"Freedom at last," Pete exclaimed as he Clark and Chloe walked out the front doors of Smallville High the following Wednesday afternoon. "We have all successfully survived our Freshman year."

"And what a year its been," Clark commented.

"You can say that again. I wonder if next year will be as interesting," Chloe said.

"After a summer in Metropolis even the weirdness of Smallville is going to seem boring," Pete told her. "You might not even want to come back."

"Unless the Daily Planet gives me a irresistible offer to keep working there after the internship this summer I'll be coming back," Chloe told him.

"It's going to be weird not having you around this summer, Chloe," Clark said. "I'm going to miss you."

"Oh I doubt that. You'll have enough drama in your personal life that you won't even miss me."

"Don't say that Chloe," Clark told her. "I'm missing you already and you haven't even left yet."

"Now that the subject has been brought up," Pete said trying to change the subject. He knew how much Chloe liked Clark even though Clark seemed to be oblivious of it. The fact that she liked Chloe was the reason that he had never told Chloe that he had a crush on her. "Have things at the Kent Farm settled down any."

"Not really. My Dad is determined not to acknowledge Cecily's engagement to Lex, which means he still is not going to her graduation on Friday because Lex will be there. I just wish he would be a little more open minded about it."

"I can't say I blame him."

"I know how you feel about the Luthor's Pete and I can even understand how you feel but that was Lionel not Lex. I just wish you could see past that and give Lex a chance," Clark told his other best friend as he opened the door to the Talon and held it open as his friends walked in. He considered Pete and Lex both his best friends. He knew Lex thought Pete was a pretty decent guy but Pete didn't feel the same way.

"Yeah Pete, Clark has a point. I don't know him all that well but he seems like a pretty decent guy," Chloe said. "I definitely wouldn't be coming back to Smallville after the summer if it wasn't for Lex because my Dad would've been out of a job."

"I still don't trust the guy," Pete told them as they made their way over to the counter.

"So when is the wedding," Chloe asked tying to change the subject. She knew the subject of Lex Luthor was probably one that Pete and Clark would never see eye to eye on..

"Believe it or not, two weeks from Saturday," Clark said. He had been surprised when Cecily had told him the date. He hadn't expected it to be quite that soon but evidently with being told by the doctors not to burden himself with the problems of LuthorCorp, Lionel had plenty of time on his hands to plan the wedding and neither Lex nor Cecily wanted to wait much longer. "Speaking of which, Chloe would you come to the wedding with me. I realize you would have to come back from Metropolis for the day but I would really like you to be there."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather take Lana?" Chloe asked.

"I'm asking you aren't I," Clark told her. He wanted to try and make up for the spring formal when he had ditched her.

"I'd like that," Chloe told him. "I'm sure I can find a way to get back even if it is just for the day."

"Great," Clark said with a smile as Lana came over to take their orders.

The three friends sat their and chatted for the next hour. Clark was the first one to get up to leave having to get out to the farm and do his chores.

"What time are you leaving for Metropolis tomorrow morning Chloe?" Clark asked turning back around midway between the counter and the door.

"Ten o'clock," Chloe told him.

"Okay, I'll come over around nine thirty tomorrow then so I can see you before you go."

"Great!" Chloe said with a little more enthusiasm than she meant to show. Despite the fact that she had told him that she wanted to be just friends she still had feelings for Clark. The fact that he was showing her a little extra attention gave her hope that just maybe things might start to change between the two of them.

Clark turned around to leave and found himself face to face with Lex Luthor.

"Lex," Clark said startled to see him as he hadn't been expecting him to show up. Lex tended to make his appearances at the Talon either earlier in the day or more toward closing time lately.

"Clark, I've been looking for you. I called your house and your Mom said you were here."

"I actually have to be getting home to do my chores," Clark told him wondering what it was Lex had been looking for him for.

"Well, how about I give you a ride home," Lex offered. "There is something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay," Clark said accepting his friend's offer.

The two friends walked out of the Talon side by side. Lex's silver Porsche was parked by the curb out front. Lex unlocked the doors to his car and then tossed the keys in Clark's direction. Clark easily caught them in his hand.

"What's this," Clark asked.

"Car keys. They're normally used to operate a vehicle," Lex said in an amused tone. Clark didn't miss the amused smile on his friend's face either.

"I know that," Clark told him "but your actually going to let me drive your Porsche?" Clark asked still not quite believing it.

"Yeah, why not," Lex said casually as he started for the passenger side door.

Clark looked again at the vehicle. The cars were definitely one thing that he envied. Even Pete had commented one time about how sweet it would be to just test drive the cars that Lex owned.

'I can't wait to tell Pete', Clark thought to himself as he headed for the driver's side. He opened the door and slid in behind the wheel. If he owned a car like this, he wasn't even sure he'd want his own father to be driving it, let alone some sixteen year-old farm kid. As Clark glanced to his right though, Lex didn't seemed to be bothered by it one bit.

Clark carefully pulled the Porsche away from the curb and headed out of town toward the farm. What he really wanted to do was take a long way out to the farm so he could drive the car longer but he didn't. He turned onto the road that was the most direct path out to the farm, staying well within the speed limit.

"Clark I got a favor to ask of you," Lex said as the drove along the back roads outside of Smallville.

"Is that why you let me drive your car," Clark said.

"No of course not," Lex said feigning being hurt by Clark's accusation. "Seriously though Clark, I know things are a little tense out at your place right now, and if you want to say no then I'll completely understand."

"Lex, will you just ask me already," Clark said trying to figure out what his friend was getting at.

"Clark, I wanted to ask you to be my best man. I realize it kind of puts you between your Dad and us again so if you say no I'll completely understand but,"

"I'll do it," Clark said.

"It's just that there is no one else I'd rather have standing up there with me," Lex said not even hearing Clark's answer.

"Lex, I said I'd do it," Clark said again laughing at his friend.

"You did," Lex said sounding a bit surprise. "That's great," he continued a smile coming to his face.

"Man you need to relax," Clark said. The last time he had seen he friend anything but calm and collected was right before the Talon had opened and they had found the hand on the counter that had been left for Lex. "What's up."

"I guess I'm just nervous," Lex admitted. "It's just that I want this so much. I love your sister Clark. When she broke up with me, I thought that was it. I figured I was destined to live my life alone. You don't know how many times I wanted to beg her to take me back but with everything I've done in the past I figured I had no right to do that. Your sister deserves so much better than me but I know I need her in my life."

"Don't go selling yourself short Lex. You're a great guy, and Cecily is lucky to have you."

"To bad your father didn't feel that way."

Clark wanted to say that he would eventually but he didn't believe it himself. He wasn't sure his father would ever change his mind when it came to Lex Luthor.

"You're finally home," Abigail exclaimed as Cecily walked through the door of the apartment the two of them shared. She had just gotten off of work and as she shut the door behind her Cecily slipped out of her dress shoes and pushed them off to the side.

Abigail was sitting at the counter, with a glass of tea in front of her. Cecily got the feeling that her friend had been waiting for her to come through the door.

"Now that's a wonderful welcome to come home to," Cecily commented as she crossed over to the couch and put her briefcase down on it. "Not even a hello how are you. Seems I'm the one who've been here for the last three days without my roommate," Cecily told her.

"Sorry, but I've just been dying to tell you my news," Abigail said standing up from her stool and rushing over to Cecily. "You know how Tad was suppose to go to Europe with his parents for the summer," Abigail said resting her hands on Cecily's arms.

Cecily nodded not quite sure what her friend was so happy about. Tad and Abigail had been dating for the last year and a half. A month ago, Tad had sprung this Europe trip on her and Abigail had been bummed about it. It meant the two of them would have to spend the summer apart.

"Tad talked to his parents and they've agreed to let me come with them. I get to spend the summer with Tad, in Europe," Abigail gushed.

"That's great," Cecily said trying to sound excited about it but not really accomplishing it. She knew Tad and his parents had been planning on leaving a week after graduation which would be a week before her wedding which meant that Abigail wouldn't be at her wedding.

"You don't sound all that happy about it," Abigail said noticing the look on Cecily's face despite the fake smile. "I thought you would be happy for me."

"I am," Cecily told her. "Really I am."

"But," Abigail ventured. "Did something happen in Smallville this weekend? Did you and Lex break up again?"

"No, but we did set a date. It's two weeks from Saturday," Cecily told her.

"That's great," Abigail said and then it started to dawn on her. She would be in Europe by that time. The two of them had always said that they would be at each others wedding but she couldn't be at Cecily's wedding and in Europe with Tad at the same time. "Maybe I can join Tad and his parents after your wedding," Abigail said.

"No, don't even think about it," Cecily told her. "I know how much you and Tad care about each other. The two of you deserve this trip together. Don't let me stand in the way of that. If you didn't go because of me I would never forgive myself."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Cecily told her giving her friend another hug.

Inside though Cecily was crying. First her father had said he wasn't going to her wedding and now her best friend wouldn't be there, standing next to her as she said her vows with the man she loved. But she was going to marry the man she loved. That was the important thing.

"This isn't exactly how I expected graduating college would be," Abigail said as she walked around the couch and sat down. "I guess I thought even after we graduated the two of us would continue to share our lives. We haven't even graduated yet and it seems like we're drifting apart."

"Just because our lives are going to take us in separate directions doesn't mean we're going to drift apart. You're always going to be my best friend," Cecily told her as she came around and sat down on the couch next to Abigail. "Things might not turn out the way we planned but that's okay. We'll stay in touch and when you and Tad get married I'm going to be there."

"Tad hasn't even proposed to me yet," Abigail protested.

"He will eventually, I just feel it. The two of you were meant to be together just like a certain friend of mine said three years ago that I was destined to be with a certain arrogant, rich kid that I had been assigned as a lab partner."

"You two sure didn't make things easy though did you. At times I think you were fighting against fate just to try and prove me wrong."

"No matter how hard we try to fight it though fate always seems to win."

A silence fell over the apartment, each friend loss in their own thoughts.Abigail was just as torn over the turn of events. She so wanted to be at Cecily's wedding but she also didn't want to miss Europe. Part of her secretly hoped that Tad would propose to her sometime during the trip. That maybe that was why he had asked her to come along with him.

"So, did your Dad take the news okay?" Abigail asked her friend to break the silence.

"Hardly. Dinner Friday night ended in an argument and we barely said two words to each other the rest of the weekend."

"But your still going through with it."

"I'd be miserable if I didn't," Cecily told her. "Hopefully, eventually my Dad will come around but as of right now he isn't coming to my graduation let alone the wedding."

"I'm sorry."

"I kind of expected this would happen," Cecily told her. "I've made up my mind though. I want to be with Lex despite all of his faults."

"You're the best thing that ever happened to him," Abigail said. "I hope that guy realizes that."

" I think he does," Cecily said as she thought about what Lex had said to her on the night he had proposed to her.

"Are you nervous?" Abigail asked her friend as she zipped the back of the dress up. The gown was gorgeous. It was a mint green satin the fell to just above the floor. Whoever had altered it had done a great job as it looked like the dress had been made just to fit Cecily.

"Why should I be nervous?" Cecily said as she looked at herself in the mirror on the wall in front of her. "Lex and I are just friends." Even as she said the words though she could feel her cheeks growing warm. Somewhere during the semester of working with Lex on their chemistry assignments, Cecily had developed feelings for her lab partner that went beyond just friendship.

She had kept the feelings to herself though. She didn't see how someone like Lex could possibly fall for her. She had seen the girls he usually dated and she was nothing like them. They were all well built and could easily pass as models. They also didn't have the mental capacities to think on their own.

Although she wasn't ugly, she was far from gorgeous. She was independent as Lex had already seen on their first meeting. She cared about her schoolwork and she wasn't about to change who she was just to have someone like her. Not even Lex. If he didn't like her for who she was then she was just going to have to get over him.

"You can't fool me," Abigail told her as Cecily let her hair fall back down around her shoulders. "I know you like him."

"Maybe I do," Cecily admitted. "But what does it matter. Lex can't possibly feel that way about me."

"Don't sell yourself short," Abigail told her as she sat down on her bed in their room. "He did ask you to this ball tonight didn't he?"

Cecily looked at her friend. Could she possibly be right?

Before either of them could say anything though there was a quick knock on the door and then the door opened. Samantha, one of the other girls in the Delta Sigma Theta sorority who they shared the house with, stuck her head in.

"Your ride is here," Samantha told Cecily. "A limo just pulled up in front of the house."

"What are you guys doing, watching for him."

"But of course. It's not everyday one of our sisters get to go out with a Luthor. Do you realize just how lucky you are," Samantha told her.

Samantha was a native of Metropolis and like most regarded the Luthor family with a sense of awe. Lionel Luthor owned a majority of the buildings in Metropolis and employed many of the cities' citizens. Samantha's father was just one of the many such citizens.

Cecily just shook her head. She never could understand how people could get so wrapped up in names. Put someone up on a pedestal simply because of what family they belonged to. Cecily had a feeling that kind of view came from the time she spent of her Dad's farm.

"How do I look?" Cecily asked Abigail one more time turning to face her.

"You look fine, and remember you and Lex are just friends," Abigail told her with a smile on her face.

Cecily didn't reply to the comment as she headed out the door past Samantha and down the steps. As she reached the bottom of the steps she found the rest of her sorority sisters gathered around the windows on either side of the front door all trying to get a look at the young billionaire who was getting out of the Limo.

Shaking her head, Cecily walked to the front door and opened it. She had no intention of letting Lex near the house to get mob by her sisters. As she stepped out onto the porch, Lex was just reaching the bottom of the steps. Cecily couldn't believe how good he looked in his Tuxedo. She had to tell herself to breath as she stood there looking down at him.

"You look beautiful," Lex told her as he came up the steps to join her on the porch. Cecily could feel her cheeks growing warm again. "Looks like we have an audience," Lex said noticing the flush of her cheeks and the faces in the window of the house.

"Sorry about that," Cecily told him referring to her friends.

"Not a problem," Lex told her. "Shall we go?" he asked holding his arm out to her.

Cecily couldn't say anything as she put her arm through his. It didn't seem real to her. Guys only did things like that in the movies, she thought to herself.

Lex gave a casual wave toward the house and then escorted Cecily down the porch steps and to the waiting limo.