Chloe had no idea what made her do it. Maybe it was just lucky circumstance. She had walked away to find a bathroom and almost tripped on a microphone. She assumed it was from one of the floats and went to return it.

Although they had seemed overly generous to Chloe's arrival, she couldn't really hear what they were saying over the crowd. She decided to just nod her head and smile. The next thing she knew someone was asking her about a song. She blurted out the first one that came to mind.

When she realized what they thought she was there to do, she started to protest. She hadn't performed on a stage (albeit a moving stage) for at least a decade. But they pushed her out onto the deck of the float and queued the song.

Afterwards Chloe still couldn't believe what she had done. She had explained the whole story to Clark and Pete but they found it too outrageous to be true.

"What's outrageous it that you're eating again," she countered, hands on her hips, "what are those? You're second hot dogs in an hour?"

"Chloe, the ever health-conscious. Were you not the one who scarfed down a whole pint of Double Fudge Brownie over a dare?"

Clark admired Pete's memory. It was usually when Chloe started beating down on them about their guy habits.

"You know I can't turn down a dare," she mumbled.

"Oh yeah? Then I dare you to…" Pete's next words were muffled by Clark's massive hand getting in the way. He didn't know what Pete's dare was, but he didn't want to know. Nine out of ten chances it was a dare for Chloe to kiss Clark.

"What? What am I missing here?"

Clark tried to smile like nothing was wrong, although he could barely keep his teeth from chattering with nervousness. "Nothing, Pete's just being his usual idiot."

Chloe looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile. "You're lying, but I'm going to let you slide this time." Then she coolly walked past.

"Where are we going now?" Clark asked, and he and Pete tagged along behind her.

"Shopping, of course." The devilish smile was back.

"Oh, come on, Chloe. You can't expect us to wait for you outside dressing rooms," Clark said.

Chloe kept on walking.

Pete added, "I mean, really, we're boys."

"Really! I hadn't noticed, being blind and deaf and all." Chloe stopped the boys in the middle of the sidewalk, holding out her hands so neither of them could pass. "This shop looks nice," Chloe said, looking at a well-lit display window.

"Chloe, that window only has pink things in it."

"So?"

Pete sighed. "So that's probably an indicator of what's inside, and if that's true, there is NO way you can make me get in that store."

"Oh," Chloe smiled evilly, "yes I can."

"But," Clark interjected, "there is no way you can get Ime/I in that store." His smile was one of triumph.

"That true, Clark," Chloe said in mock sweetness, "but imagine how lonesome you've feel waiting outside all alone." And with that, she seized Pete's hand and dashed into the store.

Clark sighed for the tenth time that day, and reluctantly followed.

Inside was the same as outside. Everything was pink. The carpeting, the walls, the ceiling, the jewelry, the hangers, the shirts, the skirts. All pink.

"Who makes a profit off of Ithis/I?" Pete wondered out loud. He stopped walking, pulling on Chloe's wrist to make her turn around and face him. "And since when do you wear all pink?"

Considering that Chloe was wearing a brown peasant shirt and just plain jeans, she looked just as out of place as Clark and Pete did. Most of the people in the store were also wearing pink, so it was hard to distinguish the from the racks of t-shirts.

"I'm not shopping for myself," she stated matter-of-factly, "I'm shopping for Lana."

Of course.

It was Lana's birthday next week and she wasn't letting anyone forget it. She kept dropping not-to-subtle-but-subtle-in-her-own-mind hints on what she wanted. Namely: a necklace. She'd probably receive twenty versions of the same pink crystal on a string.

Clark had completely forgotten about Lana's birthday. Not that he didn't care about her. That wasn't it at all. He was just horrible at remembering dates. He only knew his birthday, his dad's birthday, his mom's birthday and maybe Pete's give or take a month. He had the general area of Chloe's birthday, but he had never really celebrated Lana's birthday, except that party she threw at the Luthor mansion. He was pretty sure she hadn't had a party since.

Chloe's birthday, however, was an extravaganza of sorts. She'd rent all her favorite movies that Clark and Pete refused to watch with her all other times of the year, and play them one after another. They'd sit around and eat popcorn, make fun of the actors and eventually fall asleep on the floor.

Pete's family would just invite Clark and Chloe over for a nice dinner, and then they'd go out back to talk in the yard. Pete was probably one of the only people in Smallville who owned a normal sized backyard, complete with grass.

"So you plan to buy Lana's present here?" Clark asked.

"Why not?" Pete responded. "Not like she's known for any other color."

"Actually, Lana has had a lack on the pink power lately. She's turned to black now."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Chloe chimed in, "that's why I'm here. I'm trying to revive her old passion. I don't know…I just feel like she's getting a little too sucked into the dark side."

Clark couldn't really disagree.