Chapter Six: What Is Happening?
It took only a matter of seconds before Clark and Summer looked at each other in recognition and simultaneously suggested that they follow them. The pair rushed off toward the parking lot where Summer raised a serious objection.
"I'm not getting into that – thing," she declared.
"Do you want to follow them or not? If you do, get in the truck," Clark stated bluntly with less than perfect manners. The situation was clearly getting to him.
Summer scowled and got into the cab, sitting as far to the edge of the seat as humanly possible. The less bodily contact she had with the pickup, the less hill-billyness would rub off on her, she rationalized.
"I'm not driving till you put on your seat belt. And the seat belt's not gonna work unless you actually sit in the seat."
Summer deflated and sat back in the seat, latching the seatbelt with as much contempt as possible. "Just drive," she commanded.
Five minutes into the drive, Summer began to feel restless. He probed Clark's features, noticing the concerned furrow on his brow.
"So, what's your story?" she asked meekly.
"Story?"
"Yeah, your story. What's the deal between you and Lana?"
"It's complicated."
"It's always complicated. And it's a long drive."
"Look, suffice it to say... there are things about me I can't share with Lana want to... I just can't," he stated with a sigh.
"What - Herpes?"
"No! God. I just –"
"Look, she's beautiful... I guess, for a Kansasian. And you're not too hard on the eyes. Why don't you just hook up?"
"I told you – it's complicated. If I were to tell Lana, our lives would change forever."
"Look, Clark. We're teenagers – we have to live in the moment. It's the whole point of being young. Enjoy yourself while you can, before all the responsibilities and commitments start creeping up on us. It's only as complicated as we make it. Stop brooding, and get busy. If not, move on, there are other fish in the sea, yadda, yadda, yadda."
"Ugh, you just don't understand. I'd just hurt her again..."
"That's a big load of bull, Clark."
"Where do you get off –"
"First of all – have you seen how Lana looks at you? I can see the pain in her eyes - you're hurting her now, by not being with her and stringing her along with this 'friends' crap. Do you think she honestly cares about whatever it is you're possibly hiding? What could a good little farmhand like you be holding back anyway? I bet you could have killed her family and she'd probably still be in love with you."
Clark swallowed hard before recovering. He had never met anyone so aggravating before.
"You're one to talk. You obviously have feelings for Seth but you're too stubborn to admit it. And you may act all tough and snooty, but you're not half the bitch you claim to be."
"What the fu –"
"I saw you with the squirrel at lunch. You snuck off at lunch to feed a squirrel the nuts you bought at the vending machine and rinsed out in the water fountain."
Summer's eyes lit up. "What, have you been following me too? What the hell is the matter with you people? Is stalking in the male genetic make- up or something? And I wasn't being nice... I just... the squirrel... Ugh!"
Clark looked in her direction and nodded sarcastically.
"Bastard."
Summer crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the passing country-side as his words seeped into her brain. For the rest of the journey, not a word would be spoken, but a million thoughts would pass through their minds.
"You won't believe this," Seth proclaimed, peeking over his right shoulder. "Clark and Summer followed us."
"What, where?" Lana asked swiftly turning her head in his direction.
"Don't look! They're on the right side all the way at the back. Clark is trying to sink as low as he can, but he's pretty hard to miss."
"What should we do?"
"Just look straight at the screen. Here, put the popcorn in my lap."
"What's happening?" Summer asked anxiously, trying to look over the couple in front of her. "I can't see."
"Relax, they're not doing anything. Oh wait, Lana just put the popcorn in his lap."
Just then Seth yawned conspicuously and draped his arm around Lana's shoulders.
"Oh. My. God. Did I just see what I just saw??? And ew, she's eating popcorn out of his... his groin!" she exclaimed as she felt the heat coursing through her body.
Clark groaned at the sight. He felt as if he had been hit in the gut with a kryptonite mallet.
When the previews ended, a giant great white appeared on the screen prompting a frightened Lana to bury her head in Seth's chest, much to the dismay of their on-lookers. Clark and Summer squirmed in their seats uncomfortably as they watched their respective counter-parts slip slowly away from them... and toward each other.
Meanwhile in Newport, Chloe was relishing in her new environment. Though there were no meteor freaks or other strange happenings, there were scandals everywhere. Besides Pete's false arrest, Newport was a haven for underage sex, drinking, drug-use, and other Hard Copy-worthy stories – happenings which she intended to investigate thoroughly with all her journalistic integrity.
Pete was also enjoying his celebrity status as a hardened criminal. The women of at Harbor were easily impressed – the fact that Pete had made the Baseball, Basketball, Football, and Lacrosse teams had also weighed heavily in his favour. He was quite surprised when coach told him he had made all the teams, especially since he had not tried out for any of them. The other jocks already had a nickname for him – "Token." He wasn't quite sure what it meant, but it sounded 'hella' cool, so he went with it.
Chloe also took a new interest in her friend, realizing that Pete would now have invites to all the hottest parties. It wasn't long before Chloe, dressed undercover in her best ho-wear (ho-wear consisting of six inch heels, fishnet stockings, low-riding denim shorts, and an almost transparent top) was accompanying Pete to an all-night bender – much to his chagrin.
As part of his initiation, Pete, complete with a fake I.D. had to provide the booze. When they got to the store, he was ready to back out, seeing a cop inside talking to the cashier. But eventually peer pressure broke his spirit and he approached the counter slowly. The police officer was taking down the cashier's statement – apparently they had just been robbed. The man eyed Pete suspiciously as he turned to leave.
"There a problem, officer?" Pete asked nervously.
"Son, you look a little young to be buying beer," he replied eyeing him up and down.
"Just turned 21. I swear," Pete said.
They glared at each other for a good minute before he broke contact and asked the guy behind the counter for two kegs. He wiped the sweat off his brow as cop finally exited the store. The jocks cheered him as he wheeled out the kegs.
An hour later they arrived at the party which was already in full swing. The music was blaring; people were dancing and groping themselves in ways she never thought possible. Unfortunately, she felt that bringing her camera would be a bit too conspicuous, so she had to make mental notes of all the going-ons. Couples, threesomes and even foursomes clutched each and headed upstairs. Lines of coke appeared on the glass coffee table in the living room. The carpet was soaked in beer.
Chloe crept upstairs and peeked in at the various sex acts in progress, craning her neck a few times to figure out just which limb was which and to whom it belonged to. Suddenly a loud crash emanated from downstairs as two kids fought over the music selection and busted through a window during their struggle. The crowd chanted 'Fight, fight, fight!' as they pounded each other on the front lawn, both combatants motivated by the alcohol flowing through their veins and the ravenous audience egging them on.
"Come on, Chloe, this party's getting a little out of hand. Let's get out of here before the cops come – they're not going to be happy when they see me here," Pete pleaded, tugging her down the stairs.
"Relax, Pete. It would take a burning building for them to show up here. This is like a weekly occurrence. If this is too uncomfortable for you, go home. I'm not leaving."
Pete sighed, but decided to stay. Chloe always had a knack of getting into trouble whenever she was hunting down a story. He went out back toward the bonfires to hit on some cheerleaders, making a mental note to come back in fifteen minutes to check on her. He did not see Chloe take her first drink.
It took only a matter of seconds before Clark and Summer looked at each other in recognition and simultaneously suggested that they follow them. The pair rushed off toward the parking lot where Summer raised a serious objection.
"I'm not getting into that – thing," she declared.
"Do you want to follow them or not? If you do, get in the truck," Clark stated bluntly with less than perfect manners. The situation was clearly getting to him.
Summer scowled and got into the cab, sitting as far to the edge of the seat as humanly possible. The less bodily contact she had with the pickup, the less hill-billyness would rub off on her, she rationalized.
"I'm not driving till you put on your seat belt. And the seat belt's not gonna work unless you actually sit in the seat."
Summer deflated and sat back in the seat, latching the seatbelt with as much contempt as possible. "Just drive," she commanded.
Five minutes into the drive, Summer began to feel restless. He probed Clark's features, noticing the concerned furrow on his brow.
"So, what's your story?" she asked meekly.
"Story?"
"Yeah, your story. What's the deal between you and Lana?"
"It's complicated."
"It's always complicated. And it's a long drive."
"Look, suffice it to say... there are things about me I can't share with Lana want to... I just can't," he stated with a sigh.
"What - Herpes?"
"No! God. I just –"
"Look, she's beautiful... I guess, for a Kansasian. And you're not too hard on the eyes. Why don't you just hook up?"
"I told you – it's complicated. If I were to tell Lana, our lives would change forever."
"Look, Clark. We're teenagers – we have to live in the moment. It's the whole point of being young. Enjoy yourself while you can, before all the responsibilities and commitments start creeping up on us. It's only as complicated as we make it. Stop brooding, and get busy. If not, move on, there are other fish in the sea, yadda, yadda, yadda."
"Ugh, you just don't understand. I'd just hurt her again..."
"That's a big load of bull, Clark."
"Where do you get off –"
"First of all – have you seen how Lana looks at you? I can see the pain in her eyes - you're hurting her now, by not being with her and stringing her along with this 'friends' crap. Do you think she honestly cares about whatever it is you're possibly hiding? What could a good little farmhand like you be holding back anyway? I bet you could have killed her family and she'd probably still be in love with you."
Clark swallowed hard before recovering. He had never met anyone so aggravating before.
"You're one to talk. You obviously have feelings for Seth but you're too stubborn to admit it. And you may act all tough and snooty, but you're not half the bitch you claim to be."
"What the fu –"
"I saw you with the squirrel at lunch. You snuck off at lunch to feed a squirrel the nuts you bought at the vending machine and rinsed out in the water fountain."
Summer's eyes lit up. "What, have you been following me too? What the hell is the matter with you people? Is stalking in the male genetic make- up or something? And I wasn't being nice... I just... the squirrel... Ugh!"
Clark looked in her direction and nodded sarcastically.
"Bastard."
Summer crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the passing country-side as his words seeped into her brain. For the rest of the journey, not a word would be spoken, but a million thoughts would pass through their minds.
"You won't believe this," Seth proclaimed, peeking over his right shoulder. "Clark and Summer followed us."
"What, where?" Lana asked swiftly turning her head in his direction.
"Don't look! They're on the right side all the way at the back. Clark is trying to sink as low as he can, but he's pretty hard to miss."
"What should we do?"
"Just look straight at the screen. Here, put the popcorn in my lap."
"What's happening?" Summer asked anxiously, trying to look over the couple in front of her. "I can't see."
"Relax, they're not doing anything. Oh wait, Lana just put the popcorn in his lap."
Just then Seth yawned conspicuously and draped his arm around Lana's shoulders.
"Oh. My. God. Did I just see what I just saw??? And ew, she's eating popcorn out of his... his groin!" she exclaimed as she felt the heat coursing through her body.
Clark groaned at the sight. He felt as if he had been hit in the gut with a kryptonite mallet.
When the previews ended, a giant great white appeared on the screen prompting a frightened Lana to bury her head in Seth's chest, much to the dismay of their on-lookers. Clark and Summer squirmed in their seats uncomfortably as they watched their respective counter-parts slip slowly away from them... and toward each other.
Meanwhile in Newport, Chloe was relishing in her new environment. Though there were no meteor freaks or other strange happenings, there were scandals everywhere. Besides Pete's false arrest, Newport was a haven for underage sex, drinking, drug-use, and other Hard Copy-worthy stories – happenings which she intended to investigate thoroughly with all her journalistic integrity.
Pete was also enjoying his celebrity status as a hardened criminal. The women of at Harbor were easily impressed – the fact that Pete had made the Baseball, Basketball, Football, and Lacrosse teams had also weighed heavily in his favour. He was quite surprised when coach told him he had made all the teams, especially since he had not tried out for any of them. The other jocks already had a nickname for him – "Token." He wasn't quite sure what it meant, but it sounded 'hella' cool, so he went with it.
Chloe also took a new interest in her friend, realizing that Pete would now have invites to all the hottest parties. It wasn't long before Chloe, dressed undercover in her best ho-wear (ho-wear consisting of six inch heels, fishnet stockings, low-riding denim shorts, and an almost transparent top) was accompanying Pete to an all-night bender – much to his chagrin.
As part of his initiation, Pete, complete with a fake I.D. had to provide the booze. When they got to the store, he was ready to back out, seeing a cop inside talking to the cashier. But eventually peer pressure broke his spirit and he approached the counter slowly. The police officer was taking down the cashier's statement – apparently they had just been robbed. The man eyed Pete suspiciously as he turned to leave.
"There a problem, officer?" Pete asked nervously.
"Son, you look a little young to be buying beer," he replied eyeing him up and down.
"Just turned 21. I swear," Pete said.
They glared at each other for a good minute before he broke contact and asked the guy behind the counter for two kegs. He wiped the sweat off his brow as cop finally exited the store. The jocks cheered him as he wheeled out the kegs.
An hour later they arrived at the party which was already in full swing. The music was blaring; people were dancing and groping themselves in ways she never thought possible. Unfortunately, she felt that bringing her camera would be a bit too conspicuous, so she had to make mental notes of all the going-ons. Couples, threesomes and even foursomes clutched each and headed upstairs. Lines of coke appeared on the glass coffee table in the living room. The carpet was soaked in beer.
Chloe crept upstairs and peeked in at the various sex acts in progress, craning her neck a few times to figure out just which limb was which and to whom it belonged to. Suddenly a loud crash emanated from downstairs as two kids fought over the music selection and busted through a window during their struggle. The crowd chanted 'Fight, fight, fight!' as they pounded each other on the front lawn, both combatants motivated by the alcohol flowing through their veins and the ravenous audience egging them on.
"Come on, Chloe, this party's getting a little out of hand. Let's get out of here before the cops come – they're not going to be happy when they see me here," Pete pleaded, tugging her down the stairs.
"Relax, Pete. It would take a burning building for them to show up here. This is like a weekly occurrence. If this is too uncomfortable for you, go home. I'm not leaving."
Pete sighed, but decided to stay. Chloe always had a knack of getting into trouble whenever she was hunting down a story. He went out back toward the bonfires to hit on some cheerleaders, making a mental note to come back in fifteen minutes to check on her. He did not see Chloe take her first drink.