Chapter 5: Leftovers
Pain. It wasn't the pain in her heart that brought Chloe back to her senses; it was the pain in her knees. She could feel the sharp rocks of the pavement biting through her jeans, leaving a deep bruising impression.
Sniffling, Chloe rubbed her nose, trying to wipe the wetness away. The thought of Lana and Pete being together seemed to be the greatest betrayal of her young life. Part of her mind wondered why the revelation seemed so treacherous. Her mind said it was none of her business that they were together, but in her heart she felt like every man in her life that she had loved, Lana had taken…even if Pete had never been hers. Lana had everything she didn't, Pete, Clark, a university that didn't try to grind her beneath its high flouting heels. And Pete, some part of Chloe had always been aware of his crush on her, but her feelings had always been for Clark and she had never wanted to lead Pete on.
Chloe almost couldn't unlock her car door her hands were trembling so hard. Slowly she laid her hands flat on the window, breathing deeply until the trembling stopped. She let her mind blank out, concentrating on the feel of air passing from her nose down through her esophagus into her lungs. She could imagine it being passed into her blood stream and working its way into her brain.
Finally, she popped the door open and slid into the little Miata. The cold engine was sluggish starting. Flipping the switch the car lights flooded the parking lot with illumination. The lifeless cars dully reflected the light back.
Pulling out, Chloe headed for the highway. She was glad it was so late at night; only truckers and a few oddballs were out on the roads. Relaxing her grip on the wheel, Chloe let her mind wonder, trusting years of driving experience to get her through the night.
The other part of her mind diligently started composing a paper that was due in class on Monday. She was supposed to theorize on the effects of television on modern society.
Chloe didn't notice the passing of time until she had to slow down for a familiar stoplight. Smallville's one and only electronic traffic regulator. Rubbing her eyes she looked down at the glowing green timekeeper. It was close to two in the morning. Chloe felt a flash of surprise about being back in this little burg. Her autopilot state of mind had brought her back to the place that had been her home for so much of her life.
The red light changed to green, indicating she could move on through the lifeless street. Slowly she accelerated towards home. Within minutes she pulled up in front of a small blue frame house. The outside looked much neater than it had when she lived there. The lawn was neatly mowed and it was obvious that someone had touched up the paint job.
Chloe didn't know who had bought the house, and truthfully she didn't want to know. Inching past she continued down the road, finally coming to the local hotel. It was small, twelve rooms in a semicircle around a pool. It took ten minutes to wake the owner up enough to get a room. Chloe didn't remember the man, nor he her, but she got the room in quick order.
Lying on the bed Chloe couldn't close her eyes. The sent of musty use that all hotel rooms accumulated with age distracted her senses with its unfamiliarity. Not wanting to think of her own life Chloe began to tell herself stories about famous writers. Soon her eyes drifted together as the long hours caught up.
Hours later the bright sunlight of day peeked around the edges of heavy olive green curtain. Chloe would have continued to sleep but for a truck that laid heavy on the horn. Groggily she opened her eyes, blinking a blurry film away.
She made her way to the bathroom, grabbing the black bag on her way. Slapping it on the edge of the sink, she grabbed her shampoo and towel. Yawning widely, she turned the hot water on, pulling her clothes off while waiting for the water to warm up.
Turning the faucet knobs, Chloe searched for the right temperature, just cool enough to not scorch her skin off, and stepped into the shower. Standing under the steaming stream of water Chloe felt the past months wash away. She stood there until her skin started to wither. Finally she grabbed the shampoo and started washing. Soon she was out of the shower, getting dressed in wrinkled jeans and a black Trigun t-shirt from her bag.
Chloe scrubbed her hair with the towel until it was mostly dry. With quick practiced strokes she applied her makeup, covering up dark circles that remained despite eight hours of sleep. Looking at the clock she saw she had twenty minutes before she had to be out of the room. Quickly she gathered her bit of life together and left the room. Leaving the keys on the TV she made her way to the car, wondering where she could go.
Clark…
A wistful smile crossed Chloe face. Well, since she was here anyway she might as well go visit the lughead. Turning left at the stop sign Chloe headed north to the Kent Farm. The vast sea of knee-high cornstalks had a calming effect. Her eyes kept sneaking out across the green waves, hoping to catch sight of a certain sweaty torso. Soon enough the Kent's bright red barn broke up the fields of corn.
Slowing down Chloe turned down the Kent's drive, kicking up a small cloud of dust on the dry dirt road.
On the porch Chloe could see Martha Kent gently rocking while she shelled peas. The lady's shinny red hair had gained more gray threads of over the years. Her blue t-shirt had several small stains on it and her jeans were old and well worn.
By the time the Miata stopped, Martha had put down the bowl of beans. She wiped her hands off and stepped of the porch to greet her guest. To her eyes, Chloe looked pale and drawn. "Chloe, what a surprise." She smiled invitingly, surrendering to well-honed mother-hen instincts.
"Hi, Mrs. Kent, is Clark up in his Fortress of Solitude?" Chloe was already moving towards the red barn when Martha's voice stopped her.
"Chloe, wait…" Martha laid a gentle hand on Chloe's shoulder. "Clark isn't up there."
Chloe's face fell, but she recovered quickly. "Well, that's ok. Will he be back soon?"
The small silver pin on Martha's lapel glinted in the sunlight, moving with her deep breath. "No…Clark left two days ago. He found a way to finance his wanderlust and we couldn't talk him out of it. He shipped out on a tuna troller nearly a yesterday. He tried to call, but you weren't there."
Chloe frowned, trying to remember the last time she checked her phone messages. Absently, she rubbed the chill bumps rising on her forearms despite the warm spring breeze. Couldn't anything stay the same for five minutes? She needed a friend and no one was where she left them. Feeling more alone and abandoned than when she fled the hostile university, it was all Chloe could do to hold in her tears.
"Chloe, why don't you come in for a bit? I've some cola in the fridge." Martha gently placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder, leading the girl up the front porch.
Inside the Kent's pleasant country kitchen the air was cool and the smell of fresh bread and spices hanging from the rafters calmed Chloe some. Rustling around the room for ice and a glass for the soda, Martha seated her at the kitchen table.
Chloe absently picked up an orange pill bottle that sat next to the salt. The prescription was made out for Jonathan Kent, for one hundred nitroglycerin pills. The bottle was only half filled with the white pills. Chloe frowned, feeling she was seeing something that should be private. She put the bottle down, pretending she had never seen it.
Martha slid into a chair next to Chloe, setting down two glasses of cola.
"So, Chloe, how are things at Metropolis University? Are you having fun, making friends? It has to be a big adjustment.
Chloe shrugged, uncertain how to answer. She had never been close to Clark's parents. She had not spent much time at the Kent's farm, unlike Pete…Chloe winced at the thought of the boy who she had heard making out with Lana. She was losing the battle to hold in her tears, and Chloe pushed the glass of cola away abruptly. She was not going to have a crying jag in front of Martha Kent.
"Chloe?" Martha looked uncertainly at Chloe. With her short blond hair tucked behind her ears she had had a childlike look, that her carefully applied makeup did nothing to age.
For a long moment Chloe stared at Martha, and she just wanted to spill her tale of woe. She wanted to cry on her shoulder and accept the comfort Martha's concerned smile promised. Instead she fled again, pushing the kitchen chair back so roughly that its wooden legs screeched over the linoleum. Not quite looking at Martha, Chloe quickly made her excuses. " I was only passing though and thought I would stop by and say hello, …I need to go now."
Not waiting for a response, Chloe left the house as fast as she could. She made her way to the Miata, carefully keeping her troubled face turned away from Martha.
Within moments, she was turning off the dirt driveway onto the small roughly paved highway that ran next to the Kent farm. A swirly dirt cloud hung over the road behind her as she sped away, making a dark smudge on the horizon behind her, though Chloe never looked back to see it.
It took only a few minutes to reach town and Chloe let her car slowly glide past the sparsely populated main street of Smallville. Her eyes slid past the familiar shop fronts, pausing when she saw her home-away-from-home, favorite after-school haunt, the Talon. There it stood, blazing its lights onto the classic street around it.
Slowing almost to a stop, Chloe looked for a spot to park. She had a sudden urge to see the inside again and remember the happier times, plus there was caffeine inside. She has always been a sucker for a good cup of caffeine. There was an empty spot close to the front of the café.
She paused at the doorway, her hand resting on the knob. She could feel the memories welling up. Chloe let them wrap her in the warmth of better times. Opening the door she slipped in, trying not to see the things that had changed. The host turned to her, not recognizing the non-regular blond customer.
"How many?" The slim black man smiled politely, folding his hands together in front of a neat black suit. He wore a brilliant yellow tie that stood out against his light blue shirt.
"One…just me tonight."
"Yes, ma'am, right this way." The host led her to the side of the room, near one of the brilliantly painted columns. Neatly waving, he indicated her seat. "Your waitress Sandy will be here in a moment to take your order."
Chloe nodded, absently fooling with her napkin. Before she could start to rearrange the table settings, a young brunette woman walked up to her table. The girl wore a short brown skirt, tight blue shirt, and a white apron. Like a chipper little spaniel the girl announced her name was Linda, asking if she could get her anything. Chloe decided to hate her.
"Coffee, black Columbian, donut, plain." Chloe didn't look up from where she was plucking a loose thread from her napkin. For a moment there was silence, then Linda scratched something on her pad. "That all?"
"Yah, that all." The girl left finally. By the clock it took exactly three minutes and twelve seconds to get her cup of coffee and donut. For close to twenty minutes Chloe sat there nursing her cup of coffee. Every now and then Linda walked by, eyed the nibbled donut and refilled the mug.
Several times Chloe heard the bell on the door tinkle, announcing the movements of the customers. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see bodies moving beneath the purple and orange drapes near the front door. Only a year ago Chloe could remember how they had all been here, laughing the day away. Absently she nibbled on her donut.
"Is this seat taken?"
Chloe's eyes widened in surprise as she looked up and saw a familiar shinny head. "Lex!" Her voice stuttered to a stop even as a delighted smile spread across her face. He looked just like she remembered him, slick and expensive. His head reflected the lights of room, his deep brown eyes unfathomable. Lex wore a black-blue silk shirt, with matching slacks.
His only adornment was a ring on the small finger of his left hand. A solid band of silver held a perfect round gem, unlike any Chloe had ever seen. It seemed to have a black base color, yet it had patches of brilliant colors on it
His expression was unreadable as he waited for her answer. It occurred to Chloe that the last time she had seen him he had been at odds with their little group, especially Clark. Well Clark wasn't here now, and Lex had never actually done anything to her. Waving grandly, she indicated he could seat himself. "As you can see the seat is empty, and I would be glad for the company."
Surprise flashed across his face, but he turned to sit down before Chloe could process the sight. "I'm surprised you want to talk to me. I thought all Clark's friends were shunning me." He carefully folded his hands on the table, taking a moment to settle himself, looking vaguely uncomfortable. The gears in his mind were turning, gauging the possibilities this encounter afforded him. Clark had made his choices and fled Smallville to work on some stinking ship. If Clark hadn't ended their friendship, Lex might have helped him avoid such desperate accommodations. It wasn't like he asked much, a little honesty, a little trust. Then he'd had the audacity to just walk away? If Clark thought it was that easy to cut ties with a Luthor, he was more naive than Lex had given him credit for. The new arrival, the pawn, Chloe, chose that moment to smile at him. She tucked at her hair behind her ears and leaned on her elbows like the child she was. But she wasn't really a child. A cool resolution took form while he was staring at Chloe. Whether he was in Smallville or not, Clark could still be punished.
Chloe blinked, trying to think of suitable response. "I'm not sure what problems you and Clark have with each other, but it has nothing to do with me." Curiosity filtered through her mind. "What happened, anyway? Clark never told me what was going on."
Oblivious to the taunt tired look his pawn was sporting, Lex turned on the Luthor charm. "Me either." He smiled at Chloe's bewildered look. "Clark kept secrets from us all."
Nodding, Chloe agreed with the elegant man. Trying to turn the subject to more pleasant things, she reached out and gently touched his ring. "This stone, I've never seen anything like it before, what is it?"
Unclenching his fingers, Lex moved his right hand to touch the ring, gently brushing Chloe's hand. Chloe felt something electric run through her. "A black opal."
"Huh?" She looked up blankly at the man across from her.
A small smile crossed Lex's lips, he could see the effect his touch had on the girl, he could see it in her eyes, in the way her breath had snagged when he touched her. "The stone, it's a black opal, the specific type is called a harlequin style, called that because of the colored patches, like that of a harlequin doll's costume." He absently stroked the stone in its setting. "Its one of the rarest stones in the world."
Notes: Well, Deanine finally had enough time off to beta some chapters. Yes, I am the single slowest updater in existance, but I promise you I will finish this story. I'm working on chapter 10 even as we speak. Anyway the next update should come fairly soon. Maybe...I hope...as soon as it's been beta'ed. Again I appoligize for being so very very very slow.