"Okay. So we know he has taste!" Lana began jotting her comment down on a piece of paper, and then looking to Chloe for confirmation.

Chloe didn't look up from her computer. "We know that?"

Lana sighed. "Because of the roses. They were expensive, from Garden Emporium, and there were twelve!"

Chloe finally looked up. "Maybe he'd just stupid, for spending that kind of money on someone who doesn't even know him!"

Lana shook her head. "Nope. It means he's head over heels for you, because he spent the money."

"Head over heels... stupid. It's kind of just semantics, isn't it?" Chloe asked Lana.

Lana glared at Chloe. "You're not taking this seriously!"

Chloe shrugged. "How can I? If he's dumb enough to buy expensive flowers, but too scared to talk to me, what kind of prospect is he anyways?"

Lana smiled. "Maybe he *is* talking to you? Maybe you just don't know its him!"

Chloe shook her head, giving the argument up for lost. She went back to her computer.

Lana considered herself the winner in their little discussion, and forged ahead. "Okay. He must know you a little bit, because he bought you a free coffee."

Chloe shook her head. "Everybody knows I like coffee. That's not really a stretch."

Lana was about to argue her case, when Clark and Pete walked in.

"Hey gang. What's happenin' in Smallville today?" Pete asked as he perched on Chloe's desk, peering over her shoulder to read what was on the screen.

"Well, we're trying to figure out who Chloe's secret admirer is." Lana said, grinning.

"Still?" Clark asked, finding himself perturbed by the prospect of Chloe dating again. It never worked out well for her. He made a mental note to find out who it was first, and check them out.

Pete grinned at Chloe. "All right! So who are the prospects?"

Chloe shook her head, and didn't answer. Lana piped up. "Well, no names yet, but they know Chloe, and they have good taste."

Pete chuckled. "That's it. That's the whole list?" He moved over to see what Lana had written. "Well, unfortunately, the good taste rules out everyone in school!"

Chloe looked up and nodded agreement, but frowned when she saw Lana's eyes get bright.

"Oh! The new kid! From Metropolis! He's from the city, so it's conceivable that he would have good taste! And like you said Chloe, it wouldn't take much effort to find out you like coffee!" She jumped up. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

Chloe stood up and caught her friends arm. "Don't you dare! You don't know it's him, and I *don't* want to be mortally embarrassed!"

"Oh, relax." Lana said with a smile. "I'm not that obvious!" Then she turned, and headed out of the Torch office. Clark smiled, and followed after her.

Chloe rolled her eyes. She looked at Pete. "I'd ask you to go after them and stop them from saying something stupid, but I think that three people, my friends, converging on the new kid would be just as incriminating!"

Pete nodded. "Plus, it's way more fun to watch the drama play out!" He laughed.

Chloe sighed gustily, and smacked him on the shoulder. "I've got work to do. Go bug someone else!"

Rubbing his shoulder and faking a moan he headed for the door. "I've half a mind to go and find that new kid right now! I'd tell him a thing or two about you!"

"Fine!" Chloe said smiling. "Just get out of here!"

Pete laughed, and left the office.

Alone, Chloe sat at her desk contemplating the roses in a coffee can. She didn't really have anything that needed to be done, but she just wanted to keep her mind occupied.

Part of her wished that she really did have a secret admirer. Someone with class like Lana said, and who really liked her enough to find out what she liked. But for every thought in her head that encouraged her to believe it was true, there at least three thoughts against falling for the whole thing.

Trying to think of something else, Chloe grabbed the stack of papers in her in-box and flipped through them.

*The cafeteria menu had changed again, could she put an update in the paper?

*The pep squad meeting had been moved to an hour later, make sure everyone knows. Can that be on a prominent page?

*The principal reminds the students that *no* black soled shoes are allowed in the gymnasium.

Chloe groaned. How was she supposed to produce a decent paper when this was the stuff she was supposed to report? She wondered.

She was about to toss the whole stack away, when she noticed a small, pale pink envelope tucked between cheesy 'tips'.

She tossed everything else in the garbage can, and looked at the envelope more closely. There was a heart embossed in the corner, and the flap was stuck down.

She thought back to the office when she'd gotten there in the morning. She couldn't remember seeing the envelope then. Had she missed it, or had someone brought it in later? Pete *had* been sitting on that side of her desk. And Clark had been surprisingly quiet while he was there. Was he feeling guilty?

She tore the envelope open and pulled out a sheet of matching pink paper. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. What guy would send her something on pink paper? Maybe he didn't know her that well after all.

Then the words on the page caught her eyes. She wasn't sure whether to burn the letter, or stick it up on the wall of weird.

Your hair a golden wave of silk,

Encircling your face.

Your neck, your face, your lips,

One day I hope to trace.

The body of a goddess,

A laugh like a rippling brook,

One look at you, and I was lost,

For my heart you took.

Chloe burst out laughing, figuring that to be the best reaction. This was insane. Clark was definitely ruled out now. She was sure he would never have the guts to write something like that, even as a joke.

But Pete?

Chloe could definitely see him pulling something like this. It was hilarious. Although Chloe wasn't sure Lana would find it that funny.

Lana was like a pitt bull with a bone, and she was not going to be pleased when she found out that Pete had been messing with them all.

Chloe was a little surprised at the flowers though. They were a little expensive, especially as a joke. She made a mental note to tease Pete about the expenditure, when she came out and told him she knew who it was.

With a grin, she tacked the poem to her "breaking news" bulletin board, and then shutting the door to the office, went to class.

TBC...

A/N: I know the poem was cheesy, but that's the point. So no laughing!