Band of Blue TOCChapter 16Chloe was rushing. She had realised ten minutes ago that she had no food in the house. It was Friday night; BFF; Best Friend Friday, and Clark would be coming over. She’d rented out a movie for them to watch but had nothing for them to snack on while watching it. The nearest open store was, thankfully, only a few minutes’ walk and also well stocked for choice.
Chloe rushed past all the un-needed items until she got to the items she was looking for: Popcorn, potato chips, soda. At the checkout she noticed the news stand. She had her own copy of the Daily Planet at home but seeing it out on the stand reminded her and she smiled, slyly.
I need to make sure I put that out on the table, along with a few other articles that have made the front page over the last week. Walking back to the apartment she was crossing the main road when the grocery bag split.
“Oh, shoot.” Chloe looked from side to side and saw that the road was clear. Bending down she began to pick up the food. As she straightened back up she turned slightly and her eyes widened when she noticed a truck bearing down on her. Her mouth dropped open and she tried to move her legs but suddenly she felt strong arms envelop her. Her hair was blown about her face and she closed her eyes instinctively.
When Chloe opened her eyes she saw that she was safe, in the arms of Superman, on the sidewalk. She looked up into his face and saw her own shock reflected on his face.
Clark had been on his way to Chloe’s when he had seen the truck heading for someone in the road. Thankfully he’d been late and so had flown rather than drove. That had meant he was in his Superman outfit and had been able to affect a rescue immediately. Looking down at the rescued party in his arms he got a massive shock; Chloe.
I think it’s time you switch into SuperClark mode now. She had a shocked look on her face. Was it shock at the near miss, or shock at being rescued by Superman? He placed her on the ground then sped off immediately. Round the corner, in a dark alley, he landed and changed into normal clothes. Feeling like he was hyperventilating Clark muttered to himself. “Oh no, oh no!” He shook his head back and forth vigorously. “Not Chloe, why did it have to be Chloe?”
Clark leant back against the alley wall and closed his eyes. He’d had a flash of something while holding Chloe in his arms. As if she’d said something important to him but she actually hadn’t spoken.
He waited in the alley for at least ten minutes before heading back out to The Talon. Ten minutes of pacing and thinking, his mind wandering between subjects, trying to keep himself from leaving too quickly. He thought about Lois, he imagined her in a beautiful gold dress for the reunion. He thought about his job, he knew he had a calling to Journalism but he accepted another calling as even higher now. But mostly he thought about Chloe and the feel of her in his arms. He knew he’d held her like that before but he also knew that he hadn’t. These dual memories were driving him mad.
Clark tried to focus on the memory, to bring more of the situation to light but the only thing that came attached to the words was a feeling of cold and a bright light. Clark had a real feeling that there was so much more to it than that. He just knew that there was some vital information he was missing linked to the memory.
After the ten minutes had passed he set off, at a walk, to Chloe’s. Hopefully it was enough time to separate Clark from Superman in Chloe’s mind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chloe paced backwards and forwards across the apartment.
Where is he? She stopped and looked at the ‘casually discarded’ Superman articles around the coffee table and her heart beat loudly in her chest. She felt butterflies in her stomach.
Will he comment on them? Will he tell me? There was a knock at the door and she jumped in surprise. Turning round she saw the door open and Clark strolled in casually, like every other Friday evening. But it wasn’t like every other Friday evening any more. Although last Friday had also been strange, she admitted.
“Hi,” she said with a slight tremble in her voice.
“Hey Chloe. How are you?” Clark seemed completely unfazed by the situation.
How can he ignore what happened on the street? “I’m a little in shock,” she admitted.
Pull yourself together Chloe. You need to be in control this evening. You are the one with the secret information. She forcibly pushed away her butterflies and found her inner Dorothy Parker.
“In shock! What happened?” Clark strode up to her and put his hands on her shoulders, genuine concern showing in his voice and eyes.
“Oh nothing really, I guess I’m actually okay. It was just a close call with a truck on the way back from the store ten minutes ago.” Chloe stepped back out of Clark’s touch and casually walked round the coffee table.
“Close call with a truck? Chloe!” Clark was displaying serious concern and completely ignoring the plethora of Superman stories scattered in front of him.
“Clark, I’m fine. I was saved anyway.” She cocked her head to one side and gave a slight smile.
“Saved?” Clark frowned and took a step forwards.
“Yeah.” Chloe dragged out the word. “By Superman.”
“Superman!” Chloe finally noticed a crack in Clark’s voice. She watched as his eyes flicked down and he finally noticed all the articles. “So, you’ve been reading about Superman in the Planet.”
“I have.” Chloe sat herself down on the couch and looked up at Clark. She crossed her legs, put her arms out and rested them on the back of the couch either side of her. The casual pose put her in control of the conversation while Clark looked very tense and uncomfortable stood up. “He’s quite amazing. I wonder where he came from.” She looked him straight in the eyes.
Clark looked away. “It says where he came from in the article.” Looking back at her he then began to move and seated himself at the other end of the couch.
“I mean ... why appear here ... on earth ... and why now?”
“Why are you asking me, Chloe?” Clark’s voice was full of trepidation.
“Because I think you might know the answer.” Chloe shuffled in her seat to face sideways. She put her elbow on the top of the couch and rested her head against her hand. Clark looked at her and she read fear in his eyes.
“Why would I know? I’m not the star reporter who interviewed him. That would be your bossy-boots cousin.”
Bossy-boots? Okay, he obviously isn’t going to tell me. Chloe sighed and stood up. “You want a coffee while we watch the movie, or a soda?
“I’ll have soda,” Clark replied. After a pause he continued. “So what movie did you rent?”
Chloe made sure she was looking at Clark’s face before she replied, a smirk on her face. “Hancock.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois was sat across the table from Superman. He’d asked her out for coffee. She rambled on and on while he patiently listened to her.
“Clark is so annoying. How can he be so nice but so boring? He brings me coffee, even when I haven’t asked, but he takes half an hour over getting it. And why does he wear those glasses. I saw him take them off once and his face was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone more handsome. And what’s with the muscles. I know he grew up on a farm but he’s been out in the real world for years, he can’t still be doing enough manual labour to keep those babies strong.” She paused for a breath and looked across the table. Superman just smiled.
“I think he likes me. But that’s ridiculous. Nobody ever liked me within just a week. I’m an acquired taste. And I don’t like him. Not in that way. How could I ever like a nerdy farm boy from Smallville? I need a city guy, someone with street smarts, someone who knows how to take care of themselves. I need an indestructible hero.” She took a breath. “I need you.” She looked up at Superman but it was no-longer the red and blue superhero sat opposite. It was Clark. Lois woke with a start. Running her hands through her hair she groaned.
Why do I keep comparing them? I even felt so bad because I talked about Superman the whole time I was out with Clark that I dreamt myself into the reverse situation to make it up to Clark. She pushed back her covers and strode into the bathroom. Taking a cup and filling it with cold water she took a drink. She stared at herself in the mirror and asked herself a very difficult question.
“Okay, so why did I look up to see
Clark after saying ‘I need you’?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I bet
you all know the answer to that
...
