Pros and Cons Pt. 4- 4:39AM (For the First Time Today, Pt.1)
The vision that waited for
Clark to open his eyes this time was far more than he was expecting. He found
himself dressed in a suit and tie inside the old middle school gymnasium. There
were red, white, and blue streamers taped to the wall, and on one end of the
basketball court was a little DJ booth. The lights were down, with a very
clubby atmosphere hovering over him. This was the last dance of his middle
school days, done the weekend prior to the 8th graders departure for high
school.
Everyone was dressed to the
nines, and the most exquisite vision of them all clearly was Lana Lang. Light
seemed to hit her, and caress her perfect features, looking remarkably like a
hallow from an angel. And to Clark, that is exactly who she was, his angel
brought to life. She was dressed in a beautiful flowing dress that clung to her
body, yet showed off her midriff. Of course, right next to Lana was Whitney.
They were talking to some of his friends and every once in a while they would
sneak kisses. It was almost like they couldn't process their own salvia unless
it held at least partial mixture of the others as well.
Deciding that this dream
obviously wasn't going to be as nice as the previous, Clark looked around for
Pete and Chloe. Pete, being Pete, was in the middle of the dance floor with a
date. That kid carried himself like people did in those black-exploitation
films of the 70's like Superfly and Shaft. He was even dressed the part
tonight, with a fur coat and large, gold medallion around his neck.
Looking
around further, Clark spied Chloe standing alone next to the entrance. She
wasn't talking to anybody, and she really didn't look like she waiting for
anybody either. It, to Clark, almost looked like she was there because it was
expected of her, not out of genuine interest. She was dressed radically
different from Lana. Chloe's dress was red, and it hinted at the curves beneath
and left almost everything up the imagination. Only once in a while, when she
would move her leg in just a certain way, could one spy the leg beneath through
the well-concealed slash in her skirt.
Figuring that having himself
and Chloe both without dance partners wouldn't to do, Clark gathered his
courage (which he realized was pathetic as it was his dream) and approached
her.
Chloe noticed him approach
almost immediately. She had been secretly spying on him spy on Lana. It was
with great surprise, and great anticipation that Clark slowly walked to her. He
wasn't dressed in his flannels and jeans for one, but in a dark charcoal suit
and white shirt with a tie that was straight black silk. Calmly, Chloe reminded
herself on the method of breathing, because seeing Clark like that not only
took her breath away, but also took away the knowledge on how to breathe
period.
"Chloe, I'm surprised that you actually showed to something like
this. I would have thought that this would have taken too much school spirit."
He knew that she was flustered, but why not have some fun; besides this would
give her a good way to cover up her growing blush. Chloe didn't disappoint him.
"Actually, I came here to watch you crash and burn with Lana Lang.
Oh, sorry, I mean when you ask her to dance." Just as she had thought, Clark's
face adopted a look of defeat. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but he did strike
first, and that counted for something.
"Indeed. Well, I'll have you know that I have no intention of
asking Lana to dance anytime soon." Seeing Chloe's skeptical look, Clark
continued, "Yes, you see the reason I came over here was to ask you to dance. That
it unless you are…afraid." Clark mock shivered, as if the very concept scared
him to the bone. He also noticed that her face became contemplative, with a
little spark in her eye that normally meant trouble.
"You're on Kent. Time to prove to the entire school what I know to
be true: you have two left feet." Chloe might have been sharp and vile on the
outside, but inwardly was a different story completely. Inside she was flying
on cloud nine. This could be good night after all. She was going to dance with Clark
Kent, and she didn't have to do a Sadie Hawkins in order to get it.
To Chloe there was no longer
any questioning of her feelings for Clark, she simply loved him in that
non-sisterly way that had Pete in hysterics when he first made the connection
about 6 months ago. He had won many an argument using that as his secret
nuclear weapon against her. All Pete had to do was say the name 'Clark' and
Chloe's eyes grew a strange glaze and she became putty.
Of course, Pete also knew
where the line was drawn. That line was Clark himself. Pete was forbidden to
tell the object of her desire under penalty of death and or dismemberment.
Clark, as Chloe speculated didn't care about her like he cared about Lana and
the way she cared about him. Yes it hurt, but times like this were absolute
heaven. Just Clark and her in their own little world, as it was meant to be.
Clark took Chloe by the hand
and led her out to the middle of the dance floor, letting everyone in the room
know that she was spoken for at least for time being. Dancing slowly, Clark let
his senses take in all they could. The slight smell of shampoo in her hair that
was reminiscent of coconut oil, and the slightly moist skin under his touch.
His face and hers were touching, and neither seemed to be in a hurry to break
that just yet.
Clark's eyes drifted without a
real course, just kind of wandering. He looked at the faces of the other people
dancing, Lana and Whitney dancing cheek to cheek as well, Pete looking with
astonishment at him and Chloe, and that recurring character from his dreams
simply looking at them with a smile on his face. Clark no longer cared about
him. Maybe he was a good luck fortune, like a metaphysical rabbit's foot.
Whenever he seemed to be around, things would be going well.
It was how all of these dreams
focused around Chloe, and how none of them really made anyone else important.
It was just he and Chloe, granted he would have preferred Lana. He liked Chloe,
but it was like his mind was afraid to go there. He normally considered Chloe
like a sister. Of course, the occasional erection he got from looking at her
weren't sisterly at all. Besides, even IF he were interested in some sort of
romance, surely Chloe wouldn't be. He remembered her always saying that sex
ruins a friendship, and if a romance even came about, sex would defiantly be
involved. Slapping himself mentally with a force that almost made his exterior
body stumble back, Clark turned his mind back on the song. That relative
peacefulness was shattered when he heard Chloe let out a groan of disgust.
From Chloe's vantage point
looking over Clark's shoulder she had a pretty good view of what was going on
around her. That view included Lana and Whitney, and as much as she promised
she wouldn't scowl from just looking at her, Chloe couldn't help but looking on
as rather odd events started playing themselves out.
It began with them (Lana and
Whitney) dancing normally, but then they started talking. All of that would be
well and good, but occasionally Whitney would get an angry look on his face,
and even more strange was that they would both look at her and Clark and point.
It was obvious to her that Lana was debating something regarding Clark, and
Chloe didn't like that. Whitney had his jealous face on, and that could only
mean trouble. That meant that Lana expressed an interest in her dancing
partner.
Watching the drama unfold,
Chloe watched Whitney stalk off towards his loser friends and that sent Lana
towards her and Clark. Why did she always have to do things like this? Why
couldn't Lana just accept that she has one boyfriend and that no matter how
much she may want her cake and eat it too, things in life don't work out like
that? At least it wouldn't if life was fair, and when Lana Lang was concerned,
God seemed all too happy to bend the rules occasionally. She honestly hadn't
meant to let out a groan; she honestly didn't know that one was coming on until
it had already slipped through. That would get Clark's attention and ask her
what was wrong.
"Chlo, what's the matter?" 'Typical' Chloe thought. He's just one
huge open book.
"Oh nothing. Lana's heading this way and I think that she may want
to talk to you." That got his attention all right, as he spun on his heal,
taking Chloe with him like she were a dirty shirt.
"Lana? What's wrong? Where's Whitney? Is everything all right?"
Clark had dozens of questions he wanted to ask her, and the cool part about
being in a dream is that there were no real consequences to ones actions. Hell,
he could make love to her right on the hard wood floor and nobody would look
down on him once he woke up.
"Whitney's…talking with his
friends. I was just wondering if I could cut in for a dance or two." Lana
looked at the other female and noticed the highly unimpressed expression on her
face. Not knowing what to think, she simply waited for Clark's answer.
"Um, sure. Chloe and I were just finishing up with this one, right
Chlo?" Chloe was fuming and she was ready to gut Lana were she stood, but the
pleading look in Clark's eyes made up her mind not to get violent and simply
nod in acceptance to Clark's assertion. "See Lana? Hey, Chloe, we'll finish
that later on tonight, ok?" He only got a numb headshake.
Chloe, determined to be
graceful bowed and left. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes and needed air
very much. She failed to see Pete leave his date to follow her, but she did
feel him consol her as she walked out of the room.
Watching Chloe depart, Clark
took Lana in his arms and they started dancing like he and Chloe had been
merely five minutes ago. He had noticed that Chloe was kind of working on a
sort of autopilot in the end, and he also noticed Pete chase after her. Clark
wanted to care enough to leave but he couldn't just walk away from Lana. They
just started dancing. It would be rude. Besides, this is what happened when he
actually lived through this moment in the real world. Chloe was fine, and she
would be fine now as well.
Outside Pete was cursing the
name Clark Kent. Sure, it wasn't the idiots' fault he honestly didn't know how
Chloe felt, but he should have at least made sure that she was actually ok
rather than just taking it, and her, for granted like he did.
"I can't stand this Pete! How many times does Lana Lang have to
spoil things between me and Clark?" Chloe was crying so hard she shook. Pete
had a hard time keeping her as calm as she was. All he could do was not talk
and hope that Clark would be her superman and save her from this torment. "I
actually thought that I had him. I said to myself 'All I have to do is keep him
away from Lana, and that's that.' I figured that Whitney would help me out on
that, but no! He went and collapsed like a house of cards." Chloe felt her
knees weaken in hurt as she thought of what Clark and Lana might be doing. "How
much more of this can I take Pete? How long does this have to happen until I no
longer even want to see him as a friend anymore?"
Inside, Clark and Lana finished
up the song. Clark had agreed immediately when Lana asked for another turn
around the floor. Although this was the moment that he had waited for, Clark
felt himself torn. The fact that his 'good luck charm' of a dream person was
longer smiling rather giving a look of pure hatred didn't sit well him.
Something was amiss. Thinking
about it, Clark had to find out what was bugging him. Like an auction gavel
thundering down, the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. Outside the
dream, his theory was that these dreams were giving him the opportunity to undo
past wrongs. If that was true, than letting Chloe run out of the gym was no
doubt the mistake that he could now rectify.
"Lana, I'm really sorry, but there is something very important I
have to do before it's too late." Seeing her confused look, he thanked her for
the dance and took off towards the exit.
Pete meanwhile had given up
all hopes that Kent would show up. He offered to drive Chloe home to which she
willingly accepted. Turning to go back inside to fetch his keys, Pete found
himself nose jaw with Clark who made a very simple request. "Pete, can you give
Chloe and I a moment alone please?" Much to his relief, Pete gladly agreed and
disappeared around the door.
"What's wrong, Lana run off to
Whitney?" Chloe was in no mood for Clark's sympathy.
"No, I left her." Seeing her
face turn to something of great confusion, Clark decided to show her what he
meant. "Chloe, this is something I have wanted to do now for a while, so please
let me and don't pull away." Clark then kissed Chloe full on the lips. She was
passive at first, but then yielded quickly and returned it ten fold. He had
done it. He had fixed the mistake. Clark was to engrossed to notice the unknown
man with a large smile on his face snap his fingers once more sending Clark
back into reality.
*********
Clark awoke to the feeling of
him kissing his feather pillow. He kissed her, not the other way around. He
left Lana to kiss Chloe, and he loved it. Not getting up this time, Clark
simply got ready for the next dream with wild anticipation. His last thoughts
were sad ones: Chloe wouldn't remember what had just happened.
To be continued.