Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville
Written for my Paranormal25 150. Prompt of the day #69: Evil Eye
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Ever since they'd had that semi date, and worn the amulets, nothing had happened to Whitney. He went about his daily life, his practices and the games they'd played against rivals schools taking up his time, while evenings at the Torch took up Chloe's. Plus, Dear Lana was a bigger hit than anyone could have expected, transforming the column from a Monday and Friday Special to a daily thing, since the Dear Lana Boxes situated all around the school (with Principal Kwan's permission) were always full. Chloe was surprised by how much she actually like the dark haired girl. The more time they spent together after school, her polishing the next day's edition and Lana going over the anonymous letters she received asking for love advice, the more she decided that they could end up being good friends. That is, if Tina Greer weren't so persistent to scare off anyone around Lana.
Thankfully, though, Tina had been sick today and hadn't come to school.
"Chloe?" Lana looked up from the pile of letters she'd been sifting through.
"Huh?" The blonde asked, chewing on a red marker, extensively editing Pete's many grammatical errors.
"I, uh, Whitney hasn't been coming to see you lately." The pretty half oriental was obviously trying to go for casual, but the interest was obvious in her hazel eyes. "Are you two not together anymore?"
"Together?" Chloe finally looked up, a little confused. "I was never with Fordman." She then remembered about the 'date' and blinked. "Oh. Uh. You know. This is high school. You hook up and break up like...things that hook up and break up."
Lana sat a little straighter in her seat. "So you broke up."
Chloe felt a little irritation at the eagerness in that voice.
Lana had been the one to dump Whitney for crying out loud!
"I guess you can say that." The blonde replied, returning her attention to Pete's article, wondering how it was that he managed to pass English. "Though it was never anything serious so there's no bad blood between us or anything."
"Oh." Lana's gaze lowered. "I kinda wish I could say the same, but after the way he behaved I couldn't be with him anymore, and I had to break up with him."
Chloe frowned, not having heard this from Whitney. "How did he behave?"
Lana gulped. "It's confusing, you know? I mean, he was being so very gentlemanlike about it, he was the only guy I'd been with that hadn't tried to do anything with me, in fact, he didn't even seem all that interested, you know? And for me, for me that was perfect at the time because I wasn't sure about..." Her gaze rose to Chloe for a second before she blushed and looked down. "I wasn't sure about a lot of stuff. So it was almost like two friends hanging out."
Chloe waited for her to continue.
"And then, out of the blue, one day he just started trying to force me to...you know. I mean, not like rape, but like 'I'm a man, I have needs. If you want someone sensitive to your needs get yourself your own girlfriend'. " Lana was visibly bothered by the memory. "I left and then broke up with him the next day saying I needed time to think some things through."
The blonde blinked.
Suddenly Lana's dumping Whitney was making sense.
But that wasn't like Whitney at all.
Chloe wasn't going to fool herself into thinking she knew the quarterback in and out, but she knew him enough to know that he wouldn't try to force Lana or anyone to do something they obviously didn't want to. So obviously, this doppleganger was behind it.
The same one that'd pretended to be Clark for her.
And the person was obsessed with Lana Lang.
Chloe sighed.
Why wasn't she surprised?
"-I always thought you were cool." Apparently Lana had changed topics while Chloe was thinking, a small blush tinting her cheeks as she pulled a strand of dark hair out of her face. "I have to admit, I was kinda jealous of Pete and Clark. I wanted to be close to you as well. You just have this air that makes people wonder about you. Even Whitney said so when we were going out."
Chloe looked up at that. "Whitney said that about me?"
Lana's face closed up slightly. "Yes, well..."
Chloe cleared her throat and looked down, reminding herself that Whitney was this girl's ex.
Lana took in a deep breath. "Wanna hang out this weekend?"
The blonde blinked, not having expected that. "Hang out?"
"Y-yeah." Lana smiled shakily. "We could, uh, go to the movies, or, uh, go to the fair coming to town."
Having forgotten about the fair, Chloe grinned. "You know what? That sounds like fun."
Lana's face lit up. "Great! That's-yeah-great."
There was a knock on the door and they turned in time to see it opening, revealing Whitney in the doorway, holding a pigskin. "Oh, hey Lana." He cleared his throat awkwardly before turning his attention on Chloe. "Hey Sullivan."
"Fordman!" She exclaimed, surprised to see him. "What can I help you with?"
"Uh, can we talk outside?" Whitney asked.
"No need." Lana stood. "I'm going now."
"Okay, see you tomorrow." Chloe smiled.
"You too." Lana ducked her head with a grin before escaping the room.
Whitney slid in as she went out, and closed the door. He stood there for a couple of minutes, eyes on the pigskin, before clearing his throat and looking at her. "Uh. Hi."
"Hey." She leaned back, curious as to why he was acting so weirdly. "Did someone put you up to some sort of dare?" She smirked. "Are the boys pissed because I sold their telephone numbers?"
"No, on both accounts." Whitney replied, going to sit in the chair Lana had just vacated. "They're actually more popular than ever now and it's helped with their ego. You're probably one of their favorite people in the world right about now."
"Go figure." She snorted in amusement, tapping the red ink pen against the table. "Spit it out Barbie. What's got your panties in a jumble this time?"
He smirked, the awkwardness draining out of him almost instantly. "Okay, I thought we were clear that I'm Ken not Barbie. And second of all, it's boxers."
"You like to feel the breeze between your thighs." She blinked, surprised. "With a game like football I would have thought you preferred briefs, so you could keep everything from dangling and bouncing around so vulnerably."
He looked at her in embarrassed horror. "Sullivan. From what planet were you beamed down from as an infant?"
"From I-Don't-Give-A-Shit-About-Your-Inability-To-Take-The Truth." She grinned mischievously.
"Ah, it makes sense now." He announced as if this were some big revelation as he sat down on the seat Lana had vacated. "So, Sully, how have you been without your favorite footballer around?"
"Pete's been around." Chloe grinned.
Whitney winced. "Ouch Sullivan. Don't tread so harshly on a teenaged male's ego."
"If it wasn't so big I wouldn't have to tiptoe around it." She countered, the enjoyment of this banter obvious on her face.
He grinned, dimples deep in his cheeks.
Chloe smiled at him.
Something...something was happening here.
And it felt a lot like attraction.
That revelation caused her smile to drain almost instantly as she looked down with a concerned frown, clearing her throat.
There was no way that she was attracted to Barbie!
No way possible!
Plus, he was in love with Lana and Lana only left him because of the doppleganger's actions, not Whitney.
Right.
The doppleganger.
She took in a deep breath.
She needed to tell Whitney what she'd just learnt.
But she didn't want to.
She really didn't.
"You okay, Chlo?"
She took in a deep breath and nodded, looking up at him and hoping the troubling thoughts weren't visible on her face. "I was talking to Lana before you came and I need to ask you something."
His face went serious as well. "Shoot."
"Did you ever try to force her to have sex with you?"
Horror blanched his face white. "I would never-!"
"I knew it." She interrupted, nodding. "The doppleganger pretended to be you to make Lana break up with you."
Whitney blinked. "If I wasn't sitting down already, I'd be collapsing in this seat." He then frowned, leaning forwards. "Are we thinking there's another person out there out to sabotage anyone getting near to Lana?" He smirked. "We should just set up a match to the death between Evil Eye Person and Doppleganger Person."
Chloe raised an eyebrow and smiled. "That's actually a really good idea, Fordman." She paused. "Minus the 'to the death' part."
He grinned. "Killjoy."
"You know I live to make your life boring." She rolled her eyes. "So was there any reason in particular for why you came here? Because I have to finish this editing before I leave here."
He cleared his throat, gaze falling to the pigskin. "Uhm, yeah. I, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the fair this weekend." He looked up, saw her surprised expression, and then quickly looked down, clearing his throat once more. "I mean, we need to keep up the act, you know, so that the people in suspect don't try to hurt either of us, you know."
"Oh." She wondered at the stab of disappointment. "I can't. I already said I'd go with someone else."
His gaze shot up, narrowed. "Did Ricky ask you?"
She blinked, confused. "The Center?"
"He did, didn't he?" Whitney stood, grip on the pigskin tight.
"No! He didn't." Chloe leaned forwards. "Is he interested in asking me to the fair?"
"Are you interested in him inviting you?" Whitney countered.
"Why wouldn't I? He's good looking." Chloe chuckled at the scandalized expression on Whitney's face. "And in the past he was the only one not to give me shit from the football team." Her gaze went to Pete's article and she began to correct it on instinct, finishing up the last paragraph. "But no, I"m not going with Ricky. I'm going with Lana."
Whitney froze, blinking. "Lana?"
Chloe nodded, finishing and standing. "Yep. She needs more friends than just Greer you know."
"Oh. Friends."
The blonde was confused by his expression. "What was that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Whitney shook his head. "Uh, but, you know, she intruded on our date, so I think turnaround is fair."
"Excuse me?" If he wanted to spend time with Lana he should be brave enough to go to the brunette and try for another chance, not use Chloe.
"Greer will probably be there anyway." He replied loftily. "I'm doing you a favor, making sure you're not stuck as her sole target." He cleared his throat and looked around. "And anyway, I don't think its safe for you to be alone with Greer. Okay?"
Chloe leaned her hip against the desk, unable to believe it. "Are you being protective, Fordman?"
"Oh fuck off, Sullivan." He grumbled, unable to look at her.
She bit her bottom lip to keep from giggling. "You are." The tiny blonde shook her head. "It's annoying, and yet strangely endearing."
He paused, before sending her a curious look. "Is that a good thing?"
"Sometimes." She replied vaguely. "Now go I need to finish putting the Torch to bed."
"Okay." He nodded, backing away to the door. "See you tomorrow."
And with that Whitney was gone.
Chloe watched the door long after he'd gone, a small smile on her face.
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