A/N: I just wanted to make it clear that this is a Chlollie story. There might be bits of Clois, but nothing major. I hope the lack of clarity hasn't deterred people from reading it.
Chapter III: Unwanted Invitations
Dreading work the next day, on account of who she had to meet, Chloe entered the Daily Planet at a sluggish pace. Hanging her coat in the archive room, Chloe could already hear Lois bossing around Randal.
"You're the future Linda Lake…"
Chloe giggled, she hadn't expected that Randal had it in him. Instead of walking out into a scene where Lois had pounced and killed fellow intern, she saw her high-fiving him.
"You've got chops, Frank."
"Randal."
"Right."
Chloe rolled her eyes. She suspected Lois forgot his name on purpose.
"Welcome, Sunshine," Lois greeted upon spotting her cousin.
Chloe didn't return the beaming smile. There was also that paper she had to write for English that was due next week to consider, and all Chloe had written was her name.
"Okay, so no sunshine." Walking up to her, Lois smiled. "Come on Chlo, Lake can't be that bad."
From his position on the floor, Randal shuddered.
"Shut up and alphabetize those stoically, Randal."
"The one time she remembers my name," the guy mumbled, turning his attention back to the stack of old newspapers in his hand.
"So maybe she can," Lois amended, rolling her eyes, "but it can't be as bad as being invited to a gala by your ex."
Brows furrowing, Chloe stared at her cousin in confusion until her encounter from Oliver the previous afternoon resurfaced. Anything having to do with that pretty boy, she blocked out. "So that's why he was heading over to the Planet."
"What?"
"Oliver Queen, he said he wanted to take you out to lunch." Chloe's eyes fell to the embossed card in Lois's hands.
"It was lying on the desk when I got here," Lois answered.
"You better pray Linda Lake doesn't get her greedy fingers on that invite, or you'll be her next piece," Chloe sighed. "I can see the headline now, Daily Planet Intern courted by Billionaire Playboy."
Lois rolled her eyes.
"You aren't actually thinking of going, are you, Lo?"
Lois twisted her fingers, biting down onto her lip. "I don't know. I mean maybe he wants to apologize for blowing me off."
"You mean breaking up with you through a text? Real high class for such an elite citizen. He has no guts, no courage."
"Chloe…" Lois paused. "I know you have your opinion on Oliver pretty much settled, but maybe he's come around."
This time, Chloe rolled her eyes. "I have to go see Lake, come see me when Lois flies back into town."
xoxoxox
Gulping as she entered Miss. Lake's office, Chloe found her lounging on the desk with her feet propped up as she twirled her hair around her finger and talked into the phone.
"Knock, first," she sneered upon sighting Chloe. Placing the phone back on its receiver without mumbling a goodbye, she stood from her chair and walked over to Chloe, circling her like a hawk before standing before her. Eyes scrutinizing the girl, she picked up a few tresses of hair before letting them fall back into place. "Hair's not too bad," she said through her assessment, as her beady eyes ran over Chloe. "Although the wardrobe needs work."
Blushing, Chloe glanced down at her simple white cotton dress in which she had worn a green cardigan over. In her defense, she had a bag full of laundry to do. If only those dorm laundry machines came with instruction manuals.
"On your first assignment," Linda began, walking over to her desk.
And here came the endless coffee runs.
"I would like you to make copies of this." Lake picked up the article that was placed upon her desk and practically thrust it in Chloe's hand. "Now!"
Feeling as if she had to bow out, Chloe quickly darted out of the room, heading towards the copy machine. It was only when she got to the water cooler that she stopped for a drink of water. Hopefully, Lake wasn't watching her take a break. After downing her cup of water, she glanced at the article in her hand: "Metropolis Meteors Player Talents Based off Performance Enhancing Drugs".
Chloe frowned, the title needed shortening, but it was probably a work in progress. Skimming through the article, Chloe found it to be based on Metropolis's baseball player, Mike Dawson, accused of using steroids. Where did Linda Lake find her information? There went another career down the drain. Sighing, she tossed the cup, which she had crumpled unknowingly, into the trash and walked over to the copy machine.
xoxoxox
Neck prickling as she recalled the scrutiny she was placed under by Linda Lake, Chloe plopped onto her dorm bed, startled when her roommate spoke up.
"Haven't seen you in awhile."
Chloe peered over at Lana, who was hunched over a pile of what she presumed to be Art History texts. "The Planet's keeping me busy."
"Too busy for your best friend?"
Sending her an apologetic smile, Chloe sat up, but Lana only waved it off with a smile. "Don't sweat it. I've been busy too."
"I had to fetch coffee three times," Chloe said kicking off her shoes, glad she could let her throbbing toes have a wiggle. "And make copies four times over because Linda Lake kept changing the title of her article. Tree killer."
"Hey, one day, you'll have your own intern to boss around, until then, this should cheer you up…" Lana put down her book, stood up, and walked over to her desk. Grabbing the envelope, she handed it over to Chloe. "This arrived in the mail, the guy told me to give it to you."
Peering at the envelope, Chloe gasped when she saw the familiar QI insignia. "The nerve of him!"
"You know Oliver Queen?" Lana asked raising a brow.
"No!" Chloe shook her head. She paused, and then glanced at Lana. "Well, he dated my cousin briefly in her first year of college at Star City University."
"I'm guessing it didn't go well."
Chloe didn't bother answering; Lana would figure it out from the look she was giving off anyhow.
"If it helps, I'm going too."
"Really?" the blonde's eyes brightened with intrigue. "You know Oliver Queen?"
Lana shook her head, running her fingers through her long locks of hair. "Not exactly. Lex invited me."
"Lex as in Lex Luthor? The guy who betrayed Clark."
Lana frowned, turning away. Clearly, the whole Clark issue was still a sore spot. Picking up her laptop, Chloe decided this was one drama she'd rather not deal with. She might as well start on that English assignment.
xoxoxox
Yawning as she entered the now familiar bustling environment of the Daily Planet, swarming with its aromatic scent of coffee and paper, Chloe was about to head to her usual destination when a fresh heading caught her eye. Grabbing the copy fresh off the printer, which was still warm to the touch, Chloe read aloud, "Star Baseball Player Dead." Included was a picture of Mike Dawson, the same sportsman Linda Lake had just written an article about the day before. Fishy…
"Unfortunate, isn't it?"
Literally shuddering, Chloe's head snapped in the direction of the eerie voice. Across from her stood a stoic Miss. Lake. Folding the paper, Chloe set it upon the closest desk. "It is."
"Must have been a drug overdose." Spinning on her heel, Linda's brown eyes lit up as a smile crawled onto her lips. "I think I'll get started on my next piece."
"On Mike Dawson?"
"Yes, Miss. Sullivan, Mike Dawson." Her smile ceased as she turned back to asses Chloe with her beady eyes. "Is that a problem?"
Chloe meant to shake her head. In fact, that was her intention. However, sometimes, her brain lost to her heart, and out slipped, "Can't you let him rest in peace?"
The look on Linda Lake's face caused Chloe to snap her eyes shut. Her body was mentally trembling. Why did this woman scare her?
"Are you questioning me?" her voice wasn't loud. It was sweet, eerily sweet…poisoned sugary sweet may have been more accurate.
"No, Ma'am."
"Then, fetch my coffee, Sullivan. That is as much as you'll be doing today. You can spend the rest of your day in the archives."
Once Miss. Lake left her peripheral vision, Chloe let out a sigh of relief. Compared to shadowing Linda Lake, alphabetizing the archives was heaven.
xoxoxox
"Well, if it isn't my Debbie downer," stated Lois with an ever plastered grin as she dropped a large box upon the desk filled to the top with stuffed manila folders. A small cloud of smoke erupted around her, causing her to sneeze.
Chloe let out a sigh, dropping her jacket onto the chair before seating herself atop it. Shoulders slumped, she turned to the brunette. "Did you hear about Mike Dawson?"
Smile fading, Lois nodded as she approached her cousin. "He was found, drowned in a fountain. I was shadowing the woman who was covering the story." Eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was present, Lois turned back to Chloe once it was clear that it was just the two of them. Voice lowering, she said, "Although she's going with suicide, she doesn't really think it is. We're waiting for the coroner's report."
Drowning in a fountain didn't seem like a way one would take their own life, thought Chloe to herself. Maybe he slipped and fell. Or perhaps, it was murder. Chloe still found it eerily odd he would pass from the world the day after an accusing article was published about him. "Linda Lake is writing an article, stating it's an overdose."
"We're does that woman find this stuff?" Lois wondered aloud, hands placed at her hips. "Don't let her get you down, Chlo."
"I'm not," Chloe stated, shaking her head as she leaned back against the chair. "At the risk of heresy, I would rather be snorkeling for the rest of my life than destroy a man's career based on a rumor."
Lois nodded, lifting out a file from the dusty box at random. With a disgusted look coating her face she said, "I know. It was never confirmed that he was in fact using steroids."
Snorting, Chloe shook her head. "Well, in terms of Miss. Lake, it is true."
