Safe and Sound (Part Two)
I kept the dialogue from the first scene the same as in "Thirst." It fit perfectly for what I was going for. Anyway, hope you like this part.
Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen and Epilogue
Safe and Sound (Chapter Three)
Can you not be sad?
Can you not breakdown?
After all, I won’t let go
Until you’re safe and sound
Chloe shifted uncomfortably as she sat in a chair, gazing across the desk at the formidable looking editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, Pauline Kahn.
“Normally I wouldn't waste my time with a college freshman groveling for an internship.”
“Well, thank you, Miss Kahn.” She smiled nervously, watching as the woman shifted her attention to the door.
“Bitterman!”
A tall, lanky guy appeared, looking every bit as nervous as she felt. She couldn’t help but wonder if that was the general feeling with this new chief editor. “Yeah, Chief?”
“Where's that piece on Senator Jennings?” she demanded.
He cast a sidelong glance at Chloe. “Oh, I - I- I'm typing it up.”
She glared at him. “I don't see your fingers moving. Twenty minutes or they'll be twiddling over the want ads!”
Swallowing hard, he nodded quickly and headed for the door one more. “Of course, chief.”
Looking disgusted, Pauline Kahn shook her head and turned her attention back to Chloe. “Where was I?”
“The internship,” she said meekly.
“ Oh, right right right right. You didn't get it.” She smirked a little.
She felt her heart actually stop for a minute. “What? Uh, well, then, why am I here?” She couldn’t help but feel a bit bewildered.
The older woman shrugged, looking smug. “Curiosity. It's the backbone of any decent reporter. Have you got backbone, Sullivan?”
“Yeah, I…”
“You had a column here a couple of years ago, didn't you?” she interrupted Chloe, moving to get a folder from one of her file cabinets.
“When I was in high school,” she said, nodding a little.
“Well, that is quite an accomplishment, to have your own byline when you're practically still in diapers.” Chloe’s eyes narrowed a little as Pauline continued. “I mean, a lot of reporters -- well, real reporters -- work for years struggling before they can get that kind of a chance. I just wanted to meet the kid that could pull that off.”
“Thanks.” Now she was just confused. The woman was complimenting her and turning her down for the internship at the same time?
She smiled. “Oh, well...don't thank me. Thank Lionel Luthor. He's the one who arm-twisted the old chief editor into dropping your juvenile pablum into this paper,” she said with satisfaction.
“I didn't ask Lionel to do that,” Chloe said defensively. This woman had some nerve. She had no idea under what circumstances that Lionel had given her that column, and even Chloe herself didn’t want to think about it. That time in her life had been overtly painful and she’d just as soon forget it than have it thrown in her face by a woman who didn’t even know her.
“Well, you didn't say no, either, did you? Then you must have done something to piss Lionel off because he got you fired. I remember that day. I believe we had cake.” Pauline smirked, leaning back in her chair.
Tensing, Chloe leaned forward. “Miss Kahn, I don't expect to be given a column like last time. I'm willing to start from the bottom and work my way up without any help or arm-twisting. All I want is the opportunity to prove myself. Being a part of this world, working at the Daily Planet, it's -- it's always been my dream,” she admitted, showing more vulnerability than she normally would.
Pauline Kahn leaned forward once more. “Well, we all have to wake up sometime, don't we, Sullivan?” she asked harshly and Chloe flinched involuntarily. Before she even had a chance to protest, Kahn motioned to the door. “I think you can show yourself out.”
Chloe stared at her for a moment, watching as she went back to work, as if she’d forgotten Chloe was still sitting there at all. Then, with all the dignity she could muster, she stood, gathered her things and headed for the door. She just hoped no one would see the tears glimmering in her eyes.
* * *
By the time Chloe made it back to her dorm, she wasn’t in the mood for her afternoon classes, nor was she in the mood to deal with the sight of Clark and Lana snuggled up under Lana’s covers, watching some movie they’d rented. In fact, it was the last thing she wanted to see right then.
Annoyed, she didn’t speak to either of them as she moved over to her bed, dumping the contents of her bag out on the comforter.
As if sensing her mood, Clark sat up. “Chlo? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing at all. What could possibly be wrong?” she retorted, not looking at him.
Clark and Lana exchanged a worried look. Lana stopped the movie and turned off the television, sitting up in bed. “I’m guessing things at the Planet didn’t go so well,” she said softly.
“Give the girl a cookie,” Chloe muttered. She knew she was being mean. That this wasn’t Lana or Clark’s fault, but right then all she wanted was to be left alone and mourn the loss of her dream for awhile.
Frowning, Clark moved to sit down on the edge of her bed. “You didn’t get the internship.”
“I really don’t wanna talk about this,” she said stiffly, sliding her laptop in its case and standing up.
“Chloe, you don’t have to leave,” Lana said, shaking her head. “We were just watching a movie. Why don’t we all go out and get some coffee or something?”
A bitter smile touched her lips. “For once in my life, caffeine’s the last thing on my mind.” She glanced at Lana, saw the very real concern in her friend’s eyes and let out a breath. Just because she was miserable was no reason to take it out on her friends. “Thanks anyway, though. I’m gonna hit the library. I’ll catch you guys later.”
Lana sighed very softly as Chloe headed out the door. She turned to look at Clark, who looked every bit as worried. “Should we follow her?”
He hesitated. “No. I think she really does just need some time to herself right now.”
“I can’t believe she didn’t get the internship.” She frowned.
“I know,” he murmured. “It’s always been her dream to work at the Daily Planet. She’s been talking about it since the day I met her.” He gazed at the door, as if expecting her to return any second.
But he knew as well as Lana did that leaning on people wasn’t really Chloe’s style. She was the one everyone else leaned on, and for the most part, she kept her own problems to herself. It was just who she was.
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Lana asked softly, moving to sit down beside him on the edge of Chloe’s bed, her dark eyes worried.
“It’s Chloe. She’s a fighter. It’ll just take some time.” But Clark wasn’t nearly as convinced as he sounded.
* * *
Instead of going to the library, Chloe found herself standing outside the office of the Metropolis University Daily. She gazed in the small window, watching as students she didn’t know and a few whom she recognized scurried about their jobs, and for a moment she missed the Torch so badly she wished she could go back to high school again.
High school, where she knew what was going on, and knew where she stood with everyone. She had known what her purpose was. And now that purpose had been diminished by one older hateful woman who’d said things about her that she was afraid would linger in her mind permanently. Funny that the bad things always had a way of doing that.
Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard, trying to ignore the urge she had to start crying.
She started when a hand rested on her shoulder, and quickly turned to see Marty standing there, looking concerned.
“Chloe? Are you okay?”
She tried to smile, but didn’t quite manage it. To her horror, a tear streaked down her cheek before she could stop it.
“What happened?” He put an arm around her shoulders and guided her down the hall to an empty bench.
“I didn’t get the internship,” she managed to say.
“Oh.” Looking sad, he remained at her side. “I’ve heard some things about that new editor in chief.”
“Yeah, she’s something,” Chloe said bitterly, wiping at her eyes in embarrassment.
He was silent for a moment. “Well, this is good for me.” Looking up at him in disbelief, she started to reply, but he cut her off. “I needed a new star reporter for the Met U Daily. I hope I’m looking at her.”
She stared at him for a long moment. And then a faint smile touched her lips.