Poetry in Motion
            by Nymph Du Pave

            Chapter Ten: The Poem

            Chloe had never, in her whole life, seen such a sweet thing go all to hell.

            Pete stood up sharply, the Talon's chair falling behind him.  She saw Clark's head whip from Lex's getaway exit to Pete.

            "And you knew."

            Chloe looked back to Pete.  "What?  Pete, I-"

            "I saw the encouraging smiles, the winks, the little looks in Lex's direction.  Jesus, Chloe, am I the last here to know?"

            "I didn't even-"

            Pete looked between her and Clark.  "Thanks guys.  Thanks for including me in your life.  Thanks for really understanding what the term 'best friends' means."
 
            Clark started down the steps.  "It wasn't Chloe's fault, Pete.  She tried-"

            "You thought I was going to hate you, or be weird around you, right?"  Chloe saw the tears well up in Pete's eyes and she got a sudden flashback to the night he became intoxicated with the Nicodemus plant.  "Just because I'm a guy, a guy who loves girls, that must mean I wouldn't understand that some people are born with different interests."
 
            "Pete, I-" she started.

            "Nevermind," he said, the tears starting to fall.  "It's not like people don't see things and guess for themselves, and pray every time they see you that you'll finally deem them worthy of the truth, Clark.  It's not like people can't guess on their own."

            "Pete," Chloe broke in.  "Clark was just worried that-"

            "Why don't you tell him about your entire meteor theory, Chloe," Pete cut in.  "Since we're having the 'secrets we don't want to come out' discussion."

            Oh, God!  He wouldn't!

            "Pete!"

            "Tell him what you really think happened with his adoption papers, Chloe. Or better yet, tell him what you did with them."

            Oh, fuck.

            "I should have known better than to trust you the instant I came across that shit."

            Pete stormed out of the Talon.

            "What the hell was he talking about?!"  Chloe turned back to see tears in Clark's eyes now as well.  "What did you do with my adoption papers?"

            "I- Uh, Clark-"

            The anger on his face, the betrayal went well with the tears coursing down his cheeks.  "I thought you got rid of them, Chloe," he said, and his heartbroken whisper tore her in two.  "I thought you 'mentally nullified their existance'."  Him throwing her words back at her…

            She couldn't handle this.

            Clark started for the backroom exit.

            "Clark!"

            She got up and ran, trying to catch up with him.  When she threw open the door, he was no longer there.

            Clark, she thought.  If only you knew that it was things like that that gets people like me suspicious.

            She suspected Clark had superspeed and superstrength, some other physical mutations from being exposed as a baby to the meteors. If only he'd tell the truth.
 
            She walked back into the Talon, retrieved her stuff and left, all the while trying to ignore the curious stares from the patrons in the Talon.

            It took about a minute and a half for her to realize the shit she'd just been thrown into.  She'd lost Clark and Pete- who'd become her Pete just a half hour earlier- in less than twenty seconds.  All because of dishonesty.

            She ran back to the Talon, spotting a trash can in the alleyway next to it and relieved herself of two café lattes and a complementary croissant. She'd never felt so sick, so nauseous in her entire life.

            She stepped back and before she had time to even think to herself a piece of paper on the ground caught her attention.  In most alleyways in the city, there were dozens and dozens, all different colors, all different shapes.  But this was Smallville, and Smallville was a clean place, Lana a clean girl and therefore the Talon was usually immaculate.

            The fact that it was the only piece of paper on the ground and that it was lavender stood out.  Chloe bent down to pick it up.  It was folded four times into a pocket-sized square and she opened it, gasping at what she saw.

 
            By Your Side
            by Alexander J. Luthor
 

            When the darkness reigns supreme,
            and no one's taking numbers,
            I'll be there to guard your back.
            I'll be the one to take your side.

            In my dreams we're together
            holding limbs in a light mist
            Everyone around us will pale
            in comparison to the strength

            that we hold in our hearts
            that we hold in our minds
            that we have for each other
            Tell me my dreams can be real.

            No one could find
            more devoted lovers
            domination from the underlords
            couldn't tear us apart

            You, my angel, stand silently
            keeping vigil over us
            head bowed in light prayer
            on and on you protect what we cherish most

            When the darkness reigns supreme,
            and no one's taking numbers,
            I'll be there to guard your back.
            I'll be the one to take your side.

            Archangel of my dreams
            Cherub that keeps me here
            Awake me from the nightmare
            Reach out and pull me in

            I know the color of your eyes
            So bright and tangible
            I see myself, my other me
            inside your emerald protection

            In my life the lightning flashes
            and the horrible thunder screams
            I can't see you there
            but I feel your saintly presence

            You're the sun when it pours
            and sane when it's rough
            I've lost all faith in ideals
            But you bring back such hope

            Walking the streets at night
            Alone, under a cloak of normal
            I cry all over again
            The sound of my feet the only solace

            The words to my questions
            you'll never be able to give
            when you look my way, love
            ignore the stains of my tears

            When the darkness reigns supreme,
            and no one's taking numbers,
            I'll be there to guard your back.
            I'll be the one to take your side.

            But you've got your own heart to follow
            your own soul to express
            find your other half, my love
            I'll salute your deserved delight

            Alone in a world that seems so weary
            it's tired of my survival here
            no funny valentine by my side
            just a lonely heart with no tears to cry

            When the darkness reigns supreme,
            and no one's taking numbers,
            I'll always guard your back.
            I'll always take your side.
 

            She had to find Clark and mend things.  This was a way to start.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

            The End