"Thank God!" Chloe exclaimed dramatically, as Lana opened the door to the
Sullivan's house and stepped inside. She was shivering, her arms wrapped
around her small frame.
Chloe called into the other room. "It's okay Dad, she's home!"
She turned back to Lana, annoyed. "What the hell? My dad was just about to call the cops. The Kents called an hour ago to see if you'd made it home safely. Where were you?" she questioned suspiciously.
Lana looked apologetic. "Sorry, I was out walking.and thinking." She headed into the living room and stripped off her jacket, now damp from the night air.
Chloe stared at Lana's disheveled appearance incredulously. "What happened? You look like crap," she said bluntly.
Lana sighed and threw herself down on the couch. Chloe joined her, and plastered a look of concern on her face.
"Are you alright?" she probed gently.
Lana shook her head miserably.
"Chloe.I lied to you this morning, when you asked about Clark and I. We weren't going to the wedding as friends."
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, Clark already told me. Sort of. Actually, I've known for a while now."
"How?" Lana asked, shocked.
Chloe shrugged. "I went up to the loft one day to talk to Clark. You were there. With him. Not exactly talking."
Lana turned crimson and looked away, obviously embarrassed. "I'm really sorry, Chloe. We didn't want you to find out like that."
"It's no big deal," Chloe scoffed nonchalantly. "I'm over him. He's all yours."
"No, he's not," Lana said, her voice wavering.
"What do you mean?"
Lana's shoulders slumped forward as she broke down. A sob escaped her lips before she slapped her hand over her mouth. Her face contorted in pain and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. Finally, she simply gave in and let go.
Chloe sat uncomfortably watching Lana Lang unravel before her eyes. Lana was crying now, her head buried in her hands. It was actually kind of disturbing, she thought. Lana had always been this perfect creature, to be worshipped and adored. Chloe thought that by living with her, she'd get to see the real Lana. But what you saw was the real Lana. She was sweet and kind and beautiful, just like everyone thought. And suddenly, Chloe was actually starting to feel sorry for her. 'Don't be so pathetic,' she thought to herself. 'This is Lana. She doesn't care about your feelings or anyone else's.' But the person sitting in an awkward heap in her living room sobbing her eyes out over Clark Kent, didn't really seem like any threat to her anymore. Just a heartbroken, devastated teenage girl.
"Oh Chloe," Lana sobbed, lifting her head. "I don't know what happened. He told me he loved me. I wanted him to stay so badly, but he said he couldn't because he'd hurt me. I just don't understand! Clark would never intentionally hurt anyone. I've never seen him like that before. He was so determined. Chloe, Clark was happy. We were finally happy. Together. Everything was so wonderful and then this happens. And I knew! I knew something was really, really wrong, but as usual, he wouldn't tell me what was going on. And now he's gone."
"What do you mean, gone?" Chloe asked disdainfully.
"He left. He told me he loved me, and then he just.drove off. That's it. I have no idea where he went, and I'm so scared and I had to tell his parents when they came home from the hospital that their son was gone and I had no idea where, and I couldn't stop crying and it was just so horrible and--."
"Lana! Calm down! Everything's going to be fine." Chloe wrapped her arms comfortingly around the other girl. She was playing the role of the supportive friend, and she knew how to fake it well.
Slowly, Lana's sobs subsided and she felt her breathing return to normal.
She looked up at Chloe, her eyes dark and misty. "Things aren't going to be okay. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it."
Chloe turned away and rolled her eyes. 'Whatever, Lana,' she thought. She wasn't feeling too sorry for her anymore. This was the bitch that had stolen Clark's affections from her. She wasn't going to be let off so easily, just because she was pretty and cried a lot.
Lana expression, although still somber, lightened slightly. "Thanks, Chloe. For listening. I really appreciate it."
"Anytime," Chloe said flashing her a quick smile, her eyes cold and unfeeling. "Here, why don't I go pour us some coffee? I just brewed a fresh pot. Then we can talk more."
Lana smiled gratefully. "That would be great. Thanks, Chloe," she said, almost relieved. She sunk back into the couch and closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in thought.
Chloe disappeared into the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Lana was still sitting stupidly in a love-struck stupor on the couch. Then she picked up the portable phone from the counter and dialed a hastily recalled number.
"Hello?" came a gruff voice on the other end of the line.
"Mr. Luthor? This is Chloe Sullivan."
Chloe called into the other room. "It's okay Dad, she's home!"
She turned back to Lana, annoyed. "What the hell? My dad was just about to call the cops. The Kents called an hour ago to see if you'd made it home safely. Where were you?" she questioned suspiciously.
Lana looked apologetic. "Sorry, I was out walking.and thinking." She headed into the living room and stripped off her jacket, now damp from the night air.
Chloe stared at Lana's disheveled appearance incredulously. "What happened? You look like crap," she said bluntly.
Lana sighed and threw herself down on the couch. Chloe joined her, and plastered a look of concern on her face.
"Are you alright?" she probed gently.
Lana shook her head miserably.
"Chloe.I lied to you this morning, when you asked about Clark and I. We weren't going to the wedding as friends."
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, Clark already told me. Sort of. Actually, I've known for a while now."
"How?" Lana asked, shocked.
Chloe shrugged. "I went up to the loft one day to talk to Clark. You were there. With him. Not exactly talking."
Lana turned crimson and looked away, obviously embarrassed. "I'm really sorry, Chloe. We didn't want you to find out like that."
"It's no big deal," Chloe scoffed nonchalantly. "I'm over him. He's all yours."
"No, he's not," Lana said, her voice wavering.
"What do you mean?"
Lana's shoulders slumped forward as she broke down. A sob escaped her lips before she slapped her hand over her mouth. Her face contorted in pain and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. Finally, she simply gave in and let go.
Chloe sat uncomfortably watching Lana Lang unravel before her eyes. Lana was crying now, her head buried in her hands. It was actually kind of disturbing, she thought. Lana had always been this perfect creature, to be worshipped and adored. Chloe thought that by living with her, she'd get to see the real Lana. But what you saw was the real Lana. She was sweet and kind and beautiful, just like everyone thought. And suddenly, Chloe was actually starting to feel sorry for her. 'Don't be so pathetic,' she thought to herself. 'This is Lana. She doesn't care about your feelings or anyone else's.' But the person sitting in an awkward heap in her living room sobbing her eyes out over Clark Kent, didn't really seem like any threat to her anymore. Just a heartbroken, devastated teenage girl.
"Oh Chloe," Lana sobbed, lifting her head. "I don't know what happened. He told me he loved me. I wanted him to stay so badly, but he said he couldn't because he'd hurt me. I just don't understand! Clark would never intentionally hurt anyone. I've never seen him like that before. He was so determined. Chloe, Clark was happy. We were finally happy. Together. Everything was so wonderful and then this happens. And I knew! I knew something was really, really wrong, but as usual, he wouldn't tell me what was going on. And now he's gone."
"What do you mean, gone?" Chloe asked disdainfully.
"He left. He told me he loved me, and then he just.drove off. That's it. I have no idea where he went, and I'm so scared and I had to tell his parents when they came home from the hospital that their son was gone and I had no idea where, and I couldn't stop crying and it was just so horrible and--."
"Lana! Calm down! Everything's going to be fine." Chloe wrapped her arms comfortingly around the other girl. She was playing the role of the supportive friend, and she knew how to fake it well.
Slowly, Lana's sobs subsided and she felt her breathing return to normal.
She looked up at Chloe, her eyes dark and misty. "Things aren't going to be okay. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it."
Chloe turned away and rolled her eyes. 'Whatever, Lana,' she thought. She wasn't feeling too sorry for her anymore. This was the bitch that had stolen Clark's affections from her. She wasn't going to be let off so easily, just because she was pretty and cried a lot.
Lana expression, although still somber, lightened slightly. "Thanks, Chloe. For listening. I really appreciate it."
"Anytime," Chloe said flashing her a quick smile, her eyes cold and unfeeling. "Here, why don't I go pour us some coffee? I just brewed a fresh pot. Then we can talk more."
Lana smiled gratefully. "That would be great. Thanks, Chloe," she said, almost relieved. She sunk back into the couch and closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in thought.
Chloe disappeared into the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Lana was still sitting stupidly in a love-struck stupor on the couch. Then she picked up the portable phone from the counter and dialed a hastily recalled number.
"Hello?" came a gruff voice on the other end of the line.
"Mr. Luthor? This is Chloe Sullivan."
