Chapter 5- Friday, 10 minutes before school's out
Clark was nervous as he approached Chloe's locker. He had thought long and hard about the best way to tell Chloe how he felt. Clark pulled Chloe's combination out of his pocket. A perk of being on the Torch staff and close to Chloe was that he had access to just about anything.
As Clark took the CD player out of his bag he felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. He hadn't seen Chloe all day, and was a little scared that she was angry. Pete had assured him that neither Chloe nor Lana were mad, but he wasn't sure he believed them.
Clark checked his watch, shoved the CD in the locker, then made his way into a side hallway to watch for Chloe.
* * *
It had been another boring, uneventful Friday at Smallville High School for Chloe Sullivan. After the last bell she pushed her way through wave after wave of people as they all scrambled for the exits. Finally at her locker she quickly twisted the lock and opened it. The first thing she saw was a sleek, silver CD player. On top of the CD player was a simple note scrawled in familiar handwriting.
Chloe,
Listen to #2
Clark
Chloe glanced up and down the hallway, but couldn't see Clark in the thinning sea of people. She shrugged, set her red bag in her locker, and slid the headphones over her ears. When she set the song to number 2 she immediately recognized it.
*You turn around, and then you ask me behind tears of doubt
Just what do I see in you?
Please don't cry. I know sometimes it seems we barely get by.
But you don't see how much you do, to get me through.*
Chloe noticed a small arrow on the bottom of the slip of paper. Turning it over she read: 'My words to you.' It was written in the same familiar handwriting as on the front.
*When the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold you give me love.
You give me love.
When my hope is gone, and I feel I can't go on, you pick me up. You give me love.
You give me love. Yeah, yeah, oh baby.*
This had to be a mistake. Clark had meant to put it in Lana's locker and gotten confused, right? Chloe hoped not.
*I apologize if I never told you what you are in my eyes. Oh baby, let me tell you now.
Every day looks sweeter knowing you'll be there in every way.
Now how can you say that's not enough?*
Chloe flipped the note over again. She traced her finger over her name as a single tear fell down her cheek. It was her name, not Lana's. It said: Chloe. Clark hadn't made a mistake.
*'Cause when the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold you give me love.
You give me love.
When my hope is gone, and I feel I can't go on, you pick me up. You give me love.*
Deep down Chloe knew what this song symbolized. She knew that Clark understood what he was doing. Clark meant what the words were saying, even if he didn't say them himself.
*You give me everything my heart desires:
Morning sun and midnight fires,
Someone there to share my dream.
With you I have everything.*
The halls were almost clear as Chloe began to cry silent tears. Clark Kent finally reciprocated her feelings. Her dream was finally becoming reality. Chloe was afraid that it was just that.a dream. She tried not to think of that as the song continued.
* When the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold you give me love.
You give me love.
When my hope is gone, and I feel I can't go on, you pick me up. You give me love.
Yeah, when the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold you give me love.
You give me love.
When my hope is gone, and I feel I can't go on, you pick me up. You give me love.*
Chloe slid the headphones off and slowly set them onto the CD player.
"Chloe?"
Chloe turned at the familiar, caring, yet worried voice. She tilted her face up to look at Clark.
"Don't cry, Chloe," Clark said as he gently wiped the wet trails from beneath Chloe's eyes.
Clark cupped Chloe's cheek in his hand, and she leaned into the touch and closed her eyes. Clark took this gesture as his cue to go one step further. He rested his hands on Chloe's waist and leaned down to press his lips to hers.
Chloe wanted to respond, but all of this was too overwhelming. All she could do was pray that she wouldn't wake from this perfect dream. Chloe felt Clark hesitate when she didn't reciprocate the kiss. She knew she should act before he ended it too quickly. Chloe slowly slid her hands up Clark's arms and settled her arms around Clark's broad shoulders. Neither knew which of them moaned as Clark pulled them closer together, they only knew they wanted to keep making the sounds.
Clark and Chloe weren't aware of the two spectators at either end of the hallway. There was a boy and a girl, neither aware of each other.
The boy was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt. It took all he had to not jump up and down. He was mentally yelling in sheer joy for his two best friends.
The girl was the exact opposite. She had a deep frown that was very uncommon for her. Unlike the boy, she was trying not to cry. Instead of screaming in joy she was cursing herself for missing her chance.
Clark and Chloe finally pulled back when they thought they would suffocate if they didn't get any air. As soon as they did the boy let out a whoop. Both of their heads shot around as Pete came screaming down the hall.
As Pete ran up to them the three laughed. Clark thought he heard someone crying behind him, but all he saw when he looked down the hall was a flash of deep brown hair as someone fled around the corner.
"Whew!" Pete exclaimed. "It's about time you two got together!"
Chloe laughed. "Don't think either of you are off the hook yet. You have a whole lot of explaining to do."
Clark gave Pete an amused look. "She kissed me back, so she can't be too upset."
Pete grinned. "Not at all. She's just hiding her nervousness."
Chloe rolled her eyes and punched Pete's shoulder. "I'll show you nervous."
"Are we planning on standing around here all day?" Clark asked, giving Chloe his most charming smile.
"No, no," Chloe said, linking arms with both boys. "Let's go to your house."
Pete smiled. "I'm good."
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes as they walked from the building.
"Why do you think you two are together?" Pete asked, a bounce in his step.
"Because I chose the better person for me," Clark answered simply, smiling as the sun warmed his skin.
"Nope, because I made you," Pete replied, smiling proudly.
Chloe stopped walking. Clark stopped with her, but Pete kept going.
"You set us up, you sneak! You knew he would pick me. That's why you forced him to choose," Chloe exclaimed, her jaw dropping.
Pete turned and began to walk backwards, his forefinger tapping his head. "It's all in here. I had to intervene, cause I knew no one else would."
Chloe and Clark watched in shock as Pete turned and walked away, his smile growing with every step.
Clark was nervous as he approached Chloe's locker. He had thought long and hard about the best way to tell Chloe how he felt. Clark pulled Chloe's combination out of his pocket. A perk of being on the Torch staff and close to Chloe was that he had access to just about anything.
As Clark took the CD player out of his bag he felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. He hadn't seen Chloe all day, and was a little scared that she was angry. Pete had assured him that neither Chloe nor Lana were mad, but he wasn't sure he believed them.
Clark checked his watch, shoved the CD in the locker, then made his way into a side hallway to watch for Chloe.
* * *
It had been another boring, uneventful Friday at Smallville High School for Chloe Sullivan. After the last bell she pushed her way through wave after wave of people as they all scrambled for the exits. Finally at her locker she quickly twisted the lock and opened it. The first thing she saw was a sleek, silver CD player. On top of the CD player was a simple note scrawled in familiar handwriting.
Chloe,
Listen to #2
Clark
Chloe glanced up and down the hallway, but couldn't see Clark in the thinning sea of people. She shrugged, set her red bag in her locker, and slid the headphones over her ears. When she set the song to number 2 she immediately recognized it.
*You turn around, and then you ask me behind tears of doubt
Just what do I see in you?
Please don't cry. I know sometimes it seems we barely get by.
But you don't see how much you do, to get me through.*
Chloe noticed a small arrow on the bottom of the slip of paper. Turning it over she read: 'My words to you.' It was written in the same familiar handwriting as on the front.
*When the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold you give me love.
You give me love.
When my hope is gone, and I feel I can't go on, you pick me up. You give me love.
You give me love. Yeah, yeah, oh baby.*
This had to be a mistake. Clark had meant to put it in Lana's locker and gotten confused, right? Chloe hoped not.
*I apologize if I never told you what you are in my eyes. Oh baby, let me tell you now.
Every day looks sweeter knowing you'll be there in every way.
Now how can you say that's not enough?*
Chloe flipped the note over again. She traced her finger over her name as a single tear fell down her cheek. It was her name, not Lana's. It said: Chloe. Clark hadn't made a mistake.
*'Cause when the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold you give me love.
You give me love.
When my hope is gone, and I feel I can't go on, you pick me up. You give me love.*
Deep down Chloe knew what this song symbolized. She knew that Clark understood what he was doing. Clark meant what the words were saying, even if he didn't say them himself.
*You give me everything my heart desires:
Morning sun and midnight fires,
Someone there to share my dream.
With you I have everything.*
The halls were almost clear as Chloe began to cry silent tears. Clark Kent finally reciprocated her feelings. Her dream was finally becoming reality. Chloe was afraid that it was just that.a dream. She tried not to think of that as the song continued.
* When the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold you give me love.
You give me love.
When my hope is gone, and I feel I can't go on, you pick me up. You give me love.
Yeah, when the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold you give me love.
You give me love.
When my hope is gone, and I feel I can't go on, you pick me up. You give me love.*
Chloe slid the headphones off and slowly set them onto the CD player.
"Chloe?"
Chloe turned at the familiar, caring, yet worried voice. She tilted her face up to look at Clark.
"Don't cry, Chloe," Clark said as he gently wiped the wet trails from beneath Chloe's eyes.
Clark cupped Chloe's cheek in his hand, and she leaned into the touch and closed her eyes. Clark took this gesture as his cue to go one step further. He rested his hands on Chloe's waist and leaned down to press his lips to hers.
Chloe wanted to respond, but all of this was too overwhelming. All she could do was pray that she wouldn't wake from this perfect dream. Chloe felt Clark hesitate when she didn't reciprocate the kiss. She knew she should act before he ended it too quickly. Chloe slowly slid her hands up Clark's arms and settled her arms around Clark's broad shoulders. Neither knew which of them moaned as Clark pulled them closer together, they only knew they wanted to keep making the sounds.
Clark and Chloe weren't aware of the two spectators at either end of the hallway. There was a boy and a girl, neither aware of each other.
The boy was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt. It took all he had to not jump up and down. He was mentally yelling in sheer joy for his two best friends.
The girl was the exact opposite. She had a deep frown that was very uncommon for her. Unlike the boy, she was trying not to cry. Instead of screaming in joy she was cursing herself for missing her chance.
Clark and Chloe finally pulled back when they thought they would suffocate if they didn't get any air. As soon as they did the boy let out a whoop. Both of their heads shot around as Pete came screaming down the hall.
As Pete ran up to them the three laughed. Clark thought he heard someone crying behind him, but all he saw when he looked down the hall was a flash of deep brown hair as someone fled around the corner.
"Whew!" Pete exclaimed. "It's about time you two got together!"
Chloe laughed. "Don't think either of you are off the hook yet. You have a whole lot of explaining to do."
Clark gave Pete an amused look. "She kissed me back, so she can't be too upset."
Pete grinned. "Not at all. She's just hiding her nervousness."
Chloe rolled her eyes and punched Pete's shoulder. "I'll show you nervous."
"Are we planning on standing around here all day?" Clark asked, giving Chloe his most charming smile.
"No, no," Chloe said, linking arms with both boys. "Let's go to your house."
Pete smiled. "I'm good."
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes as they walked from the building.
"Why do you think you two are together?" Pete asked, a bounce in his step.
"Because I chose the better person for me," Clark answered simply, smiling as the sun warmed his skin.
"Nope, because I made you," Pete replied, smiling proudly.
Chloe stopped walking. Clark stopped with her, but Pete kept going.
"You set us up, you sneak! You knew he would pick me. That's why you forced him to choose," Chloe exclaimed, her jaw dropping.
Pete turned and began to walk backwards, his forefinger tapping his head. "It's all in here. I had to intervene, cause I knew no one else would."
Chloe and Clark watched in shock as Pete turned and walked away, his smile growing with every step.