Chloe digs deep within herself, pulling out that strength solidified over years of living among the ruins of a life gone wrong. Her mother couldn't hack the cards she had been dealt, so Chloe took her hand, and began to play a game years before she was rightfully old enough to be asked to do so. This game of life, in reality, is nowhere near as deserving of the name 'game' as Twister or Monopoly. What Chloe is living, in fact, is not a game at all; it is her reality, and one that regardless of how hard she tries, she will never win. Even those with years of experience tucked beneath their belt often find themselves drowning in the turbulent waters of a difficult life. How can a fragile girl be expected to endure a life most adults, Chloe's own mother for example, can not tough out? But who could ever be so bold to tell her so?

Chloe stands with her undying smile, camouflaging her pain with a happy face, with so many emotions racing through her, so many reasons to crawl into bed and sob like a baby. But, there is already someone sitting in an apartment acting like a child, and someone has to be an adult. For her family to survive, somebody has to stand up and do what's best for everyone, not just what feels right to their silly little heart. Her feelings must come second, her mind knows that. Her heart was just having trouble accepting the message.

Strengthening her resolve, and feeling as though she can speak without those ridiculous tears creeping into her eyes, Chloe tries to figure out how on earth she managed to fall asleep in the middle of The Talon. The irony of someone sleeping amidst a sea of caffeinated beverages is not lost on her; something, quite frankly, she's ashamed of. How was it that she could drift off into endless slumber at the most inopportune moment, but could not buy her way into dreamland on those neverending nights when the blackness seems infinite and the silence is frightening?

"Well, I guess I've kept you long enough," Chloe says, pretending that she's moving on, but secretly hoping he'll pick up on her subtle hint. She hopes he'll assure her that she hasn't kept him from anything. She wants to hear him say that he has no other desire but to spend his day, all of his days, watching over her. The truly crazy thing about it is that if he were to devote himself to her, and spend all of his waking moments doting over her, she more than likely would be offended that he felt she was not strong enough to take care of herself. It really is a wonder than any two people could get together considering such differences between men and women, especially two as different as Chloe and Clark.

"You didn't keep me," he begins, giving Chloe a glimmer of hope that perhaps the winds are changing. "I actually just remembered that you were here sleeping. I went home to see if my dad needed me, and just came back to get my mom and here you are. I thought I should wake you up instead of let you spend the night here," Clark says, beaming with his trademark Kent smile.

He had forgotten all about her, something worse than her worst fears. She closed her eyes for a few moments and drifted right out of his mind. What does this signify for the future of their friendship? Chloe feels his comments bluntly state she doesn't mean to him what he means to her, and that realization makes her feel as though her heart just broke in half.

"Well next time don't do me any favors, Clark," Chloe says, putting on her sweater and starting for the door.

"Wait, I'll walk you home," Clark says, following her close behind.

x x x x x x x x

The moon peaks out from behind the misty gray clouds, teasing those beneath to play in the enchanting glow it casts upon the earth. There's a chill in the air that whips down the alley, creating a slight whistle that can't help but send a shiver down Chloe's spine. The ornate street lights provide a hint of security to what would otherwise be a dark, frightening walk home. However, the romantic moon and the reassuring street lights are both going to waste tonight. Chloe could never be scared when in the company of Clark Kent. He had always been there for her in the past, and she had faith that he would continue to protect her; at least in the realm of meteor freaks. When it comes to protecting the most vulnerable part of a woman, her heart, Clark proved to be lacking the necessary skills. For that deficiency he was to be punished, and the silent treatment seems as good a punishment as any.

"Chloe, why are you walking so fast? Wait up!" Clark calls out from several paces behind her. Despite being faster than a speeding bullet, this boy who would be Superman was finding it difficult to keep up with the tiny framed girl with the world on her shoulders.

As Chloe's feet pound the pavement, her heart pounds in her chest, forcefully pumping the boiling blood through her veins. Considering her anger, it's hard for her to even see straight. She wants to scream, yell, throw things. She wants someone else to feel as bad as she does inside. So many countless times Clark had crushed her with his words, sometimes she thinks it might feel good to hurt him. In reality, she would never dream of harming one single hair on his head, but in the midst of the fog of her despair, it's difficult to think clearly. She can only gain strength from her pain, a force that drives her to thoughts that are truly not her own.

Frequently Chloe finds herself fuming over things Clark has done, not realizing his actions affect her so much. Chloe wants Clark to be sensitive to her ever changing feelings. She longs for him to be sweet when she feels low, and funny when she needs to laugh. She desperately wants to be able to cry on his shoulder, but never wants to be considered weak for needing to. She wants him to be her friend, but she wants to be considered so much more than his. She wants him to say only the right things, but she fears telling him he's wrong. Why doesn't he know all of this? Why can't he read her mind? How was it that she came to expect so much from people, most especially from Clark?

"You don't have to follow me," she says without turning back to face him. The truth however, is that Chloe really does want him there. She not only is comforted by the security his presence ensures her, but on moments such as these she can escape into her mind and pretend that she and Clark are walking down a moonlit path, basking in the serenity these stolen moments provide them. When she's with him the world around her stops. Time ceases to exist, and for an instant she can see a future that has a happy ending.

But tonight Chloe can't seem to let go of her anger to indulge in a little game of 'what if'. She cannot fantasize about living a fairy tale and dream about a happily ever after, when everything within her screams it will not happen. It really is a shame when your fears paralyze you within your reality so much that it prevents you from being able to escape into your dreams.

Clark doesn't know what to say, so he continues to follow behind her quietly. With every second of silence that passes, Chloe's anger intensifies. His inability to read her is irritating, and despite the fact that she has no idea what she wants to hear, the reality of him not knowing either infuriates her.

"Clark, I've gotten home safely plenty of other times without an escort. Just go ahead and go home," Chloe says, able to disguise her true desires behind a demanding tone.

"Are you sure?" Clark asks, not really wanting to leave her alone, but frightened to dig his hole deeper by not obeying her command.

Pausing from her fast pursuit down the sidewalk, she turns to him, whispering "Go..." under her breath.

Turning her face away from Clark, Chloe starts back down the path to the place that feels like anything but home. Finally alone in the darkness, she lets a sliver of the vulnerable girl living within her seep out; a single tear trickles down her cheek.