LEX
* * * * * *
It's been a few minutes since Chloe portrayed a darker image of her usual charismatic self by screaming, "TWO DAYS" in the faces of her bewildered buddies and left not two minutes after.
I sense trouble in the threesome paradise.
It's not hard to presume where that came from.
The whole of Smallville seems to be in a restless flutter of spirits, which can only mean two things: football season and the Prom. Since football season has come and gone, with yet another victory in the Smallville trophy case of fame, despite the fact that the insipid jocks still insist on wearing those letterman jackets, come rain or shine, through the simple matter of deduction, it is quite obviously the Prom.
Which is, coincidentally, in two days.
Since Clark informed me earlier of the fact that's he's going with Lana and Pete has that grin on his face that could rival the size of Kansas, it's evident from the sullen look on Chloe's face that she's the only one of the merry and single threesome left empty-handed. She was probably hoping against hope for Clark to ask her until the very last minute, the poor hapless girl.
Thank God I never have to go through that.
I lean back in my seat and observe the customers idly chattering away, the younger generation whispering excitedly to one another, making plans for the upcoming Prom, looming over the horizon like a magic kingdom, or a black spot of insecurity.
This town is truly amazing.
Of all the freaky incidents that have occurred in this town, they still manage to find ways to worry about frivolous things.
Or maybe you just need to be younger, idealistic and carefree, the very opposite of me.
I'm interrupted from this self-destructing reverie at the image of Clark who slides into the seat opposite mine, absolutely uninvited. Clark is the only person in my world who can get away with this.
He sports a gloomy look on his normally amiable-with-a-dash-of-woe face.
"What's eating you, Clark?"
He shrugs, eyes scouring the Talon, resting for a moment on Lana, before turning back to me. "Chloe. I need to find her a date for the Prom."
I nod. Typical. Solve all problems by finding a substitute date and forcing him onto her company. That would make a girl feel better. Kids.
"Any candidates?" I ask.
He shakes his head, still gloomy. He has the date of his life in two days and he still manages to worry over his friends. "Can't think of anyone. Aside from people she most definitely would not want to date."
"Does Chloe know of your intention to find her a date?" he nods. "And she AGREED to it?" I ask, in disbelief. If there were one person that I thought had an ounce of common sense in all of Smallville aside from the Kent family, it would be Chloe Sullivan. This is not a typical action taken by people with common sense, desperate or not. Evidently that scratches Clark off my sensible people list.
"Not really."
"Then why are you worrying about this?"
"I want Chloe to be happy. It's not fair that Pete and I are the only ones."
"You make your own happiness, Clark. Worry about your date with Lana."
He thinks about this, and finally, "I can't."
The boy is just too good to be real.
I try another tactic. "Why are you even thinking of finding her a date when she doesn't want you to?"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Clark, do not insult the lady," I advise him. He looks at me questioningly. I sigh. "The girl doesn't have a date, Clark. It's two days to the Prom. Do you really want to make her a charity case by forcing someone's company on her? Chloe needs her dignity." I lean back in my seat. "Chloe needs a real man, not a last minute preparation."
Then I, having made my point and making a mental note to inform Chloe to thank me later, sip my coffee.
Clark starts pondering on my words and the tortured and contorted facial expressions he goes through is enough to keep anyone entertained for a good half-hour. Which is just as well, because his pondering stretches beyond the ordinary time limit.
From the expressions on his face, he's obviously arguing with himself about something, in one moment looking like he's about to say something then changing his mind. I allow this amusing bit of schizophrenia to continue for a few minutes before I finally prompt him to spit out what's in his head.
"We're friends, right Lex?"
Conversations that start with lines like that never amount to anything good.
"I'm lending you my limo, aren't I?"
He nods. "Exactly. And Lex, you can totally forget about the limo if you do me another favor instead."
I knew what it was before he even said it.
"Ask Chloe to the Prom!"
This time, I find myself wrestling with my brain, over what could possibly inspire Clark to ask ME of all people to ask Chloe to the Prom, besides blatant desperation. Finally, I have the answer, "You're out of your mind, Clark."
"No, listen Lex. It'd be great! I mean, you LIKE Chloe, right?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"So it definitely wouldn't kill you to take her out."
"Clark, what could have possibly made you think of me as a likely candidate to take a young girl to her Prom?"
"The fact that it's two days to go and everyone else probably has a date."
Seeing as the boy had an answer to everything, I opt for another level of logic. "Do you trust me with Chloe?"
"Of course!" he says brightly, then darkens. "Shouldn't I?"
"Yes, but you see Clark, it's not like everyone WOULD."
"That doesn't matter, Lex."
"That 'everyone' might include Chloe."
He waves a hand at this. "Chloe would see it as a challenge more than anything. Going out with Lex Luthor! She'd probably write an article about it."
Now there was the biggest incentive for not taking Chloe to the Prom, if ever I heard one.
"Did you go to your Prom, Lex?"
"I attended an all boys boarding school, Clark."
"So there you go! You've never experienced the Prom, so this is your perfect opportunity!"
I don't care to point out that not everyone's idea of a perfect opportunity is to relive the shitty time I had to go through at their age, and the Prom was not on the highest of my to-do list.
But upon seeing the hopeful look on Clark's face, I feel something inside me relent. I wasn't about to puncture Clark's hopes and have him worrying over his friend when he should be rejoicing in his own victory.
Add to the fact that the boy did save my life and I do owe him a lot.
Add again to the fact that he would never let up until he receives a favorable answer and he knows that I know it.
And, it might be fun. I've always enjoyed Chloe's scintillating, intelligent and usually snippy personality. As long as the night doesn't turn into a one-on-one interview for the Torch, I think I could stand to enjoy myself.
I could just not talk to her at all for the whole event, if it came to that.
So I found myself agreeing to Clark's little proposal, and more jabbing and pleas from the boy wonder had me abandoning my work for the afternoon to start on my little promise as soon as humanly possible, or as fast as my car would drive me.
Two hours later, I was standing on the front porch of the Sullivan household, knocking on the door.
All the while promising myself to grant Clark no further favors if Chloe turns me down. Friendship is not worth the price of embarrassment.
* * * * * *
It's been a few minutes since Chloe portrayed a darker image of her usual charismatic self by screaming, "TWO DAYS" in the faces of her bewildered buddies and left not two minutes after.
I sense trouble in the threesome paradise.
It's not hard to presume where that came from.
The whole of Smallville seems to be in a restless flutter of spirits, which can only mean two things: football season and the Prom. Since football season has come and gone, with yet another victory in the Smallville trophy case of fame, despite the fact that the insipid jocks still insist on wearing those letterman jackets, come rain or shine, through the simple matter of deduction, it is quite obviously the Prom.
Which is, coincidentally, in two days.
Since Clark informed me earlier of the fact that's he's going with Lana and Pete has that grin on his face that could rival the size of Kansas, it's evident from the sullen look on Chloe's face that she's the only one of the merry and single threesome left empty-handed. She was probably hoping against hope for Clark to ask her until the very last minute, the poor hapless girl.
Thank God I never have to go through that.
I lean back in my seat and observe the customers idly chattering away, the younger generation whispering excitedly to one another, making plans for the upcoming Prom, looming over the horizon like a magic kingdom, or a black spot of insecurity.
This town is truly amazing.
Of all the freaky incidents that have occurred in this town, they still manage to find ways to worry about frivolous things.
Or maybe you just need to be younger, idealistic and carefree, the very opposite of me.
I'm interrupted from this self-destructing reverie at the image of Clark who slides into the seat opposite mine, absolutely uninvited. Clark is the only person in my world who can get away with this.
He sports a gloomy look on his normally amiable-with-a-dash-of-woe face.
"What's eating you, Clark?"
He shrugs, eyes scouring the Talon, resting for a moment on Lana, before turning back to me. "Chloe. I need to find her a date for the Prom."
I nod. Typical. Solve all problems by finding a substitute date and forcing him onto her company. That would make a girl feel better. Kids.
"Any candidates?" I ask.
He shakes his head, still gloomy. He has the date of his life in two days and he still manages to worry over his friends. "Can't think of anyone. Aside from people she most definitely would not want to date."
"Does Chloe know of your intention to find her a date?" he nods. "And she AGREED to it?" I ask, in disbelief. If there were one person that I thought had an ounce of common sense in all of Smallville aside from the Kent family, it would be Chloe Sullivan. This is not a typical action taken by people with common sense, desperate or not. Evidently that scratches Clark off my sensible people list.
"Not really."
"Then why are you worrying about this?"
"I want Chloe to be happy. It's not fair that Pete and I are the only ones."
"You make your own happiness, Clark. Worry about your date with Lana."
He thinks about this, and finally, "I can't."
The boy is just too good to be real.
I try another tactic. "Why are you even thinking of finding her a date when she doesn't want you to?"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Clark, do not insult the lady," I advise him. He looks at me questioningly. I sigh. "The girl doesn't have a date, Clark. It's two days to the Prom. Do you really want to make her a charity case by forcing someone's company on her? Chloe needs her dignity." I lean back in my seat. "Chloe needs a real man, not a last minute preparation."
Then I, having made my point and making a mental note to inform Chloe to thank me later, sip my coffee.
Clark starts pondering on my words and the tortured and contorted facial expressions he goes through is enough to keep anyone entertained for a good half-hour. Which is just as well, because his pondering stretches beyond the ordinary time limit.
From the expressions on his face, he's obviously arguing with himself about something, in one moment looking like he's about to say something then changing his mind. I allow this amusing bit of schizophrenia to continue for a few minutes before I finally prompt him to spit out what's in his head.
"We're friends, right Lex?"
Conversations that start with lines like that never amount to anything good.
"I'm lending you my limo, aren't I?"
He nods. "Exactly. And Lex, you can totally forget about the limo if you do me another favor instead."
I knew what it was before he even said it.
"Ask Chloe to the Prom!"
This time, I find myself wrestling with my brain, over what could possibly inspire Clark to ask ME of all people to ask Chloe to the Prom, besides blatant desperation. Finally, I have the answer, "You're out of your mind, Clark."
"No, listen Lex. It'd be great! I mean, you LIKE Chloe, right?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"So it definitely wouldn't kill you to take her out."
"Clark, what could have possibly made you think of me as a likely candidate to take a young girl to her Prom?"
"The fact that it's two days to go and everyone else probably has a date."
Seeing as the boy had an answer to everything, I opt for another level of logic. "Do you trust me with Chloe?"
"Of course!" he says brightly, then darkens. "Shouldn't I?"
"Yes, but you see Clark, it's not like everyone WOULD."
"That doesn't matter, Lex."
"That 'everyone' might include Chloe."
He waves a hand at this. "Chloe would see it as a challenge more than anything. Going out with Lex Luthor! She'd probably write an article about it."
Now there was the biggest incentive for not taking Chloe to the Prom, if ever I heard one.
"Did you go to your Prom, Lex?"
"I attended an all boys boarding school, Clark."
"So there you go! You've never experienced the Prom, so this is your perfect opportunity!"
I don't care to point out that not everyone's idea of a perfect opportunity is to relive the shitty time I had to go through at their age, and the Prom was not on the highest of my to-do list.
But upon seeing the hopeful look on Clark's face, I feel something inside me relent. I wasn't about to puncture Clark's hopes and have him worrying over his friend when he should be rejoicing in his own victory.
Add to the fact that the boy did save my life and I do owe him a lot.
Add again to the fact that he would never let up until he receives a favorable answer and he knows that I know it.
And, it might be fun. I've always enjoyed Chloe's scintillating, intelligent and usually snippy personality. As long as the night doesn't turn into a one-on-one interview for the Torch, I think I could stand to enjoy myself.
I could just not talk to her at all for the whole event, if it came to that.
So I found myself agreeing to Clark's little proposal, and more jabbing and pleas from the boy wonder had me abandoning my work for the afternoon to start on my little promise as soon as humanly possible, or as fast as my car would drive me.
Two hours later, I was standing on the front porch of the Sullivan household, knocking on the door.
All the while promising myself to grant Clark no further favors if Chloe turns me down. Friendship is not worth the price of embarrassment.