girl Brian. You keep that in mind, when you fight with your conscious.
Mr. Brennen opens his door and peaks into the hallway. When he sees Tad and Brian standing in the stairwell, he looks at his watch and shakes his head in disappointment.
MR. BRENNEN
Shouldn't you two be in class?
TAD
Yes, sir. We're heading to class right now.
BRIAN
Yea, we were just walking to class.
MR. BRENNEN
I suggest you two walk faster. Get to class.
Mr. Brennen steps out into the hallway crossing his arms in front of him. Tad looks over at Brian and the two of them begin to walk to class. They pass Mr. Brennen and continue to walk down the hall until they reach their Civics class open the door.
Chloe continues to cower in the stairwell. Her heart racing as fast as her mind processes what she's just heard. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.
Suddenly she feels a hand touch her shoulder and she jumps up in fear holding back a scream.
PETE
Whoa! What the...Chloe? What are you doing?
CHLOE
(relieved)
Pete. Thank God.
PETE
Mrs. Lockwell sent me after you. You better get your butt to your locker and get your paper. She's not happy.
CHLOE
I am. I'm going right now.
Chloe runs down the stairs and quickly attempts to open her locker. She turns the dial right, then left, then right and pulls on the lock. It doesn't open. Chloe starts again with the same result. Pete sees the agitation in Chloe's actions.
PETE
Chloe?
Chloe continues to mess with the lock.
PETE
Chloe?
Chloe is in a zone to open her locker. Pete reaches for her shoulder and slightly pushes her to get her attention. Chloe turns to look at Pete.
CHLOE
I'm trying to open my locker. Can't you see I'm trying to open my locker! I need to get my paper, before Mrs. Lockwell decides to just give me an F.
PETE
Okay..wait a minute. What's going on? Is this about the girl found dead last night? Is that why you're so upset. Everyone is. Look, Mrs. Lockwell will understand if you need to see the counselor.
CHLOE
What I need is my paper!
Chloe finally opens her locker and reaches for her history folder. She quickly checks to see if the paper is in there and snaps it shut when she sees her cover page.
CHLOE
Found it! Let's go.
PETE
Wait a minute, you're not going to tell me what's bothering you?
CHLOE
Pete, now is not the time.