chloe’s heart

Chloe had barely taken a step when she felt it. The whisper of a breeze that brushed against her leg, making her dress rustle slightly, accompanied by the sudden sense of loneliness.

It hurt.

She scanned the crowded gym, spotting Pete with his date standing near the refreshment table. Clark, however, was nowhere to be seen.

He had ditched her for Lana. Again. She let out a heavy sigh and fought the tears that welled up in her eyes. She would not cry, not here.

She placed her hands on either side of her face, narrowing her view of the room, and shielding herself from being seen by others. Her tears were hot and would fall at any second. She turned and hurried for the door, her heeled shoes clicking on the hardwood floor.

“Chloe, whoa, what’s up? Where’s Clark?” Pete asked, catching her elbow as she passed.

“Um, I don’t know. I think he, um, I think he left,” she stammered. She forced a smile, a tear sliding down her cheek. She swiped at it angrily. “I’ve really gotta go to the bathroom. Bye.”

She bolted from the gym, trying hard to ignore the frown on Pete’s face. She ran past the bathroom, where girls were emerging after fixing their hair and applying fresh lipstick.

She went to her haven, the Torch office. Inside, she flipped on the lamp on her desk and collapsed into her chair. Only then, did she allow herself to cry.

She couldn’t understand it. Why did she continue to let him hurt her like this? Whenever she would bare her heart, just a little, he took it and stepped all over it. Tonight was supposed to be perfect. Finally, she and Clark were exploring their feelings. Well, okay. He was the one exploring. She already knew exactly how she felt about him. She’d been in love with him from the first day she met him. Even though they were just kids, she felt a strong attraction to him that just grew with each passing day.

But for some reason, he was completely enamored with the girl he could never have. Lana Lang was the picture of perfection at Smallville High, a picture that Chloe could never live up to, and didn’t really want to in the first place. There was still a tiny part of her that had dreamed of Clark loving her, even with her faults.

The storm raged outside, the wind whipping against the windows, causing them to rattle. It was nothing compared to the turmoil that raged inside her own heart.

She cradled her head in her arms, resting on her desk. When she finally stopped crying, she continued to lay there until she fell asleep.

She woke up to the sound of people moving around in the hallway. With a tissue, she wiped at her eyes, not surprised when the tissue came back streaked with mascara and eyeliner. She turned off the lamp and moved towards the door.

Everyone was leaving. The dance was over, and it was safe to go home. Chloe waited until the hallway cleared before she stepped out of the Torch office. Then she hurried to her car and sped home as fast as she could, given the conditions of the roads. Fallen tree branches lay scattered across the pavement. Here and there, a damaged home, the occupants staring in wonder.

She got home to find her father walking around their house, which had escaped from the storm untouched.

“Chloe!” he cried, running to her and hugging her. “I was so worried. Where’s Clark?”

Chloe flinched at the name. “He’s out saving people. I’m fine, Dad. What about you?”

“I’m okay. Come on inside. You change clothes and rest. I’m going into town to see if they need help.”

In her room, Chloe took off her dress, rolled it into a ball and threw it in her closet. She put on comfy sweats and warm socks, then scrubbed her face clean of all her makeup. Looking into the mirror, she saw her hair was still perfectly intact. Fifty dollars and two hours at the hair salon. She should have been thrilled that it was still holding.

One by one, she removed the pins, leaving them in a pile on the bathroom counter. Then she dipped her head under the sink and let the water wash away all the gel and hairspray.

She had always taken care of herself, always put herself first. When had this changed? When had she let herself be open enough to be hurt?

She shook her head, water spraying the mirror. It didn’t matter. From now on, she would worry about her own well being and leave the protective walls up aroundher heart.

Too bad Clark already held a piece of it.

~end