PART ONE
Clark sat on his bed wondering why he got so angry. Was Leslie knowing about Lana that important? Why did lash out like that?
Maybe he was angrier than he thought. He lay back on his bed and drifted into his memories: he and Lana sitting under an oak tree
with a picnic lunch.
It was a Saturday; he finished all his chores that morning. His mother helped him pack a lunch. Clark smiled at the memory. They
sat under the tree until dusk just talking. He was so happy. He finally got the girl of his dreams and he could have sat there all night if he
was allowed but she had to go because she had some work to do at the Talon. He offered to take her but she declined saying one of
the girls who was also on the same shift offered her ride. Clark frowned at this point. As it turned out she had a date with the other
"boyfriend."
Finally Clark couldn't take it anymore he decided he needed to apologize to Chloe and to Leslie. He was so angry with himself for
being disrespectful to both he wasn't sure how he was going to apologize.
First Chloe. She would still be at the Planet.
PART TWO
-DAILY PLANET-
"Leslie listen I know Clark's behavior was completely out of character but don't be too angry with him," Chloe said while typing on
the computer. Her obits were coming along very nicely.
Leslie thought for a moment and replied, "I'm not angry I'm just shocked he would close up so quickly like that. I know you too have your secrets and that's fine. You two have been friends forever and I don't expect to know all his secrets but I'm just disappointed that he was rude."
"I know and again it's not like him to be this way. Unfortunately there's history between Lana and Clark," Chloe spoke wondering why she was apologizing for his behavior. Maybe she got used to doing this for him that it just sort of happened now.
"I know and I appreciate whatever it is your doing for him but honestly he's going to have to apologize to me and it was just awkward. At least I know how he feels about me. He just sees me as his partner in class," Leslie replied. Honestly it was ok.
"No really he doesn't. He has a hard time opening up…" Chloe started trying really hard to defend him
"Chloe it's ok. I mean at least now I know. Listen I've gotta jet. I'll see you tomorrow," Leslie cut her off and then hung up. She
knew that was rude. She really thought Clark liked her. They weren't in love because they only knew each other a month but she really thought it was on the path.
Chloe just sat there listening to the dial tone. Well Clark you're on your own, Chloe thought to herself. Finally she hung up the phone
watching Clark walk down the steps. He walked really slowly toward her. He still had on his blue jeans and blue shirt from class.
"Well, well look who it is?" Chloe smiled sardonically.
"Chloe I am so sorry for acting like such a jerk," Clark said sitting down across from her.
"I know you are Clark but get it together. What's up with attitude?" Chloe asked looking at her friend.
"I don't know. Honestly. I don't know why I got so angry and why I shut down," Clark replied setting his elbows on the desk.
"Do you want my opinion?" Chloe asked smiling.
"What you're actually asking me?" Clark asked in reply smiling as well.
"Haha. I think you like Leslie and it scares you. I think you're afraid to let somebody else in after Lana. It's been four months Clark," Chloe replied.
"Exactly it's only been four months. How can I get over Lana so quickly?" Clark asked thoughtfully.
"I don't think you really are. I think you're still very angry with her because she made you look like fool in front of everybody. That's not something to get over. And now it seems she wants you back and you're afraid," Chloe replied thoughtfully.
"I guess that's true. I made myself look like an ass. I dropped you and Lex. I stopped doing chores at home to be with her. I guess I was just ashamed of myself Chloe and I was afraid Leslie would be ashamed of me too," Clark replied looking down at the desk.
Chloe looked at Clark with new eyes. Here was the strongest man on the planet afraid he would look stupid to a new friend. She smiled.
"Clark I would hardly think anybody would be ashamed of you. Lex and I didn't. Sure we were mad at you for awhile but in the end you came around. We still love you. You loved Lana your whole life. I'm going to give you a piece of advice as your friend. Go tell that to Leslie. You might be surprised," Chloe said standing up.
"Your right. I was going to her house to apologize anyway. Thanks Chloe," Clark replied standing up. He went over to hug Chloe and
then waved bye.
PART THREE
-LESLIE'S APARTMENT-
She looked at all the books on her table and missed Clark terribly already. She was so used to having him here to make the work fun. Why did it matter so much? They were partners in a stupid class. Her shoulder's slumped a little more. Because, she thought to herself, Chloe and Clark made being in Kansas easier. It made missing her friends inOhio easier. The transition was hard but when she made friends with Chloe and Clark just that much easier. Plus she really missed Clark hanging out at her apartment. Just then her phone rang.
"Hello," she said hoping it was her mother or her stepfather.
"Hello darling," her mother replied. Leslie breathed a deep sigh. It was her mom.
"How's it going?" Leslie asked sitting on her sofa.
"It's going pretty good. I just wanted to tell you that your
dad's going to be in Metropolis on Friday and wanted to know if you would be free to have lunch with him," the older woman asked.
"Sure mom. Tell da I would love to have lunch with him but it'll
be at 1 o'clock, ok?" Leslie asked looking at her calendar. She wrote in
it "Lunch with Da" so she wouldn't forget.
"Sure honey. He'll meet you outside of class like that one time," her mother replied.
"Cool. What will you be doing while he's up here hanging out with
me?" Leslie asked smiling. "Oh you know the usual big parties, lots of good times," her
mother replied laughing. She had such a weird sense of humor.
"Ha Ha. You are so funny," Leslie replied. She was about to say something else when somebody knocked at the door. "Hey listen I have someone at the door. I'll call you later."
"Ok dear. Bye," her mother replied. They both hung up. She went to the door and opened it surprised to see the person
standing on the other side.
PART FOUR
"Hi," Clark said looking to the ground. He ran right over so he could apologize before he lost his nerve.
"Hey," Leslie replied standing there awkwardly then went on to ask, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to apologize for my behavior. May I come in? I don't
wish to discuss this with your neighbors," Clark told her looking around.
"Sure come in. I'm sorry," Leslie told him as she stepped aside
allowing him to walk by. He was so tall and he smelled of musk. She took a
deep breath and closed her eyes.
He walked by and she smelled of lilacs. He loved that smell so much.
He needed to clear the air. If he were going to move on with his life he
needed to let this go.
"Thanks," he said walking past her. She opened her eyes quickly
hoping he didn't notice.
"You want something to drink?" she asked sitting on the sofa.
"Sure but I'll get it. I know where the fridge is," he said
smiling. He went over to the fridge and pulled out a soda. Since he spent a lot of time there he would bring his own drink over and stock it in the fridge.
She didn't like it so there was plenty left. He went over to the
sofa and sat down. He looked at her and smiled. She smiled in return.
"So what's up Clark?" she asked looking at him.
"I'm sorry for acting like a jerk. Lana's call really surprised
me. We had a past. She and I used to date and we broke up about four months ago," Clark started then taking a drink. Leslie thought it best to let him continue uninterrupted. Then he started again, "You have to understand I was in love with her since I was five and pined for her till finally I was 16. We broke up in April."
"Why?" Leslie asked cautiously.
"Because I found her in the back of the coffee house with some guy
she had apparently started dating around the same time she and I started dating. She would have me going to do errands for her so she could be alone with him. That's why Chloe and Lex were forced together. I
was a horrible friend to them. I would never keep appointments with them and completely blow them off. Then one day I went out on an errand and came back to see Chloe in the back. I thought that was odd but she had been looking for me and found Lana and I found her," he said trying really hard not to remember. Then he said, "Apparently everybody knew what
she was doing and nobody said anything to me. You have to understand I LOVED
her and I couldn't see her faults. I was so stupid," he said berating himself.
"Clark you're not stupid. You did what anybody in love did.
Believe me I understand. So that explains why you got angry when she called.
Does she want you back?" Leslie asked looking at Clark. She put her hand
on his shoulder and he looked at her. He smiled. He was glad she
understood. He was the man of steel and he was afraid of a girl.
"Yes she does. She and the boyfriend are broken up and she can't
be without a man so she comes crawling back. I, of course, am suppose to
be there cause I usually was and take care of whatever she needed until
she found somebody else," Clark replied drinking from the rest of the
can.
He got up and put the can in the recycling. He leaned against the
counter.
Leslie looked at Clark with thoughtful eyes. "Of course Clark.
You're a good man and you want what's best for people at your own expense even
carrying backpacks for girls who get too many books at the library,"
she said laughing. He smiled in return.
"Its part of my talent," Clark replied his smile turning into laughter.
Then his phone rang. He saw the caller ID and it was Lana. He groaned
and asked, "Do you mind?"
"Sure Clark. You can use the spare room," Leslie responded. They
needed to take care of this and if she wanted Clark as her boyfriend then by
god she was going to make sure he got over it.
PART FIVE
He went into the spare room where he slept a couple of times and
answered the phone. He said, "Hey what's up." He was trying to check is
anger.
"Not much. I've been trying to catch you for the last couple of
days. I was wondering how you were doing?" she asked in her nice voice. She
fluttered her eyes for effect.
"Sorry I've been very busy. You know school," he replied
casually.
"Oh of course. I've just been thinking about you and us. I'm
so sorry things went down the way it did," she said in a buttery voice. She
needed him to help her and it didn't hurt to sugar him up.
"Really? What brought this on?" he asked wondering why he even
was continuing this conversation.
"Nothing really. I got accepted into Met. U and I knew you were
going there and that just got me thinking," she replied doing her best to
act casually. She knew he was excited.
He wanted to laugh because she expected him to be excited, he said,
"That's nice Lana. What can I do for you? You obviously want
something."
She hadn't expected him to be so abrupt she replied, "Oh I was
wondering if you could help me move up to the campus after break. Please?"
She hoped she sounded in need of rescued.
He rolled his eyes and said, "Sorry Lana I can't. I'm returning
with someone whom I'm hoping to start dating soon. I'd like to take the
time to be alone with her. You know what I mean? She'll be driving me
down to Smallville and back to Metropolis."
"What!? You can't be serious!?" she howled. He can't do this
to her!
He was supposed to be in love with her!
"Yeah sorry. Thanks by the way," he stated smiling.
"For what?" she asked enraged.
"For cheating on me. If you hadn't I wouldn't have ever gotten
to know this person," he replied hanging up.
Lana looked at the phone enraged. When he returned home she would
show him. She stormed from the living room of her apartment to her bedroom
and slammed the door.
Clark walked out of the extra room to look for Leslie. She was making
dinner. He couldn't tell what.
She looked up at him and smiled she asked, "How did it go?"
"It went well for me but not her. She wasn't very happy. I
suspect when we drive back to Smallville she'll try to get me back," he replied
joining her in the kitchen.
"That will be good for a laugh. Would you care to join me for
dinner?
I'm making spaghetti," she said stirring the meat.
"Sure!" he replied happily because he didn't have to eat the
horrid cafeteria food.
"Good you get to make the garlic bread," she spoke smiling. He
groaned smiling.
"I hate making the garlic bread," he whined.
"Oh whine it's not hard you big baby. I got the stuff out already
you just have to spread it and put into the oven. Can you handle it?"
she asked putting her hand on his shoulder. Her stomach fluttered.
He looked at her and his stomach fluttered. He said, "I think I can
but I'm not sure." She took her hand off his shoulder and started the
garlic bread. The spaghetti wasn't ready so he just prepared it and put in
the refrigerator.
Leslie started the noodles and asked, "Well what should we do while
waiting for the food?"
He wiggled his eyebrows and she rolled her eyes. "You can tell me
about yourself," he said leaning against the refrigerator.
"What do you want to know?" she asked leaning against the sink.
"Well, what's your family like back in Ohio?" he asked looking
at her intently. He noticed her face suddenly became dark.
"Well that's a long story," she started hoping to get out of it
but she didn't.
"Sorry I told you about Lana," he said looking at her.
"True, true. My mother's family is from a rural town much like
Smallville and they weren't the nicest people. They abandoned my
mother when she needed them the most," Leslie stated. She looked away from
Clark so he wouldn't see her crying.
"Dude that's bad. Why?" Clark asked without thinking.
"Because she was a single mother and her daughter was "colored."
They felt she had brought shame upon the family. Then if things couldn't
get worse my biological father abandoned her too," Leslie replied.
She'd been holding that in for awhile.
"Oh man come here. I'm sorry I didn't know," he said
gathering her up in his arms. She cried softly for a minute.
"Dude your shirt. Sorry got it all wet," Leslie said embarrassed.
"It's ok. It'll wash," he replied smiling while wiping her
tears from her face.
"How do you do it?" she asked looking at him.
"Do what?" he asked cocking his head to the side.
"Make every thing ok with a smile," she replied holding his hand.
"Chloe calls it the 'Kent Charm,'" he replied intertwining his
fingers with hers.
He bent down and kissed her softly. Then it got a little deeper.
PART SIX
Then she stopped it. "Clark we should take this slow ok?" Leslie
said looking at him.
"Your right. I'm sorry," he said caressing her cheek.
"I really, really like you Clark and I want to see this through,"
she said still holding his hand.
"Good so do I. We'll just take it slow but I still get to hold
your hand right?" he asked smiling.
"Well duh. I don't want anybody else moving in on you," she
replied smiling.
"Oh you think that would happen?" he asked laughing.
"Believe me Clark plenty of girls would love to be with you," she
replied stepping closer to him.
He laughed and said, "There's no one I would rather be with then
you."
"Good answer, good answer," she spoke smiling.
"Well I guess we should finish dinner," he said kissing her again
and he stopped causing Leslie to whine. He just laughed.
While waiting for the food he helped her finish her paper by typing
what she already started.
"Thank you so much. I think the spaghetti's done," she said
getting up and looking.
"Did you get the garlic bread put in the oven?" she asked looking
at him.
"No. Somebody was kissing me," he replied looking at her.
"Oh right this is my fault you're a good kisser," she countered.
He blushed. He got up, got the garlic bread out of the refrigerator and
put in the oven.
He said, "It should be done in 12 minutes. What shall we do?" he
asked moving closer to her.
"Hmm….I think we can think of something?" She replied kissing
him. He moved them closer to the sofa. They sat down kissing. He never made
out with anyone like this. He wasn't like this. College was having a bad
influence on him.
-THE NEXT DAY-
-FRIDAY-
Leslie was walking on cloud nine. Midterms were finally over and all
was clear. She was sort of dating one of the hottest guys on campus and
nothing could go wrong. She stepped into her journalism class seeing
Chloe and Clark in the back she started for them. On the way up she
overheard a conversation from some girls, "That guy Clark is such a
fox. I wonder if he's seeing anyone. He's always with his partners and
I can't get him alone. I want to ask him out."
"Oh good luck. When your done I'd like a piece of that action,"
another girl said. The rest agreed. Leslie smiled and continued to the back.
She had to tell her friends about this.
"Hey, what are smiling about?" Chloe asked as Leslie sat down next
to her.
"I've just heard the funniest thing on the way up here," Leslie
replied.
She sat down next Clark. She told them to lean in because she had something funny to tell them.
They did and she told them about the conversation the girls had while
she was walking up the aisle.
"Your joking right?" Clark asked turning a deep shade of red. He
was so embarrassed. Nobody has referred to him as a fox before. At least not
to his knowledge. He doesn't believe in eavesdropping and only hears
people who are in need of help. He's not so narcissistic that he
would listen to girls talking about how hot he was or wasn't.
"Dude I'm serious. It was so funny. I say we let Clark get asked
out by those girls what you think Chloe?" Leslie asked looking at Chloe who
was also smiling.
"I think we should. It would be so funny," Chloe replied
laughing. She loved getting his goat.
"You guys will not leave alone! Please don't do that! Plus I'm
already seeing someone!" he blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Oh really Clark! Who?" Chloe asked looking at Clark.
"Before we get started on that subject," Leslie started a little
quickly and Chloe smiled knowingly, Leslie continued, "I can't have lunch
with you guys today my da, step-dad actually, is coming to Metropolis and he
and I are having lunch. Can we meet up this weekend?" Leslie asked
looking at her friends.
"That's ok. Lex and I finally talked and we are re-evaluating our
relationship this weekend," Chloe replied. She finally talked to Lex
and she realized that he was a busy man but he needed to make time for her.
She knew he loved her but this relationship was going to end if
something didn't change.
"Chloe I'm glad he finally called. Clark what about you?"
Leslie looked at him.
"Sure. Just call me later and I'll come right over," he replied
looking at her. He was so glad he talked to her last night. He ended up
staying the night in the spare room.
"We still need to do the finishing touches of our projects so maybe
we could do that next week," Leslie started but the professor walked in.
"Afternoon class. I hope all of your projects are almost finished.
You'll be giving them in two weeks. You'll need to set up a time
to present them to your class. Sign up for a time after class. Now on to the lecture," the Professor started.
-PART SEVEN-
"See you next week everyone. Don't forget to sign up for a
time," Professor Wilson told everyone. The crowd started to disperse.
"Chloe and I will go pick a time Clark. Good luck," Leslie said
following the blonde down the front. Chloe looked back and smiled as
the three girls made their to way to Clark. Chloe knew Clark couldn't
use his super speed without getting caught so he was stuck.
"Hi Clark. How's it going?" the girl closest to him said. She
was definitely checking him out. He was so going to get Chloe and Leslie
back for this. He watched Chloe and Leslie giggle at him.
"Um, hi…" he replied.
"My name is Trista. This is Samantha and Shawna," Trista said
introducing herself and her friends.
"Hi it's nice to meet you. Of course you already know my name,"
Clark replied trying to make his way down to his friends but the girls had
him surrounded.
"We were wondering if we could steal you away from your partners
Clark for a little while. You know have some lunch with us," Samantha
asked battering her eyelashes at him. He frowned. It reminded him too much
of Lana.
"Um…I…would…umm…" Clark stuttered. Just then if things
couldn't get any worse Lex just walked in. He could hear Leslie and Chloe telling Lex
what was going on. He was really going to make them pay for this.
Then he heard Lex laughing. Really, really make them pay.
"Ladies I'm sorry but I'm going to have to steal Clark away for
lunch maybe some other time," Lex stepped in. He couldn't help but laugh
at his friend's discomfort.
"Ooh poo. Maybe another time then," Shawna replied walking away.
She and her friends walked away purposely swaying their hips in a
suggestive manner.
"I'm so going to get you guys," Clark said grabbing Leslie's
hand.
"Oh poor Clark," Leslie replied giving him a little squeeze.