You Never Knew - Part 7

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Trev stared intently at Chloe as she and her friends, Clark and Pete, ordered their drinks at the Talon's counter. He needed to see for himself what he suspected - and he did. Sully had blossomed into Chloe. The girl he saw smiling openly at the tall farm boy was not the hesitant city girl he grew up with, but a confident young woman with a zest for life. As Trev regarded the new Chloe Sullivan, it made him smile. She did it. She was able to polish the sparkle he knew she was fully capable of shining.

When they first met they were just kids of two office colleagues. They happened to attend the same school. Eventually, they got thrust towards each other. Trev remembered how his dad would push him to talk to the shy little girl and ask her to join in his games. In time Sully became as rowdy and rambunctious as any of his playmates, a default player in either soccer, baseball or the annual frog hunt.

In school, she was the smarter one. She often read books from the classics, the latest teen romance, to sci-fi fantasy novels. She would often tease his level of ignorance but at the same time throw a book at him, saying she needed a sounding board for her ideas.

He was the adventurous one - always trying out the latest sports. But he didn't want to be the only one having fun, he had to drag his buddy Sully along with him to get her nose out of her book. Together, they defied school norms and became an efficient tag team.

Then one summer when Trev's dad invited Mr. Sullivan and his family to the beach, his entire perspective on his friendship with Sully began to change. When she came out to join them on the sand, everything he read in science text books about the female anatomy was validated before his eyes. He had no idea what she hid under those shapeless crew neck shirts and faded jeans she sported daily.

From then on she responded, albeit vehemently, to his coaxing to wear something more girly. However, being with Trev, Mike and Gene and the rest of their friends - who all happened to be boys - she didn't feel compelled to. Besides, Trev remembered, she didn't want to look like Barbie or any of the A-crowd girls in school lest she'd appear to have nothing between her ears. Over time, she discovered her own distinctive fashion and the wonders of make-up. Her brains did come along with beauty to match and Trev was smitten. Not long after that, they were more than just friends.

Their adventures also transformed from athletic to artistic. Between them they had most of the school orgs under their belts. They'd excel in anything they got into and moved to the next before they got bored. It was fun and Trev wondered if she carried that to Smallville High.

Their romance was not a whirlwind one. Being best friends and with all the things they did together, the progression was sweet and natural. It made their parents and friends happy, seeing them finally a couple.

They were just as ecstatic when their friendship moved up to the next level. Trev brought out the hidden romantic in him, and the lady inside Sully came out as well. To him, she was the most beautiful girl in the world and he made sure she felt like it.

When Trev's dad told him that Mr. Gabe Sullivan was going to be assigned to the Smallville plant and that he was transferring Sully there, his world crumbled. His heart broke when she wanted for them to just stay as friends saying it would be difficult for them to bridge the distance. She was right, it would be hard. But it was equally tough to let her go and move on.

But move on he did, as best as he could, continuing on his adventures in life even without his partner in crime, and the love of his life, Chloe Sullivan. He pursued other girls, but the waters never went quite as deep as what he had with a best friend.

Her occasional emails to all her friends were general and amusing. It kept them all updated of her contact info, latest achievements, tidbits about small town life and her new group of friends. The personal email that Trev hoped she would write never appeared on his screen.

He didn't know what to feel when it was his dad's turn to be assigned to the Smallville plant. It was a mixture of elation and fear - he would be near her again, but would they be able to get back to where they were? He decided it was worth a try, still missing her so terribly.

As soon as they got settled in this quaint little town, he grabbed every copy of the Torch that he could find. Not all the articles were published in the online version and he wanted to read every single bit of her work. In her emails she was proud that she became editor of their school paper - another gem she unearthed and polished very well as he read everything that had her name on the by-line.

His first day in Smallville High excited and worried him. But all of that blurred out of existence when he saw her. She was there in the hallway beside her friends but all he could see was the blond angel in colorful clothes. She stood motionless as the world faded around him. The words he had practiced the previous night escaped him so he resorted to the one thing that came to mind - kiss her. He only meant it to be a short greeting but when she returned the kiss, he didn't want to let go had it not for the school bell. It was sweet and heartfelt. Things still had promise and it lifted his spirits. He was going to enjoy his stay in Smallville after all.

"Hey, Trev, can you give me a hand with this?" Mike's request to help in putting the drum set together broke him out of his reverie.

"Sure." Trev complied but found it difficult to move. There was something with the way Chloe stood beside Clark Kent that he could not put a finger on. His eyes squinted and breath caught in his chest when he saw Chloe blush at the protective arm Kent had around her and the kiss he gave her forehead. Chloe had moved on, or did she? If she did, she would have told him out flat.

Trev knew that there was a lot to the new Chloe he has yet to learn. But before that, he needed to find out how much of Sully-girl was still in there.

Gene saw what kept Trev frozen where he was. "We're short one member." He pointed to break Trev from his trance.

Trev shook his head to clear it and also in response to Gene's statement. "No, we're not. You guys know what to do." With that he proceeded towards the other equipment.

Gene and Mike, however, were grinning at a familiar fair-headed girl.