The Germ
Chapter One: The Argument
* * *
"Looks like we have another case of connected murders," Chloe said as she walked into Clark's loft. Clark, who was reading a book, looked up. Without waiting for him to say anything, she continued. "Three Smallville High students have gone into a coma, and two have died. All five of them happened today, too. The doctors detected a fine white powder around their nostrils and partially up their noses."
"Sounds like what they thought the effect of the parasite was - a drug," Clark pointed out.
"But this time they have proof. They're not ruling drug use out, but they highly doubt it. The powder residue didn't go far up the nasal cavity, just near the base," she added.
"Who were the people?"
"Lisa Ramsey, junior, Chad Segal, junior, Carey Niece, senior, Evan Macintosh, senior, and Ted Brown, freshman," she replied, glancing down at her small notebook.
"Any connections between them?"
"Lisa and Chad were dating. It's possible that something was transmitted when they were kissing or something. But that doesn't explain the other three."
Clark's expression went from serious to guilty. Chloe noticed, and she frowned. "You're not telling me something," she said.
"What would I be keeping from you?" he asked.
"Ever since Pete and I were released from the clinic, you've acted really weird around me. I've mentioned people kissing twice since, and your expression totally changed. It's like you feel especially horrible about the thing with the person you kissed in front of Lana..." she said. "Oh... wait... it can't... Clark, who was it?"
"Chloe..." he started.
"Was it me?"
"Chloe..." he insisted.
"Was. It. Me?" she repeated slowly.
* * *
"Why did you lie to me?" Chloe demanded, pushing the door of Lana's room open.
"About what?" Lana asked, surprised.
"You said you didn't recognize the girl that Clark was kissing," she said, trying to keep her cool.
"I- I didn't," Lana answered meekly. Chloe had never been so angry towards her.
"It was me. You saw me kissing Clark, and you lied to me. Why wouldn't you tell me? So I wouldn't know that Clark would actually kiss me? So you could keep a chance open for yourself? I understand that Clark stood you up, but you could have been a good enough friend to tell me," Chloe ranted. Tears were forming in both of their eyes. Chloe shook her head, almost in disgust, and walked out of the room.
"Chloe, wait-" Lana called softly. Either Chloe didn't hear her, or she didn't want to hear her, because she didn't come back.
* * *
"You yelled at her?" Pete asked in surprise.
"I was mad. I locked myself in my room and left to come here before she woke up, so I haven't seen her yet," Chloe explained, leaning up against the row of lockers.
Pete twisted his combination lock to the locked position and looked at Chloe. "Wow. So, you kissed Clark?"
"I guess so. From what I let him tell me, we were going at it pretty bad in the Talon and in your car," she said.
"You guys were getting all hot in heavy in my car?" he asked.
"I didn't ask, but I'm sure you did some unusual things yourself," she snapped.
Pete ignored the caustic tone of voice she used and changed the subject slightly. "So are you still talking to Clark?"
"I guess so. Neither of them told me, but at least Clark didn't straight-out lie to me. I didn't really give him a chance to say anything after he told me about us, though. I stormed out and drove directly home," she said, her attitude softening.
"Speaking of Clark..." Pete said, nodding his head in the direction behind Chloe. "I have to go get some books from the library before class starts. See you later." Pete left just as Clark walked up, giving him a "hey" in greeting.
"Uh, Chloe... I hope I didn't upset you last night. I should have told you-"
"It's not your fault. Well, technically, you and Lana are both at fault for not telling me, but I forgive you."
"You say it like you don't forgive Lana. What did you say to her after you left?" Clark asked, somewhat surprised. Chloe sniffed and turned her head. "Chloe, what happened?"
"We got into an argument. Well, it wasn't really an argument seeing as I didn't give her a chance to speak. But she lied to my face. She said she didn't recognize the girl that you were... kissing. How would you react if- if Pete was to see you making out with... Lana, and you didn't know, and he didn't tell you that it was you? I mean, if he said he didn't know who the guy was that was making out with her, wouldn't you get upset once you found out? It was so obvious that it was me. Why didn't I realize it? Am I that naïve? All signs should have pointed to me. Oh, great, now I'm babbling. And I'm starting to cry. Ha! What happened to "tough Chloe," Chlo? Oh, now I'm talking to myself!"
She let out another short, satirical laugh and began to weep silently. Clark slowly pulled her into a hug and patted her back. As he did so, he saw Lana walk through the double-doored entrance of the school and quickly turn away.
* * *
Chloe sighed as she headed towards the Torch office. She stopped, a quizzical expression flashing across her face, because there was a large crowd of people swarming around the two doors of the library. "What's going on?" Chloe asked, tapping a guy near the rear of the pack on the shoulder.
"Some girl fainted or something. They're bringing her to the hospital. She's got that white, druggy stuff on her nose, like those other kids did," he said dryly. He was a senior; no doubt he was somewhat used to the mishaps of SHS.
"Do you know who it is?" she pressed. Before he could answer, the crowd backed away; the paramedics were rushing a gurney from the library. All Chloe saw before they were gone was a flash of long, black hair spread out on the stretcher...
Chapter One: The Argument
* * *
"Looks like we have another case of connected murders," Chloe said as she walked into Clark's loft. Clark, who was reading a book, looked up. Without waiting for him to say anything, she continued. "Three Smallville High students have gone into a coma, and two have died. All five of them happened today, too. The doctors detected a fine white powder around their nostrils and partially up their noses."
"Sounds like what they thought the effect of the parasite was - a drug," Clark pointed out.
"But this time they have proof. They're not ruling drug use out, but they highly doubt it. The powder residue didn't go far up the nasal cavity, just near the base," she added.
"Who were the people?"
"Lisa Ramsey, junior, Chad Segal, junior, Carey Niece, senior, Evan Macintosh, senior, and Ted Brown, freshman," she replied, glancing down at her small notebook.
"Any connections between them?"
"Lisa and Chad were dating. It's possible that something was transmitted when they were kissing or something. But that doesn't explain the other three."
Clark's expression went from serious to guilty. Chloe noticed, and she frowned. "You're not telling me something," she said.
"What would I be keeping from you?" he asked.
"Ever since Pete and I were released from the clinic, you've acted really weird around me. I've mentioned people kissing twice since, and your expression totally changed. It's like you feel especially horrible about the thing with the person you kissed in front of Lana..." she said. "Oh... wait... it can't... Clark, who was it?"
"Chloe..." he started.
"Was it me?"
"Chloe..." he insisted.
"Was. It. Me?" she repeated slowly.
* * *
"Why did you lie to me?" Chloe demanded, pushing the door of Lana's room open.
"About what?" Lana asked, surprised.
"You said you didn't recognize the girl that Clark was kissing," she said, trying to keep her cool.
"I- I didn't," Lana answered meekly. Chloe had never been so angry towards her.
"It was me. You saw me kissing Clark, and you lied to me. Why wouldn't you tell me? So I wouldn't know that Clark would actually kiss me? So you could keep a chance open for yourself? I understand that Clark stood you up, but you could have been a good enough friend to tell me," Chloe ranted. Tears were forming in both of their eyes. Chloe shook her head, almost in disgust, and walked out of the room.
"Chloe, wait-" Lana called softly. Either Chloe didn't hear her, or she didn't want to hear her, because she didn't come back.
* * *
"You yelled at her?" Pete asked in surprise.
"I was mad. I locked myself in my room and left to come here before she woke up, so I haven't seen her yet," Chloe explained, leaning up against the row of lockers.
Pete twisted his combination lock to the locked position and looked at Chloe. "Wow. So, you kissed Clark?"
"I guess so. From what I let him tell me, we were going at it pretty bad in the Talon and in your car," she said.
"You guys were getting all hot in heavy in my car?" he asked.
"I didn't ask, but I'm sure you did some unusual things yourself," she snapped.
Pete ignored the caustic tone of voice she used and changed the subject slightly. "So are you still talking to Clark?"
"I guess so. Neither of them told me, but at least Clark didn't straight-out lie to me. I didn't really give him a chance to say anything after he told me about us, though. I stormed out and drove directly home," she said, her attitude softening.
"Speaking of Clark..." Pete said, nodding his head in the direction behind Chloe. "I have to go get some books from the library before class starts. See you later." Pete left just as Clark walked up, giving him a "hey" in greeting.
"Uh, Chloe... I hope I didn't upset you last night. I should have told you-"
"It's not your fault. Well, technically, you and Lana are both at fault for not telling me, but I forgive you."
"You say it like you don't forgive Lana. What did you say to her after you left?" Clark asked, somewhat surprised. Chloe sniffed and turned her head. "Chloe, what happened?"
"We got into an argument. Well, it wasn't really an argument seeing as I didn't give her a chance to speak. But she lied to my face. She said she didn't recognize the girl that you were... kissing. How would you react if- if Pete was to see you making out with... Lana, and you didn't know, and he didn't tell you that it was you? I mean, if he said he didn't know who the guy was that was making out with her, wouldn't you get upset once you found out? It was so obvious that it was me. Why didn't I realize it? Am I that naïve? All signs should have pointed to me. Oh, great, now I'm babbling. And I'm starting to cry. Ha! What happened to "tough Chloe," Chlo? Oh, now I'm talking to myself!"
She let out another short, satirical laugh and began to weep silently. Clark slowly pulled her into a hug and patted her back. As he did so, he saw Lana walk through the double-doored entrance of the school and quickly turn away.
* * *
Chloe sighed as she headed towards the Torch office. She stopped, a quizzical expression flashing across her face, because there was a large crowd of people swarming around the two doors of the library. "What's going on?" Chloe asked, tapping a guy near the rear of the pack on the shoulder.
"Some girl fainted or something. They're bringing her to the hospital. She's got that white, druggy stuff on her nose, like those other kids did," he said dryly. He was a senior; no doubt he was somewhat used to the mishaps of SHS.
"Do you know who it is?" she pressed. Before he could answer, the crowd backed away; the paramedics were rushing a gurney from the library. All Chloe saw before they were gone was a flash of long, black hair spread out on the stretcher...