Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except for Sinclair.  I'm willing to share if you ask nicely and reference me.  I'm not making any money off of them, sad but true.  The WB has all rights to the other characters.  I'm just borrowing them and I'll return them when I'm done.  Well, except for Chloe Sullivan, I want to keep her for a while longer. Clark doesn't deserve her and he would probably dismiss her again.

            Shameless Begging: Please Read and Review.  This is my first story and I want to be sure people want me to continue it.

            Summary:  Clark learns that the greatest influences on us are the people who have already gone.  Their memories are the hardest standards to live up to.

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Mentor Chapter 2

            Chloe Sullivan had an ear-to-ear smile on her face as she entered the Torch office.  "Morning guys.  How are my two favorite men, today?"

            Clark Kent and Pete Ross looked at each other.  Some thing was up with Chloe.

            "We're doing good." Clark replied.  "You seem energenic, and no coffee to be seen anywhere."

            Pete shook his head, "Do you have a lead on the next Freak-of-the-Week?"

            "Nope.  Nothing like that."

            "A new boyfriend?" Clark asked.

            "Come on, Clark." Pete chimed in, "She just said there wasn't a Freak-of-the-Week around."

            "Careful Ross." Chloe said with a little bit of a smirk, "Don't make me de-pants you in front of the cafeteria."

            "Hey, you have the track record, Sullivan.  Sean, Justin, Ian…"

            "Clark, beat Pete up for me."

            Clark shook his head, "Sorry Chloe, I'm Switzerland in this one.  So, why are you all smiles and spunk?"

            Chloe eyes sparkled with joy, "Because, Farmboy, this Intrepid Reporter just won the Daily Planet's Scholarship for Aspiring Journalists. Next fall, I'm going to be attending Metropolis University on a full scholarship."

            "That's great!" Clark exclaimed, "Congratulations.

            "Yeah, congrats Chloe" Pete agreed.

            "I can't believe it.  Especially after the way Lionel Luthor said he was going to destroy any hope I had of getting it."  Chloe paused for a minute, "Unless…"

            "Uh oh.  She's thinking again." Pete said.

            "Clarkkkkk." Chloe stretched out the last syllable.  "You didn't ask Lex to get the scholarship for me, did you?  I wanted to do this one on my own."

            Clark shifted from side to side.  "I did talk to him but…"

            "Clark!  I asked you not to."

            Clark quickly walked over and placed his large hands on her shoulders.  "Chloe, it's not like that.  All I asked Lex was to make sure that Lionel didn't interfere.  You earned the scholarship on your own merit."

"Clark, why don't you tell her your scholarship news" Pete said before Chloe could go on a question asking tangent.

            "Yeah right, Pete.  Guess what Chloe? I got the Smallville High's scholarship.  It's going to help my parents greatly, next year."

            Chloe gave Clark a smile, "That's great, Clark."

            "You're OK with this?" Clark asked.

            "Why wouldn't I be?" Chloe asked.

            "Well, I know you applied for the same scholarship.  I didn't know if you would be upset that I got it and you didn't."

            "I'm fine Clark, really," reassured Chloe, "I got the Daily Planet's scholarship and you got Smallville High's Scholarship.  We both win, besides, remember we agreed not to keep things from each other.  That's what got us into that entire mess last year."

            Pete got up from the Torch couch and went over to his two friends.  "Hey guys, you both know the rules.  No mention of last year.  It was just a bad dream."

            "Pete's right.  No mention of last year." Clark agreed.

            "Fair enough," Chloe also agreed and then quickly changed subjects, "Now which or you two journalists want to do the interview with the new Assistant Coach?  Clark?  You could prove to me that you deserve the Smallville High Scholarship with the interview."

            "Sorry Chlo' I can't take that interview.  I have to finish up the Lex Luthor profile you wanted for next week's Torch.  Plus I have two exams and have to help Dad with harvest work."

            "Well, because you're doing a Torch related assignment and I just love your parents, you're excused.  That leaves you, Pete."

            "Sorry Chloe.  I have to bail on this one as well.  I have intern work at the Mayor's office.  Also Conflict of Interest issues."

            "Gee I think the politicians are rubbing off on you.  What do you mean Conflict of Interest?" Chloe asked skeptically.

            "Yeah.  I made second string on the football team.  If I start asking the probing questions you want, he may get me dropped down to JV.  This one is all yours, babe."

            "That's not fair!" Chloe protested, "I hate jocks, present company excluded."

            "Why did you come up with this interview story then?" Clark asked.  "You try to give the Athletic program as little press as possible, anyway."

            "I know, unfortunately Principal Reynolds also noticed that fact and wants to foster more interest in the football team.  Since Whitney died, interest has slipped."

            "Well, Chloe, you could always have Lana conduct the interview.  I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Clark said.

            "No.  Lana is nice and all.  I like her a lot but she isn't a good interviewer.  She's too timid to ask the tough questions.  I'm gonna have to do this one myself."  Chloe sighed, "The things I do for this paper." 

            Chloe did another mid-breath subject change.

 "I mean a 25 year old coach?  Why would you want to coach at 25?  That's supposed to be the physical prime of your life.  Shouldn't you be playing at 25?"

            "That could be a good question to ask," Clark ventured and received a withering glare from Chloe.  An unwritten rule at the Torch was, never interrupt the Editor when she begins to rant.  "Sorry."

            "It has to be the old saying,  'those who can, do.  Those who can't, teach.'" Chloe continued.

            "The Ledger is calling him the Boy Genius."

            Pete received the glare.

            "Don't get me started on the Ledger. They're calling him a Boy Genius?  They obviously just want to sell copy.  This guy is an Assistant Coach at a Hick Town High School.  What kind of Boy Genius is that?"

            She ended the rant with a question and took a breath.  Clark took this as a sign that a response was warranted.  "You haven't even met him yet, I thought a reporter is supposed to be an objective observer.  We're not supposed to enter with preconceived notions."

            "I'm the Editor, I'm paid to have an opinion." Chloe retorted.

            "Wait a minute." Pete said, "We get paid for this?"

            "Figure of speech." Clark and Chloe said in unison.

            "So why all the hostility towards the new coach?" Clark asked.  As he asked he saw a man getting ready to knock on the door to the office.

            "He's a jock that didn't grow up.  How pathetic is that?"  Pete stifled a laugh as he saw what Clark had noticed.  Clark was about to warn Chloe but she went right into another rant.

            "Boy Genius?  It's high school football, not rocket science.  So he knows how to write X's and O's on a chalkboard.  I could do that when I was like 2 or 3.  It's called Tic-Tac-Toe.  There's a real-live chicken in Atlantic City that plays it in a casino.  Hasn't lost in seven years."

            "Uh, Chloe." Clark tried to warn Chloe again but she wouldn't relent.

            "My dad has an old electronic football game at home that could probably beat this Boy Genius.  I mean at 25, he's still playing games and living through kids who probably have a zillion times more talent then he could ever dream of having."

            Chloe saw both Clark and Pete sighing and looking beyond her.  Chloe's stomach sunk.  "And he's right behind me, isn't he guys?"

            Chloe turned around and saw Carter Sinclair standing in the doorway.  "Actually, I teach students teamwork, cooperation and proper health techniques.  The forum I chose to do it in is football.  Also baseball in the spring."

            "Hi coach." Pete said while Chloe was trying to remove the foot from her mouth.

            "Hi Pete.  I take it this is the Torch office.  The place athletic achievement comes to die."

            "Don't let her get to you, Coach.  Chloe's not as bad as she sounded." Pete replied.

            "Yeah, Chloe's a sweetheart." Clark chimed in.  "Once you get to know her."

            Did Clark just call me a sweetheart? Chloe thought.  That's so Lanaesque, not that I mind hearing Clark call me a sweetheart. Chloe did smile though.

            "I'll take your word for it Mr…?" Sinclair prompted with his hand.

            "Kent, Clark Kent.  Pleased to meet you sir." Clark offered his hand and Carter shook it.

            "Please, no sirs.  I'm not much older than you are, but about 4 or 5 inches shorter. What do they feed you here?"

            "Sorry we can't stay." Pete said, "Politics and the harvest, call."

            "Thanks for the moral support, guys."  Chloe yelled sarcastically after her two best friends as they left the office.

            Carter noticed the far wall as Chloe was saying goodbye to Clark and Pete.  Across the top of the wall was taped Wall of Weird.

            Carter read out loud several of the headlines pinned there.  "Two-Headed Monster in Crater Lake.  Bug Boy stalks Local Prom Queen.  Hypnotist confounds Populace."

            Carter turned to look at Chloe.  "I'm sorry, I must be lost.  Is this the Torch office or the headquarters of the National Inquisitor?"

            Chloe's eyes narrowed.  One of the surest ways to infuriate Chloe was to belittle her paper.  She had gone through too much to keep it running and nearly died several times pursuing the stories she printed in it.  "Each of those stories are documented facts.  Don't mock them until you know the entire story."

            "Possibly," Carter conceded, "but you have to admit it sounds very far-fetched.  Almost as far-fetched as a 25 year old wanting to coach students instead of playing."

            "All right, you made your point.  I'm sorry about that whole tirade."

            "Ok.  We just got off on the wrong foot.  Let's try this again."

            Carter turned around and walked out of the office.  Chloe raised an eyebrow at that.  From outside she heard a knock at the door.

            "Excuse me," Carter looked into the room.  "Is this the Torch office?  I'm looking for a Ms. Chloe Sullivan.  Would you be Ms. Sullivan?"

            Chloe smiled and laughed slightly.  "Why yes.  I take it you are Coach Carter Sinclair.  Please come in Coach and have a seat."