CHAPTER EIGHT

Disclaimers in Chapter One

"What is going on?" Clark demanded as he finally saw Lana straddling Pete on the Sullivans' living room floor.

"Clark," Pete weakly replied.  "I can explain." With his strength, he toppled Lana over and stood up immediately.  Lana, still reeling from her newfound feelings for Pete, followed suit and hung herself all over him, despite Pete's futile attempts to evade her.

"I'm waiting," Clark interjected their little dance, looking at Chloe pleadingly for an explanation.  The blonde shrugged in confusion.

"I don't know, Clark," Pete said in desperation.  "She has been like this since she passed out at your house."

"Wait," Chloe interrupted.  "She passed out?"

Both men nodded.  "So did Lex before he started acting weird," she pointed out.  "It could be a meteor rock thing that's affecting them."

"Hardly, Miss Sullivan," a voice said from the doorway.

Chloe rolled her eyes.  "Last time I checked, we weren't having an open house today," she grumbled to Lex.

The billionaire walked over to her until he was practically an inch from her face.  "While you think that all of these mind games would test me from betraying my affections for you..you're dead wrong."

The blonde shook her head.  "Look, I'm sorry for being so harsh, but you have to understand that you're freaking me out."

"Listen to what the girl is saying, Lex," Helen said as she and Lionel entered the house.  Everyone groaned. 

"This house is getting way too crowded," Pete complained.

Lana nodded her head.  "I agree," she said to him huskily.  "You and I should just go get some alone time."

"That is not what I meant," he gritted at her. 

Clark stepped closer to the both of them.  "Will you two stop it?  You're confusing me!"

"You're always confused," the two retorted in unison.

Meanwhile, the other group had their own problems to worry about.  "We are engaged, Alexander!" Helen pointed out.

"I've told many times," Lex told her.  "I don't love you."

Lionel held his hand up.  "Son, you're making a grave mistake here," he started.

And Chloe interrupted.  "Oh, Lionel, put a sock in it."  That earned her a grateful look from Lex.

All the chaos within the home continued as a cacophony of petty arguments rang from within and into Mount Olympus, where Psyche and Cupid bore witness to all of it.

"This is a disaster," mumbled Psyche.  And it's all your fault."  She threw a dirty look at her husband.

"Me?" Cupid protested.  "You're the one who was so adamant about getting Lex and Chloe together."

"Yes, but you've made such a mess out of it, didn't you?"

Bitter at his wife's accusation, the love god had determined that he had enough.  "Fine," he spat out in spite.  "I'll fix this."

The group went about their petty arguments, and in an instant, all fell in a heap.

The following night, Chloe was nervous as she separated her hands once again to keep herself from wringing them in anxiety.  It was the thirty-fifth time she glanced at the door of the restaurant.

And she only had been there for fifteen minutes.

"Are you scared?" Lana whispered to hear from across the table.  The blonde nodded a yes, resulting in a sigh from her friend.  "So am I," she confessed.

They barely got a deep breath in before their dates walked into the door.  Clark and Lex made their way to the girls and sat next to their respective dates. 

"Hi," Lex greeted his date as he handed her a bouquet of lilies.  Clark did the same on his end but with a set of white roses.

Chloe smiled.  "Thanks, Clark," she said with much appreciation as Lana looked happily at her date, Lex.