Almost as soon as they walked through the door, Lana waved her arms from over at the snack table, indicating for them to come over. Lois turned around with the intention of heading back out to the car, but Clark got a hold of her by the back of her dress and turned her around.
"Lois, it's not going to hurt us to say hi," he told her. "You knew there was a strong possibility she'd be here."
"And since when does Lois Lane back down from a challenge?" Chloe asked.
Lois stuck her tongue out at Chloe, but she headed over to Lana with them.
"Clark, it's been so long since we've seen each other," Lana said, engulfing him in a hug until Lois cleared her throat.
"And Lois," Lana said. "So it's true. The two of you got married. I thought it was a joke when I first heard the news."
Lois flashed her wedding band. "As you can see, it's not."
"And Chloe," Lana said, after spotting her big diamond ring, "I see you're getting on with your life. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Chloe said and Bruce put his arm protectively around her.
"Clark," Lana said, "we've got so much catching up to do. Why don't you and I take a spin on the dance floor?"
Clark tugged nervously at his collar, "Well, uh…Lois, do you mind?"
"No, go knock yourself out," she said, clearly trying to keep a reign on her anger.
"Really, honey," he said, "just tell me if you're even slightly uncomfortable with it."
"She said it was fine," Lana said, leading him off by the hand.
He kept looking back at Lois, hoping she'd come after him, but Lois just stood there with her arms folded.
Lois turned around and bumped up against a woman going by.
"Hey, Lois. Almost didn't recognize you. You've put on some weight," the woman said before she scurried off.
She was an old cheerleader that Lois never liked. Come to think of it, Lois never liked any of the cheerleaders. They were all a bunch of stuck-up snobs that thought the world revolved around them and the Smallville cheerleaders had stepped that stereotype up a notch with the love potion junk.
"Can you believe the nerve of that woman?" Lois asked Chloe. "I have not put on any weight." She started to reach for a chocolate cookie, but she redirected her hand over to some celery on the veggie tray. "Oh, who am I kidding? I need comfort food," and she picked up the cookie and sat down in a chair.
Chloe and Bruce sat down with her.
"Chloe, why is it that Clark always ends up dancing with Lana at these Smallville High dances when he comes with me?"
"He gave you a chance to speak up," Chloe reminded her. "Both times I might add."
"The first time didn't count. It was his idea of being chivalrous. He was head over heels in love with Lana."
"True, but he's in love with you now. More than he ever was with Lana. Look at him. Lana keeps chattering away and he keeps looking over here at you. He looks uneasy and like he desperately wants to get away."
"He does, doesn't he? Lana's oblivious to it. It serves him right after the prom thing. He didn't have to take me up on my offer. He could've insisted on dancing with me."
"You know you wouldn't have wanted to be second fiddle, but it's important to note that he came to the prom with you."
"I was possessed."
"He wasn't. At that time anyway."
"I still can't believe that he pinned the flower where he did, shy as he was back then."
"I think he had some feelings for you. He couldn't have done that with a lot of girls. To tell you the truth, I was a tiny bit jealous because whether you two saw the connection between you or not, the rest of the world did."
"Yeah, I guess I felt a little something for him. We just tucked those feelings aside and refused to acknowledge them. I think subconsciously we knew it wasn't the right time. You have great powers, cousin. I feel better or it could be the chocolate cookie."
"As much as that man loves you, I can't believe that you're jealous in the first place," Chloe admonished.
"Hey, every wife has the right to vent over ex-girlfriends and she was a pretty serious girlfriend. I'm so pathetic. I keep thinking up all sorts of names to call her like the pink princess, but considering I'm the one that had a pink prom dress, that's hardly fair. Of course, I'll never get caught in pink again, possession or no possession."
Lois picked at the tape on the gym floor with the heel of her shoe.
"Lois, stop that. We may have graduated from this school but other people still need to use the gym, and change of subject, did you notice practically ever teacher we've ever had is here?"
"Wouldn't want a detention, I suppose," she said, moving her shoe. "It's just why does Miss Perfect have to be single? She got her marriage to Lex annulled years ago. What does she do for a living? Do you know?"
"She coordinates parties. I hear she gets some fairly big clients. She's the one that put this reunion together."
"That's right. I remember the invitation reading coordinated by Lana Lang at the bottom. How long does this song last?"
"It should be about over."
"Why haven't you said anything, Bruce?" Lois asked.
"It sounded like a lady's conversation," he replied.
Lois smiled at him.
A man she didn't know came up to them. "You must be Mrs. Kent," he said to Lois. "I've been dying to meet the woman Clark Kent tied the knot with."
"Pete!" Chloe said, standing up and hugging him. "I hardly recognized you. You look so grown up."
Lois and Bruce stood up and shook his hand and introduced themselves properly.
"So you're Pete Ross," Lois said. "I finally have a face to associate with the name."
"Clark certainly picked a looker," he said. "What do you do for a living?"
"We both work at the Planet."
"I knew Clark did. Wait, Lois Lane. Right? I've read your articles for years. I didn't know you were that Lois, but it makes sense. You do a lot of Superman exclusives. You seem like the type that can keep him on his toes, just the kind of woman he needed to marry. Where is the old guy?"
"Dancing with Lana," Lois said, trying to keep a cool look and calm voice.
Pete formed an o with his lips.
At last, the song ended and Lana and Clark joined the group.
"Pete," Clark said with a grin. "What have you been up to?"
"I'm an editor of a small town paper. I guess Chloe rubbed off on me, on you and Lois too, it looks like. And Chloe you work for the Gotham Gazette and do a lot of Batman stories. You know I've actually reprinted stories by all 3 of you through AP."
"Are you alone?" Lana asked.
"Yeah, no family or significant others," he told her.
"Me neither," Lana said. "I'm through dancing with Clark. You want to dance with me?"
"Sure," he smiled at her.
As they went out to the dance floor, Clark called after Pete, "Don't leave without giving me a number. We should keep in touch."
Pete nodded but a little nervously. He still worried about whether he had the ability to keep Clark's identity a secret.
"You know what? I think you and Bruce need to get Chloe and me some punch. We're thirsty," Lois said.
Clark knew what she really wanted him to do. They'd talked about it earlier.
As he and Bruce were getting the drinks, he asked. "Have you told her you're Batman yet?"
"No, but I don't think we should talk about it in public."
"You can't keep putting it off. The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be. I felt so bad that Lois and I had to lie and pretend we were meeting you for the first time. I couldn't tell Chloe we knew you because you and I are in the Justice League together. We'll protect your secret, of course, but you can't keep it up forever."
"It's not that I'm afraid to tell her. I just keep waiting for the right time to bring it up."
"There is no right time and eventually she's going to figure it out by herself. Lois found out my alter ego when we were engaged and she would've been a lot less mad if I'd have found a way to tell her on my own."
"I'm going to. Soon."
Chloe and Lois were sitting and having a talk of their own.
"Chloe, you're going to have to tell him," Lois said.
"I know. I'm just afraid he won't want to marry me when he finds out."
"If he loves you like I know he does, it won't change how he feels. It didn't change how Clark and I felt about you."
"I know."
"He has to know. Couples can't have secrets like that entering a marriage. Not to mention—"
"I get what you're saying. I'll tell him. Soon."
They came back with the drinks. Lois quickly drained hers and tossed it in the trashcan.
Clark was standing up. He offered her his hand. "Can I have this dance, milady?"
"I don't know. Are you sure you don't want to dance with someone else?"
"I'm sure, and I believe you owe me a dance or two," he said with his hand still out.
She gave in with a smile and took his hand to stand up. There was a blinding flash of light and suddenly all signs of a high school reunion were gone.
They appeared to be in a P.E. class and the gym teacher shouted at Lois, "Drop Kent's hand, Lane, and climb up the rope this instant!"
