All Along
Chapter 3
Late Saturday morning, Chloe's car pulled up into the empty parking lot of Smallville High. With thermos in one hand, and a folder full of edited drafts in another, she crossed the parking lot and entered the Journalism offices. She pulled out her key, a copy she had made before handing the original back to the school officials, and unlocked the door. She loved tranquil moments like this on a beautiful morning. She never felt alone in the soft glow of the golden sun with lively birds chirping in the trees by the window.
It was such beauty like this that helped her forget the horror she felt the night before. The awkward talk with Clark was inevitable. But she wanted to postpone it as much as possible. Especially, since that awkwardness would be mostly on her side. It wasn't his fault, he was hopelessly clueless to her feelings. It wasn't his fault she had developed these unrequited feelings for him.
She had so many emotions running through her. She no longer knew what to feel towards him. It would definately take a while for her to be completely over Clark...but this was a healthy start. She was hurt and angry, but at the same time she understood and she felt relieved. Clark was seizing the day. Making the long awaited move she and Pete had taunted him to make all those times he openly drooled for her. It stung at her heart the idea of Clark being with Lana. But she wanted him to be happy. And so she forced herself to be glad he finally got what he wanted.
Sipping from her mug, her attention turned towards the new voices in the hallway. "Strange," Chloe thought. "Who else would be here on a Saturday?" Curious, Chloe cautiously walked over to the door and peered through the blinds.
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Clark and Pete stood out in the bare hallways on their way to the office. "I can't believe you pulled me out of bed this early on a Saturday to come to school!" Pete yelped in annoyance, rubbing at his eyes and stifling a yawn. "I forgot the disk with my article here yesterday....I need to work on it over the weekend in order to make deadline," Clark said turning to face Pete. "You know what a drill sergeant Chloe's been about it."
Pete smiled knowingly. " I was wondering when her name would come up..." Clark eyed him disbelievingly. "How'd you know?"
"With you Clark? It's always about either Lana or Chloe? So what about Chloe today?" Pete asked. "Actually," Clark drew out the word and cast his eyes downward. "It's a little bit of both."
Pete prodded him to continue. "Whitney won't be in town next week for the formal....and...." "Please say you didn't," Pete pleaded, Chloe just couldn't get a break. "Well, we were talking and before I knew it I had offered and she said yes,"
"What are you going to tell Chloe?" Pete forced himself to look at Clark, his face was stern and filled with concern. "I don't know....that's the problem," Clark looked defeated. "Tell her the truth. Her feelings will only be hurt more if you lie..." Pete wisely added as he turned the knob to the Torch office. Slowly edging away from the door as the voices got louder, Chloe scurried the extra few feet to her seat and pretended to be reading over some things just was the door opened, revealing her friends.
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"Hey guys," she perked up her voice and acted like she didn't have the slightest idea about their conversation. "Chloe!" Clark's eyes widened when he saw her. He was hoping the confrontation wouldn't occur so soon. "What's up?" Chloe greeted as she plastered on a smile and spinned to face them in her editor's chair.
"We just came by to get Clark's disk....so he can work on his article at home," Pete replied stealing glances in Clark's direction. Chloe acted like she did't notice any of it. "Glad to know you're taking initiative Clark. Actually, I'm glad you stopped by I needed to talk to you..." Chloe thought it was best for her to take the first move. Clark gulped, "Sure, what about?" She enjoyed making him squirm. "It's about the dance..." she paused to make him suffer. It was cruel that she was getting so much pleasure from this. But hey, he broke her heart...the least she could do was have some fun with him. "I won't be able to go with you,"
Clark's eyes widened again, and Chloe saw relief flash before them. "Why not?" Pete asked curiously. "I made other plans... I'm really sorry Clark. I hope you can still find another date." Oh, the irony of it all. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Letting him off the hook so easily. "Oohh no," Chloe faked surprise and checked her watch. "I'm supposed to meet my dad," Chloe gathered her things. "See you guys later," she called as she exited hurriedly. She needed out of that room.
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Chloe hopped into her car and drove to the only place she knew she would get the fresh air she needed. Behind this big oak tree where Chloe's old tire swing still hung, was a wide open field of green. She had been sitting there for hours. Enjoying the soft breeze against her skin, in her hair. "Fancy meeting you here,"
"Mr. Luthor?" Chloe exclaimed in surprise. He was such a contrast in his dark Armani suit against the bright color of the fields. Suavely, shedding his jacket he eccentricly knelt down in the grass. Grass stains would never come out of such delicate fabric. But Lex Luthor was unphased by it. "Lex," he corrected. "Sorry, Lex....what are you doing here?"
"Does everyone think I stay locked up in my mansion for the duration of the day? I do some exploring from time to time Chloe," he smiled sophisticatedly. If that was possible. And she had to smile as well. She turned her gaze away from him and again looked out onto the green. "So what's the problem?"
"What makes you think there is a problem?"
"Do you always ask so many questions?" he countered, utterly charming. "It's about Clark," she sighed and Lex nodded. "I don't know what more I have to do for that boy to actually get a clue. For years, I have been standing in Lana's shadows...and ...and I'm tired of being in the dark,"
"Clark is my friend, so I'll just leave you with this one word of advice if you may....from someone with experience. There comes a time when things in life reach dead ends. No matter how disappointing...you must always find the courage to move on."
A long bout of silence followed. And Chloe just stared out onto the land before suddenly hopping to her feet. She had a sudden urge to see a certain boy. "Where are you off to now? Lex called after her as she walked to her car. "I'm going to follow the advice of a very wise friend..." She called back not even bothering to turn around. She just started up her car and sped away.
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Please REVIEW!!! I BEG of you!!! I need FEEDBACK! Thanx : ^)
Chapter 3
Late Saturday morning, Chloe's car pulled up into the empty parking lot of Smallville High. With thermos in one hand, and a folder full of edited drafts in another, she crossed the parking lot and entered the Journalism offices. She pulled out her key, a copy she had made before handing the original back to the school officials, and unlocked the door. She loved tranquil moments like this on a beautiful morning. She never felt alone in the soft glow of the golden sun with lively birds chirping in the trees by the window.
It was such beauty like this that helped her forget the horror she felt the night before. The awkward talk with Clark was inevitable. But she wanted to postpone it as much as possible. Especially, since that awkwardness would be mostly on her side. It wasn't his fault, he was hopelessly clueless to her feelings. It wasn't his fault she had developed these unrequited feelings for him.
She had so many emotions running through her. She no longer knew what to feel towards him. It would definately take a while for her to be completely over Clark...but this was a healthy start. She was hurt and angry, but at the same time she understood and she felt relieved. Clark was seizing the day. Making the long awaited move she and Pete had taunted him to make all those times he openly drooled for her. It stung at her heart the idea of Clark being with Lana. But she wanted him to be happy. And so she forced herself to be glad he finally got what he wanted.
Sipping from her mug, her attention turned towards the new voices in the hallway. "Strange," Chloe thought. "Who else would be here on a Saturday?" Curious, Chloe cautiously walked over to the door and peered through the blinds.
******************************************************************
Clark and Pete stood out in the bare hallways on their way to the office. "I can't believe you pulled me out of bed this early on a Saturday to come to school!" Pete yelped in annoyance, rubbing at his eyes and stifling a yawn. "I forgot the disk with my article here yesterday....I need to work on it over the weekend in order to make deadline," Clark said turning to face Pete. "You know what a drill sergeant Chloe's been about it."
Pete smiled knowingly. " I was wondering when her name would come up..." Clark eyed him disbelievingly. "How'd you know?"
"With you Clark? It's always about either Lana or Chloe? So what about Chloe today?" Pete asked. "Actually," Clark drew out the word and cast his eyes downward. "It's a little bit of both."
Pete prodded him to continue. "Whitney won't be in town next week for the formal....and...." "Please say you didn't," Pete pleaded, Chloe just couldn't get a break. "Well, we were talking and before I knew it I had offered and she said yes,"
"What are you going to tell Chloe?" Pete forced himself to look at Clark, his face was stern and filled with concern. "I don't know....that's the problem," Clark looked defeated. "Tell her the truth. Her feelings will only be hurt more if you lie..." Pete wisely added as he turned the knob to the Torch office. Slowly edging away from the door as the voices got louder, Chloe scurried the extra few feet to her seat and pretended to be reading over some things just was the door opened, revealing her friends.
*****************************************************************
"Hey guys," she perked up her voice and acted like she didn't have the slightest idea about their conversation. "Chloe!" Clark's eyes widened when he saw her. He was hoping the confrontation wouldn't occur so soon. "What's up?" Chloe greeted as she plastered on a smile and spinned to face them in her editor's chair.
"We just came by to get Clark's disk....so he can work on his article at home," Pete replied stealing glances in Clark's direction. Chloe acted like she did't notice any of it. "Glad to know you're taking initiative Clark. Actually, I'm glad you stopped by I needed to talk to you..." Chloe thought it was best for her to take the first move. Clark gulped, "Sure, what about?" She enjoyed making him squirm. "It's about the dance..." she paused to make him suffer. It was cruel that she was getting so much pleasure from this. But hey, he broke her heart...the least she could do was have some fun with him. "I won't be able to go with you,"
Clark's eyes widened again, and Chloe saw relief flash before them. "Why not?" Pete asked curiously. "I made other plans... I'm really sorry Clark. I hope you can still find another date." Oh, the irony of it all. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Letting him off the hook so easily. "Oohh no," Chloe faked surprise and checked her watch. "I'm supposed to meet my dad," Chloe gathered her things. "See you guys later," she called as she exited hurriedly. She needed out of that room.
*********************************************************************************
Chloe hopped into her car and drove to the only place she knew she would get the fresh air she needed. Behind this big oak tree where Chloe's old tire swing still hung, was a wide open field of green. She had been sitting there for hours. Enjoying the soft breeze against her skin, in her hair. "Fancy meeting you here,"
"Mr. Luthor?" Chloe exclaimed in surprise. He was such a contrast in his dark Armani suit against the bright color of the fields. Suavely, shedding his jacket he eccentricly knelt down in the grass. Grass stains would never come out of such delicate fabric. But Lex Luthor was unphased by it. "Lex," he corrected. "Sorry, Lex....what are you doing here?"
"Does everyone think I stay locked up in my mansion for the duration of the day? I do some exploring from time to time Chloe," he smiled sophisticatedly. If that was possible. And she had to smile as well. She turned her gaze away from him and again looked out onto the green. "So what's the problem?"
"What makes you think there is a problem?"
"Do you always ask so many questions?" he countered, utterly charming. "It's about Clark," she sighed and Lex nodded. "I don't know what more I have to do for that boy to actually get a clue. For years, I have been standing in Lana's shadows...and ...and I'm tired of being in the dark,"
"Clark is my friend, so I'll just leave you with this one word of advice if you may....from someone with experience. There comes a time when things in life reach dead ends. No matter how disappointing...you must always find the courage to move on."
A long bout of silence followed. And Chloe just stared out onto the land before suddenly hopping to her feet. She had a sudden urge to see a certain boy. "Where are you off to now? Lex called after her as she walked to her car. "I'm going to follow the advice of a very wise friend..." She called back not even bothering to turn around. She just started up her car and sped away.
***********************************************************
Please REVIEW!!! I BEG of you!!! I need FEEDBACK! Thanx : ^)