Chapter 10: Just Friends?
"You have got to be kidding me." She was more or less shocked at what he was asking her to do.
"I don't like to play games Miss Sullivan. I'm asking you to do me a favor, and in return I will reward you." His tone was serious, almost threatening.
"What happened to the nice Lex I saw before?" She asked questionably.
"I was merely helping out a friend." He retorted.
She threw the folder at him on his desk, "Thank god I don't consider you one of my friends Lex. Being your friend would be a means to an end."
She turned to leave.
"He's lied to us both Chloe. I'm just asking you to help me find out why."
She stopped at the doorway without turning around to face him, "People will get hurt Lex. Especially Clark."
He walked up to her and stood beside her. He handed her the file. "If he trusted us, he would have told us the truth." He leaned in closer, whispering into her ear, "Don't you ever wonder where he disappears to, or why he always shows up just in time?"
Lex walked back over to his desk as Chloe turned to watch him.
He glared into her eyes, "His excuses are getting old. It's about time we found the truth."
She couldn't speak. She was scared. Scared that she understood what Lex was saying and that she actually wanted to help out. A part of her, however, was holding back. Clark was her friend, and from recent events, maybe more.
"If I do decide to help you, what's in it for me?"
A
small smirk fell upon his face, "Well, what did you have in mind
Miss Sullivan?"
He could hear her driving up. That small red beetle sure made a lot of noise on the dirt road. He was filled with excitement at the thought of seeing her again. After he broke up with Lana, and she started dating Pete, his eyes were finally open to what he let go back in freshman year. He didn't want that moment to pass him by again. He met her at the top of the stairs which led to his fortress of solitude. The place everyone knew where to find him.
He smiled once she reached where he was standing, "Chloe."
"Hey Clark," she gave him a small hug. "How have you been?"
"Good." He grabbed her hand and led her over to the small couch.
She was feeling a little uncomfortable, most likely from the deal she made with Lex. Seeing Clark look at her like he was, broke her heart. She had been waiting for three years for him to finally notice her, and when he does, she makes a deal that will probably end their friendship and any hopes of a relationship with him.
He turned to her, "Chloe. What's wrong? You don't look so well."
She chuckled softly and thought to herself, 'You have no idea.'
"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired," she smiled at him. "Clark, why did you kiss me?"
"What?" He was shocked by her question; he was far unprepared for it.
"Why did you kiss me," she repeated.
"Um, well" he stammered, not really knowing what to say. He was unsure of it himself.
She held back the tears that were consuming her eyes. It burned to hold back, but she was strong. She had to be.
She stood up and stood her ground. She was about to say something that she might regret, but she had to do it.
"Clark, I came to tell you that I want to be your friend." She couldn't even look at him, she stared at the ground.
"You are my friend Chloe." He stood, stepping closer to her, only to have her step farther back.
"No, I want to just be friends. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm sorry." She ran down the stairs leaving him confused and calling out to her.
She found herself at the only place where she felt safe, most of the time. The Torch. Maybe if she buried herself in work it wouldn't bother her as much.
"I thought I'd find you here."
She looked up and rolled her eyes, "What are you doing here?"
He walked over to her desk, "I thought school was let out for summer?"
"What do you want Mr. Luthor?"
"I called your cell phone, but I kept getting voice mail," he said.
"Well, that's a clue." She shot back. She was angry with him. She really didn't know why.
"Chloe, if this is going to work, you need to be a little bit more…" he was cut off.
"Bit more what Lex? God, I'm so sick of all of this."
He moved closer to her. She always felt so uncomfortable when he did that. Especially when her thoughts always ran wild and brought her back to the night of the dance when she stood even closer, and his arms were wrapped around… 'SNAP OUT OF IT SULLIVAN.'
"Chloe?" he questioned. She was acting a bit strange.
"Yeah, sorry. I'm fine." She backed away and sat back down.
"If you don't want to do this I'll understand. You just have to tell me."
He sounded more sincere this time around. She didn't want to back out or say no this time. Probably because she had these feelings when she was around him, feelings she really couldn't explain. Although finding out what she felt, would cost her, one of her best friends, she was willing to take that chance.
"No, I'll do it. Just tell me what to do first."
He handed her some papers and she began to type away on her trusty computer. "You should get out of here. We don't want anyone connecting us together if we're really going to do this."
He nodded, "It'll be fine Chloe, trust me."
She nodded in agreement, and knew that her life was about to change dramatically. 'This is going to be quite a summer.'
TBC
