oh, oh, oh. you have no idea how happy i am that you guys actually liked my story. i thought for sure id get NO reviews, or at least, only bad ones. but, no, i was wrong(thank god). so ive decided to try and continue this little story of mine. so i hope this goes well...

why me?

Lex looked in every direction, trying to spot her. School was over, and she should have come out of that classroom ten minutes ago. He had already checked it once, thinking that maybe she'd spotted him, and knowing that his appearance couldn't be a good thing, decided to hide till the coast was clear. But no such luck. The room was deserted. And, as much as Lex liked being center of attention, all the stares and whispers were beginning to get to him.

They all obviously thought it strange for Lex Luthor to be standing in the middle of the hallway, cocking his head every which way, looking for someone who evidently wasn't there.

"Hey, Lex!" came a voice from behind him, one he immediately recognized, even though he was barely audible over the hustle and bustle of the surrounding teenagers, recklessly making their way home for the weekend.

"Clark, I'd have expected you to be at the Talon by now," Lex said casually, as though it was quite usual for him to be walking the halls of the school.

"Oh, I was on my way there now, actually, "Clark fumbled, trying to hide the blush that was rapidly spreading all over his face. "But, what are *you* doing here?"

"Oh, nothing, really. I just came to see our favorite reporter."

"Chloe?" Clark was puzzled.

Poor boy. Lex sighed. "Yes, you wouldn't happen to know where she would be right now would you?"

"Um, I think she's working on the next issue, already. She should be in the computer room," Clark stated. He looked as if he were contemplating whether or not to ask his next question. Then, as though making his mind up, he slowly asked,"So, why do you need to see her?"

"I just wanted to speak to her about the Torch. There was a very interesting article in there that I'd like to discuss with her," Lex said, not letting slip his anger or pain at what the article had done to him.

"The article?" Clark gulped,"you've read the article." Oh, no, he was beginning to look worried now. He'd apparently read the article, as well.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. You know Chloe does have a very creative mind, doesn't she? "Meteorites in the Meatloaf?" I must say, it was quite intriguing."

"Oh, the Meatloaf thing," a look of relief swept over his face,"that's what you wanted to talk to her about?" It came out more as a statement, than a question.

"Of course, the Meatloaf article, what else? I was just interested in her theory, is all." Might as well go along with it, thought Lex. At least then Clark won't go all protective, and blow everything out of proportion, like he himself was doing.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll see you later, then," said Clark, as he began to disperse with the few remaining students left in the hall,"and, tell Chloe I said bye."

"I'll do that. Bye, Clark," said Lex. And, at the sight of Clark's retreating back, he set off for the computer room. The "meatloaf" article pressing on his mind the whole way there(as well as how he was going to handle this, or why he was handling this at all, it was Chloe, she was always going on about things of this sort.)

As he walked towards his destination, he never noticed Clark giving a silent prayer for Chloe (and Lex), knowing that any kind of conversation between the two, whether good or bad, never ended well.