Same disclaimers apply from the first part of the story.
I know it's been awhile, but I've had a bit of writer's block on this story, plus I have been entirely too happy to write it. But I made myself sit down and write the next chapter, just to get myself moving.
Chapter 3
Clark and Pete just stood in the Torch office staring. Talk about a change. Which was what the entire school was doing. Talking. About Chloe.
And she was sitting there. Typing. Like the whole world hadn't tilted off it's axis. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, Clark thought. But she did seem to be ignoring the fact that she had completely transformed herself. For that's what it was. A transformation. Take everything that was Chloe, throw it out and start anew. Even her personality was different, which was by far most disturbing. Changing your appearance was one thing. But your personality? That was like, Cybill-scary.
It had started when they saw her and continued up until now, after school. She'd been...flirty. She'd stood with one hip cocked, talking in a breathy, Marilyn Monroe voice. She was constantly touching one of them. And Clark could have sworn she batted her eyelashes at him.
The normal Chloe who was bubbly and enthusiastic had been replaced with a...well, sex-kitten for lack of a better term. And it wasn't like she was limiting her affections to him and Pete. During lunch she had chatted up two football players, and while walking to English, she'd stopped to talk to the president of the chess club. But talking had included stroking his arm and whispering in his ear. By the time she had walked off, Jeff Peterson had been an incoherent, quivering fool.
And so there she was, sitting at her desk, completely oblivious to the turmoil she had created.
___________________________________
"Um, Chloe? Tell me, what prompted this...change," asked Clark.
"What, don't you like it," Chloe pouted.
"Well, it's not that I don't like it. It's...different," Clark hedged. "It'll take some getting used to."
He shot Pete a desperate look, hoping for some help, but Pete still looked dumbstruck. Clark elbowed him in the ribs hard. Pete flinched.
It was at that point that Pete regained his ability to talk. Unfortunately his brain hadn't yet caught up with his mouth, so the first thing he said was, "What the hell made you pick red?"
The look of hurt shock on Chloe's face. She reeled back as if Pete had slapped her.
Clark smacked Pete upside the head and jumped in to try and repair the damage.
"What he means is that red's just...it's..." Clark floundered.
Chloe jumped right back in, eyes flashing as she began to get mad. "Oh, I think I know what he means. He means I look stupid, right? Like and idiot. And you agree with him, don't you Clark?"
Here was another part of that personality change. Whereas normal Chloe would have ignored Pete's stupid and careless comment, this Chloe was flying off the handle. Chloe had a temper, but Clark had never seen her this quick to anger.
"Chloe, I said no such thing. You look fine."
"Fine? FINE? You can't even pay me a compliment and say I look great?" Chloe could feel herself start to tear up. Great they had reduced her to a crying, pathetic mess.
"What about 'striking'?" she asked, voice cracking. "At least that sounds like a compliment, even if it isn't."
"Chloe!" Clark's tone was sharp. "You completely changed your appearance. You can't expect us to be all gung-ho about this. It's going to take some getting used to. Give us some time here."
"And a few explanations," Pete interjected. "Like why red?"
"Pete, will you just can it with the red?"
"But I want to know!"
"Well now's not the time."
"Oh, and when would be a good time to discuss it? Huh?"
"Boys!" Chloe felt a surge of something like power. This was familiar. So the players were different, but the situation was the same. The status quo had shifted. And now all the power was in her hands.
"No need to fight over such a silly thing as hair color. It's all very simple Pete. I just wanted something different. Something bold. So, I went red. It's just hair color."
Pete seemed satisfied with that explanation, but it worried Clark. Chloe's mercurial mood was unsettling. Especially considering she had seemed almost pleased that he and Pete were arguing over her.
"See, that was simple." Pete shot an irritated look at Clark. "Now, if we've had enough dramatics for one day, how about we head out and get some coffee. I could use some caffeine."
Chloe graced Pete with a dazzling smile. "Pete, I would have to say, that is a brilliant idea."
She stood up and grabbed Pete's arm, pressing it tight against the side of her breast. Pete looked momentarily shocked, then a blush spread over his face. As Chloe maneuvered Pete out the door, she glanced back over her shoulder.
"Clark, could you be a sweetie and grab my bag?"
Clark hefted her bag over his shoulder and followed after them, his mind racing. While Pete seemed ready to accept Chloe's explanation at face value, Clark wasn't ready to let it go. He would wait until they were alone, then he would find out what had prompted all this. Because it definitely wasn't normal, and it definitely was not healthy.
I know it's been awhile, but I've had a bit of writer's block on this story, plus I have been entirely too happy to write it. But I made myself sit down and write the next chapter, just to get myself moving.
Chapter 3
Clark and Pete just stood in the Torch office staring. Talk about a change. Which was what the entire school was doing. Talking. About Chloe.
And she was sitting there. Typing. Like the whole world hadn't tilted off it's axis. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, Clark thought. But she did seem to be ignoring the fact that she had completely transformed herself. For that's what it was. A transformation. Take everything that was Chloe, throw it out and start anew. Even her personality was different, which was by far most disturbing. Changing your appearance was one thing. But your personality? That was like, Cybill-scary.
It had started when they saw her and continued up until now, after school. She'd been...flirty. She'd stood with one hip cocked, talking in a breathy, Marilyn Monroe voice. She was constantly touching one of them. And Clark could have sworn she batted her eyelashes at him.
The normal Chloe who was bubbly and enthusiastic had been replaced with a...well, sex-kitten for lack of a better term. And it wasn't like she was limiting her affections to him and Pete. During lunch she had chatted up two football players, and while walking to English, she'd stopped to talk to the president of the chess club. But talking had included stroking his arm and whispering in his ear. By the time she had walked off, Jeff Peterson had been an incoherent, quivering fool.
And so there she was, sitting at her desk, completely oblivious to the turmoil she had created.
___________________________________
"Um, Chloe? Tell me, what prompted this...change," asked Clark.
"What, don't you like it," Chloe pouted.
"Well, it's not that I don't like it. It's...different," Clark hedged. "It'll take some getting used to."
He shot Pete a desperate look, hoping for some help, but Pete still looked dumbstruck. Clark elbowed him in the ribs hard. Pete flinched.
It was at that point that Pete regained his ability to talk. Unfortunately his brain hadn't yet caught up with his mouth, so the first thing he said was, "What the hell made you pick red?"
The look of hurt shock on Chloe's face. She reeled back as if Pete had slapped her.
Clark smacked Pete upside the head and jumped in to try and repair the damage.
"What he means is that red's just...it's..." Clark floundered.
Chloe jumped right back in, eyes flashing as she began to get mad. "Oh, I think I know what he means. He means I look stupid, right? Like and idiot. And you agree with him, don't you Clark?"
Here was another part of that personality change. Whereas normal Chloe would have ignored Pete's stupid and careless comment, this Chloe was flying off the handle. Chloe had a temper, but Clark had never seen her this quick to anger.
"Chloe, I said no such thing. You look fine."
"Fine? FINE? You can't even pay me a compliment and say I look great?" Chloe could feel herself start to tear up. Great they had reduced her to a crying, pathetic mess.
"What about 'striking'?" she asked, voice cracking. "At least that sounds like a compliment, even if it isn't."
"Chloe!" Clark's tone was sharp. "You completely changed your appearance. You can't expect us to be all gung-ho about this. It's going to take some getting used to. Give us some time here."
"And a few explanations," Pete interjected. "Like why red?"
"Pete, will you just can it with the red?"
"But I want to know!"
"Well now's not the time."
"Oh, and when would be a good time to discuss it? Huh?"
"Boys!" Chloe felt a surge of something like power. This was familiar. So the players were different, but the situation was the same. The status quo had shifted. And now all the power was in her hands.
"No need to fight over such a silly thing as hair color. It's all very simple Pete. I just wanted something different. Something bold. So, I went red. It's just hair color."
Pete seemed satisfied with that explanation, but it worried Clark. Chloe's mercurial mood was unsettling. Especially considering she had seemed almost pleased that he and Pete were arguing over her.
"See, that was simple." Pete shot an irritated look at Clark. "Now, if we've had enough dramatics for one day, how about we head out and get some coffee. I could use some caffeine."
Chloe graced Pete with a dazzling smile. "Pete, I would have to say, that is a brilliant idea."
She stood up and grabbed Pete's arm, pressing it tight against the side of her breast. Pete looked momentarily shocked, then a blush spread over his face. As Chloe maneuvered Pete out the door, she glanced back over her shoulder.
"Clark, could you be a sweetie and grab my bag?"
Clark hefted her bag over his shoulder and followed after them, his mind racing. While Pete seemed ready to accept Chloe's explanation at face value, Clark wasn't ready to let it go. He would wait until they were alone, then he would find out what had prompted all this. Because it definitely wasn't normal, and it definitely was not healthy.