Chapter 5
The Talon was a bustling beehive of teenagers with caffeine addictions making out, doing homework, listening to CD players or the radio (few people listened to the Talon's choice of a radio station, however), and drinking as much coffee as their wallets could afford. For Lex Luthor, that meant he could drink plenty, if not an infinite amount, of coffee. It was really no loss if he did; he co-owned the place with Lana and the money would eventually return to his pocket, albeit a few cents less.
Clark was surprised to see him calmly sipping an expresso on the purple laced couch in the center of the coffee shop. He approached him cautiously. "Hey, Lex."
Lex smiled and looked up from his book (Great Expectations) and smiled. "Clark, hi. I had a feeling that I'd find you here."
"This is the only place you'll find a coffee junkie?"
Lex turned his head at the counter, where Lana had just entered and was putting on an apron. She smiled at them before leaving to attend a grumpy couple at a table. Lex looked back at Clark. "I just had a feeling there'd be another attraction to this place for you."
Clark blushed and sat down beside Lex. "Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, I like that book."
"Well so do I, considering I have my own expectations to live up to. Are you waiting for someone?" asked Lex when he noticed Clark check the entrance.
"Uh, yeah, Chloe and her new boyfriend, Edward." Clark looked down and twiddled his thumbs. "And Pete."
"I sense a twinge of jealousy, but I'm certain I'm wrong. C'mon, Clark Kent – jealous? It'll never happen," joked Lex.
Clark looked uncomfortable. "No, of course not. But I guess I've developed a little sense of paranoia. All the guys Lana and Chloe date usually turn out to be freaks. I can't help but be a little skeptical."
"Uh-huh. Well, I'm sure Chloe has probably also figured this out, don't you?"
"I guess so."
"And let's not forget she's been very investigative lately. I'm thinking she's probably loaded up every file online on this Edward guy – illegally, no less – and already knows his eating habits by now. She'll be all right."
"You're probably right. So, what are you doing here? I heard from someone that you got hurt or something. Shouldn't you be at home?"
"Nah. One minute, I'm doing work; the next, I'm in pain. Before I know it, I get knocked out and wake up in my bed. I had to get out of there. All I have are some bruises."
"So...you don't remember anything?"
"Is there something I should?"
"Well, if I were in your position, I'd be a bit more curious." Careful what you say, Clark. "Or maybe you had too much scotch."
Lex chuckled. "Probably."
Lana joined them moments later and offered Clark a drink. He asked for a cappuccino with cream and a scone. She delivered both a couple of minutes later. Just as she had, Chloe, Pete, and Edward entered the Talon.
"Hey, Clark," greeted Pete. Chloe and Edward walked hand-in-hand and Clark could swear that they had just come out of a wedding or something. Pete looked gloomily at them and shook his head. "An hour ago, I was in between them. Thirty minutes later, they were making out while I went in to the bathroom."
Edward and Chloe pretended they didn't hear them. Lex felt a bit uneasy and got up. He squinted to see out the window. "Wow, it's already getting dark."
Edward snapped when he heard that. "It is?!"
Chloe looked puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Edward gulped. "Nothing. I just want to...why is it so dark?"
Pete gave a sarcastic tone. "Well, in winter, the days are shorter. You know, it's dark in the morning and dark in the evening."
Edward looked like he would wring Pete's neck. "Don't be smart, wise-ass."
"Hey! Hey, no fighting!" exclaimed Chloe. This attracted the attention of some customers. "Settle down, this is a public place. Go out into a cornfield to settle your differences. Pete! I didn't mean it!"
Edward smiled to himself. The last place you want to meet me is in a cornfield at night, punk. I'll rip you to shreds and snap you in half like the little twig you are. And that farm boy, he's got it coming too. The rich dude, oh, he's going to get it. This blonde twit, she's totally – whoa, calm down, Eddie.
Lana walked over to them and pretended she didn't know what was going on. "Uh, you guys want anything?"
But this chick in pink – I'll get her.
The three sat down in the chairs opposite of the couch that Lex and Clark sat on and chatted. Before they knew it, an hour had past and customers began to get up and leave.
Outside, it was completely dark and the moon was rising. Edward could feel his body itch, like it was on fire.
About the time everyone but Chloe, Clark, Pete, Lex, Edward, and Lana had left, Lex began to get the same sensation too.
The Talon was a bustling beehive of teenagers with caffeine addictions making out, doing homework, listening to CD players or the radio (few people listened to the Talon's choice of a radio station, however), and drinking as much coffee as their wallets could afford. For Lex Luthor, that meant he could drink plenty, if not an infinite amount, of coffee. It was really no loss if he did; he co-owned the place with Lana and the money would eventually return to his pocket, albeit a few cents less.
Clark was surprised to see him calmly sipping an expresso on the purple laced couch in the center of the coffee shop. He approached him cautiously. "Hey, Lex."
Lex smiled and looked up from his book (Great Expectations) and smiled. "Clark, hi. I had a feeling that I'd find you here."
"This is the only place you'll find a coffee junkie?"
Lex turned his head at the counter, where Lana had just entered and was putting on an apron. She smiled at them before leaving to attend a grumpy couple at a table. Lex looked back at Clark. "I just had a feeling there'd be another attraction to this place for you."
Clark blushed and sat down beside Lex. "Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, I like that book."
"Well so do I, considering I have my own expectations to live up to. Are you waiting for someone?" asked Lex when he noticed Clark check the entrance.
"Uh, yeah, Chloe and her new boyfriend, Edward." Clark looked down and twiddled his thumbs. "And Pete."
"I sense a twinge of jealousy, but I'm certain I'm wrong. C'mon, Clark Kent – jealous? It'll never happen," joked Lex.
Clark looked uncomfortable. "No, of course not. But I guess I've developed a little sense of paranoia. All the guys Lana and Chloe date usually turn out to be freaks. I can't help but be a little skeptical."
"Uh-huh. Well, I'm sure Chloe has probably also figured this out, don't you?"
"I guess so."
"And let's not forget she's been very investigative lately. I'm thinking she's probably loaded up every file online on this Edward guy – illegally, no less – and already knows his eating habits by now. She'll be all right."
"You're probably right. So, what are you doing here? I heard from someone that you got hurt or something. Shouldn't you be at home?"
"Nah. One minute, I'm doing work; the next, I'm in pain. Before I know it, I get knocked out and wake up in my bed. I had to get out of there. All I have are some bruises."
"So...you don't remember anything?"
"Is there something I should?"
"Well, if I were in your position, I'd be a bit more curious." Careful what you say, Clark. "Or maybe you had too much scotch."
Lex chuckled. "Probably."
Lana joined them moments later and offered Clark a drink. He asked for a cappuccino with cream and a scone. She delivered both a couple of minutes later. Just as she had, Chloe, Pete, and Edward entered the Talon.
"Hey, Clark," greeted Pete. Chloe and Edward walked hand-in-hand and Clark could swear that they had just come out of a wedding or something. Pete looked gloomily at them and shook his head. "An hour ago, I was in between them. Thirty minutes later, they were making out while I went in to the bathroom."
Edward and Chloe pretended they didn't hear them. Lex felt a bit uneasy and got up. He squinted to see out the window. "Wow, it's already getting dark."
Edward snapped when he heard that. "It is?!"
Chloe looked puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Edward gulped. "Nothing. I just want to...why is it so dark?"
Pete gave a sarcastic tone. "Well, in winter, the days are shorter. You know, it's dark in the morning and dark in the evening."
Edward looked like he would wring Pete's neck. "Don't be smart, wise-ass."
"Hey! Hey, no fighting!" exclaimed Chloe. This attracted the attention of some customers. "Settle down, this is a public place. Go out into a cornfield to settle your differences. Pete! I didn't mean it!"
Edward smiled to himself. The last place you want to meet me is in a cornfield at night, punk. I'll rip you to shreds and snap you in half like the little twig you are. And that farm boy, he's got it coming too. The rich dude, oh, he's going to get it. This blonde twit, she's totally – whoa, calm down, Eddie.
Lana walked over to them and pretended she didn't know what was going on. "Uh, you guys want anything?"
But this chick in pink – I'll get her.
The three sat down in the chairs opposite of the couch that Lex and Clark sat on and chatted. Before they knew it, an hour had past and customers began to get up and leave.
Outside, it was completely dark and the moon was rising. Edward could feel his body itch, like it was on fire.
About the time everyone but Chloe, Clark, Pete, Lex, Edward, and Lana had left, Lex began to get the same sensation too.