Chapter 5:
"We're going home? It's eight o'clock on a Saturday—and I know it's not past your bedtime… Disappointing Lane, disappointing" Clark taunted as they pulled up to the farm.
"Funny Kent. Now get your butt out of my car, we're already behind schedule" Lois commanded, hurriedly collecting her purse and coat from the car.
Clark watched her in amusement. She was really flustered. Maybe he'd just take his time…
"What are you, two?" Lois asked, irritably. She walked back to prod him from behind.
"What's the rush?" he asked over his shoulder, feet dragging.
"I swear you'll pay for being difficult," Lois threatened, continuing to steer him towards the house.
Clark laughed as he leaned against the wall, waiting for her to unlock the door. She pushed it open harder than was necessary.
"You know" Clark mused, "you're kind of cute when you're mad." Despite the fact he said it to push her buttons he really did mean it.
"SURPRISE!"
Clark stopped in his tracks, stunned. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment and shock.
The lights turned on to reveal a small crowd of his family and friends, and Shelby.
"Oh God."
Lois turned to smirk at him. "Happy Birthday, Smallville. And I'm always cute. Now go greet your guests," she whispered lifting a hand under his chin and shutting his slack jaw. "Go on," she nudged him forward.
"Ummm…thanks…everyone. Wow, this is a surprise."
He was astonished and delighted to see one of his oldest friends in the throng of people.
"Pete!"
"Hey, Clark, didn't think I'd miss your eighteenth birthday, did you?" Pete replied grinning.
Clark laughed.
"Happy Birthday Clark! You should've seen your face…" Chloe laughed delightedly, dragging Lois behind her.
"Thanks, Chloe" he said enveloping her in a hug.
"I'm glad to see you survived your date with Lois. I knew you'd enjoy it," she whispered in his ear.
Clark pulled away, for the second time in the past few minutes he was rendered speechless.
Chloe just smiled at his bewilderment. "C'mon cous', let's go hit up the snack table" she said grabbing Lois and leaving just as quickly as they came.
Clark watched them go in bemusement.
"Nice entrance, man. Since when do you have a thing for Chloe's hot cousin?" Pete asked breaking Clark's contemplation.
He winced. "You heard that, huh?"
Pete laughed. "Oh yah, you should've seen your mom and Chloe's expressions. You'd think they had won a bet or something."
Before he could respond Lana came up to join them.
"Happy birthday, Clark," Lana greeted him, reaching up to kiss his cheek.
"Oh, thanks Lana"
"So…it sounds like you and a good time today" she said.
Clark looked at her. "Yeah, I really did."
Lana's smile faltered slightly. "You sound surprised."
Clark laughed uncomfortably. "Well I guess you could say it was unexpected."
"Oh, well I'm glad. Well, I, uh, better let you catch up with Pete. I'll see you guys in a bit" she smiled and then melted back into the crowd.
Clark spent the next few hours catching up with Pete and mingling with friends and family. His mom had baked a massive cake, and despite the singing part, he was having a great time.
Finally late into the night, or early in the morning, depending on how you looked at it, most of the guests had departed. Only Chloe and Pete remained. His parents had retired upstairs over an hour ago, leaving the four friends to themselves.
They were sitting in the leaving room, lounged out on the sofas and sharing stories when Lois got up to leave. Chloe and Pete glanced at each other in amusement as they noticed Clark watching her depart.
"I'll be right back," Clark said suddenly, jumping up from his seat and disappearing after Lois.
"I told you there's something going on there!" Chloe exclaimed as Clark left the room.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for not believing you. So your cousin, huh? The one that Clark keeps telling me he can't stand" Pete mused.
"Obvious case of denial" Chloe agreed.
"And you're okay with that?" Pete asked skeptically.
"Yeah. It's weird—and hard to explain— but watching those two together, despite the constant bickering, no one can deny there's… a spark or chemistry. I mean the whole town can see it. But they're oblivious, and that made me realize that, no matter what happens, Clark and I will never have that spark or…whatever. And I started to realize that maybe that's okay; we make much better friends anyway. Not to mention, I'm not willing to settle for a relationship that lacks that sort of chemistry." Chloe shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it, really."
Pete nodded. "I think I get it, and it's true, you do deserve the best. Plus, I could never see you settling for anything, anyway."
Chloe smiled. "Now the real question remains…"
"And that would be?"
Chloe sighed dramatically. "To spy or not to spy…"
"Chloe!" Pete exclaimed.
"What? You can't tell me you aren't tempted."
"Heck yah, I'd love to watch." Pete admitted.
"But that would be wrong." Chloe reminded him.
"Definitely" he agreed.
They looked at each other.
After contemplating for all of two seconds whether they should spy or not, Chloe and Pete snuck out after Clark, both mindful of his super hearing abilities, and joined Shelby at the screen door.
They watched Clark and Lois talk softly for a few minutes. Then, as was par for the pair, their conversation seemed to turn into another disagreement.
"Geez, do they always fight?" Pete whispered.
"Yep, it's their sick version of foreplay…I think. But you have to admit this is way more entertaining than any movie" Chloe whispered back excitedly.
"All we need is popcorn," he agreed.
They watched silently for a few minutes.
"Oh! Go Clark!" she squeezed her hands together.
"Man, remind me never to watch any sort of sport with you" Pete muttered.
"Shhh! It's getting good." Chloe leaned forward in anticipation.
The scene before them began to heat up.
Both pairs of mouths dropped.
"Oh. My. God."