"I'm With You"---by StormKait
Disclaimer: I wish I owned SMALLVILLE, but I don't.
Chapter 4: Trying to Figure Out This Life
"Chloe, are you sure you want to do this right now?" Lex glanced at the girl sitting next to him as they made their way down Smallville's Main Street.
"If I don't face the music now, when will I?"
"I never thought of you as one to back down from a challenge."
"Well, I almost did last night." Chloe quickly changed the subject. "So, how's your business going?"
"You know, business is business. It can never be confused with pleasure," Lex said slyly. "Especially when running a major corporation." He was trying to sound professional-like, but it wasn't working on Chloe.
"Right, that's what they all say." Chloe laughed. It was the first time Lex had heard her sincerely laugh since last week.
"Except my father." Now he was laughing too. He was happy that Chloe seemed to be getting back to her old self, the spunky reporter who didn't give a shit what other people thought of her, rather than the woe-is-me suicidal teenager.
They passed the Talon, where the marquee read, "Rest in Peace, Whitney Fordman. We all miss you." Gee, that's nice of you Lana, Chloe thought. Pretend you're still mourning the loss of your ex, while you fool around with the farmboy. Chloe looked away from the building. Lex thought he saw a tear gleaming in the corner of her eye, but he didn't say anything.
The Jaguar pulled up to Chloe's house. She groaned. The Kents' pickup was in their driveway, along with Pete's red POS.
Lex must not have picked up on why Chloe was now looking so sullen as he parked the car. He got out. "What? Don't tell me you've changed your mind." Then he saw the blue pickup. "Oh."
Chloe cautiously opened her front door, and found her father pacing back and forth in the kitchen. Clark, Lana, and Pete were sitting at her kitchen table, and Chloe could tell that Lana had been crying. They stood up abruptly.
"Chloe." Clark said it almost as a question, but not quite. "You're okay." He looked relieved, yet at the same time there was fear in his eyes.
"I guess you could say that," she said. "Lex was nice enough to let me stay at his place last night so I wouldn't have to go through this right after my little episode." She gestured to the situation meeting her in the kitchen.
"Chloe, I'm so sorry," Lana told her. "I. I didn't know."
"Well, I'm here, aren't I? It's not like I actually went through it, did I?! Geez! So stop acting like I did, okay? Clark, you are not my favorite person right now, okay? And Lana, I know it's not your fault; you can't help who you like. I mean, look at me! Look at where I was yesterday! I was standing on the ledge of the freaking Smallville Dam, telling myself to jump. But I didn't. If Lex hadn't driven by. I don't know. Maybe I would have jumped." and Chloe couldn't finish. She just broke down, even worse than the previous night at the dam.
"Maybe it's time we left, guys," Pete whispered to Clark and Lana. They nodded and walked past Chloe and Lex on their way to the door.
"Chloe?" Pete said. "I'm glad you didn't jump." And they left.
As soon as he heard the screen door slam shut, Chloe's father gave his daughter a hug. "Don't you ever think about doing something like that again! Do you understand me? I have never been so scared in my life, Chloe. And Lana? She thought it was her fault. I told her it wasn't, but I had no idea what would make you even think about doing something like that." He finally loosened his grip on Chloe, and she pulled away and sat on the couch. "Lex? Um. thanks for everything, but, uh, do you think you could go? I don't want to sound rude, but." Chloe didn't finish, hoping he understood.
"Oh, yeah, no problem. But Chloe?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm so relieved that you didn't jump. I didn't realize how fun it was to have you around until I thought for a second how you might not be there to make fun of Clark every time we talk." And then Lex left, too.
"Whoa. what was that about?" Chloe's dad wanted to know.
Chloe was stunned. "I. I have no idea."
~*TBC*~
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to post, but my cable internet has been down for a few days. Next chapter is coming soon!!
Disclaimer: I wish I owned SMALLVILLE, but I don't.
Chapter 4: Trying to Figure Out This Life
"Chloe, are you sure you want to do this right now?" Lex glanced at the girl sitting next to him as they made their way down Smallville's Main Street.
"If I don't face the music now, when will I?"
"I never thought of you as one to back down from a challenge."
"Well, I almost did last night." Chloe quickly changed the subject. "So, how's your business going?"
"You know, business is business. It can never be confused with pleasure," Lex said slyly. "Especially when running a major corporation." He was trying to sound professional-like, but it wasn't working on Chloe.
"Right, that's what they all say." Chloe laughed. It was the first time Lex had heard her sincerely laugh since last week.
"Except my father." Now he was laughing too. He was happy that Chloe seemed to be getting back to her old self, the spunky reporter who didn't give a shit what other people thought of her, rather than the woe-is-me suicidal teenager.
They passed the Talon, where the marquee read, "Rest in Peace, Whitney Fordman. We all miss you." Gee, that's nice of you Lana, Chloe thought. Pretend you're still mourning the loss of your ex, while you fool around with the farmboy. Chloe looked away from the building. Lex thought he saw a tear gleaming in the corner of her eye, but he didn't say anything.
The Jaguar pulled up to Chloe's house. She groaned. The Kents' pickup was in their driveway, along with Pete's red POS.
Lex must not have picked up on why Chloe was now looking so sullen as he parked the car. He got out. "What? Don't tell me you've changed your mind." Then he saw the blue pickup. "Oh."
Chloe cautiously opened her front door, and found her father pacing back and forth in the kitchen. Clark, Lana, and Pete were sitting at her kitchen table, and Chloe could tell that Lana had been crying. They stood up abruptly.
"Chloe." Clark said it almost as a question, but not quite. "You're okay." He looked relieved, yet at the same time there was fear in his eyes.
"I guess you could say that," she said. "Lex was nice enough to let me stay at his place last night so I wouldn't have to go through this right after my little episode." She gestured to the situation meeting her in the kitchen.
"Chloe, I'm so sorry," Lana told her. "I. I didn't know."
"Well, I'm here, aren't I? It's not like I actually went through it, did I?! Geez! So stop acting like I did, okay? Clark, you are not my favorite person right now, okay? And Lana, I know it's not your fault; you can't help who you like. I mean, look at me! Look at where I was yesterday! I was standing on the ledge of the freaking Smallville Dam, telling myself to jump. But I didn't. If Lex hadn't driven by. I don't know. Maybe I would have jumped." and Chloe couldn't finish. She just broke down, even worse than the previous night at the dam.
"Maybe it's time we left, guys," Pete whispered to Clark and Lana. They nodded and walked past Chloe and Lex on their way to the door.
"Chloe?" Pete said. "I'm glad you didn't jump." And they left.
As soon as he heard the screen door slam shut, Chloe's father gave his daughter a hug. "Don't you ever think about doing something like that again! Do you understand me? I have never been so scared in my life, Chloe. And Lana? She thought it was her fault. I told her it wasn't, but I had no idea what would make you even think about doing something like that." He finally loosened his grip on Chloe, and she pulled away and sat on the couch. "Lex? Um. thanks for everything, but, uh, do you think you could go? I don't want to sound rude, but." Chloe didn't finish, hoping he understood.
"Oh, yeah, no problem. But Chloe?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm so relieved that you didn't jump. I didn't realize how fun it was to have you around until I thought for a second how you might not be there to make fun of Clark every time we talk." And then Lex left, too.
"Whoa. what was that about?" Chloe's dad wanted to know.
Chloe was stunned. "I. I have no idea."
~*TBC*~
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to post, but my cable internet has been down for a few days. Next chapter is coming soon!!