"So you're avoiding Clark, too."

Lana looked up from her schoolbooks to see Chloe entering the Talon. She stood up to walk with Chloe towards the counter. "You know, your senior year is supposed to be the easiest year. You know where all your classes are, the routine of the school…"

"Which teachers to avoid," Chloe joined with a smile.

Lana finally thought she broke the edge of insanity. She had to smile. "Which teachers to avoid—that's a definite."

Chloe waited for her to go on. "But?"

Lana looked away. "But… all it is is a continuation of the years
before. Same classrooms, same homework…"

Lana had stopped, but Chloe knew where her mind was
going. "Same people?"

Lana's smile faded. She nodded angrily.

Chloe tried again. "You know, normally I wouldn't push this, but it has to be confronted…"

"It's been two days since I've seen him, Chloe." Lana interrupted.

"That's quite the accomplishment in Smallville. Especially since you have at least three classes together every day."

"Well, I sit in front and I don't look back." She looked at Chloe and saw general concern on her face. She suddenly felt embarrassed. After all—Chloe was going through the same thing, too. "Sorry."

Chloe's voice had so much conviction that it startled her. "Lana, if you shut me out, too, I really will go insane."

Lana tried again. "He lied to me, Chloe."

"What a shock."

"No, this time he really flat out lied to me."

"Lana, I don't mean to point out the obvious, but you are surprised by this… why?"

Lana shook her head. She had known Clark was lying to her for years, but this… this was different. "I know it doesn't make sense, but with every excuse that came from him these past few years there was a part of me that wanted to believe him. Something that said, 'Maybe he really is telling the truth, and this is all a really weird line of coincidences.'" Lana looked away. "And then…"

She didn't finish. The reporter in Chloe hated it when people didn't finish their thoughts. But Lana was her friend, so she tried her best not to sound harsh. "Then what?"

Lana fought the desire to tell her. She couldn't say it. Not right now, anyway. "But now I know he lied." She looked at Chloe and shrugged. "So what now?"

"I say…" Chloe stopped. She was going to say they should go and confront Clark about it and not take no for an answer, but they had already tried that. That's what got them into the mess in the first place. Chloe shook her head. Her fault. Why did she feel guilty? It was Clark's fault. She was not going to let him make it about her. Well, in a way it was about her. Or them—or the lack of them in the future. Chloe tried again. "I say we just forget him. Forget him and move on."

Lana looked at her, knowing. They would if they could, but when you care about a person those feelings don't go away just because they hurt you, no matter how much you might wish they could.

Chloe grabbed her coffee and started towards the door. Lana spoke again. "I have to face him sometime."

"Not necessarily. You could just not look back for the rest of the semester."

"With our lives, Chloe, we have to look back. We never know who is running after us."

"Or not running after us." Chloe spoke in a low voice.
Lana smiled, trying to break the tension. "At least we're not bitter."

Chloe smiled a little, too. "At least there's that." She paused, but she had to ask. "You're not going to tell Clark what you
know, are you?" She knew Lana wanted to.

"Can I tell him what I know, just not how I know?"

Chloe gave in. "Lana, you can tell him whatever you want--just as long as I'm there when you tell him."