Chapter 14- Friends and Family
"Hi Chloe!" Lana said walking through the crowded halls of Smallville High.
"I know that look. Something good happened. Care to share?" Chloe asked with a grin.
"Clark asked me to be his girlfriend," Lana said shyly.
"What did you say?" Chloe asked her eyes getting wide and her lips breaking into a grin.
"Yes," Lana answered timidly.
"Good for you," Chloe said sincerely as she opened her locker. "What does Whitney think?"
"He's okay with it. I think he expected it sooner or later," Lan said nodding thoughtfully.
"Good," Chloe said shutting her locker. "You want to come over?"
"Sure. Did you drive?" Lana asked.
"Yeah, I need to stop by the Torch for a sec first, though," Chloe said.
"Have you talked to Lex lately?"
Chloe laughed. "It's been almost three weeks and he still calls every day to make sure I haven't died," Chloe said.
"Aww, how sweet," Lana exclaimed looking at her own brace.
"I told him that if he didn't stop calling that my dad would get suspicious. So, he calls every other day," Chloe said with a hearty laugh.
Lana laughed as Chloe opened the Torch door.
"There's my boys," Chloe said when she saw Clark and Pete. "Congratulations, Clark."
Clark blushed and stood to put an arm around Lana's shoulders. "Thank you."
"Lana, why don't we celebrate by getting those free coffees you offered almost a month ago?" Pete asked, his eyes flashing.
"Actually, I'm going with Chlo. It's up to her," Lana said looking to Chloe.
"Fine by me," Chloe agreed.
"I'll go with Pete," Clark said leading Lana out of the Torch.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay, what does everyone want?" Lana asked.
"Can you hold a tray with your arm?" Clark asked.
"I usually hold my tray with my left hand. It's not a problem," Lana said smiling sweetly.
"Non-fat, no-foam, latte," Chloe told the brunette.
"Mochaccino," Pete said.
"Coffee with milk and a-" Clark said.
Lana interrupted him. "Little bit of honey. Got it," she said walking to the counter.
"So, Clark, have you taken her to your 'fortress of solitude' yet?" Chloe asked wagging her eyebrows.
"Keyword: Solitude. Besides, I just asked her out this morning," Clark replied not biting Chloe's bait.
"Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time for that," Pete teased.
"You two are horrible," Clark told his friends.
"You know you love us," Chloe said playfully punching his shoulder as Lana came back to the table and set her tray down.
Without thinking Clark reached up to swat Chloe on the back of the head.
"Clark!" Lana said knocking his hand away just inches from Chloe's head. "Think about it…"
Clark grimaced, " Sorry, Chlo."
Chloe laughed. "Lana just saved your life. You should be grateful," she said as her cell phone rang. "Hello?…Hey, Lex!…I'm at the Talon with the group…Aww, you don't have to…I understand…Okay, let me ask them. Guys, Lex is having a business party at his house Friday. He would like for us to come and then stay afterwards and just hang out. He wants to make up for last time."
"He has nothing to make up for," Lana said.
"I know…humor him, guys," Chloe said.
Everyone nodded his or her agreement.
"Lex? What time?…Okay, we'll meet you there…Just a second, let me ask. Do we want him to pick us up in the limo?" Chloe asked.
Clark and Lana nodded.
"We have that interview," Pete reminded her.
"Lex, you can pick up Lana and Clark. Me and Pete will have to be a little late, we have an interview for the Torch…You heard?" Chloe laughed. "They are holding hands as we speak…Lex says congratulations."
"Tell him thank you," Lana replied.
"Lana says thanks," Chloe told Lex. "Lex says get back to work!"
Lana laughed.
"I'm just kidding, he didn't say that…okay, see you later…bye," Chloe said hanging up the phone.
"He still feels bad about the accident?" Lana asked.
Chloe nodded. "Only, he doesn't call it an accident. He feels so horrible. Lex feels responsible because we were at his house and in his cars. We were in his care and he put our lives in jeopardy," Chloe explained.
"That's not true," Clark said.
"I know that, but he doesn't," Chloe said.
"Can we go talk to him?" Lana asked.
"I don't see why not. You guys coming?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah," Clark answered.
"I can't…hot date," Pete replied with a grin.
Chloe rolled her eyes as the four made their way to the cars.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Go in the back way," Clark told Chloe pointing to the service road.
Chloe eased her car behind the mansion and everyone climbed out.
"Can we just walk in?" Lana asked.
"Yeah. The staff knows me," Clark answered opening the door.
As they got to Lex's study they could hear controlled, but angry voices.
"What were you thinking, Lex? You could have killed them."
"You don't think I know that, Dad?" Lex replied with more emotion in his voice than he meant to be.
"You'll never change. You'll always be a shame to this family."
"We aren't a family. Mom and I were a family. You and I never have been and never will be a family."
"Girls, stay in here for a sec," Clark said opening a door.
"What are you going to do?" Chloe asked.
"I'll be right back," Clark said ignoring her question. Clark closed the door and walked to Lex's study. He opened the door, "Lex?"
Lex whipped his head around at his name. His eyes were flashing fire. "Clark! This really is not a good time."
"I know," Clark said glancing at Lionel. "Can I talk to you for a second? It won't take long."
Lex nodded solemnly and followed Clark into the hall. "What is it?"
"The girls are here," Clark said gesturing to the room they were in. "They wanted to talk to you about the accident…tell you it wasn't your fault," Clark explained.
"You really can't stay, Clark," Lex said trying to calm his voice.
"I know, can you at least tell them hi and bye?" Clark asked hopefully.
Lex nodded again and walked to the other room. When Chloe saw Lex she crossed the room to him.
"Lex," she said putting one arm behind his back and the other hand on his chest. "You're not wearing your sling," she said frowning at his 'untouchable' demeanor.
"Girls, you really have come at a bad time. Can we do this another day?" Lex asked, purposefully not addressing Chloe's comment.
"Of course," Lana said smiling and walking to Clark.
Chloe frowned even more when Lex said, "Thank you," and walked back to his study.
"What was that about?" Lionel growled.
"It's none of your concern," Lex answered closing the door.
"Let's go, girls," Clark said putting a hand on each of their backs to guide them out of the mansion. "Want to go to my house?"
Chloe shrugged, lost in thought. "Why not?"
"Thanks for the enthusiasm," Clark said with a wide smile.
Chloe brightened. "Clark, I would love to go to your house. I want to go more than I've ever wanted anything in my whole life," Chloe said climbing into the car.
"That's more like it," Clark replied and they all laughed.
"Hi Chloe!" Lana said walking through the crowded halls of Smallville High.
"I know that look. Something good happened. Care to share?" Chloe asked with a grin.
"Clark asked me to be his girlfriend," Lana said shyly.
"What did you say?" Chloe asked her eyes getting wide and her lips breaking into a grin.
"Yes," Lana answered timidly.
"Good for you," Chloe said sincerely as she opened her locker. "What does Whitney think?"
"He's okay with it. I think he expected it sooner or later," Lan said nodding thoughtfully.
"Good," Chloe said shutting her locker. "You want to come over?"
"Sure. Did you drive?" Lana asked.
"Yeah, I need to stop by the Torch for a sec first, though," Chloe said.
"Have you talked to Lex lately?"
Chloe laughed. "It's been almost three weeks and he still calls every day to make sure I haven't died," Chloe said.
"Aww, how sweet," Lana exclaimed looking at her own brace.
"I told him that if he didn't stop calling that my dad would get suspicious. So, he calls every other day," Chloe said with a hearty laugh.
Lana laughed as Chloe opened the Torch door.
"There's my boys," Chloe said when she saw Clark and Pete. "Congratulations, Clark."
Clark blushed and stood to put an arm around Lana's shoulders. "Thank you."
"Lana, why don't we celebrate by getting those free coffees you offered almost a month ago?" Pete asked, his eyes flashing.
"Actually, I'm going with Chlo. It's up to her," Lana said looking to Chloe.
"Fine by me," Chloe agreed.
"I'll go with Pete," Clark said leading Lana out of the Torch.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay, what does everyone want?" Lana asked.
"Can you hold a tray with your arm?" Clark asked.
"I usually hold my tray with my left hand. It's not a problem," Lana said smiling sweetly.
"Non-fat, no-foam, latte," Chloe told the brunette.
"Mochaccino," Pete said.
"Coffee with milk and a-" Clark said.
Lana interrupted him. "Little bit of honey. Got it," she said walking to the counter.
"So, Clark, have you taken her to your 'fortress of solitude' yet?" Chloe asked wagging her eyebrows.
"Keyword: Solitude. Besides, I just asked her out this morning," Clark replied not biting Chloe's bait.
"Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time for that," Pete teased.
"You two are horrible," Clark told his friends.
"You know you love us," Chloe said playfully punching his shoulder as Lana came back to the table and set her tray down.
Without thinking Clark reached up to swat Chloe on the back of the head.
"Clark!" Lana said knocking his hand away just inches from Chloe's head. "Think about it…"
Clark grimaced, " Sorry, Chlo."
Chloe laughed. "Lana just saved your life. You should be grateful," she said as her cell phone rang. "Hello?…Hey, Lex!…I'm at the Talon with the group…Aww, you don't have to…I understand…Okay, let me ask them. Guys, Lex is having a business party at his house Friday. He would like for us to come and then stay afterwards and just hang out. He wants to make up for last time."
"He has nothing to make up for," Lana said.
"I know…humor him, guys," Chloe said.
Everyone nodded his or her agreement.
"Lex? What time?…Okay, we'll meet you there…Just a second, let me ask. Do we want him to pick us up in the limo?" Chloe asked.
Clark and Lana nodded.
"We have that interview," Pete reminded her.
"Lex, you can pick up Lana and Clark. Me and Pete will have to be a little late, we have an interview for the Torch…You heard?" Chloe laughed. "They are holding hands as we speak…Lex says congratulations."
"Tell him thank you," Lana replied.
"Lana says thanks," Chloe told Lex. "Lex says get back to work!"
Lana laughed.
"I'm just kidding, he didn't say that…okay, see you later…bye," Chloe said hanging up the phone.
"He still feels bad about the accident?" Lana asked.
Chloe nodded. "Only, he doesn't call it an accident. He feels so horrible. Lex feels responsible because we were at his house and in his cars. We were in his care and he put our lives in jeopardy," Chloe explained.
"That's not true," Clark said.
"I know that, but he doesn't," Chloe said.
"Can we go talk to him?" Lana asked.
"I don't see why not. You guys coming?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah," Clark answered.
"I can't…hot date," Pete replied with a grin.
Chloe rolled her eyes as the four made their way to the cars.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Go in the back way," Clark told Chloe pointing to the service road.
Chloe eased her car behind the mansion and everyone climbed out.
"Can we just walk in?" Lana asked.
"Yeah. The staff knows me," Clark answered opening the door.
As they got to Lex's study they could hear controlled, but angry voices.
"What were you thinking, Lex? You could have killed them."
"You don't think I know that, Dad?" Lex replied with more emotion in his voice than he meant to be.
"You'll never change. You'll always be a shame to this family."
"We aren't a family. Mom and I were a family. You and I never have been and never will be a family."
"Girls, stay in here for a sec," Clark said opening a door.
"What are you going to do?" Chloe asked.
"I'll be right back," Clark said ignoring her question. Clark closed the door and walked to Lex's study. He opened the door, "Lex?"
Lex whipped his head around at his name. His eyes were flashing fire. "Clark! This really is not a good time."
"I know," Clark said glancing at Lionel. "Can I talk to you for a second? It won't take long."
Lex nodded solemnly and followed Clark into the hall. "What is it?"
"The girls are here," Clark said gesturing to the room they were in. "They wanted to talk to you about the accident…tell you it wasn't your fault," Clark explained.
"You really can't stay, Clark," Lex said trying to calm his voice.
"I know, can you at least tell them hi and bye?" Clark asked hopefully.
Lex nodded again and walked to the other room. When Chloe saw Lex she crossed the room to him.
"Lex," she said putting one arm behind his back and the other hand on his chest. "You're not wearing your sling," she said frowning at his 'untouchable' demeanor.
"Girls, you really have come at a bad time. Can we do this another day?" Lex asked, purposefully not addressing Chloe's comment.
"Of course," Lana said smiling and walking to Clark.
Chloe frowned even more when Lex said, "Thank you," and walked back to his study.
"What was that about?" Lionel growled.
"It's none of your concern," Lex answered closing the door.
"Let's go, girls," Clark said putting a hand on each of their backs to guide them out of the mansion. "Want to go to my house?"
Chloe shrugged, lost in thought. "Why not?"
"Thanks for the enthusiasm," Clark said with a wide smile.
Chloe brightened. "Clark, I would love to go to your house. I want to go more than I've ever wanted anything in my whole life," Chloe said climbing into the car.
"That's more like it," Clark replied and they all laughed.