Clark was weightless. He could feel himself going higher and higher. It all seemed so natural. He wasn't afraid. Why hadn't he done this before? With a rush of pure exhilaration he let loose. Everything above and below him was a blur. He could make out minute dots, scattered below him, which must be houses. He was flying. Soaring and soaring, till he was immersed in the blackness of space; the earth spinning below him. He felt overwhelmed. He felt...wet.
Clark abruptly opened his eyes. He could feel something wet on the side of his face. He lifted his head to see Shelby sitting in his lap, licking his cheek and wagging her tail. He heard a giggle and saw Chloe standing in the doorway.
"Good morning sleepy head."
Clark groaned and reached his arms high above to stretch. He realized he was still sitting on the floor in the same position as the night before. He wasn't aware that he had fallen asleep."Good morning." He replied, shooing Shelby away from his face."Nothing better than dog breath first thing in the morning."
"Yeah well, it could be worse. You could have been woken up by some sort of strange Kryptonian snoring. Or maybe I should call it super snoring." She laughed heartily, clearly enjoying poking fun at him.
Clark stood up, laughing in return. He rolled his eyes and mouthed the word sorry. He didn't even want to imagine what it sounded like to her. He just hoped he didn't rattle the windows; something his parents said happened a few times before."What time is it?" He asked, peering out the window. The sun filtered through the lace curtains, beams of light dancing off the walls, shimmering in Chloe's hair. He was taken aback by how sweet she looked, clothes rumpled, little smudges of mascara underneath her eyes. She looked beautifully disheveled.
"Six. I should actually get going. I have a big drive ahead of me, plus finishing that term paper." Her voice sounded strange, almost as if she didn't believe what she was saying.
"All right then. It's probably a good idea to get a head start. Besides, I think you need a shower." He teased, holding his nose in mock disgust.
Chloe's eyes opened wide and she threw one of his mother's crotched pillows at him. "Hey! Cut it out farm boy." She ducked as Clark tossed it right back at her "Throw that hard enough and I lose my head!" She laughed as she picked the pillow up and pretended to whip it back in his direction. Once again, he was caught off guard; her devilish smile, the twinkle in her eye. She was breath taking. Why did it take him so long to notice? He felt a pang of regret course through him. His feelings were eating a hole inside. He had to do something.
"Go to dinner with me tonight." He blurted with a sense of urgency. "I have something I want to discuss with you. It's kind of important."
Her smile faded; she looked pensive. "Sure Clark." She replied, looking into his eyes, as if she was searching for something.
He could feel himself smile wider than he thought was possible. "Great. I'll drop by your dorm later tonight."
She nodded and headed to the front door. She reached to open it; her hand lingering on the doorknob. "Maybe it's better if you call first. Your grand entrances have a tendency to give me a heart attack."
Clark laughed; he would never tell her, but he secretly enjoyed popping up unexpectedly, zooming in like a gale force wind. The way she gasped and clutched her hand to her chest in surprise was completely worth it. It never failed to entertain him; and he suspected, despite her protests, that she was wowed. "Sure, I'll call first."
Chloe opened the door, and clomped down the porch stairs towards her car. Shelby gave out a long whine and dashed out behind her, before the screen door slammed shut. Clark followed suit and went outside, watching as the tail lights of her car disappeared behind the bend; a large cloud of dust rising it its wake. He could feel a mixture of anxiety and excitement. Tonight would be the most important dinner in his life. He was going to take a huge risk by telling Chloe he was in love with her. Taking their friendship to another level was a big gamble; Chloe was someone he couldn't bear to lose if it didn't work out. Besides he knew that she had had feeling for him in the past, but had no right to presume that she would sit around and wait for him forever. He could only hope that she hadn't moved on.
He knew that what he was feeling for Chloe was what real love is supposed to be. It was different form anything he had ever felt for Lana, or any other girl. This was what his parents had told him all along. Real love was about two people, who knew each other better than anyone; who accepted each others weaknesses and strengths without question. Two people who, in turn, made the other a much better person than they could have ever been alone. Something Chloe did everyday, pushing him to be a better man.
Two people who were open and honest with one another--No secrets. Well, except for one. "And if everything goes tonight as planned, that to will end"
