Chapter 31- Changes
"Why do you let him do this to you?" Pete asked.
"That's a good question," Clark agreed.
"Chloe, you can't keep letting him hurt you," Lana said.
"Let him? I don't let him do anything. You think I ask him to hit me?" Chloe asked excitedly.
"Of course not, but you keep putting up with it," Clark said.
"It's not a big deal," Chloe tried convincing her friends.
"Yes…it is," Lana replied.
"No…it isn't," Chloe said.
"So far he's grabbed you, put bruises on both your arms, and left a welt on your cheek. What next? A broken rib?" Pete asked.
"Clark, he's your best friend. Help me here?" Chloe asked.
"I'm on their side. Lex is my friend, yes. But he has no right to hurt you," Clark pointed out.
Chloe threw up her arms in exasperation. "It's not a big deal."
"Chloe, you have a red welt on the side of your face that your boyfriend, who you say you love, put there. How is that not a big deal?" Lana asked amazed.
"It's just not," Chloe said.
"He didn't use to act this way," Pete said.
"Something has changed about him. I can tell when I talk to him. There's something different," Lana said, not able to pin point exactly what it was.
"He's turning into his father," Chloe muttered.
"What?" Clark asked.
"He's turning into his father. He's becoming exactly what his father wants him to be," Chloe said sadly.
"What are you talking about?" Pete asked.
"There's good in Lex. He could be so great, but his father is forcing him to follow in his footsteps," Chloe said.
"Why do you stay with him if he does this to you?" Clark asked. "Lex is my best friend and all, but there is no excuse for this."
"I can help him. I know I can. I can help him find the good in himself. I can help him bring out the parts of his mother that are deep inside him," Chloe said.
"You can't help everyone, Chlo," Lana pointed out.
"Clark does," Chloe said simply.
"I'm different," Clark replied.
"How are you different?" Chloe asked.
"I just am," Clark told her.
"Chloe, if he stays like this much longer he is going to bring you down, too," Pete said.
"Pete's right. You're going to end up in the same place Lex is if you're not careful," Lana added.
"And where exactly is that?" Chloe asked looking at each of her friends.
"Hiding things. Trying your hardest to fight darkness that you know you can't keep away for long. Feeling angry at the world," Lana said.
"I know I can help," Chloe said loudly.
"How did you know those things about his mother?" Clark asked.
"What things?" Pete questioned.
"Chloe knew that Lex's mother called him sweetheart. She knew that Lillian thought of Lex as her baby boy. What else do you know?" Clark asked.
"I know that Lex had a baby brother. I know that the brother died, and that was the hardest thing for Lex. I know what Lex is destined to be. I'm the only one who knows these things. That's why I have to help him," Chloe pleaded.
"What do you mean what Lex is destined to be?" Clark asked.
"I know what Cassandra saw when she held his hand. I know what his future holds. I know what it was that killed her," Chloe said.
"Who's Cassandra?" Pete asked.
"The old lady at the retirement home. The one that could see people's futures," Clark explained.
"What is Lex's future?" Lana asked.
"Did you not just hear me say that it killed her?" Chloe asked.
"What was it?" Pete asked.
"I'm not about to explain it," Chloe said in aggravation.
"That's what you saw that night my house," Clark realized. "When you wanted to talk to me in the barn."
"No. What I saw that night was your future, what Cassandra saw of you," Chloe explained.
"Then when?" Clark asked.
"That night at my house. After Lex's party," Chloe explained.
"When I saw you lying next to Clark," Lana said softly.
"What did you see?" Pete urged.
"I can't tell you," Chloe said adamantly. "Please, can we move on?"
"Why can't you tell us? Whatever you saw made you shake for over an hour. Worse than the first dream you told me about," Clark pressed.
"Stop it! Leave it alone! I'm not going to tell you! Whatever it is I'm seeing is parts of Lex's life. Parts no one has seen before. It's not my place to tell everyone," Chloe said loudly.
"Chloe, how can we help if you won't tell us?" Pete asked.
"I don't need your help! Why can't you see that? I'm fine," Chloe shouted.
"Then why are you yelling at us?" Lana asked.
Chloe put her hands on the sides of her face. "I'm fine," she said calmly. "If I need help, I'll ask for it. I asked for help a few days ago, didn't I Clark?"
Clark had to agree. "Yes, only I didn't get there fast enough."
"It's no one's fault, Clark. If it's anyone's fault it's Lex's and mine. Lex's for hitting me, mine for making a wise remark about his mother," Chloe said quietly.
"Promise you'll ask for help?" Lana asked.
"And not wait until he's broken a bone or worse?" Pete added.
"I promise," Chloe agreed.
"Good," Clark said and he and Pete wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulders.
Chloe smiled sweetly at them. "Thank you. I know I act like I don't care, but I do. I need friends who will yell at me when stuff like this happens."
"We'll yell at you anytime," Pete said with a grin.
"Good. Now, can we move on?" Chloe asked.
"Yes," Clark agreed.
"Actually, I have to be at the Talon in a few minutes," Lana said.
"Let's go get some coffee," Chloe said licking her lips.
Everyone laughed as they made their way out of the school.
"Lex is here," Chloe said excitedly. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
Lana laughed.
"Stay safe," Clark said.
"I will," Chloe replied with a smile.
"Bye, Chlo," Pete said.
"Lex! Hi!" Chloe said sitting across from him.
"Did I do that?" Lex asked looking at Chloe's cheek.
"Yes," Chloe said truthfully. "Actually, it's what I've come to talk to you about."
"Oh, yeah?" Lex asked, not apologizing for what he had done to Chloe.
"I was wondering if you'd had a chance to define our relationship?" Chloe asked.
"Are you serious?" Lex asked amazed.
"Unless you like its definition at the current time: I make you mad and you beat me," Chloe said matter-of-fact.
"That was low, Chloe," Lex said a little hurt.
"It was the truth, Lex," Chloe said.
"It wasn't my fault," Lex said indignantly.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "You mean I hit myself? I didn't know I could do that!"
"Did you really want something or did you just want to be rude?" Lex asked.
"I can't do this," Chloe said getting up and walking over to her friends. "Guys, could one of you explain how I feel to him? I can't do it right now. He makes me so angry!"
"I'll do it," Lana said standing up.
"And try not to mention the dreams," Chloe said sitting next to Pete.
"I won't!" Lana said. "Clark, if things are seeming to go wrong, a rescue might be helpful."
"I got your back," Clark said with a grin as Lana walked to Lex.
"Chloe send you to do her bidding?" Lex asked.
Lana gasped at the coldness in his voice. "What's wrong with you, Lex?"
"Is that a question from you or Chloe?" Lex asked.
"Me," Lana said looking into his icy blue eyes.
"I don't know, Lana. I just don't care anymore," Lex explained.
"Chloe cares about you," Lana said truthfully.
"No she doesn't," Lex growled. "How could she care about someone like me?"
Lana reached out and took Lex's hand without thinking. "Because, she sees the good in you, Lex. You may not realize it, but there is still good in your heart."
"No there isn't. My father has succeeded. All I can do is go to Metropolis and become another one of his mindless drones," Lex said sadly.
Lana shook her head. "Lex, please listen to me. Don't say your father has won. Please don't ever say that. You can't give up."
"What more can I do?" Lex asked.
"Chloe loves you. Despite the harsh words and the beatings she loves you. Embrace that, Lex," Lana said squeezing his hand.
Lex shook his head. "What do I do, Lana? How do I control what I am destined to be?"
"You talk about it. To Chloe…Clark…me. To your friends. Don't let it consume you," Lana told him.
Lex nodded.
"I'm going to get Chloe," Lana said squeezing Lex's hand again. "Chloe, you're up."
"What did you say to him?" Chloe asked looking at Lex. "That you love him, and he can't let his father win. That there is good in him, and you see it. That he should talk about it instead of holding it in."
"What do I do?" Chloe asked looking at Lex's dazed expression.
"Just go to him. You'll know what to do when you get there," Lana said pushing Chloe to Lex.
Chloe nodded and walked to Lex.
"Lex?" she asked standing over him. She took a step back when she saw the pure pain in his eyes. Without another word she sat next to him and held him tightly.
"Wow! Behold the wonders of Lana," Pete said watching Lex and Chloe.
"What did you do?" Clark asked.
"I just reassured him that we were here," Lana said simply.
"Why do you let him do this to you?" Pete asked.
"That's a good question," Clark agreed.
"Chloe, you can't keep letting him hurt you," Lana said.
"Let him? I don't let him do anything. You think I ask him to hit me?" Chloe asked excitedly.
"Of course not, but you keep putting up with it," Clark said.
"It's not a big deal," Chloe tried convincing her friends.
"Yes…it is," Lana replied.
"No…it isn't," Chloe said.
"So far he's grabbed you, put bruises on both your arms, and left a welt on your cheek. What next? A broken rib?" Pete asked.
"Clark, he's your best friend. Help me here?" Chloe asked.
"I'm on their side. Lex is my friend, yes. But he has no right to hurt you," Clark pointed out.
Chloe threw up her arms in exasperation. "It's not a big deal."
"Chloe, you have a red welt on the side of your face that your boyfriend, who you say you love, put there. How is that not a big deal?" Lana asked amazed.
"It's just not," Chloe said.
"He didn't use to act this way," Pete said.
"Something has changed about him. I can tell when I talk to him. There's something different," Lana said, not able to pin point exactly what it was.
"He's turning into his father," Chloe muttered.
"What?" Clark asked.
"He's turning into his father. He's becoming exactly what his father wants him to be," Chloe said sadly.
"What are you talking about?" Pete asked.
"There's good in Lex. He could be so great, but his father is forcing him to follow in his footsteps," Chloe said.
"Why do you stay with him if he does this to you?" Clark asked. "Lex is my best friend and all, but there is no excuse for this."
"I can help him. I know I can. I can help him find the good in himself. I can help him bring out the parts of his mother that are deep inside him," Chloe said.
"You can't help everyone, Chlo," Lana pointed out.
"Clark does," Chloe said simply.
"I'm different," Clark replied.
"How are you different?" Chloe asked.
"I just am," Clark told her.
"Chloe, if he stays like this much longer he is going to bring you down, too," Pete said.
"Pete's right. You're going to end up in the same place Lex is if you're not careful," Lana added.
"And where exactly is that?" Chloe asked looking at each of her friends.
"Hiding things. Trying your hardest to fight darkness that you know you can't keep away for long. Feeling angry at the world," Lana said.
"I know I can help," Chloe said loudly.
"How did you know those things about his mother?" Clark asked.
"What things?" Pete questioned.
"Chloe knew that Lex's mother called him sweetheart. She knew that Lillian thought of Lex as her baby boy. What else do you know?" Clark asked.
"I know that Lex had a baby brother. I know that the brother died, and that was the hardest thing for Lex. I know what Lex is destined to be. I'm the only one who knows these things. That's why I have to help him," Chloe pleaded.
"What do you mean what Lex is destined to be?" Clark asked.
"I know what Cassandra saw when she held his hand. I know what his future holds. I know what it was that killed her," Chloe said.
"Who's Cassandra?" Pete asked.
"The old lady at the retirement home. The one that could see people's futures," Clark explained.
"What is Lex's future?" Lana asked.
"Did you not just hear me say that it killed her?" Chloe asked.
"What was it?" Pete asked.
"I'm not about to explain it," Chloe said in aggravation.
"That's what you saw that night my house," Clark realized. "When you wanted to talk to me in the barn."
"No. What I saw that night was your future, what Cassandra saw of you," Chloe explained.
"Then when?" Clark asked.
"That night at my house. After Lex's party," Chloe explained.
"When I saw you lying next to Clark," Lana said softly.
"What did you see?" Pete urged.
"I can't tell you," Chloe said adamantly. "Please, can we move on?"
"Why can't you tell us? Whatever you saw made you shake for over an hour. Worse than the first dream you told me about," Clark pressed.
"Stop it! Leave it alone! I'm not going to tell you! Whatever it is I'm seeing is parts of Lex's life. Parts no one has seen before. It's not my place to tell everyone," Chloe said loudly.
"Chloe, how can we help if you won't tell us?" Pete asked.
"I don't need your help! Why can't you see that? I'm fine," Chloe shouted.
"Then why are you yelling at us?" Lana asked.
Chloe put her hands on the sides of her face. "I'm fine," she said calmly. "If I need help, I'll ask for it. I asked for help a few days ago, didn't I Clark?"
Clark had to agree. "Yes, only I didn't get there fast enough."
"It's no one's fault, Clark. If it's anyone's fault it's Lex's and mine. Lex's for hitting me, mine for making a wise remark about his mother," Chloe said quietly.
"Promise you'll ask for help?" Lana asked.
"And not wait until he's broken a bone or worse?" Pete added.
"I promise," Chloe agreed.
"Good," Clark said and he and Pete wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulders.
Chloe smiled sweetly at them. "Thank you. I know I act like I don't care, but I do. I need friends who will yell at me when stuff like this happens."
"We'll yell at you anytime," Pete said with a grin.
"Good. Now, can we move on?" Chloe asked.
"Yes," Clark agreed.
"Actually, I have to be at the Talon in a few minutes," Lana said.
"Let's go get some coffee," Chloe said licking her lips.
Everyone laughed as they made their way out of the school.
"Lex is here," Chloe said excitedly. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
Lana laughed.
"Stay safe," Clark said.
"I will," Chloe replied with a smile.
"Bye, Chlo," Pete said.
"Lex! Hi!" Chloe said sitting across from him.
"Did I do that?" Lex asked looking at Chloe's cheek.
"Yes," Chloe said truthfully. "Actually, it's what I've come to talk to you about."
"Oh, yeah?" Lex asked, not apologizing for what he had done to Chloe.
"I was wondering if you'd had a chance to define our relationship?" Chloe asked.
"Are you serious?" Lex asked amazed.
"Unless you like its definition at the current time: I make you mad and you beat me," Chloe said matter-of-fact.
"That was low, Chloe," Lex said a little hurt.
"It was the truth, Lex," Chloe said.
"It wasn't my fault," Lex said indignantly.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "You mean I hit myself? I didn't know I could do that!"
"Did you really want something or did you just want to be rude?" Lex asked.
"I can't do this," Chloe said getting up and walking over to her friends. "Guys, could one of you explain how I feel to him? I can't do it right now. He makes me so angry!"
"I'll do it," Lana said standing up.
"And try not to mention the dreams," Chloe said sitting next to Pete.
"I won't!" Lana said. "Clark, if things are seeming to go wrong, a rescue might be helpful."
"I got your back," Clark said with a grin as Lana walked to Lex.
"Chloe send you to do her bidding?" Lex asked.
Lana gasped at the coldness in his voice. "What's wrong with you, Lex?"
"Is that a question from you or Chloe?" Lex asked.
"Me," Lana said looking into his icy blue eyes.
"I don't know, Lana. I just don't care anymore," Lex explained.
"Chloe cares about you," Lana said truthfully.
"No she doesn't," Lex growled. "How could she care about someone like me?"
Lana reached out and took Lex's hand without thinking. "Because, she sees the good in you, Lex. You may not realize it, but there is still good in your heart."
"No there isn't. My father has succeeded. All I can do is go to Metropolis and become another one of his mindless drones," Lex said sadly.
Lana shook her head. "Lex, please listen to me. Don't say your father has won. Please don't ever say that. You can't give up."
"What more can I do?" Lex asked.
"Chloe loves you. Despite the harsh words and the beatings she loves you. Embrace that, Lex," Lana said squeezing his hand.
Lex shook his head. "What do I do, Lana? How do I control what I am destined to be?"
"You talk about it. To Chloe…Clark…me. To your friends. Don't let it consume you," Lana told him.
Lex nodded.
"I'm going to get Chloe," Lana said squeezing Lex's hand again. "Chloe, you're up."
"What did you say to him?" Chloe asked looking at Lex. "That you love him, and he can't let his father win. That there is good in him, and you see it. That he should talk about it instead of holding it in."
"What do I do?" Chloe asked looking at Lex's dazed expression.
"Just go to him. You'll know what to do when you get there," Lana said pushing Chloe to Lex.
Chloe nodded and walked to Lex.
"Lex?" she asked standing over him. She took a step back when she saw the pure pain in his eyes. Without another word she sat next to him and held him tightly.
"Wow! Behold the wonders of Lana," Pete said watching Lex and Chloe.
"What did you do?" Clark asked.
"I just reassured him that we were here," Lana said simply.