Title: Suddenly it didn't matter
Author: EmpressV
Rating: PG
E-mail: empressvader01@hotmail.com
homepage: http://dawnzone.crosswinds.net
timeline: Post "Obscura"
Pairing: Lana/Chloe (friendship)
Summary: Chloe drops by to see Lana one night and sees that she's not the
enemy. (Chloe's POV)
Disclaimer: Smallville is produced by Warner Bros. no copyright infringment
intended.


I hate her. So why have I stopped to watch her? Maybe to figure it out,
figure out what it is that gets Clark's so heated when she's around. Sure
he likes me, but she has Clark drooling over her..... But he asked me to
the formal and for a second he looked at me, looked at me like he
wanted...me. And all that's fine and good until we get around her. She is
in every guys dreams, Miss perfect cheerleader, or at least she was. Now
she's a part of the work force. She works hard, she looks tired now, it's
so late, why do I care? She's still here cleaning up at a time I'd usually
be in the Torch office working on my latest story. Are we more alike than
different, more alike then I'd like to see?

No, because the fact is Clark still wants her. If there were no Whitney, if

a relationship with Lana was possible, would he still have asked me, his
quirky buddy, to the Spring formal.

She looks up and sees me standing in the rain and comes and opens the door.

"Chloe," she says in that voice that makes Clark melt. "Come in, you want
some coffee?"

"It's okay, I know you're closed."

"I'm never closed for a friend," Lana said with a smile.

Friend? Is that what she was to Lana. Sure things had changed, but...

"Chloe?" she questioned.

I came in as Lana went to get me a Coffee. It was so hard to refuse her.
She wasn't the stereotypical 'bitchy' cheerleader. She was that girl so
sweet it annoyed you, but at the same time it made it really hard to really

hate her.

"Why were you standing out there?" Lana asked.

"Thinking," I replied.

"About?"

"Clark and me." I saw this look of regret pass over Lana's face. "...and
you." I finished.

"And me? What do I have to do with it?"

"Are you blind? Ever since puberty hit he's been in love with..."

"He told me the story about the first time you kissed him. There was
this....look. I guess he's finally grown up, he wants to be with you."

"There's a way he looks at you that he will never look at me. I want to go
to the Spring Formal with Clark, but I don't want..."

"A broken heart?"

"To be a second choice," I corrected. "To be the other option."

"You're not. Out of all the girls in that entire school, including me,
you're the only one with your head screwed on straight. Guys, they mostly
think with something ... besides there brains."

Chloe giggled, she couldn't believe Lana made her giggle.

"And most of thier attraction is based on that. But you're the kind of girl

that steals thier hearts minds, makes men want to be better." Lana's voice
suddenly lowered. "I know, because you make me want to be better. I admire
you Chloe, I hope you know that."

I was speachless. Had Lana Lang, perfect Lana Lang, just said---

"God, I've made a fool of myself," Lana said turning away. "You don't care.

I'm not going after Clark okay Chloe."

"You really mean that?"

"Yes, Clark and I are just friends."

"No," Chloe said. "Not that. The other part. That you admire me? I didn't
even know you noticed me."

"Of course I--" Lana paused, suddenly embarassed. Embarrassed? Lana Lang?

"This is getting weird, now I really feel silly," Lana said. "You better
go."

"Lana?"

"Just go, go be with Clark, go seek your stories, go become a big time
Metropolis Jounalist. I'll proably still be here that day cleaning tables.
Still be a smalltown girl when you and Clark get married. Still unwed or
wed to a struggling ex-football star when you're winning awards. Still--"

"I doubt your future will be that bad Lana."

"Really? Have you forgotten I'm a cheerleader."

"Ex-cheerleader," I said. "With plenty of time to make up for--"

"Just go," Lana said again.

I looked at her. I knew what it was like to doubt your place in life, to
question your future, everyone proably did. But I never imagined
Lana....but I guess we all have days when life seems to be spiraling
quickly toward the worse possible option. So I hugged her. Hugged because I

thought she needed a friend...Yeah, I guess she is my friend or I wouldn't
care. Lana Lang, my friend...weird. I left Lana to closing up after the hug

without another word said between us. I smiled to myself. Lana admired me?
The girl that Clark use to fall over thought I, Chloe Sullivan, was someone
to model herself after. I guess it was true, the grass always looked
greener on the other side. I didn't know what would happen with Clark,
what being asked to the Spring formal would mean for thier relationship,
and it suddenly didn't matter.


5.18.2002

(Chloe-Lana, Lana -Chloe, who do I love more? I love them both.)