Chapter 6: A Friend's Blessing

A month later...

Two months till graduation, the town has been surprisingly quiet when it came to the meteor freaks that regularly inhabited Clark Kent's already tremulous life. To make things even more normal, he'd received a letter of acceptance to Metropolis University on a full academic scholarship in the fall - but it wasn't his acceptance to Met-U that had his mind in a swirl, it was the knowledge that he will be attending Met-U with a particular person he'd spent the last month avoiding.

Walking into The Torch, Clark spots Chloe in full editor-mode. "Hey Chloe"

"Hey yourself," she replied, keeping her attention to the light board. Her phone rings. She picks it up while Clark heads over to his desk to start typing up an article she had assigned him to earlier that week.

"How did it go, Lois?" Clark's ears perked up when Chloe mentioned her cousin's name. He tried to look like he was very busy, but he couldn't help but try to listen in.

Improper English responses like hmm-mmm, uh-huh, and yup were excessively used during their phone conversation. Clark was definitely tempted to hear a little clearer, but stopped himself. If this was a crush, this could be classified as crossing the line of obsession, but somehow he knew it was more than a that.

"Clark, you okay?" Chloe interrupting his thoughts.

Adjusting himself he looks up. "Umm - Yeah. Why?"

"I don't know, you look like you were somewhere else"

"I've had a lot on my mind," he admits solemnly.

"I can imagine. Especially with Met-U and all"

Clark's eyes open in surprise. "How'd you..."

"Know?" Chloe cuts him off. "Your mom sorta let it slip when I went for coffee this morning," she smiled. "Congratulations." When she sees Clark's not-so-excited-look. "Geez, Kent. Don't get too excited," she remarked.

"I'm sorry Chloe, I'm beyond thrilled. It's just..." He wasn't quite sure how to explain his predicament with her. Their relationship has always been this fragile glass, that if shaken, chances are always high that it'll break.

"It's about her, isn't it?" Chloe finished for him.

"Chloe," he sighed. "This isn't about Lana if that's where you're getting at," he replies in defense. Lana hasn't occupied his thoughts in MONTHS.

Chloe shakes her head. "No, I meant Lois"

Clark looked at her again with a mixture of surprise and dread.

Noticing his confused look. "Don't think I haven't noticed, Clark. You two have been avoiding each other all month like a plague. I'm an inspiring reporter, I notice these things"

Clark's mouth was now open, he didn't know what to say, if even he should say anything. How could he - they - have been that obvious. Wait... so Lois was avoiding him as well. Is it for the same reason he is or is it because she just - No - He isn't even going to go there. His mind was already too full to even try to add fuel to the fire. First his mom, then his dad, and now Chloe. It was a situation he hadn't realized even existed until it was too late.

Clark attempts to avoid it. "I don't know what you're talking about." He tried to sound sure, but knowing Chloe, it was apparent she saw right through him.

"It's okay, you know," she says sadly, yet there was a sincerity that existed in her voice.

"Chloe..."

"Wait," she insisted, both hands gesturing in front of him. "Let me say this before I can't say it at all."

Clark respected her feelings and kept himself silent, nervously waiting for her to proceed.

"I know you Clark, maybe not as much as I want you to let me," she began. "... but I trust you with my life and as my friend; I want you to know that it's okay if you decide you want to pursue a relationship with her." Her voiced cracked as she struggled to let those last few words out. Clark knew she meant it. She continued. "But I also know Lois. And like you, I trust her with my life." She pauses. "One thing you two have in common is that your both incredibly stubborn." Her voice became lighter. "So stop moping around and go talk to her before I change my mind," she joked honestly.

For a moment, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, but then selfishly, he was relieved that he had her blessing. One day, she'll find someone, and he'll make her the happiest girl in the world.

But Lois? Any relationship of some sort with her is foreign territory to him. Excited, afraid, and anxious are just a few of many words to describe it.

"She's out of my league, Chloe," he admits, slouching back on his chair. His hands brushing through his hair. God, could he be any more frustrated.

His actions confirmed her claims. Chloe stared at him with a smug look. All traces of heavy emotion suddenly gone.

"Lois is not the type to judge a book by its cover." Chloe points to herself. "She has me for that," she adds funnily. A smile finally cracked its way through Clark's face.

"I don't know." Even with all the obvious evidence in front of him, he continues to discredit it. This must be the stubbornness Chloe was implying to.

In some ways, it felt right to talk about this with Chloe, because if anyone knew Lois better, it'd be her. On the other hand, they had history that stemmed from bad to worse, and he didn't want to hurt her any further. Strangely enough, Chloe seemed to be pressing the point.

"Has she said anything?" The words came out of his mouth before he realized it did. Chloe on the other hand just smiled, as if she knew he'd been dying to ask the question. He tries to say something to save himself, but Chloe knew better.

"No," she answered. Chloe watches Clark give off a disappointed look. "That doesn't mean anything," she assured him. He wasn't convinced. "Look, there are some things you just have to understand about my cousin. It's easy to talk to her about anything but when it comes to actually talking about HER," she explains with an emphasis on 'her.' "You're going to have to apply a little more effort."

"Easier said than done," he commented off-handedly.

Chloe placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You'll never know unless you try"

Clark silently thanked her for everything that she's done. He knew nothing will ever happen between him and Lois if he just sat around with that infamous 'what ifs' keeping him company; the question just coasting its way in and out of his head like ping-pong ball. He yearned to know the possibility, and if it didn't turn out the way he hoped, then at least he tried.

Making his decision, he stands up grabbing his jacket on the way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Asked Chloe before he made it pass the exit.

He thought for a moment before answering.

"I need to go to Metropolis to see about a girl," he finally admits to himself as well as to Chloe.

Chloe simply smiled at him.

To be Continued...