Clark looked at Rory, who he'd been walking with silently for ten minutes. What had just happened between she and Lex? Had he interrupted something important?
"Thanks Clark, for back there. I really needed to get away from him." Rory replied as she sat down on a bench.
"Always like to be of service." Clark said sitting beside her. "What exactly was going on? If you don't mind me asking."
"It's fine....nothing was really going on. Lex was trying to explain why he hasn't phoned me for over three weeks, trying to make an excuse as to why he lied to me. I'm sick and tired of being toyed with and hopefully Lex understands that and will leave this alone." she sighed. "Oh god I'm sorry I didn't mean to dump on you."
"It's fine I'm used to being dumped on." Clark replied.
"Oh great now I'm using you." she groaned and put her head in her hands.
"No I didn't mean it that way...I mean, I didn't mean it to sound like that." Clark said flustered.
"It's okay, sorry it's been a long day...one I wish were done and over with already." she said slouching against the bench.
"Tell me about it. The only good thing about today has been meeting you." he blurted out then felt himself start to blush profusely.
"Nice to know I can brighten someone's day." she smiled at his shyness. "You should probably get home it's pretty late."
"I'll walk you home, least I could do." Clark said as they stood up. "Plus I promised Chloe I'd drop by since somebody wouldn't let us talk after class."
"Not my fault we had to be at the Planet right after class." Rory smirked. "I'm sure she'll be happy that you're stopping by, she's kinda home sick now."
"Chloe home sick?" Clark said in disbelief.
"Yeah it's that time, most people are." Rory replied.
"What about you? Are you homesick?"
"Not really since I never really knew my parents. They died when I was six. I lived at boarding school most of the time with my brother and only spent about a month out of each year with my grandparents, who died two years ago. Not that I ever felt close to them. I didn't even know them that well, my family's servants raised me and my brother, Josh. Actually Josh's how I met Lex, they were friends at Loxsley Academy, the boarding school we went to. Yet another thing to thank my brother for." she laughed. "He's my only family and since he used to live here it didn't matter and I haven't found it much since he moved to Smallville."
"He lives in Smallville?" Clark said astonished as they ascended the steps of an apartment building.
"He moved there a few months ago with his wife." Rory replied.
"I probably know him since I live there. What's his name, Josh McKenna. Sounds kinda familiar; doesn't he own The Talon?" Clark questioned.
"I guess, he's never been a big city kind of guy, even since we were young. When he heard about this deal he snatched up the chance to own a coffee shop. Plus Mary wanted to go back to Smallville, since it was where she grew up." Rory said and stopped. "Wow I'm just telling you my life story, aren't I?"
"Yeah pretty much." Clark laughed. "But it's fine, I find it interesting. Much more interesting than my boring life."
"I'm sure it's not boring. Everybody's got a secret or two that they're hiding from the world." she said with a devilish grin. "And look at that, we're here."
"Here?" Clark said forgetting where exactly they were supposed to be going.
"Yeah, at my apartment where you're going to visit with Chloe, while I pass out on my bed and get some sleep." she laughed and entered the apartment. "It was nice dumping on you Clark. Feel free to dump on me any time." with that she walked to her bedroom door and left him behind with Chloe smiling at him.
"Hey, thought you weren't going to show." Chloe said walking into the living room. "But I now see the reason you're late."
"What reason?" Clark said oblivious.
"A certain brunette who just walked into her bedroom. I'm starting to think you have a thing for brunettes." Chloe replied.
"A thing for brunettes? Oh come on Chloe I just met Rory today and you think I've got a thing for her?" Clark said in disbelief.
"Hey it's been known to happen." Chloe shrugged. "Come on let's sit down, I wanna know everything that's happened since I left Smallville."
"Yeah like a lot's happened....it's Smallville." Clark replied.
"Yes that's exactly why I asked. Any wall of weird worthy events?"
"Not really, seems you brought all the wall of weird stuff to Metropolis with you." Clark said referring to all the weird mishaps that had been happening all over the city.
"True." Chloe contemplated. "So how's Lana?"
"Ah, how would I know?" Clark questioned looking down.
"Well last I heard you guys were hot and heavy...did something happen?"
"You could say that." Clark groaned. "Do we really need to talk about this?"
"Why?" Chloe questioned. "Lana broke your heard didn't she, Clark?"
Clark looked down and sighed. "Whitney came back...let's just leave it at that."
"Oh Clark I'm sorry. I wish it hadn't happened to you, but you live and learn as one of the great writers of our time wrote."
"Who?"
"Rory McKenna." Chloe laughed. "It was in an article she wrote for the university paper."
"Sounds like she has a lot of experience with it." Clark observed.
"She does - she's dating Lex Luther, it's a given." Chloe said bitterness in her voice.
"You knew about them?"
"No duh, I've only been living with Rory for two years! You might say I knew." Chloe said sarcastically.
"I saw them together tonight. It doesn't look like she'll be around Lex for a while. They were in a fight when I met up with them. She told him to leave her alone." Clark replied.
"Really? It's about time she wised up. No offense, I know he's a good friend of yours, but Lex wasn't right for Rory. She's too good for him, but don't tell her that." Chloe said and looked down. "Enough about that. What about you? Any new lady in your life?"
"No, haven't found anybody who peeks my attention. I'll keep you posted though." Clark said sarcastically. "What about you?"
"What about me? Oh you mean am I involved with somebody. You could say that....I've been seeing this guy who works at The Planet. He's really sweet, I think you two would get along pretty good. I'm certain he doesn't split in two." Chloe smiled.
"You sure, should I do some investigating?"
"Clark you dare, I swear you'll die." Chloe exclaimed.
"I'm kidding..." Clark laughed. "I should really be getting home. Maybe we could do lunch tomorrow?"
"Well you could join Rory and I, we're going to this new Chinese restaurant, feel free to tag along." Chloe suggested. "We're leaving right after class."
"Sounds good. It was great seeing you." Clark said as Chloe walked him to the door. "At least now I have somebody living in the city I know...aside from Lex of course."
"Yes, wonderful ol' Lex...sorry just don't like the way he treats Rory."
"It's no problem, see you tomorrow Chloe." Clark said as the door closed behind him and he descended the stairs. 'I don't like the way he's treating Rory either...'
"Thanks Clark, for back there. I really needed to get away from him." Rory replied as she sat down on a bench.
"Always like to be of service." Clark said sitting beside her. "What exactly was going on? If you don't mind me asking."
"It's fine....nothing was really going on. Lex was trying to explain why he hasn't phoned me for over three weeks, trying to make an excuse as to why he lied to me. I'm sick and tired of being toyed with and hopefully Lex understands that and will leave this alone." she sighed. "Oh god I'm sorry I didn't mean to dump on you."
"It's fine I'm used to being dumped on." Clark replied.
"Oh great now I'm using you." she groaned and put her head in her hands.
"No I didn't mean it that way...I mean, I didn't mean it to sound like that." Clark said flustered.
"It's okay, sorry it's been a long day...one I wish were done and over with already." she said slouching against the bench.
"Tell me about it. The only good thing about today has been meeting you." he blurted out then felt himself start to blush profusely.
"Nice to know I can brighten someone's day." she smiled at his shyness. "You should probably get home it's pretty late."
"I'll walk you home, least I could do." Clark said as they stood up. "Plus I promised Chloe I'd drop by since somebody wouldn't let us talk after class."
"Not my fault we had to be at the Planet right after class." Rory smirked. "I'm sure she'll be happy that you're stopping by, she's kinda home sick now."
"Chloe home sick?" Clark said in disbelief.
"Yeah it's that time, most people are." Rory replied.
"What about you? Are you homesick?"
"Not really since I never really knew my parents. They died when I was six. I lived at boarding school most of the time with my brother and only spent about a month out of each year with my grandparents, who died two years ago. Not that I ever felt close to them. I didn't even know them that well, my family's servants raised me and my brother, Josh. Actually Josh's how I met Lex, they were friends at Loxsley Academy, the boarding school we went to. Yet another thing to thank my brother for." she laughed. "He's my only family and since he used to live here it didn't matter and I haven't found it much since he moved to Smallville."
"He lives in Smallville?" Clark said astonished as they ascended the steps of an apartment building.
"He moved there a few months ago with his wife." Rory replied.
"I probably know him since I live there. What's his name, Josh McKenna. Sounds kinda familiar; doesn't he own The Talon?" Clark questioned.
"I guess, he's never been a big city kind of guy, even since we were young. When he heard about this deal he snatched up the chance to own a coffee shop. Plus Mary wanted to go back to Smallville, since it was where she grew up." Rory said and stopped. "Wow I'm just telling you my life story, aren't I?"
"Yeah pretty much." Clark laughed. "But it's fine, I find it interesting. Much more interesting than my boring life."
"I'm sure it's not boring. Everybody's got a secret or two that they're hiding from the world." she said with a devilish grin. "And look at that, we're here."
"Here?" Clark said forgetting where exactly they were supposed to be going.
"Yeah, at my apartment where you're going to visit with Chloe, while I pass out on my bed and get some sleep." she laughed and entered the apartment. "It was nice dumping on you Clark. Feel free to dump on me any time." with that she walked to her bedroom door and left him behind with Chloe smiling at him.
"Hey, thought you weren't going to show." Chloe said walking into the living room. "But I now see the reason you're late."
"What reason?" Clark said oblivious.
"A certain brunette who just walked into her bedroom. I'm starting to think you have a thing for brunettes." Chloe replied.
"A thing for brunettes? Oh come on Chloe I just met Rory today and you think I've got a thing for her?" Clark said in disbelief.
"Hey it's been known to happen." Chloe shrugged. "Come on let's sit down, I wanna know everything that's happened since I left Smallville."
"Yeah like a lot's happened....it's Smallville." Clark replied.
"Yes that's exactly why I asked. Any wall of weird worthy events?"
"Not really, seems you brought all the wall of weird stuff to Metropolis with you." Clark said referring to all the weird mishaps that had been happening all over the city.
"True." Chloe contemplated. "So how's Lana?"
"Ah, how would I know?" Clark questioned looking down.
"Well last I heard you guys were hot and heavy...did something happen?"
"You could say that." Clark groaned. "Do we really need to talk about this?"
"Why?" Chloe questioned. "Lana broke your heard didn't she, Clark?"
Clark looked down and sighed. "Whitney came back...let's just leave it at that."
"Oh Clark I'm sorry. I wish it hadn't happened to you, but you live and learn as one of the great writers of our time wrote."
"Who?"
"Rory McKenna." Chloe laughed. "It was in an article she wrote for the university paper."
"Sounds like she has a lot of experience with it." Clark observed.
"She does - she's dating Lex Luther, it's a given." Chloe said bitterness in her voice.
"You knew about them?"
"No duh, I've only been living with Rory for two years! You might say I knew." Chloe said sarcastically.
"I saw them together tonight. It doesn't look like she'll be around Lex for a while. They were in a fight when I met up with them. She told him to leave her alone." Clark replied.
"Really? It's about time she wised up. No offense, I know he's a good friend of yours, but Lex wasn't right for Rory. She's too good for him, but don't tell her that." Chloe said and looked down. "Enough about that. What about you? Any new lady in your life?"
"No, haven't found anybody who peeks my attention. I'll keep you posted though." Clark said sarcastically. "What about you?"
"What about me? Oh you mean am I involved with somebody. You could say that....I've been seeing this guy who works at The Planet. He's really sweet, I think you two would get along pretty good. I'm certain he doesn't split in two." Chloe smiled.
"You sure, should I do some investigating?"
"Clark you dare, I swear you'll die." Chloe exclaimed.
"I'm kidding..." Clark laughed. "I should really be getting home. Maybe we could do lunch tomorrow?"
"Well you could join Rory and I, we're going to this new Chinese restaurant, feel free to tag along." Chloe suggested. "We're leaving right after class."
"Sounds good. It was great seeing you." Clark said as Chloe walked him to the door. "At least now I have somebody living in the city I know...aside from Lex of course."
"Yes, wonderful ol' Lex...sorry just don't like the way he treats Rory."
"It's no problem, see you tomorrow Chloe." Clark said as the door closed behind him and he descended the stairs. 'I don't like the way he's treating Rory either...'
