Title: We're Not All Bad
Rating:PG
Summary: Clark/Chloe--no shippiness, I don't think anyway, but you know me...I start off saying it's a friendship fic, and then they end up...well, just left of friendship
Clark's POV
Random moments, I guess, of Clark's thoughts about Chloe and Sean during "Cool"
Spoilers for "Cool" obviously, if you haven't seen it.
Disclaimer: Of course, I own none of this...I wish I owned Clark, I wish I was as cool as Chloe, but sadly, I own nothing except for an insane Scottish Terrier named Bert, and...well, he's really the only thing I own that has any value, and even then, it's only sentimental. So all this, from characters to the storyline, belongs to DC Comics, the WB, and all those other people responsible for bring Smallville to our screens every Tuesday (or in my case Wednesday) night. I'm just borrowing them for a minute, but I promise to put them back like I found them. Mostly.

Part One

I'm not looking forward to this party at all.

Not that I'm not up for a night of hanging out with my two best friends. I'm always up for that. Those are the times that, despite the total weirdness that is my life, I feel totally normal. Just an average small town guy, hanging with his two average small town friends. But I probably shouldn't tell Chloe that I categorize her as a "small town" girl. She wouldn't like that as much as I do, I don't think.

So it's not a matter of the company I'm keeping that has me not looking forward to this party. It's rather an issue of the company I'm *not* keeping. The company of Lana Lang in particular. Or maybe not. Maybe it's more an issue of watching the company *she's* keeping, as in Whitney. It irks me still...I'll admit it. When I saved her from Greg Arkin, Whitney got all the credit. That's fine...I was just relieved Lana was alive and OK. But when I saved her from Tina Greer's obsession...Whitney was still the one who got to hold Lana, comfort Lana, make her feel safe and loved, even though Lana, Whitney, and all parties involved knew that this time, *I* was the one who did the saving. So yeah...it irks me.

No, I'm not looking forward to this party at all. But we've all climbed out of Chloe's car, and are moving toward the party, which consists of nothing more than a group of people making out as they gather around several campfires in a clearing. Not exactly the makings of a Mensa gathering, at any rate.

"Now this is what I love about high school parties," Chloe begins, yanking me from my thoughts. "People will gather anywhere as long as there is illegally purchased alcohol and even the slightest chance of hooking up." She says it like she's above it all, so I feel I have to bring her crashing back down to earth, at least momentarily. I'm her friend after all...it's my job.

"If I recall correctly, you're the one who wanted to come to this party," I remind her. She and I had not, in fact, been invited. Pete, with his recently gained football team connections, had swung the invitation. Chloe and I were just along for the ride...Chloe to observe the "intellectually challenged steroid poppers and pom pom swingers" as she called them, in their native setting, and me to...to I don't know what. Watch Lana and Whitney, and drive it through my head one more time that Lana is an untouchable dream. Guess I've got a masochistic streak I didn't even know about until now.

"Well...yeah...but I didn't know it was gonna be so cold. It's like twenty thousand degrees below zero out here," Chloe complained.

Chloe does have a tendency to exaggerate, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, given the profession she's chosen to pursue. I decide to call her on it, and shrug. "I don't know...it doesn't feel that cold to me." By "that cold", I mean twenty thousand degrees below zero, but Chloe decides to ignore my joke and take it literally.

"What are you from an ice planet? It's *freezing*! I'm gonna go thaw out by the fire." With that, she darts around me and heads for the main fire. "Have fun," she calls out.

Yeah...that will happen. Especially after I turn away from watching Chloe and see the sight I've been dreading all night--Whitney and Lana, huddled under a blanket, looking as cozy as two people can be. I sigh heavily. Yeah...have fun.

'And the fun just never stops', I think as I turn around and see Sean Kelvin standing in front of me.

"Hey Kent," he says, sounding every bit as sleazy as his reputation. "You're friends with Chloe...is she flying solo tonight?"

This guy can't be serious, and even if he is, there's no way in hell I'm letting him and his love 'em and leave 'em rep anywhere near Chloe. For a split second, I consider telling him no...Chloe's with me, and she's definitely not flying solo tonight. But then it would be hard to explain, if Chloe is my co-pilot for the night, why she's over at the fire and I'm standing here watching Lana and Whitney. I decide a warning in the form of the truth will scare him off.

"Believe me Sean...you're not her type," I say, injecting a slightly threatening tone into my voice. Even if he thinks he is her type, I'm letting him know he's not, and he'll have to get through me to prove it. We both glance over at Chloe, who is warming her hands by the fire, and my heart clenches at the lascivious look in Sean's eyes. 'No way in hell,' I repeat to myself.

Sean turns back to me, not at all put off by my vague threat. "Well, you'd be surprised," he says, patting my arms like we're best friends. He gives me a cocky grin and heads over to Chloe, like a wolf stalking it's prey.

Part of me is screaming to go over there, pick Chloe up in my arms, take her home, and sit guard outside her door to keep her from the Seans of the world. Part of me is wishing I didn't have this super strength, so I wouldn't be so morally opposed to going over there and giving Sean's ass a good kicking. But I remain rooted to my spot, thanks to the part of me that is telling me that if I go over and do any of those things, Chloe will be the one kicking *my* ass, super strength be dammed.

So I stay where I am. I may be somewhat naive in the ways of the world, but if I know one thing, it's Chloe. She's going to see right through his act. I cross my arms and rock back on my heels, waiting to see the glorious sight of Chloe sending Sean running, with his tail between his legs.

Which, of course should have been my cue that I was setting myself up for a major shock. I rub my eyes, because I know I didn't just see Chloe laughing with Sean, leaning over, and writing what appears to be a phone number on his hand. No...I didn't see that. Sean is a total dog. Maybe Chloe doesn't know this...after all, she's not in the boys locker room hearing the tales of the latest addition to the "Kelvin Scale" as Sean calls it. A guy like that isn't good enough for Chloe...she needs a guy who is...well, a guy like me. I glance over at Lana. Only not me. Or at least I think.

Whitney has left Lana, yelling something about football down by the lake. It's my chance to go over and talk to her. But I glance at Chloe, sitting with a pleased smile on her face. I glance at Lana again. No...this is more important, I decide, and start over to Chloe.

I decide not to go with my original plan, which is to grab Chloe, give her a good shaking, and attack her with the question rattling in my brain--"What the hell are you doing giving Sean your number???!!!!" I decide to play it a little cooler than that. I clear my throat, and sit carefully, opening and closing my mouth a couple of times like I'm trying to find the right words.

"Did you just write your phone number down on Sean Kelvin's hand?" I ask, shocking myself with the calmness in which the question comes out of my mouth, considering I'm anything but calm inside.

"Don't sound so shocked, Clark," she informs me matter of factly. "Guys do find me attractive even though I don't have raven hair and the initials L.L."

I feel that quick clench in my chest again. I can't decide if it's from the idea of other guys finding Chloe attractive, or from the idea that she doesn't think *I* find her attractive. That's not true. I think Chloe is one of the most beautiful girls in school, inside *and* outside, right behind Lana even. Sometimes, even though I'd never admit it to her, when I look at Chloe, I have to catch my breath. She's got this enthusiasm and smile that can light up a whole room, and it can be breathtaking to witness. But somehow, I don't think things like that are the aspects of her Sean Kelvin finds attractive.

"That's not what I meant," I say firmly. I nod my head toward the edge of the clearing, where Sean had followed the other jocks for a round of football. "The guy's a dog."

Chloe must have picked up on the over protective tone in my voice, because she rolls her eyes and laughs. "Clark, relax. I just gave him my number to get rid of him." She taps my knee with the pen she used to give Sean her number. "Get Pete," she says. "The taxi's leaving." She gets up and starts walking back toward the area where the car is parked.

I watch her for a moment...maybe making sure that Sean isn't going to jump out of the bushes and grab her...before I turn back to the fire. I stare into it, and as I do so, all thoughts clear from my head, except one nagging thought lingering near the back. It isn't exactly a thought I want to think about either, but I'm forced to let it come to the front.

If Chloe only gave Sean her number to get rid of him, why on earth did she give him her *real* number instead of a fake one?

Yeah, I knew I wasn't looking forward to this party at all.