Visiting Smallville: 18a/21
So, here's the first part of Drone. However, I haven't completed the chapter yet so I don't know when the next part will be posted. I'm just having a hard time writing anything...
Drone
Chloe tapped her spoon against the side of her bowl, the chiming sound breaking through the silence surrounding the breakfast table. Dean seemed equally as bothered by the awkward silence and had taken to slurping every spoonful of cereal.
The change in atmosphere at the Sullivan house could be attributed to 2 things. Firstly, Gabe had maintained his annoyance at Chloe’s hunting knowledge for many weeks now and there were no signs that his feelings on the topic were fading. Secondly, since Sam’s discovery that he may have telekinetic powers, he spent too much time thinking and not enough time sleeping and was snapping at anyone who attempted to talk to him.
Chloe stopped the tapping, smiling weakly when Sam looked over at her. The dark circles under his eyes were showing just how tired he was and it was making everyone worried.
Slurp
“Would you stop that?” Sam snarled, watching as Dean lowered the spoon from his mouth. “And doesn’t Chloe have school?”
Dean frowned, opening his mouth to ask if Sam was feeling alright, but Sam grimaced, pushing his food towards the centre of the table and stalking away.
Chloe sighed, standing up. “Come on then, Dean.”
With one final glance after Sam, Dean grabbed his leather jacket and followed her to the Impala. He stared at her for a few seconds.
“He’s just trying to deal.” Dean said weakly.
Chloe nodded. “I just wish he would talk to us.”
Dean frowned. “But just because Sam’s feeling mopey doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with me.”
*
Chloe giggled as Pete flinched away from a bee. Pete scowled at her.
“Hey, it could have stung me!” he protested.
“It wasn’t even near you.” Chloe laughed. “And when is Clark going to get here?”
Pete shrugged, then nudged Chloe as the small, fidgety sophomore, Sasha strode past him. Chloe sighed, readied her camera and then ran after her.
“Hey, Sasha!” Chloe yelled and Sasha stopped, turning round and adjusting her glasses. “Say something presidential.” She laughed as she took a photo.
“Chloe! Slowdown!” Sasha laughed. “The election hasn’t even started yet.”
With that, she turned on her heel and left. Chloe sighed and turned to Pete. “What do you think Sasha’s chances are?”
Pete frowned, considering her question. “Well, she knows the most of our student government, she’s worked her way up, she’s on a ton of committees.” Pete replied, smirking “But she’s more of a worker than a leader.”
Chloe nodded in agreement, scanning the courtyard and spotting another candidate. “What about Paul?”
Pete rolled his eyes. “He’s certainly the most qualified but elections aren’t about merit. They’re about popularity.” He turned a lecherous gaze at a blonde girl surrounded by cheerleaders. “Which brings us to Felice. Head cheerleader and president of the drama club. That definitely gives her an edge, not to mention she’s also really hot.”
Chloe laughed. “Yeah, but her name rhymes with the French word for luggage.”
Pete grinned. “I’m glad to see you’re not looking for reasons to hate her.”
Chloe’s eyes widened as Felice turned and spotted them looking at her. She shrugged away the people surrounding her and strutted over to them. Pete’s grins widened.
“I saw you taking Sasha’s picture. Why haven’t you taken mine?” she asked, her voice shrill. “That qualifies as bias.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow. “For the record, I plan on running photos and bios of all the candidates. Including you, Felice.”
Felice frowned; hand on her hip, not seeing when the final candidate, Paul, joined them. “Hey Chloe.” He greeted and she smiled up at him. “What about the editorial? You can only endorse one candidate. So who’s it going to be?”
Felice smiled smugly. “Who cares? No matter what she says, people are going to vote for me.”
Chloe sighed. “Never underestimate the need for the clinically ambitious to pad their resumes.”
She smirked as Paul chuckled. Felice huffed. “If you want to avoid the pain and humiliation of losing.” She snapped to Paul. “Drop out now.”
Felice stalked away while Paul shot an exasperated look at Chloe and Pete. He waved to Chloe as he turned to follow Felice into the school, leaving Chloe and Pete alone.
Chloe grimaced. “I guess Clark got distracted.”
Pete sighed, but smiled up at Chloe. “So?” he asked. “It was fun, hanging out with just you.” He said, his voice quieting. “We haven’t done that in a while. Not since our friendship groups expanded.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow in question. “Expanded?”
Pete flushed. “Well, Clark’s friends with Lex, Lana and Whitney now. I’ve got the football team and you’ve got the Winchesters.”
Chloe smiled. “Don’t worry.” She murmured. “Sam’s not very sociable at the moment. And I’m just as close to you as I am to Dean.”
Pete grinned, pulling her into a sideways hug. “Even though I don’t see you that often, you’re still my best friend.”
Chloe elbowed him away, smiling. “Come on; let’s go see if Clark’s gone straight to the Torch.”
She didn’t notice how Pete’s smile fell.
*
Although pizza had been ordered in, it was quiet in the Sullivan house. Gabe was helping with a problem at LuthorCorp plant and Sam had not come down. Dean and Chloe were eating in silence.
When Chloe’s phone rang, she eagerly answered it, still chewing. She muttered an incomprehensible ‘hello’ into it before swallowing and nodding as she listened to the other end of the phone.
Dean watched as she stopped lifting food towards her mouth and frowned in concern.
“That’s horrible.” She murmured. “I can’t believe... how many?...I’m going to go see how he is... Bye Clark.”
Pushing her pizza away, she grabbed the key to her Beetle but was stopped by Dean’s hand. She looked up as he shook the Impala keys at her. With a roll of her eyes, she dropped her keys and followed him outside.
She climbed into the front seat and smiled at Dean.
“Where we going?” Dean asked.
“Smallville Medical Centre.” She told him and he frowned.
“What happened?” Dean murmured, concerned.
Chloe frowned. “Paul Chan was stung by a swarm of bees in his own bathroom.”
Dean raised an eyebrow. “That’s not good.”
Chloe rolled her eyes.
*
Pete scanned the first page of the Torch, his eyebrows furrowed with sympathy. He passed the paper back to Chloe with a grimace. “That’s got to be my all time worst nightmare.” Pete said, shivering. “I get stung by one bee; I swell up like a grapefruit, but over a hundred?”
Chloe nodded in agreement, but Clark just frowned. Chloe turned to look at him “Clark, just because you’ve never been stung...”
Clark shot her an exasperated look. “The question is how they got into Paul’s bathroom.” Clark asked.
“The Centre for Environmental Protection is sending out a team from Metropolis to investigate.” Chloe told Clark.
Pete nodded, looking from the article to one of Paul Chan’s posters. He smirked. “Guess that’s really going to shake up our class elections.”
Chloe shrugged. “Not really.” She muttered. “I mean, Paul’s name is still on the ballot. He wouldn’t have to take off until the fall, so he could recover by then.”
Pete chuckled. “Out of sight, out of mind. My call, he gets a few sympathy votes, but that’s about it.”
Clark scowled. “Nice to see the softer side of Pete.”
Pete rolled his eyes, standing up and leaving the Torch. Chloe looked at Clark in amusement, before they both followed him. He was waiting at the end of the corridor, grinning. Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Why are you so happy?” she asked.
Pete gestured round the corner, but held Chloe back when she tried to look round it. Clark just stood behind them with his arms crossed, staring at Pete. “There’s a new candidate on the horizon.” Pete enthused. “And I think he’s really going to make things interesting.”
“Oh yeah?” Chloe asked. “Who’s that?”
Chloe allowed Pete to grab her arm and gently pull her around the corner. Pete dropped her arm, and gestured to the new blue and red banners, each one reading ‘Clark Kent For President’. Chloe’s eyes widened, and she turned to stare at Clark, who was standing behind them, staring at the banners in shock.
“What have you done?” stammered Clark, reaching out and tearing down a nearby poster.
Pete laughed. “I see a big future ahead of you in politics, Clark.” He explained, ignoring how Chloe rolled her eyes. “You’re straight forward. People like you.”
Clark shook his head, stepping back and away from the decorated hallway. “No way.” He spluttered. “Definitely not.”
“Clark, you’ve got the whole package! Looks...” he listed, nudging Chloe who flushed and looked away from Clark. “...brains and that whole farm boy charm. Did I mention the perks of power?”
Clark frowned. “Well, if it’s such a great gig, why didn’t you run?”
“I know my strengths.” Pete shrugged, smiling at his two best friends, who were standing side by side and staring at him incredulously. “I’m more the power behind the throne, the guy behind the guy. The one who makes it all happen.”
Chloe snorted. “Pete Ross, the King Maker.” She teased, beaming from Clark to Pete.
Pete nodded. “Exactly. All you have to do is show up, shake a couple of hands, give an election speech. It’s easy.”
Chloe shook her head in amusement. “And we wonder why our politicians aren’t good leaders.” She drawled.
Pete ignored her, turning away to face the mass of people crowding in the hallway and starting to clap. Chloe and Clark exchanged a confused glance as everyone turned to stare at Pete. “Clark!” Pete cheered. “Clark! Clark!”
To their amazement, the other students in the hallway started to chant along with Pete, and Chloe watched as a smile slowly crossed Clark’s face.
*
Clark was sitting at Chloe’s desk, holding his head in his hands and grimacing. Chloe was patting him on the shoulders.
“I can’t believe Pete did this!” he moaned.
Chloe laughed, her hand still on his shoulder. “I know.” She muttered, starting to lightly massage his shoulder. “Some men are born to greatness, others are dragged into it kicking and screaming.”
Clark chuckled, relaxing slightly and turning to look at her. He was about to say something when a knock on the doorframe pulled their attention. Dean stood in the doorway, his gaze locked on Chloe’s hand.
“I figured that I was allowed to pick you up without bringing Sam.” he watched with a raised eyebrow as Chloe jerked her hand away from Clark at the mention of Sam. Clark scowled. “I thought you would like a lift.”
Clark turned to Chloe. “You didn’t bring your car?” he asked. “I could have driven you back. Dean didn’t need to come all the way here.”
Dean smirked. “I’m glad I came.” he replied. “I never got the impression that you were into politics.”
Chloe nodded but Clark’s frown deepened. “Why not?”
“Didn’t think you’d like everyone to be watching you.” Dean said innocently. “I mean, you don’t want people finding out all your secrets.” Dean grinned when Clark swallowed and stood up, starting to leave the room. Chloe grabbed her bag and began to follow him, Dean next to her. “However, the posters really do add colour to the school. Maybe you need a slogan.”
Clark started to speed up, but drew quickly to a stop when Sasha stepped in front of him. Chloe looked round quickly, unsure where the girl had appeared from.
“Clark, what’s going on?” Sasha snapped, ripping one of the posters from a locker and shoving it up to Clark’s face. “Why are you running? You’ve never shown any interest in student government.”
“Don’t worry.” Clark said kindly, prying the poster out of her hands. “It’s just a gag. Pete nominated me.”
“So, you’re going to take your name off the ballot?” Sasha asked, her tone dropping so it was less shrill. Clark nodded. “Well, good. Because this election is way too important to turn into a joke.” she stated seriously, grimacing. “It’s bad enough with Felice.”
Chloe chuckled, stepping closer as Sasha turned to look at her. Dean grimaced, looking out of place in the colourful halls of Smallville High. Chloe smiled sympathetically at Sasha. “I hear she’s throwing a pre-election bash with a band and catering.”
Sasha inhaled sharply. “She’s trying to buy the election like one of her Prada bags!”
She stomped off, leaving the three of them standing in the corridor. Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Talk about tightly wound.” Clark looked at Chloe, his expression showing he was considering something. “Clark, what is it? We need to go.”
“Chloe.” Clark started. “Not that I’m planning to, but if I ran, do you think I’d have a chance?”
“Yeah.” Chloe nodded, starting to walk away. Clark grinned, but it soon faded when Chloe turned round. “Right after I’m elected head cheerleader.”
Dean snorted, patting Clark on the shoulder before walking out the school.
*
Chloe shut the door behind her, smiling as Sam stirred. He was lying face down on the table and seemed to have managed to get to sleep. Quietly, she crossed the room and spread the articles for the Torch around the table, hoping to come up with a layout for the next day’s issue. A large article about the upcoming election was in the centre.
When Sam snorted, the papers drifted from the table. Chloe groaned, not noticing how Sam raised his head to stare wearily at her. He reached for the large article, reading it quickly. He looked up, seeing Chloe’s hand out and asking for the paper back.
“School election?” he asked, tiredly. “Who’s running?”
Chloe sighed. “Well, the usual. We’ve got Paul Chan, Sasha Woodman and Felice Chandler.”
Sam shrugged. “I’ve never heard of them.”
Chloe grinned. “And Clark.”
“Clark?” Sam repeated. “I can’t imagine Clark running for class president.”
Chloe grinned at the fact that Sam was taking part in a conversation without snapping at her. “No, neither can I. Pete signed him up. I imagine Felice will probably win. She’s the most popular.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but is she the best for the job,”
Chloe shook her head. “I think Paul is. I think Clark could do a good job if he really cared about it, but he’s only doing it because Pete signed up. He’s going to drop from the race, which means he really doesn’t want to do it. If he didn’t mind, he’d stay in the race just so he wouldn’t upset Pete.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “That’s one of his powers, isn’t it? Trying to not to ever upset anyone?”
Chloe sniggered. “One of his powers? What other powers do you think Clark has?”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Well, I doubt he has visions and telekinesis.” he mumbled bitterly.
Chloe grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” she told him. “I think it’s kind of cool.”
“Yeah?” he asked, frowning. “Well, almost every person I’ve met with powers has tried to kill either you or Lana.”
“I guess so.” Chloe pouted, clearly not bothered. “But you would never hurt me or Lana.” Sam stared at her. “And Lana would only have to worry if it was Dean with the powers. I don’t think he’d stop himself from trying to kill her.”
Sam chuckled. “You sure?”
Chloe nodded. “Yep. I think having telekinesis is rather cool.”
*
After dropping Chloe off at home, Dean had driven straight to the Talon. Considering how much the Sullivan’s liked their coffee, it was strange that neither of them could make a decent cup of it. The only problem with the Talon was that Lana Lang was always there.
He stepped into the old theatre and paused, staring at the empty seats filling the café. “You closed?” he asked as Lana appeared from the back room. She started and glanced up at him. “Because it’s really empty.”
Lana frowned. “We’re open. Your usual?”
Dean nodded, slumping into one of the squishy chairs nearest the door. “Then why is it so empty?”
Lana pressed the button on the coffee machine and turned back to look at him. “Everyone’s at the Beanery. At least my best customer hasn’t switched sides.”
Dean smiled, waiting for the coffee to be ready. Lana brought it over and looked like she was about to join him at the table, but a new voice made her straighten up and turn to the door.
“Wow, the place is…” It was Clark Kent, looking round in shock and frowning when he saw Dean and Lana alone in the deserted coffee house.
Dean smirked. “Empty? Deserted? Vacant?”
Clark smiled weakly. “I was looking for a euphemism to say that, but yeah.”
Lana led Clark over to the counter, leaving Dean in peace. Unfortunately, the emptiness of the room allowed Dean to hear every word of their conversation.
“The Beanery has been trying to put us out of business ever since we opened. I have tried coupons, price cuts, even ads in the Ledger.” she moaned. “So far, nothing’s worked. At this rate, we’re going to have to close the doors in a month.”
Dean grimaced. Before the opening of the Talon, the Beanery was his and Sam’s haunt during the day and he would readily admit that the coffee at the Talon was much better, even with Lana controlling the machine.
“Have you spoken to Lex?” Clark asked, eager to help. “He’s an investor. I’m sure he can help.”
Lana sighed. “He’s been uncharacteristically silent. Besides, this is my battle to win or lose, and I am determined to win. Speaking of which, I hear you’ve got a battle of your own on your hands.”
Clark grinned. “The election.” he murmured. “I’m not really running.”
Lana pouted. “That’s too bad.” she muttered, walking round the counter to make a drink for Clark. “I think you’d make a great class president.”
Clark’s eyes widened and he looked down at the brunette. “Really?” he breathed.
Lana glanced back at him, smiling. “Yeah. You’re honest, people trust you, and you have this innate sense of justice. I can see it on your face how upset you get every time you think somebody’s being mistreated.”
Clark smiled softly. “You see all that in me?”
Lana passed him the drink. “Yes, I do.”
Dean rolled his eyes as Clark sat, staring at Lana. He placed money on the table to pay for his drink, before slipping out of the café, ignoring when Lana waved goodbye.
*
Chloe rolled her eyes as she passed yet another poster for Clark on her way to the Torch. Chloe was amazed that the yellow corridors of Smallville High could get any brighter, but the red and blue posters had achieved just that.
The widest part of the corridor was full of booths, each one manned by different representatives. At the moment, Clark was manning his own, handing out posters and badges to anyone who would stop.
Chloe approached him and he looked up with a large grin, silently passing her a badge. She looked at it with a raised eyebrow.
“Clark Kent, man of tomorrow.” she read. “Kind of presumptuous, don’t you think?”
Clark scowled. “I like it.”
Chloe attached the badge to her jacket. “I thought you were bagging this whole election.”
Clark blushed. “I had a change of heart.”
Chloe didn’t hide her curious expression at his new decision, but she followed his stare to Lana Lang, who was rushing towards Clark, dragging Whitney with her. Whitney dropped his arm from around her shoulder, picking up a poster and frowning.
“The man of tomorrow.” Lana muttered, smiling up at Clark. “Very catchy.”
“Thanks.” Clark told her, grinning. “And thank you for the encouragement.”
Lana brushed some hair behind her ear and stared up at Clark. Chloe and Whitney exchanged an exasperated look. “You’ve got my vote.”
Chloe rolled her eyes as Clark smiled. “I was thinking maybe I could have my election rally at the Talon, help bring people by.”
If possible, Lana’s smile widened. “That sounds great. You know where to find me.”
With a grimace, Whitney grasped her hand and started to lead Lana away. She waved to them over her shoulder.
Chloe smirked. “Bye Lana.” she called after the couple before rounding on Clark. “You’re running because of Lana. Why am I not surprised?”
Clark scowled. “No.” he protested. “I’m running because I think I can do a good job.”
Chloe snorted. “All right, Clark. Whatever.”
“Hey! You know, Pete has faith in me and so does Lana.” he glared down at her. “It’s interesting that you don’t.”
Chloe fidgeted with the badge, looking away from Clark. “I just want to know what you stand for.”
Clark frowned. “I stand for truth, justice and…” he stammered. “Other stuff.”
Chloe barked out a laugh. “Okay, well, you want to be more specific? Like, tell me where you stand on the issues?”
Clark swallowed. “Well, what issues do you want to talk about?”
Chloe inhaled, looking at him seriously. “Well, for starters,” she stated, watching as Clark’s eyes widened. “there’s the plan to cut the arts budget, there’s the appalling nutritional value of the cafeteria menu, the whole dress code debate, oh yeah, and not to mention the whole student privacy issues with the locker searches.”
Clark looked at her, then he gulped. “Slow down.” he told her. “I just decided to run last night.”
Chloe grinned up at him, noticing how he relaxed. “Well, I think the man of tomorrow needs a platform for today.”
He tensed again, and she strode off, ignoring the strange look Pete shot her when they passed.
Next Part
Drone
Chloe tapped her spoon against the side of her bowl, the chiming sound breaking through the silence surrounding the breakfast table. Dean seemed equally as bothered by the awkward silence and had taken to slurping every spoonful of cereal.
The change in atmosphere at the Sullivan house could be attributed to 2 things. Firstly, Gabe had maintained his annoyance at Chloe’s hunting knowledge for many weeks now and there were no signs that his feelings on the topic were fading. Secondly, since Sam’s discovery that he may have telekinetic powers, he spent too much time thinking and not enough time sleeping and was snapping at anyone who attempted to talk to him.
Chloe stopped the tapping, smiling weakly when Sam looked over at her. The dark circles under his eyes were showing just how tired he was and it was making everyone worried.
Slurp
“Would you stop that?” Sam snarled, watching as Dean lowered the spoon from his mouth. “And doesn’t Chloe have school?”
Dean frowned, opening his mouth to ask if Sam was feeling alright, but Sam grimaced, pushing his food towards the centre of the table and stalking away.
Chloe sighed, standing up. “Come on then, Dean.”
With one final glance after Sam, Dean grabbed his leather jacket and followed her to the Impala. He stared at her for a few seconds.
“He’s just trying to deal.” Dean said weakly.
Chloe nodded. “I just wish he would talk to us.”
Dean frowned. “But just because Sam’s feeling mopey doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with me.”
*
Chloe giggled as Pete flinched away from a bee. Pete scowled at her.
“Hey, it could have stung me!” he protested.
“It wasn’t even near you.” Chloe laughed. “And when is Clark going to get here?”
Pete shrugged, then nudged Chloe as the small, fidgety sophomore, Sasha strode past him. Chloe sighed, readied her camera and then ran after her.
“Hey, Sasha!” Chloe yelled and Sasha stopped, turning round and adjusting her glasses. “Say something presidential.” She laughed as she took a photo.
“Chloe! Slowdown!” Sasha laughed. “The election hasn’t even started yet.”
With that, she turned on her heel and left. Chloe sighed and turned to Pete. “What do you think Sasha’s chances are?”
Pete frowned, considering her question. “Well, she knows the most of our student government, she’s worked her way up, she’s on a ton of committees.” Pete replied, smirking “But she’s more of a worker than a leader.”
Chloe nodded in agreement, scanning the courtyard and spotting another candidate. “What about Paul?”
Pete rolled his eyes. “He’s certainly the most qualified but elections aren’t about merit. They’re about popularity.” He turned a lecherous gaze at a blonde girl surrounded by cheerleaders. “Which brings us to Felice. Head cheerleader and president of the drama club. That definitely gives her an edge, not to mention she’s also really hot.”
Chloe laughed. “Yeah, but her name rhymes with the French word for luggage.”
Pete grinned. “I’m glad to see you’re not looking for reasons to hate her.”
Chloe’s eyes widened as Felice turned and spotted them looking at her. She shrugged away the people surrounding her and strutted over to them. Pete’s grins widened.
“I saw you taking Sasha’s picture. Why haven’t you taken mine?” she asked, her voice shrill. “That qualifies as bias.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow. “For the record, I plan on running photos and bios of all the candidates. Including you, Felice.”
Felice frowned; hand on her hip, not seeing when the final candidate, Paul, joined them. “Hey Chloe.” He greeted and she smiled up at him. “What about the editorial? You can only endorse one candidate. So who’s it going to be?”
Felice smiled smugly. “Who cares? No matter what she says, people are going to vote for me.”
Chloe sighed. “Never underestimate the need for the clinically ambitious to pad their resumes.”
She smirked as Paul chuckled. Felice huffed. “If you want to avoid the pain and humiliation of losing.” She snapped to Paul. “Drop out now.”
Felice stalked away while Paul shot an exasperated look at Chloe and Pete. He waved to Chloe as he turned to follow Felice into the school, leaving Chloe and Pete alone.
Chloe grimaced. “I guess Clark got distracted.”
Pete sighed, but smiled up at Chloe. “So?” he asked. “It was fun, hanging out with just you.” He said, his voice quieting. “We haven’t done that in a while. Not since our friendship groups expanded.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow in question. “Expanded?”
Pete flushed. “Well, Clark’s friends with Lex, Lana and Whitney now. I’ve got the football team and you’ve got the Winchesters.”
Chloe smiled. “Don’t worry.” She murmured. “Sam’s not very sociable at the moment. And I’m just as close to you as I am to Dean.”
Pete grinned, pulling her into a sideways hug. “Even though I don’t see you that often, you’re still my best friend.”
Chloe elbowed him away, smiling. “Come on; let’s go see if Clark’s gone straight to the Torch.”
She didn’t notice how Pete’s smile fell.
*
Although pizza had been ordered in, it was quiet in the Sullivan house. Gabe was helping with a problem at LuthorCorp plant and Sam had not come down. Dean and Chloe were eating in silence.
When Chloe’s phone rang, she eagerly answered it, still chewing. She muttered an incomprehensible ‘hello’ into it before swallowing and nodding as she listened to the other end of the phone.
Dean watched as she stopped lifting food towards her mouth and frowned in concern.
“That’s horrible.” She murmured. “I can’t believe... how many?...I’m going to go see how he is... Bye Clark.”
Pushing her pizza away, she grabbed the key to her Beetle but was stopped by Dean’s hand. She looked up as he shook the Impala keys at her. With a roll of her eyes, she dropped her keys and followed him outside.
She climbed into the front seat and smiled at Dean.
“Where we going?” Dean asked.
“Smallville Medical Centre.” She told him and he frowned.
“What happened?” Dean murmured, concerned.
Chloe frowned. “Paul Chan was stung by a swarm of bees in his own bathroom.”
Dean raised an eyebrow. “That’s not good.”
Chloe rolled her eyes.
*
Pete scanned the first page of the Torch, his eyebrows furrowed with sympathy. He passed the paper back to Chloe with a grimace. “That’s got to be my all time worst nightmare.” Pete said, shivering. “I get stung by one bee; I swell up like a grapefruit, but over a hundred?”
Chloe nodded in agreement, but Clark just frowned. Chloe turned to look at him “Clark, just because you’ve never been stung...”
Clark shot her an exasperated look. “The question is how they got into Paul’s bathroom.” Clark asked.
“The Centre for Environmental Protection is sending out a team from Metropolis to investigate.” Chloe told Clark.
Pete nodded, looking from the article to one of Paul Chan’s posters. He smirked. “Guess that’s really going to shake up our class elections.”
Chloe shrugged. “Not really.” She muttered. “I mean, Paul’s name is still on the ballot. He wouldn’t have to take off until the fall, so he could recover by then.”
Pete chuckled. “Out of sight, out of mind. My call, he gets a few sympathy votes, but that’s about it.”
Clark scowled. “Nice to see the softer side of Pete.”
Pete rolled his eyes, standing up and leaving the Torch. Chloe looked at Clark in amusement, before they both followed him. He was waiting at the end of the corridor, grinning. Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Why are you so happy?” she asked.
Pete gestured round the corner, but held Chloe back when she tried to look round it. Clark just stood behind them with his arms crossed, staring at Pete. “There’s a new candidate on the horizon.” Pete enthused. “And I think he’s really going to make things interesting.”
“Oh yeah?” Chloe asked. “Who’s that?”
Chloe allowed Pete to grab her arm and gently pull her around the corner. Pete dropped her arm, and gestured to the new blue and red banners, each one reading ‘Clark Kent For President’. Chloe’s eyes widened, and she turned to stare at Clark, who was standing behind them, staring at the banners in shock.
“What have you done?” stammered Clark, reaching out and tearing down a nearby poster.
Pete laughed. “I see a big future ahead of you in politics, Clark.” He explained, ignoring how Chloe rolled her eyes. “You’re straight forward. People like you.”
Clark shook his head, stepping back and away from the decorated hallway. “No way.” He spluttered. “Definitely not.”
“Clark, you’ve got the whole package! Looks...” he listed, nudging Chloe who flushed and looked away from Clark. “...brains and that whole farm boy charm. Did I mention the perks of power?”
Clark frowned. “Well, if it’s such a great gig, why didn’t you run?”
“I know my strengths.” Pete shrugged, smiling at his two best friends, who were standing side by side and staring at him incredulously. “I’m more the power behind the throne, the guy behind the guy. The one who makes it all happen.”
Chloe snorted. “Pete Ross, the King Maker.” She teased, beaming from Clark to Pete.
Pete nodded. “Exactly. All you have to do is show up, shake a couple of hands, give an election speech. It’s easy.”
Chloe shook her head in amusement. “And we wonder why our politicians aren’t good leaders.” She drawled.
Pete ignored her, turning away to face the mass of people crowding in the hallway and starting to clap. Chloe and Clark exchanged a confused glance as everyone turned to stare at Pete. “Clark!” Pete cheered. “Clark! Clark!”
To their amazement, the other students in the hallway started to chant along with Pete, and Chloe watched as a smile slowly crossed Clark’s face.
*
Clark was sitting at Chloe’s desk, holding his head in his hands and grimacing. Chloe was patting him on the shoulders.
“I can’t believe Pete did this!” he moaned.
Chloe laughed, her hand still on his shoulder. “I know.” She muttered, starting to lightly massage his shoulder. “Some men are born to greatness, others are dragged into it kicking and screaming.”
Clark chuckled, relaxing slightly and turning to look at her. He was about to say something when a knock on the doorframe pulled their attention. Dean stood in the doorway, his gaze locked on Chloe’s hand.
“I figured that I was allowed to pick you up without bringing Sam.” he watched with a raised eyebrow as Chloe jerked her hand away from Clark at the mention of Sam. Clark scowled. “I thought you would like a lift.”
Clark turned to Chloe. “You didn’t bring your car?” he asked. “I could have driven you back. Dean didn’t need to come all the way here.”
Dean smirked. “I’m glad I came.” he replied. “I never got the impression that you were into politics.”
Chloe nodded but Clark’s frown deepened. “Why not?”
“Didn’t think you’d like everyone to be watching you.” Dean said innocently. “I mean, you don’t want people finding out all your secrets.” Dean grinned when Clark swallowed and stood up, starting to leave the room. Chloe grabbed her bag and began to follow him, Dean next to her. “However, the posters really do add colour to the school. Maybe you need a slogan.”
Clark started to speed up, but drew quickly to a stop when Sasha stepped in front of him. Chloe looked round quickly, unsure where the girl had appeared from.
“Clark, what’s going on?” Sasha snapped, ripping one of the posters from a locker and shoving it up to Clark’s face. “Why are you running? You’ve never shown any interest in student government.”
“Don’t worry.” Clark said kindly, prying the poster out of her hands. “It’s just a gag. Pete nominated me.”
“So, you’re going to take your name off the ballot?” Sasha asked, her tone dropping so it was less shrill. Clark nodded. “Well, good. Because this election is way too important to turn into a joke.” she stated seriously, grimacing. “It’s bad enough with Felice.”
Chloe chuckled, stepping closer as Sasha turned to look at her. Dean grimaced, looking out of place in the colourful halls of Smallville High. Chloe smiled sympathetically at Sasha. “I hear she’s throwing a pre-election bash with a band and catering.”
Sasha inhaled sharply. “She’s trying to buy the election like one of her Prada bags!”
She stomped off, leaving the three of them standing in the corridor. Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Talk about tightly wound.” Clark looked at Chloe, his expression showing he was considering something. “Clark, what is it? We need to go.”
“Chloe.” Clark started. “Not that I’m planning to, but if I ran, do you think I’d have a chance?”
“Yeah.” Chloe nodded, starting to walk away. Clark grinned, but it soon faded when Chloe turned round. “Right after I’m elected head cheerleader.”
Dean snorted, patting Clark on the shoulder before walking out the school.
*
Chloe shut the door behind her, smiling as Sam stirred. He was lying face down on the table and seemed to have managed to get to sleep. Quietly, she crossed the room and spread the articles for the Torch around the table, hoping to come up with a layout for the next day’s issue. A large article about the upcoming election was in the centre.
When Sam snorted, the papers drifted from the table. Chloe groaned, not noticing how Sam raised his head to stare wearily at her. He reached for the large article, reading it quickly. He looked up, seeing Chloe’s hand out and asking for the paper back.
“School election?” he asked, tiredly. “Who’s running?”
Chloe sighed. “Well, the usual. We’ve got Paul Chan, Sasha Woodman and Felice Chandler.”
Sam shrugged. “I’ve never heard of them.”
Chloe grinned. “And Clark.”
“Clark?” Sam repeated. “I can’t imagine Clark running for class president.”
Chloe grinned at the fact that Sam was taking part in a conversation without snapping at her. “No, neither can I. Pete signed him up. I imagine Felice will probably win. She’s the most popular.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but is she the best for the job,”
Chloe shook her head. “I think Paul is. I think Clark could do a good job if he really cared about it, but he’s only doing it because Pete signed up. He’s going to drop from the race, which means he really doesn’t want to do it. If he didn’t mind, he’d stay in the race just so he wouldn’t upset Pete.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “That’s one of his powers, isn’t it? Trying to not to ever upset anyone?”
Chloe sniggered. “One of his powers? What other powers do you think Clark has?”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Well, I doubt he has visions and telekinesis.” he mumbled bitterly.
Chloe grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” she told him. “I think it’s kind of cool.”
“Yeah?” he asked, frowning. “Well, almost every person I’ve met with powers has tried to kill either you or Lana.”
“I guess so.” Chloe pouted, clearly not bothered. “But you would never hurt me or Lana.” Sam stared at her. “And Lana would only have to worry if it was Dean with the powers. I don’t think he’d stop himself from trying to kill her.”
Sam chuckled. “You sure?”
Chloe nodded. “Yep. I think having telekinesis is rather cool.”
*
After dropping Chloe off at home, Dean had driven straight to the Talon. Considering how much the Sullivan’s liked their coffee, it was strange that neither of them could make a decent cup of it. The only problem with the Talon was that Lana Lang was always there.
He stepped into the old theatre and paused, staring at the empty seats filling the café. “You closed?” he asked as Lana appeared from the back room. She started and glanced up at him. “Because it’s really empty.”
Lana frowned. “We’re open. Your usual?”
Dean nodded, slumping into one of the squishy chairs nearest the door. “Then why is it so empty?”
Lana pressed the button on the coffee machine and turned back to look at him. “Everyone’s at the Beanery. At least my best customer hasn’t switched sides.”
Dean smiled, waiting for the coffee to be ready. Lana brought it over and looked like she was about to join him at the table, but a new voice made her straighten up and turn to the door.
“Wow, the place is…” It was Clark Kent, looking round in shock and frowning when he saw Dean and Lana alone in the deserted coffee house.
Dean smirked. “Empty? Deserted? Vacant?”
Clark smiled weakly. “I was looking for a euphemism to say that, but yeah.”
Lana led Clark over to the counter, leaving Dean in peace. Unfortunately, the emptiness of the room allowed Dean to hear every word of their conversation.
“The Beanery has been trying to put us out of business ever since we opened. I have tried coupons, price cuts, even ads in the Ledger.” she moaned. “So far, nothing’s worked. At this rate, we’re going to have to close the doors in a month.”
Dean grimaced. Before the opening of the Talon, the Beanery was his and Sam’s haunt during the day and he would readily admit that the coffee at the Talon was much better, even with Lana controlling the machine.
“Have you spoken to Lex?” Clark asked, eager to help. “He’s an investor. I’m sure he can help.”
Lana sighed. “He’s been uncharacteristically silent. Besides, this is my battle to win or lose, and I am determined to win. Speaking of which, I hear you’ve got a battle of your own on your hands.”
Clark grinned. “The election.” he murmured. “I’m not really running.”
Lana pouted. “That’s too bad.” she muttered, walking round the counter to make a drink for Clark. “I think you’d make a great class president.”
Clark’s eyes widened and he looked down at the brunette. “Really?” he breathed.
Lana glanced back at him, smiling. “Yeah. You’re honest, people trust you, and you have this innate sense of justice. I can see it on your face how upset you get every time you think somebody’s being mistreated.”
Clark smiled softly. “You see all that in me?”
Lana passed him the drink. “Yes, I do.”
Dean rolled his eyes as Clark sat, staring at Lana. He placed money on the table to pay for his drink, before slipping out of the café, ignoring when Lana waved goodbye.
*
Chloe rolled her eyes as she passed yet another poster for Clark on her way to the Torch. Chloe was amazed that the yellow corridors of Smallville High could get any brighter, but the red and blue posters had achieved just that.
The widest part of the corridor was full of booths, each one manned by different representatives. At the moment, Clark was manning his own, handing out posters and badges to anyone who would stop.
Chloe approached him and he looked up with a large grin, silently passing her a badge. She looked at it with a raised eyebrow.
“Clark Kent, man of tomorrow.” she read. “Kind of presumptuous, don’t you think?”
Clark scowled. “I like it.”
Chloe attached the badge to her jacket. “I thought you were bagging this whole election.”
Clark blushed. “I had a change of heart.”
Chloe didn’t hide her curious expression at his new decision, but she followed his stare to Lana Lang, who was rushing towards Clark, dragging Whitney with her. Whitney dropped his arm from around her shoulder, picking up a poster and frowning.
“The man of tomorrow.” Lana muttered, smiling up at Clark. “Very catchy.”
“Thanks.” Clark told her, grinning. “And thank you for the encouragement.”
Lana brushed some hair behind her ear and stared up at Clark. Chloe and Whitney exchanged an exasperated look. “You’ve got my vote.”
Chloe rolled her eyes as Clark smiled. “I was thinking maybe I could have my election rally at the Talon, help bring people by.”
If possible, Lana’s smile widened. “That sounds great. You know where to find me.”
With a grimace, Whitney grasped her hand and started to lead Lana away. She waved to them over her shoulder.
Chloe smirked. “Bye Lana.” she called after the couple before rounding on Clark. “You’re running because of Lana. Why am I not surprised?”
Clark scowled. “No.” he protested. “I’m running because I think I can do a good job.”
Chloe snorted. “All right, Clark. Whatever.”
“Hey! You know, Pete has faith in me and so does Lana.” he glared down at her. “It’s interesting that you don’t.”
Chloe fidgeted with the badge, looking away from Clark. “I just want to know what you stand for.”
Clark frowned. “I stand for truth, justice and…” he stammered. “Other stuff.”
Chloe barked out a laugh. “Okay, well, you want to be more specific? Like, tell me where you stand on the issues?”
Clark swallowed. “Well, what issues do you want to talk about?”
Chloe inhaled, looking at him seriously. “Well, for starters,” she stated, watching as Clark’s eyes widened. “there’s the plan to cut the arts budget, there’s the appalling nutritional value of the cafeteria menu, the whole dress code debate, oh yeah, and not to mention the whole student privacy issues with the locker searches.”
Clark looked at her, then he gulped. “Slow down.” he told her. “I just decided to run last night.”
Chloe grinned up at him, noticing how he relaxed. “Well, I think the man of tomorrow needs a platform for today.”
He tensed again, and she strode off, ignoring the strange look Pete shot her when they passed.
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