Chapter Seven

Chloe wasn't sure what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Clark and Pete wouldn't be back until that evening. At first she just drove around for a while, but the petrol gage caught her eye, tilting towards the E, and she felt the oh-so familiar rush of guilt flood back, and made a quick decision to head back to the Torch. Clark wasn't even using her car! Quickly she reminded herself that she paid him back for the coffee's, and would try to pop out the dent she had put in his reputation. In the meantime, she would just have to keep to herself, and try not to get into any more trouble.

She hung out at the Torch for a few hours, doing nothing in particular; putting the finishing touched on some articles that would be published in the Torch next week, doodling on Paint, and she even got so bored she played a few games of solitaire.

Finally, at 6.30, when neither Pete nor Clark had shown up, she decided she couldn't stay here any longer, and locked up, got into Clark's truck and drove off, with still no idea where she was even going. It was getting dark, which worried Chloe, as she didn't know where she was going to stay that night, either.

Scenario Number One was that she explained to her dad and Lana what had happened to her, and somehow convince them that she was telling the truth, and stayed at her house that night. This was Chloe's least favorite scenario.

Scenario Number Two was that she asked the Kent's is she could stay with them. It was certain that the Kent's would be most accommodating, and probably even act pleased that Chloe was staying with them, but she knew it would be awkward for everyone.

Scenario Number Three was that she borrowed the blankets she had earlier spotted in the back of the truck and bunk down in the Torch. It was not preferable, as the blankets looked dirty and itchy, and probably had spiders in them.

But if worse came to worse, then she could always park the truck by the side of the road, and sleep in that, with the heaters on if it was cold.

She sighed and turned around, headed for the Kent's. It wasn't her favorite idea, but it was most likely for success.

It was dark when Pete and Clark finally arrived back from Metropolis.

The trip back had been no quieter than the one there, but it had been Clark doing most of the talking this time.

Pete was strictly against the idea of Clark telling Chloe his secret, but as Clark had patiently explained to him, it would be pretty difficult, if not impossible, to switch back AND keep his secret from Chloe. How would he be able to explain her feeling of extreme weakness when exposed to the meteor rock Clark would have to set on her to give her the injection? How would they even break into the lab where the spare vaccinations were kept without Chloe coming along to break the locks and spring open the steel doors? How would he explain that?

But if he didn't tell her, and they stayed this way forever, then there was no way she couldn't discover the powers anyway.

Finally, even Pete couldn't deny that it was the only way. Then he had been silent, supposedly sulking, until this very minute.

"Hey, Clark! Isn't that your truck?" He asked, as the headlights caught the license plate of a red pickup driving a few meters up the road from them.

Clark studied the number.

"Yep, that's her." He said. "Pull in beside it."

Pete sped up a little to catch up with Chloe, tooting the horn a few times.

Chloe looked out the window, spotting Pete driving along beside her, and felt a little tingle go up her spine upon seeing herself seated next to him, feet up on the dash.

She pulled over, and Pete pulled up beside her.

"Took you long enough." Said Chloe, getting out of the truck and slamming the door behind her. "I was just about to set up camp in the Torch."

"Aww, come on Chloe." Clark said. "It's only 7.30."

Chloe noticed that he didn't make any attempts to discourage her from having to sleep in a tiny office under moth-eaten blankets.

"Anyway, what did you find out?" Chloe asked. "Did you find the guy?"

"We found him." Clark answered. "And he told us what to do."

"He did?" Chloe asked, actually giggling in delight. Both Pete and Clark grimaced at this disturbing sight and sound, Clark actually backing away a few paces.

Chloe cleared her throat.

"Sorry." She said, embarrassed. Now we all know why Clark never giggles. She thought to herself. "You were saying?"

"Remember yesterday? They held that flu vaccination thing in the school gymnasium." Clark said.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with -" Chloe started, confused.

"The vaccination fluid contained small amounts of liquid meteor rock, for the purpose of decreasing pain levels." Clark explained. "It was a different sort of meteor rock, though, so not many people reacted."

"But I did." Chloe realized, echoing his thoughts. "But what about you? You didn't even get the injection."

"If you do react to the meteor rock, then you swap bodies with the first person you touch." Clark continued. "That's how it woks."

Chloe sighed and stared at her feet. This is all my fault. She thought. Clark had nothing to do with this. It was all me.

"I know what you're thinking." Clark said, stepping forward and putting a comforting arm around her, trying to disguise his need to stand on tip-toes. "It's no ones fault. No one could've known what would happen."

"But it's not all bad." Pete reminded them. "He told us how to get you back to normal, remember?"

"Yeah." Clark said, cheered by this, but also dreading what he would soon have to do. "It sounds really simple. All we've got to do it inject ourselves again with the vaccination. Apparently a second dosage cancels out the first."

"Well, that's great!" Chloe exclaimed, cheering up immediately. "Easy!"

"We've still got to break into the lab to get the stuff." Clark reminded her.

"Oh." Chloe said, only slightly deflated. "But still, it could've been much worse."

"Yeah." Clark agreed, wondering how to start.

"So should we go tonight?" Chloe asked.

"No." Clark said, glad she had opened up an easy starting point for him. "There's something you have to know first."

"What is it?" Chloe asked.

Clark glanced at Pete.

"Uh, Pete, you could go home now, if you want." He said, not wanting to sound rude. "I'll call you in the morning."

"Sure thing, man." Pete said, hopping back in his car, silently wishing his friend good luck.

A few seconds after Pete departed, Chloe sighed.

"What's going on, Clark?" She asked.

"Chloe, I know this may not be the best time or place to tell you this, but you need to know." Clark started carefully.

"What is it, Clark?" Chloe asked, serious.

"I should have told you this three years ago." Clark said, taking a deep breath. "And now I have to."