Chloe curled up against the window and buried herself in a book as the Smallville High school bus jostled back and forth down the bumpy dirt road. Her fingers ran down the battered spine of the paperback and she flipped to the next page eagerly. Suddenly there was an extra violent bump—something slamming up against the back of her seat—that tossed her forward. "Hey guys, could you please try and not kick the back of my seat?" She demanded, looking over her shoulder to see both Pete and Clark's heads pop up above her, like one of the wack-a-mole games at the local arcade.

"Sorry." They said in unison, trying their best to look apologetic.

"I was just showing Clark this cool headlock move I saw on Smackdown last night."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Fine, but I'm trying to read here and it's hard enough without you two knocking me around." She turned her attention back to the book clutched in her hand and smiled impishly. "Oh, you do know that's not real by the way? It's all choreographed." She heard Pete gasp in fake surprise and she found herself laughing softly as Clark stood up and slid into the empty seat beside her.

"Whatcha' reading?" He asked, reaching out to flip around the cover. Chloe quickly pulled it away from his grasp and held it tight to her chest. "Is it one of the books on the freshman reading list? I haven't even started any of them yet."

"Umm," Chloe mumbled, stalling for a moment as she snapped the book shut and reached for her book bag. "Yeah. Uh, it's Romeo and Juliet."

"Oh."

A split second later Pete's arm shot over the back of her seat and he lunged for the book, snatching it away before she could stash it in her bag. He stuck out his tongue and waved it just out of her reach, taunting her. "Somebody sounds suspicious. Let's see what she's really reading!"

"Pete! Give it back!"

Pete's eyes lit up as he scanned the cover. "Uh oh." He smirked.

"Pete." Chloe said threateningly. "Give it back."

He ignored her and spoke in a high-pitched female voice. "Oh Fabio! Fabio! Wherefore art thou Fabio!" He broke into raucous laughter and Clark looked back and forth between them in confusion.

"I don't get it."

Pete stopped to catch his breath. "Chloe's reading a..." He paused dramatically before turning the book around for both to see. "A dirty book!" There staring back at them was the tattered cover of a romance novel. It's shiny surface was covered in tiny cracks and the faded illustration of a well muscled man clutching a beautiful, busty woman in a suggestive embrace, looks of ecstasy on their faces. "The Pastures of Passion." Pete read out loud, his voice deepening. "A spirited daughter of a wealthy farmer embarks upon a steamy, tumultuous love affair with a handsome young farmhand."

Chloe felt her cheeks begin to burn and launched herself over the seat. She pried the book from his hands and smacked him over the head with it.

"Sit down back there!" The bus driver yelled, her hawk-like stare reflecting back at them in the rear view mirror.

Chloe sunk back into her seat, a scowl on her face. "I knew you guys would act this way if you saw me reading this." She moaned, tossing it into her bag and zipping it shut. "Boys are so immature."

"Hey, I didn't say anything!" Clark protested, looking slightly hurt.

"Yeah, but I can see it in your eyes."

Clark laughed nervously. "It's just that those books are so, so..."

"Cheesy." Pete interjected proudly. "Pure cheese. One-hundred percent cheese."

"I get it." Chloe muttered, crossing her arms in a huff. After a moment she cocked her head to the side, giving them both a pointed look. "And so what if it's cheese? Maybe some of them are, but so what? There fun, and many people happen to enjoy them."

Pete snorted loudly. "Yeah—people like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The bus began to slow to a crawl as it turned a corner and stopped a few seconds later on a street surrounded by a cornfield. "You guys coming over to study for the test?" Clark asked as he stood up and gathered his things. The doors to the bus swung open and the bus driver watched him intently as Clark lingered in the aisle.

"Yeah." Chloe nodded, grabbing her things. Pete nodded as well and the three hurried off. After the bus had turned the corner, leaving them to walk the long expanse of gravel driveway towards the Kent farm, Chloe once again brought up the subject they had been discussing. "So, what did you mean by people like you?" She asked, tossing her book bag over her shoulder.

"Nothing really." Pete shrugged, kicking at the stones littering his path. "Just that the only people that enjoy those types of books are people like you..."

"Do you mean it's a chick thing?" Chloe cut him off.

"Uh oh." Clark said, his voice full of warning. "Pete I don't think it's a good..."

"Well, yeah." Pete said, ignoring Clark. "There's nothing in those books that would remotely interest a man." His chest puffed up slightly and he started to swagger a bit as he spoke. "Not unless they got sports stats in there somewhere."

Chloe shook her head in disgust and watched as Pete took off a few steps ahead of them, rushing up to meet Shelby who had ran off the porch to meet them. "Can you believe that?" She asked as the two continued on towards the barn, watching Pete play with Shelby.

"I think he has a point." Clark said cautiously as he held open the barn door and let Chloe pass.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." Clark climbed behind Chloe as they ascended the stairs to the loft. "They just seem to be more appealing to women is all Pete meant. Guys like sports, girls like romance. Or, whatever." He blushed, tossing his bag onto the floor and flopping down onto the couch.

Chloe scoffed. "So there's nothing at all in a romance book that would," Chloe paused as she perched herself on the edge of the coffee table. "Peak your interest?" She said the words slowly and locked eyes with him as she smirked.

Clark suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Um, well, I..."

"Hold on." Chloe laughed, reaching for her book bag. "I don't want you to have a coronary or anything, but here," She unzipped the top and pulled out the book. "Tell you what. Why don't you actually read the book before passing judgment on it?"

Clark squirmed as she placed it face up beside him. "Me? Why not make Pete read it? He was the one who was riding you about it."

"Oh don't be such a baby." Chloe laughed. "Besides, this stuff is tame compared to others I've read in the past."

"But Pete..."

She shook her head and pulled out her textbooks, spreading them across the table. "Come on Clark." She pleaded. "You know how annoyingly persistent I can get when I am trying to prove a point."

"And the point is?"

"That romance books aren't just for chicks."

"And that Pete is wrong?"

Chloe smiled brightly. "Yeah. That too."

"Fine." Clark groaned. He picked up the book and thumbed through the pages, sending them rippling. "But you owe me."

Chloe got up and sat down beside him on the couch. "There, now was that so hard?" She asked, slapping him playfully on the knee. "I expect a full book report on my desk by Friday." Suddenly Pete came bounding up the stairs to the loft and Clark thrust the book quickly under a pillow. Chloe rolled her eyes. "So, shall we get started on reading the book then?" She asked loudly. Clark's head whipped around in surprise and Chloe calmly reached for the table, lifting up one of her textbooks. "Our history book—for the test." She smirked. "What did you think I meant?"

Clark shot her a look and sunk back into the couch, burying himself in his history book and letting out a sigh of relief.