Title: Heavier Now
Rating: G! Because sometimes you just need a G rated thing to read:).
Disclaimer-- No, I don't own anything that has to do wtih Smallville (characters, scripts, ect.) I don't even know anyone that has or is currently working there. I've never even seen them in real life-- as far as I know, anyway-- I am from Indiana, like the guy who plays Lex-- he's a homie!-- but we live(d) at different ends of the state, so I doubt I ever bumped into him at the grocery store. Oh well. Something to look forward to! Anyway- enough rambling...

And our story begins! Story time! Don't you feel like a little kid again?! You all have your popcorn?

Chapter 1

Clark Kent put his head on the cafeteria table. He was tired. Maybe not physically as much as emotionally. It was going to be one of those days again. Some days were harder than others. He used to be able to go weeks at a time without feeling the need to grab the world's biggest loudspeaker and tell everyone who he really was, or at least tell his friends. Of course he couldn't. Adam thought Lana knew and he tried to kill her. Chloe got close and Lionel was still trying to threaten her. Lex knew and his dad fried his brain. Clark laughed at that last thought. Okay, so that really didn't have to do anything with my secret, but Pete did move away because it was getting too hard to keep his mouth shut. Clark knew all of this, and he was starting to see a pattern. He tried not to let it bother him—he knew they might not be able to handle the truth anyway. It might hurt them like it hurt Pete. Or maybe it would have helped Pete not being the only one. He knew what it was like being the only one. Clark was lost in his thoughts lately—more so than usual. He was tired.

"Earth to Clark!" Clark snapped out of his own thoughts to see his friend. How can she be so energetic? She's been through a lot, yet she keeps bouncing around. Of course if she didn't, she would have been dead a long time ago… "Hey, Chloe" Clark muttered as he laid his head back down on the table.

Chloe raised one eyebrow, "What's with the non-caffeinated look? Did you forget your morning coffee or something?"

"Coffee doesn't help," Clark thought to himself. He couldn't say that, of course. He couldn't even hint it at all. Clark sat up and tried to act more awake. "No Chloe, sorry. Good morning, Chloe!" he forced a smile that even complete strangers could tell was fake.

Chloe smiled to herself and once again raised an eyebrow. Then she leaned in so passer Byers wouldn't hear. "You know, Clark, for being so good at keeping secrets, you can't hide your exhaustion status."

Clark's eyes widened a little. He had to say something. He sat back and tried to act nonchalant. "What makes you think there's any secrets to keep?"

Chloe just stared at him in disbelief. "We're not going to do this again today are we?"

Clark put his head back on the table, "No, not today. Today I am going to spend sleeping. Pre-calc, sleep. English class, sleep. PE… well, that might be a little hard, but after that I'll sleep again during History."

"I'm in your class. We have a test in History today." Chloe reminded.

Clark thought about that for a second. "Don't ruin my dreams, Chloe."

"Your dreams of sleeping?" Chloe asked sarcastically. Just then the morning bell rang. "It's time to wake up. See you at lunch." Chloe started off for class, "Oh, and good luck with your sleeping in PE thing." A teacher gave her a weird look as she passed, so she hurried along. Clark, on the other hand, was in no hurry. Well, he was, but he didn't want to be.

"Mr. Kent! I believe the morning bell rang." Clark looked up at the teacher and wondered if high school ever ended.

He grabbed his book bag and stood up. "And the fun begins." He said as he walked into his first hour class.