On the Outside, Looking In
By Misha
rated: pg13
Summary: It's not easy to be the outside looking in on what you'll never
have... (Clark/Lana, Clark/Chloe)
Disclaimed- I totally do not own any of the characters of Smallville
(though I wish I owned Lex!), they belong to a lot of people with more
money than me. I am not making any money off using them in this story, so
please don't sue me.

Author's Notes- There's something about Smallville which inspires me to
write angst. This one is a short, angsty Chloe piece. I don't know why, but
I can't even imagine Clark and Chloe together. I mean, Clark and Lex are my
couple of choice, but I can honestly see Clark with Lana, I can't really
see him with Chloe. I just can't. It doesn't work in my mind. But I wanted
to do something with the idea, so, I wrote this. It's just a short piece on
Chloe's feelings for Clark and is set sometime in the future. Well, that's
it, enjoy!

Spoiler- Up to Jitters.
----

"So what's so special about Clark Kent?"

Chloe eyes snapped open at the question. She turned in the direction it
came from and saw on of Lana's friends talking to her beside her locker.

Chloe casually leaned back against her own locker, eager to hear the
answer.

"What do you mean?" Lana asked softly.

The other girl, Chloe thought her name was Hannah, rolled her eyes. "I
mean, he has to be pretty special for you to dump Whitney for him."

Chloe sighed at the reminder.

It had been talk of the school for the last month and a half.

It had started at Lex Luthor's Christmas party. Somehow or another Clark
and Lana managed to end up together under the mistletoe, though Chloe was
positive that the charming host of the evening had had something to do with
it.

Still, whether or not Lex was responsible, it happened. Clark and Lana
kissed.

It was just a quick, simple kiss, yet it was obvious to anyone that it was
more than that. Clark and Lana hadn't been able to keep their eyes off each
other for the rest of the evening, not that that was anything new in
Clark's case, or even in Lana's really.

Though, she hadn't wanted to admit it to herself, Chloe had known for a
while that Clark's feelings were no longer one-sided. She had caught Lana
stealing glances at Clark whenever she thought no one was looking.

Still, Chloe had been able to pretend that it was nothing, after all Lana
was still with Whitney.

And then came the party.

Something changed that evening. Chloe didn't know all the details, didn't
want to know all the details, but she did know that had Lana broken up with
Whitney the next day and that by New Year's Eve, when Clark had a party, a
small one this time, it was obvious that Clark and Lana were an item and
they had been like that ever since.

The worst part was, Clark was so happy. He practically glowed.

It wasn't fair.

Chloe was glad that he was happy, but she wanted to be the one to make him
happy. But she wasn't, instead it was Lana.

Chloe was so caught up in her thoughts, that she almost missed Lana's
answer.

"Clark is special." She said softly, everything about her screaming how
happy she was. Her dark eyes were shining, her expression was soft and
happy, and a gentle smile played at her lips. "He makes me feel loved and
protected. He makes me feel like I'm the only girl in the world for him."

The answer struck at Chloe. She knew that Lana had once told Clark that she
stayed with Whitney because he made her safe. But now, it appeared that
Lana realized that there were important things than that.

Lana's next words seemed to confirm it.

"When I was with Whitney, I felt safe." She said softly. "Too safe. Our
relationship was like a protective cage that kept me from harm, but that
also kept me from the world. With Clark, it's different. Maybe he's not
always there when I want him to be, but even when he's not, I know he cares
about me and I can feel his strength. Clark makes me feel safe to be my own
person, to see what the world offers me without fear. He doesn't protect me
from life, he helps me live it."

Chloe wanted to cry at Lana's words. Cry because Lana was the only girl in
the world for Clark. No one else even existed to him, it was just Lana. It
had always been Lana. And now Lana realized it and appreciated Clark for
the rare gift that he was. Now they were together and Chloe was alone, just
like she had always been.

Chloe missed the rest of whatever Hannah and Lana said, she was so lost in
thought, but she watched as Hannah walked away and Clark joined Lana at her
locker.

Chloe was unable to tear her eyes away from them. She watched Clark wrap
his strong arms around Lana's waist, saw the other girl smile and turn
around so that the two were facing, and she watched as their lips met.

It broke her heart to watch, to see Clark and Lana so much in love, totally
oblivious to her presence.

For the first time, Chloe truly understood what it had been like for Clark
to watch Lana and Whitney together all those times.

But at least in the end, he had gotten the girl. Chloe knew that she would
never get the guy that she wanted. That Clark Kent would never be hers.

After a long moment, she was finally able to tear her gaze away from the
happy couple and closed her locker quickly.

She gathered her books and hurried towards the Torch office, her heart
shattered into a million pieces.

As soon as she was alone, she began to cry.

At that moment, she hated everyone.

She hated Lex for arranging the stupid Christmas party and for doing
everything he could to get Clark and Lana together.

She hated Clark for never noticing her, for always wanting Lana, even when
it seemed like they would never get together.

She hated Lana for being so perfect and for always having Clark's heart,
even when she didn't realize it.

But, mostly, Chloe hated herself for even daring to dream that someday
Clark would get over Lana and fall for her. For believing that just once
things might go right for her.

She should have realized that it never happened like that. She was the best
friend, the girl who faded into the background while the Prince and
Princess lived out the fairy tale, the girl who never got the happily ever
after.

She was always going to be the one on the outside, looking in on what she
could never have.

The End