Disclaimer: Again, I disclaim…wish I had some witty way to put that, but
sadly I don't.
A/N: Twilight and I are blown away by the extremely kind feedback, so keep it coming! Also, if there are any questions regarding the story or anything else, just e-mail me. Now on with the story…
"So, what's up Chloe?" Clark asked her in the lunch line, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other balancing his tray. He wore jeans and a blue checkered shirt over a white one, bring out the emerald hue in his eyes.
"It can wait until we sit," Chloe answered, sounding slightly pissed off, despite her attempts not to. Startled, Clark pulled out a chair and took a seat. Chloe did the same, scooting over making a noticeable space between the two.
"Well?" Clark questioned as Chloe poked at the macaroni salad. It would have to be a follow up story to last week's The Mysterious Truth of Mystery Meat.
"Well…the jury's still out, but the judge rules that this is definitely NOT food," she answered letting the noodles drip off her fork.
"Chloe," Clark said in a tone that indicated he didn't find her remark very funny, at least at the moment. She fidgeted, becoming uncomfortable.
"Hey guys!" A tray smacked the table.
"Pete! Hi!" Chloe welcomed the distraction. Their friend, Pete Ross, had impeccable timing, as always.
Clark felt both confused and relieved. He waved absently at Pete. "Hi…" he said. Pete noted the serious faces and hesitated whether he should stay or not.
"Am I interrupting something here?" Pete turned from one to the other.
"Oh, no!" Chloe and Clark answered in unison, tonelessly.
"All right then," Pete said, with disbelief and an awkward silence. "Did I mention I'm taking Erica Fox to the Spring Formal?"
The two burst out laughing, but stopped, shocked when Pete added, without thinking, "Did you ask anyone, Clark?"
There was a longer more awkward silence, then Clark looked directly at Chloe and said quietly, "I did, and I'm hoping she still wants to come."
Chloe sighed. "Oh, Clark, of course I do…it's just that I feel that our relationship is going nowhere and I…" she paused.
"Well," Pete remarked loudly, "I'll just—ah—go find that math project I left in my car." Abandoning his tray, he rushed away form the table.
Clark erupted in laughter. "We don't HAVE a math project," he stated.
Chloe giggled. "I think we made him a bit uncomfortable."
They stopped laughing and Chloe gazed seriously at Clark. "Clark do you think it would be better if we just stayed friends?"
Clark was feeling lost and confused. Thoughts were swirling around in his head, but first and foremost came his mother's voice. 'You can't keep putting your whole life on hold because of Lana…the door is closed, Clark.'
He reached out and covered Chloe's hand with his. He looked seriously back at her.
"I don't want to," he said slowly.
Chloe blushed gazing down at their hands. "Neither do I," she murmured.
Clark glanced up suddenly. "So did you know that Pete's taking Erica Fox to the Spring Formal," he asked casually.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Clark?"
"Mm-hmm?" he responded, swirling around. Lana stood at the top of the stairs to his loft, dressed in white peasant blouse and jeans. She smiled at Clark and he grinned back. He had to admit, Lana Lang had the most radiant smile.
"You said we could talk after school."
"Mm-hmm?" he repeated.
"And…that would be now."
Clark nodded, feeling uncomfortable. He didn't know what he'd do if it wound up being anther talk like he'd had with Chloe. "So…what's up?" he asked.
Lana felt that the loft's atmosphere was stifling her. "Can we talk outside?" she suggested.
Out in the yard, Lana climbed up on the wooden fence. She patted the rail beside her, and Clark joined her. They sat there for awhile swinging their feet, until the silence grew too uncomfortable.
Lana took a deep breath. "Clark…" she began. He bit his lip in anticipation. She focused on his worried eyes as he swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I…I can't do this!" she exclaimed in frustration, jumping off the fence.
"Can't do what?" Clark knit his fingers together, resting his folded hands on his knees.
Lana paced back and forth in front of him. What was she doing? She couldn't dump all her feeling into his lap. "Nothing…" she lied. Clark let out a breath that he wasn't aware that he had been holding, then Lana's words fully registered.
"Nothing?" he echoed as she nodded meekly. "I don't buy it Lana," Clark stated simply and Lana's face fell. She should have known that Clark could see through anybody…
A/N: Twilight and I are blown away by the extremely kind feedback, so keep it coming! Also, if there are any questions regarding the story or anything else, just e-mail me. Now on with the story…
"So, what's up Chloe?" Clark asked her in the lunch line, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other balancing his tray. He wore jeans and a blue checkered shirt over a white one, bring out the emerald hue in his eyes.
"It can wait until we sit," Chloe answered, sounding slightly pissed off, despite her attempts not to. Startled, Clark pulled out a chair and took a seat. Chloe did the same, scooting over making a noticeable space between the two.
"Well?" Clark questioned as Chloe poked at the macaroni salad. It would have to be a follow up story to last week's The Mysterious Truth of Mystery Meat.
"Well…the jury's still out, but the judge rules that this is definitely NOT food," she answered letting the noodles drip off her fork.
"Chloe," Clark said in a tone that indicated he didn't find her remark very funny, at least at the moment. She fidgeted, becoming uncomfortable.
"Hey guys!" A tray smacked the table.
"Pete! Hi!" Chloe welcomed the distraction. Their friend, Pete Ross, had impeccable timing, as always.
Clark felt both confused and relieved. He waved absently at Pete. "Hi…" he said. Pete noted the serious faces and hesitated whether he should stay or not.
"Am I interrupting something here?" Pete turned from one to the other.
"Oh, no!" Chloe and Clark answered in unison, tonelessly.
"All right then," Pete said, with disbelief and an awkward silence. "Did I mention I'm taking Erica Fox to the Spring Formal?"
The two burst out laughing, but stopped, shocked when Pete added, without thinking, "Did you ask anyone, Clark?"
There was a longer more awkward silence, then Clark looked directly at Chloe and said quietly, "I did, and I'm hoping she still wants to come."
Chloe sighed. "Oh, Clark, of course I do…it's just that I feel that our relationship is going nowhere and I…" she paused.
"Well," Pete remarked loudly, "I'll just—ah—go find that math project I left in my car." Abandoning his tray, he rushed away form the table.
Clark erupted in laughter. "We don't HAVE a math project," he stated.
Chloe giggled. "I think we made him a bit uncomfortable."
They stopped laughing and Chloe gazed seriously at Clark. "Clark do you think it would be better if we just stayed friends?"
Clark was feeling lost and confused. Thoughts were swirling around in his head, but first and foremost came his mother's voice. 'You can't keep putting your whole life on hold because of Lana…the door is closed, Clark.'
He reached out and covered Chloe's hand with his. He looked seriously back at her.
"I don't want to," he said slowly.
Chloe blushed gazing down at their hands. "Neither do I," she murmured.
Clark glanced up suddenly. "So did you know that Pete's taking Erica Fox to the Spring Formal," he asked casually.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Clark?"
"Mm-hmm?" he responded, swirling around. Lana stood at the top of the stairs to his loft, dressed in white peasant blouse and jeans. She smiled at Clark and he grinned back. He had to admit, Lana Lang had the most radiant smile.
"You said we could talk after school."
"Mm-hmm?" he repeated.
"And…that would be now."
Clark nodded, feeling uncomfortable. He didn't know what he'd do if it wound up being anther talk like he'd had with Chloe. "So…what's up?" he asked.
Lana felt that the loft's atmosphere was stifling her. "Can we talk outside?" she suggested.
Out in the yard, Lana climbed up on the wooden fence. She patted the rail beside her, and Clark joined her. They sat there for awhile swinging their feet, until the silence grew too uncomfortable.
Lana took a deep breath. "Clark…" she began. He bit his lip in anticipation. She focused on his worried eyes as he swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I…I can't do this!" she exclaimed in frustration, jumping off the fence.
"Can't do what?" Clark knit his fingers together, resting his folded hands on his knees.
Lana paced back and forth in front of him. What was she doing? She couldn't dump all her feeling into his lap. "Nothing…" she lied. Clark let out a breath that he wasn't aware that he had been holding, then Lana's words fully registered.
"Nothing?" he echoed as she nodded meekly. "I don't buy it Lana," Clark stated simply and Lana's face fell. She should have known that Clark could see through anybody…