Disclaimer: see Chapter 1.
CHAPTER 3: Two Break-ups
The Daily Planet- Metropolis
Jimmy Olsen entered the editorial office in search of his girlfriend Chloe and found an empty desk instead. He looked for her around the coffee machine without any luck. He came across Miss Kahn´s secretary in the corridor and asked her for Chloe´s whereabouts. Apparently, the ubiquitous Kansas farm boy had turned up half an hour before with a grave face and demanded to see Chloe Sullivan.
All in all, Jimmy liked Clark, but he could not help feeling jealous of the guy. Chloe seemed to think the world of him and was ready to drop whatever she was doing to come to his aid, and Jimmy resented that fact. He had plans for Valentine´s Day and hoped CK would not spoil them with one of his emergencies back in Smallville.
The photographer walked towards Chloe´s desk again and took a pad to scribble her a note. He was ready to sign it, when a sudden movement in the filing room called his attention. Clark and Chloe were having a heated argument by the looks of it, a confrontation that ended with the farm boy walking out of the paper without acknowledging Jimmy and with Chloe in a storm of tears.
¨Chloe? ¨asked Jimmy, holding a box of tissues. ¨Are you OK? What was that about? ¨
¨The usual, Jimmy, ¨she hiccupped. ¨Clark sounds like a worn out record, ¨ she added, taking a tissue out of the box and blowing her nose.
¨Lana Lang? ¨he asked with a small smile.
¨Mm, ¨ she assented, dabbing at her eyes.
¨Why the tears? What has he done to make you cry? ¨
¨Nothing. I did it on my own. I´m going to be Lana´s bridesmaid. ¨
¨Well... she´s your friend, too, isn´t she? ¨
¨Define friend. ¨
¨She isn´t? I thought... ¨ said a confused Jimmy.
¨I don´t know, Jimmy. Maybe I don´t feel like much of a friend now. ¨
¨ Clark´s your friend, but he doesn´t own you, Chloe. You´re entitled to make your own decisions. ¨
¨And what if I´m wrong? ¨
¨Are you having second thoughts about the bridesmaid business? ¨
¨Maybe. ¨
¨Why did you say ´yes´ in the first place? ¨
¨Perhaps I´m a masochist. ¨
¨What do you mean by masochist? ¨
¨You know, when you agree to do something even though you don´t feel like it, knowing fully well that you´ll feel like crap in the end. ¨
¨Then, don´t do it, ¨he said, taking her by the hand.
¨I can´t, Jimmy, ¨she answered, feeling her eyes turn watery again.
¨Why not? ¨he asked with a concerned look.
¨Don´t ask me for an explanation. I need to do this, ¨she responded, disengaging herself.
¨What´s this all about? It isn´t Clark you´re so worked up about, is it? ¨
¨Jimmy, let it rest, ¨she pleaded.
¨Be honest, Chloe. Do you think we´ll ever have a future together? ¨ he asked sternly. ¨You´ve just given me my answer, ¨murmured a distraught photographer when Chloe stayed silent.
Funny how somebody else´s choices could turn one´s life upside down. She had been in love with Clark since she moved to Smallville and had almost come to terms with the fact that he could never be hers to find him unengaged all of a sudden. Then, Lana had spoilt everything for her by coming back together with Clark. And in came the meteor freaks wooing Chloe while intent on murdering her. It wasn´t until she met Jimmy that she thought she would have a steady boyfriend at last; still, destiny had a queer sense of humour.
´Lex has been right all along, there is something wrong with me. Who would have thought it? The princess dropped Clark for Lex, and my world came tumbling down. What am I to do when the worst enemy of my best friend turns out to be the man I´m actually in love with? What am I to do when the man in question´s so pig-headed that he can´t accept the truth and insists on marrying a girl he knows will never make him happy? ´
Some men are really dense, aren´t they?