You Never Knew - Part 2
Chloe retreated to the comforts of her domain - the Torch office - and hoped of shaking off the morning's weirdness with something familiar. But the pink rose, note and wrapped box on her desk did not help at all.
Trev… he was there in Smallville; in Smallville High and probably in some of her classes, too. She chose to forget about him when she moved to Smallville - and she almost did. Now all the memories arrested her like hard-hitting headlines. His eyes, his hair, his stylish clothes, and the confidence in his walk … he didn't change. Chloe suddenly remembered what drew her to him - it was the way he drew out the best in her.
Trev was one reason why she wanted so bad to go back to Metropolis. And the one reason that kept her in Smallville was seated across her. Clark was over at his desk looking at her looking at the things before her. She wished he'd say something … anything. Silence in the Torch office was not normal.
"You should open it. Maybe it's from him." Clark immediately regretted the accusing tone that went along with it. Of course, he already knew what was inside and for the life of him he didn't know why someone would give Chloe a pair of high heeled shoes. He resorted to staring at his own instead. Torn between going to class and staying with a distraught friend, he also battled curiosity and a desire to forget everything that just happened. He couldn't understand why he was in this struggle in the first place.
"I c-can't." Her voice quivered as she turned to look at Clark. "You do it…. Please?"
Clark's head snapped up when he heard Chloe's imploring tone. This was so unlike the head-strong reporter friend he goes to school with. He got up from the chair he straddled to stand beside her. He decided to begin with the note, and pulled it out from its beige envelope. Clark couldn't believe what he read and he bet Chloe heard the surprise in his voice. "Chlo, it's an invitation to a dinner at Lex's mansion."
That broke Chloe's stupor. "What?! When? I mean…."
"Friday night. It's to welcome Mr. Jake Collins to Smallville. There's something scribbled." Clark simply couldn't read *that* out loud so he handed the card her.
"What is it?" Chloe asked as she briefly saw Clark's jaw clench, his face turn two shades of red as he directed his eyes out the window. When she read the post script she understood why. "I remember our moves. Do you? With all my love, Trev."
Her sharp intake of breath and the released "oh my" made Clark look at Chloe again. She opened the box and pulled out a pair of silver heeled shoes with rhinestones adorning the straps. Chloe smiled her wide smile that always hid her eyes and for a moment Clark saw she was happy; yet it did not explain why her eyes teared up. Was he happy to see Chloe's first smile for the afternoon? Why did he feel like strangling this Trev? Strappy shoes?!? They were too girly for Chloe! Yet he couldn't shake off the image of Chloe's legs with her feet decked in those shoes. Chloe's legs?!? He definitely needed to get out. He didn't know what excuse to come up with as he grabbed his red backpack. What he automatically mumbled out was "Gotta go, I've got chores to do."
"Clark, I…" Chloe called after him in vain, embarrassed to let Clark see her delight and knowing he wouldn't understand why. It pained her to see him go again. He ran off just when she needed a friend…needed him.