Started: October 15, 2002
Finished: October 16, 2002
Last Episode Seen Before Writing: Red
Pairing: Lana, Chloe, Pete, Clark, friendship
Rating: G
Category: Humor
Spoilers: very minor Duplicity
Summary: Chloe has a tradition when it's cold out. With her and Lana's newfound friendship, she invites Lana to join her.
Disclaimer: I do not own them. Nor will I ever. Only in my best of dreams!
Tradition
Author's Note: I want to dedicate this fic to Prolific Peggy. Her fics 'Female Bonding,' 'Male Bonding,' and 'Female/Male Bonding' inspired this fic. Also, thanks to my two awesomest possumest betas, LaCasta and Philtre! You guys rock!!
The night air is chilly, near freezing. Perfectly perfect in every way. At least to me.
I pile on layer upon layer of clothing. A tank top. Then a t-shirt. Now a sweatshirt. And then a jacket. Long underwear. Sweatpants. Then finally jeans.
With brimming thermos in hand I pull a patchwork quilt out of the hall closet. It's one my grandmother made for me when I was a baby. It's my favorite.
I'm on my way out the door when a thought hits me. I grab two mugs and stuff them in a bag with the thermos, grab the keys off the hall table, then jump in the car. It doesn't take long to reach my destination.
With a light rap on the door it's opened.
"Hey, Lana." Lana's eyes go wide. She laughs.
"Chloe, you look like a rainbow marshmallow."
"Yes, but a very warm rainbow marshmallow."
Lana laughs again. "What's up?"
"I thought I'd take advantage of our newfound friendship."
She quirks an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"
It's my turn to laugh. "Let's go drink hot chocolate on the lawn."
"Chloe, it's like 20 below zero. You have to be crazy!"
"Come on. It's tradition."
"Let me grab my jacket."
"No. You have to put on like a bazillion layers of clothes."
"Why?"
"You can't mess with tradition."
"Fine. I'll be right back. Want to come in?"
"And miss a even a second of this spectacular night? No thanks."
She rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say, Chloe."
"Don't you want to be a part of this wonderful tradition?"
"Are you the only one who participates in this so-called tradition?"
"The boys, too. They may show up sometime if they can find me."
"Boys are good."
I laugh. "I'm talking about Pete and Clark."
"Oh. Then boys are bad?" She looks confused.
I laugh again. "Depends on the boy…or man."
Lana grins. "Let me get dressed and we can discuss boys and men."
* * *
It is freezing out here. My cheeks feel like they're on fire, and I can't feel my toes. How can Chloe stand it?
"Chloe, come on. It's too cold."
"Don't be a baby, Lana. Here, have more hot chocolate."
"I've already had three mugs full."
Chloe rolls her eyes at me with a sigh. "You can't tell me this night isn't amazing."
"It would be more amazing if it were 30 degrees warmer."
"You just haven't acquired an appreciation for cold fronts, Lana."
"I have more appreciation for warm fronts."
"You whine too much." I love teasing Lana.
"You talk too much." She counters.
That gets us both laughing. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea.
"Chloe?"
"Yeah, Lana?" Chloe has her feet tucked under herself as she drinks her umpteenth cup of hot chocolate.
"I'm glad we're friends."
"Me too. I'm glad we got past the icky boys."
I laugh. "You sound like a first grader."
"Boys have cooties." She says in a little girl's voice.
"Boys are gross!" I add.
That starts us into another round of laughter.
"What's so funny?"
We both turn to find Pete and Clark, blankets and thermoses in hand.
"Ew, boys!" We say at the same time.
Pete and Clark just shoot us odd glances before settling onto the quilt.
"What brings you two to our happy party?"
"We went to Chloe's house, but she wasn't home so we figured if she wasn't home, or at Clark's, or my place, she must be here." Pete tells her.
"Why did you go to Chloe's?"
"Tradition." Clark says as if it is obvious.
"Told you." Chloe quirks an eyebrow in my direction.
"Okay, okay. So I'm the only one who didn't know about tradition."
"Apparently. Now, aren't we lucky that these nice, handsome boys decided to try and find me? Where would we be without them?"
"Without cooties?" I whisper loud enough for Chloe to hear.
Chloe bursts into laughter.
"So, what were you girls talking about before we came along?"
I turn to Clark. "Boys." I say mischievously.
Pete wraps his quilt around his shoulders. "Any boys in particular?"
Chloe laughs. "Oh, yes, Pete. Tall ones, best friend ones, and bald ones."
Pete turns to Clark with a grin. "That's you, me, and Lex!"
That sends Chloe and me into yet another round of laughter.
"Pete, you are too much."
Chloe takes a deep breath, closing her eyes.
"Chloe, what are you doing?" How can she take such a deep breath of such frigid air? It makes my lungs hurt to even think about it.
"I love the cold, don't you? It's so wonderful. So chilling." She tilts her head back, and spreads her arms to the side.
Clark and Pete imitate her actions. After a moment they all fall onto their backs on the quilt.
"You guys are weird."
"It's tradition." They all three say at the same time.
* * *
"That's Orion. See the line of stars? That's his belt." My breath makes white clouds in the sky. I can't feel the cold, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it.
"They're beautiful." Lana is lying to my left. We're all spread out on the quilt, our heads in the middle.
"Tell us more."
"Alright, Chloe. That one over there, the one like a spoon."
"I know that one! The Big Dipper!"
"Sorry, Pete. That's the Little Dipper."
"Well, I was close."
We all laugh.
"Very close, Pete."
"Thank you, Lana."
"Look, I can make rings out of my breath." Chloe starts blowing into the night sky. Soon, we're all following suit. Seeing what kind of shapes we can make.
"Mine looks like an apple."
"Mine's a duck."
"It's like guessing the shapes of clouds, only we're the ones making the clouds."
"Makes you feel special, doesn't it, Chloe?"
"You betcha, Pete. Ooh, a komodo dragon with chopsticks and an egg roll."
"Okay, now you're just being silly."
"What's the fun in being serious, Clark?"
"There's not any."
"My point exactly." Chloe's laugh tinkles over the night air. "More hot chocolate anyone?"
"Is there more?"
"Well, I brought one. Pete brought one. And Clark brought two. I'd say there's plenty."
"Nah. I'm not cold."
"Lana has joined the dark side." Chloe laughs at her own joke.
"Welcome, young Skywalker." I tease.
"Thank you, Obi Wan."
"Luke, I am your father." Pete's impression is dead-on.
Pete and I immediately jump up, spin to face each other, and hold out our hands like we're holding light sabers.
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
"Wrong movie, man."
I shrug.
"Probably he means no harm." Lana calls out, still on her back.
"He's really very short on charm." Chloe answers.
"Oh, you've got a great gift for rhyme." Lana continues.
"Yes, some of the time."
Chloe and Lana erupt into laughter. They sit up to face us.
"That wasn't flying. That was falling with style." I say.
"Man, the dolls must really go for you. Can you teach me that?" Pete counters.
"Toy Story. How mature. Now, let me think of a classic."
Pete and I shoot Chloe a withering look.
"Rhett! If you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?" Chloe says in a very feminine airy voice.
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." Chloe and Lana say at the same time. They press the backs of their hands to their foreheads and fling themselves back on the ground.
* * *
"What time is it?" Clark, always a worrier. Does it matter what time it is?
"Past your bed time." Lana's head is on my feet. The four of us are in a funny looking square. My head on Chloe's feet, Chloe's head on Clark's feet, Clark's head on Lana's feet, and Lana's head on my feet.
"Lana, that stung." Clark tries to sound pitiful. Lana only laughs.
"Clark, your cheeks are the brightest shade of red."
Clark lifts his head to look at Chloe. "Look who's talking, Rudolph." Chloe's hand flies to her nose.
"I think my jacket stopped keeping me warm two hours ago."
"Lana, what did I say about appreciation?"
Lana laughs. "I was just saying, Chloe."
"Okay, word game. What comes to mind when I say friend?" I love this game.
"Comrade." I nod at Chloe's answer.
"Amigo." Clark says it in a Mexican accent.
"Confidant."
"Gold." Chloe states the next word.
"Silver."
"Yellow."
"Gem."
"Gem? Gold isn't a gem. It's a metal, not a jewel."
"Chloe, thanks for the science lesson, but it's what came to mind."
Chloe laughs at Clark's response.
"Boys." It's Lana's turn.
"Guys."
"Men."
"Cooties." Lana and Chloe say at the same time before bursting into laughter.
"Okay, enough of that game."
"Sorry, Pete."
"Yeah, sorry to ruin the game."
I shrug. "At least I was sure to get my cootie shot."
"Circle circle, dot dot. Now I got my cootie shot." Chloe starts.
"Circle circle, square square. Now I have it everywhere." Lana continues.
We all laugh at the old rhyme.
"Get up. Time for a blood pumper."
"What's a blood pumper, Pete?"
I smile at Lana, and stand. Chloe, Clark, and Lana soon follow.
"To the old shed?"
"Go!"
With that one word we're all off, running at full speed. The frosty wind whips by us as we race across the lawn. The air freezes my lungs, but it's tradition.