See Part One for Disclaimer/Notes
I rush back to campus, even though school is over for the day. I just happen to find myself having a non date with Lana Lang, and I want to share the news with Pete and Chloe, even if they will probably insist on trying to pump me up by saying it means something that it doesn't. But that's OK, because sometimes, that's just what best friends have to do.
"OK, let me get this straight. You walked in to get a cappuccino, and walked out with a date with Lana Lang," Chloe says incredulously as we walk across campus.
"It's not a date," I insist for what seems like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.
"Still," Chloe says, "even with the just as friends rider...I'm impressed."
"How'd you score the tickets?" Pete asks.
"I'm guessing a certain follically challenged individual was behind it?" Chloe says, grabbing my arm to steady herself as we walk across some rough terrain.
I hear the distrust in her voice. She and my dad seem to be from the same school of thought when it comes to the Luthors. She doesn't trust Lex, and has made no secret of sharing that with me. So we've agreed to disagree. Because sometimes, that's just what best friends have to do.
"Lex hooked me up," I confirm. "Actually Chloe, I have you to thank," I inform her, her earlier words about treating her better ringing in my ears. Maybe if I give her credit where credit is due, that would be the first step to making that happen.
"What did I do?" she asks.
"Well, you were right. I just had to get it out there," I say. 'Score one for Kent', I think to myself. Chloe likes nothing better than when people tell her she's right. I'm earning major friend brownie points with that one, I'm guessing.
Chloe gives me a tight smile. "Well, good. I'm glad," she says.
I study her face for a moment. Chloe is the worst liar in history. She's anything but glad. Hopefully, this has less to do with me going out with Lana and more to do with the fact Sean hasn't called her...which I'm not so secretly thrilled about. And I've shared that with her, and pulled no punches about how happy it makes me. Because sometimes, that's just what best friends have to do.
Speaking of Sean, we look up to see him anxiously approaching us. "Maybe this is your chance," Pete says hopefully. I want to smack him and tell him to shut up. I thought we'd gone through this already...Sean is bad news. I thought everyone was in agreement with me on that. Apparently not.
I feel Chloe's eyes on me, so I work carefully to keep my face neutral and keep my eyes trained on the ground. But I can't stop my jaw from clenching or my posture from stiffening as Sean approaches us. I clench and unclench my fists a couple of times, wishing that I could just sock the guy in the jaw, and we could be on our merry way.
Sean comes up and asks Chloe, "Don't I owe you a phone call?"
"I guess so," she says in a non-committal tone.
"Well. what are you doing right now," Sean asks hopefully.
'Nothing that involves you,' I think to myself. Chloe's not going to fall for this guy's act again, I just know it. She's gonna rip him from head to toe...how could she not after he lied about calling her? Guess I'm going to get to see Sean run off with his tail between his legs after all. I feel the need to look up from studying the crack in the sidewalk to see this.
"Well, I've got to put the paper to bed," she says, and I try to hide my smile. Any second now, she'll be following that up with a retort about Sean's weasel ways. "Maybe afterwards we could do something," she adds hopefully.
I glance at Chloe, unable to believe my ears. She's actually giving this guy the time of day. Not only that, but she's close to borderline begging. She's making it sound like *she's* the one who needs to be forgiven, instead of the other way around. I have to work really hard to keep my jaw from dropping to the ground.
I start racking my brain for an excuse--any excuse--to blurt out to keep Chloe from going anywhere with this guy. Turns out, I don't have to say anything at all. Sean simply turns away from Chloe in mid sentence, and openly gawks at his ex girlfriend, Jenna. He calls her name, and turns and walks toward her, leaving Pete, Chloe and I standing there surrounded by an uncomfortable silence.
I feel Chloe's eyes on me, and I glance over at her. When I see the look on her face, I again get that quick clench in my heart that seems to be a regular occurrence when I'm around Chloe as of late. I open my mouth to say something, but I'm undecided if I should go the "Sean's a dog" route again or not. I can tell from the look on Chloe's face that she's not in the mood for what might come off as an "I told you so" routine, and I just can't force any excuse for Sean to cross my lips, so I simply close my mouth again.
Chloe watches Sean with...it looks like a look of longing, but I tell myself it can't be that. She's not supposed to look at jerks like Sean like that. "OK, I was playing barely hard to get. What's the problem?" she asks, not really expecting an answer.
'The problem is Sean is a huge idiot who can't see someone amazing standing two feet in front of him. You're funnier, smarter, prettier, and a better person than Jenna could ever dream to be on her best day,' I answer silently in my head. But I don't speak those words. First, they'd make Chloe uncomfortable. Second, it would open a whole other can of worms between Chloe and I and how we think and feel about each other, and neither of us are ready for that. So I simply shove my hands into my pockets and glare at Sean's back.
"Clark Kent gets a date with Lana Lang, and suddenly there's no luck left for the rest of us," Chloe says, trying to laugh the whole thing off. But I can hear the disappointment in her voice, and my heart hurts for her again. She and Pete start into the school building, while I stay behind and continue to glare at Sean. I suddenly really, really want to hurt this guy. I can't understand how anyone could be so blind as to how lucky they would be to have Chloe in their life.
As I watch Sean walk off with Jenna, whispering in her ear, I'm suddenly mad--at myself. I had sworn to myself that I wouldn't let Sean hurt Chloe...even though he hasn't laid a hand on her, he's done nothing but hurt her all the same, and I've just stood around and watched.
Because, sadly, sometimes that's just what best friends have to do.
I rush back to campus, even though school is over for the day. I just happen to find myself having a non date with Lana Lang, and I want to share the news with Pete and Chloe, even if they will probably insist on trying to pump me up by saying it means something that it doesn't. But that's OK, because sometimes, that's just what best friends have to do.
"OK, let me get this straight. You walked in to get a cappuccino, and walked out with a date with Lana Lang," Chloe says incredulously as we walk across campus.
"It's not a date," I insist for what seems like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.
"Still," Chloe says, "even with the just as friends rider...I'm impressed."
"How'd you score the tickets?" Pete asks.
"I'm guessing a certain follically challenged individual was behind it?" Chloe says, grabbing my arm to steady herself as we walk across some rough terrain.
I hear the distrust in her voice. She and my dad seem to be from the same school of thought when it comes to the Luthors. She doesn't trust Lex, and has made no secret of sharing that with me. So we've agreed to disagree. Because sometimes, that's just what best friends have to do.
"Lex hooked me up," I confirm. "Actually Chloe, I have you to thank," I inform her, her earlier words about treating her better ringing in my ears. Maybe if I give her credit where credit is due, that would be the first step to making that happen.
"What did I do?" she asks.
"Well, you were right. I just had to get it out there," I say. 'Score one for Kent', I think to myself. Chloe likes nothing better than when people tell her she's right. I'm earning major friend brownie points with that one, I'm guessing.
Chloe gives me a tight smile. "Well, good. I'm glad," she says.
I study her face for a moment. Chloe is the worst liar in history. She's anything but glad. Hopefully, this has less to do with me going out with Lana and more to do with the fact Sean hasn't called her...which I'm not so secretly thrilled about. And I've shared that with her, and pulled no punches about how happy it makes me. Because sometimes, that's just what best friends have to do.
Speaking of Sean, we look up to see him anxiously approaching us. "Maybe this is your chance," Pete says hopefully. I want to smack him and tell him to shut up. I thought we'd gone through this already...Sean is bad news. I thought everyone was in agreement with me on that. Apparently not.
I feel Chloe's eyes on me, so I work carefully to keep my face neutral and keep my eyes trained on the ground. But I can't stop my jaw from clenching or my posture from stiffening as Sean approaches us. I clench and unclench my fists a couple of times, wishing that I could just sock the guy in the jaw, and we could be on our merry way.
Sean comes up and asks Chloe, "Don't I owe you a phone call?"
"I guess so," she says in a non-committal tone.
"Well. what are you doing right now," Sean asks hopefully.
'Nothing that involves you,' I think to myself. Chloe's not going to fall for this guy's act again, I just know it. She's gonna rip him from head to toe...how could she not after he lied about calling her? Guess I'm going to get to see Sean run off with his tail between his legs after all. I feel the need to look up from studying the crack in the sidewalk to see this.
"Well, I've got to put the paper to bed," she says, and I try to hide my smile. Any second now, she'll be following that up with a retort about Sean's weasel ways. "Maybe afterwards we could do something," she adds hopefully.
I glance at Chloe, unable to believe my ears. She's actually giving this guy the time of day. Not only that, but she's close to borderline begging. She's making it sound like *she's* the one who needs to be forgiven, instead of the other way around. I have to work really hard to keep my jaw from dropping to the ground.
I start racking my brain for an excuse--any excuse--to blurt out to keep Chloe from going anywhere with this guy. Turns out, I don't have to say anything at all. Sean simply turns away from Chloe in mid sentence, and openly gawks at his ex girlfriend, Jenna. He calls her name, and turns and walks toward her, leaving Pete, Chloe and I standing there surrounded by an uncomfortable silence.
I feel Chloe's eyes on me, and I glance over at her. When I see the look on her face, I again get that quick clench in my heart that seems to be a regular occurrence when I'm around Chloe as of late. I open my mouth to say something, but I'm undecided if I should go the "Sean's a dog" route again or not. I can tell from the look on Chloe's face that she's not in the mood for what might come off as an "I told you so" routine, and I just can't force any excuse for Sean to cross my lips, so I simply close my mouth again.
Chloe watches Sean with...it looks like a look of longing, but I tell myself it can't be that. She's not supposed to look at jerks like Sean like that. "OK, I was playing barely hard to get. What's the problem?" she asks, not really expecting an answer.
'The problem is Sean is a huge idiot who can't see someone amazing standing two feet in front of him. You're funnier, smarter, prettier, and a better person than Jenna could ever dream to be on her best day,' I answer silently in my head. But I don't speak those words. First, they'd make Chloe uncomfortable. Second, it would open a whole other can of worms between Chloe and I and how we think and feel about each other, and neither of us are ready for that. So I simply shove my hands into my pockets and glare at Sean's back.
"Clark Kent gets a date with Lana Lang, and suddenly there's no luck left for the rest of us," Chloe says, trying to laugh the whole thing off. But I can hear the disappointment in her voice, and my heart hurts for her again. She and Pete start into the school building, while I stay behind and continue to glare at Sean. I suddenly really, really want to hurt this guy. I can't understand how anyone could be so blind as to how lucky they would be to have Chloe in their life.
As I watch Sean walk off with Jenna, whispering in her ear, I'm suddenly mad--at myself. I had sworn to myself that I wouldn't let Sean hurt Chloe...even though he hasn't laid a hand on her, he's done nothing but hurt her all the same, and I've just stood around and watched.
Because, sadly, sometimes that's just what best friends have to do.
