Thursday, June 14, 2007

Before He Cheats

Lana, offscreen Chlark
Season 7
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: These characters belong to the CW and DC Comics, not to me.

I dug my key into the side
Of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights
Slashed a hole in all four tires...
Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats
-Carrie Underwood, "Before He Cheats"

Clark's gleaming new truck sat on the curb in front of the Talon, glistening dark red in the amber glow of the streetlight. His family had never had a lot of money, and he'd driven old, beatup trucks for a very long time.

Lana knew that he took an inordinate amount of pride in this truck. He'd bought it with his own money, and he was working impossible hours in the Daily Planet file room around his college classes, and scrimping like crazy to make the payments.

And the irony was that he didn't even need a truck. He was capable of running at warp speed, or something close to it. To paraphrase Gloria Steinem, a superpowered alien needed a truck like a fish needed a bicycle.

But he loved that truck.

She glared at the truck a moment longer, then fished her keys out of her pocket. She stood there a moment longer, hesitating. Remembering.

She couldn't get the images out of her head. She remembered seeing Clark and Chloe locked together in an embrace, one of his hands up under her shirt, his mouth pressed to hers. They'd been in Clark's dorm room at Kansas A&M, and they'd been so... so involved they hadn't even noticed when she pushed the door open.

And since Clark had superhearing, and could hear a pin drop from ten miles away, that told her clearly how very wrapped up in Chloe he'd been.

Anger flamed through her, and her hand jerked up of its own accord. The key slashed a long line in the pickup's paint.

I gave up everything for him, she thought angrily, digging the key in a little harder, walking toward the back of the truck while the key scraped along the truck's side. He said he loved me. He wanted to marry me.

I gave up Lex, money, power... all for him.

She stalked around the truck, scratching a nice deep line down both sides, as well as the back and hood. And remembering.

She couldn't forget the way his big hand had moved up to cup the side of Chloe's face, gentle and possessive, cradling her like she was terribly important to him. She remembered seeing Chloe move closer to him, sliding into his lap and straddling his thighs. They'd both been wearing all their clothes, but their bodies had started to move together in an unmistakable way.

And Lana had realized with a terrible feeling of betrayal that they wouldn't be wearing clothes much longer.

Bastard. She looked around, desperate to do more damage to his shiny red truck. Because damn it, he deserved it.

She didn't see a conveniently placed brick, but she remembered the old Louisville Slugger in her trunk, which Chloe insisted she carry as protection. Chloe had wanted her to carry a Taser, but Lana hadn't felt comfortable with that. But she'd been warmed that Chloe worried about her that much, and grateful that Chloe was such a good friend.

Which was awfully ironic, considering Chloe no longer seemed like such a terrific friend. Chloe clearly hadn't wasted one second worrying about her before sticking her tongue down Clark's throat.

Lana popped her trunk open, grabbed her bat, and stalked back to the truck. The bat slammed into one of the headlights. Glass shattered with a satisfying crash, and she spun around, holding the bat aloft, and smashed it into the other headlight, too.

She lifted the bat and stood shaking, gasping for breath, blinking against the tears that burned her lids. The truth was, she wasn't sure if she was angrier with Clark and Chloe, or herself. Because she'd known better.

Somewhere deep inside, she'd always known this would happen someday.

She'd never dared let herself commit to Clark, because she'd always had the terrible fear that Chloe meant more to him than she herself did. Yes, he claimed to love her-- but she couldn't fail to notice that in any sort of trouble, it was Chloe he turned to. When he was lonely or depressed or just plain bored, it was Chloe he called.

And it had always been that way. Even back when they'd been dating, she'd felt like she was an afterthought, an interloper, a third wheel, whenever Chloe was in the room. Clark hardly talked to her if Chloe was around. He didn't even look at her.

He was too busy looking at Chloe.

She vividly remembered a Christmas Eve she'd spent at his parents' house, back before the Kent farm had been leased out to strangers. She'd helped the Kents out by serving drinks, while Clark and Chloe had huddled together in the corner, whispering intently about something or other.

She remembered glancing at them with a twinge of dismay and thinking, They're practically in each other's laps.

She'd had that same thought, over and over again, in the intervening years. So tonight it shouldn't have come as such a big shock to her to find Chloe quite literally in Clark's lap.

But it had been a shock. Because even though on some level she'd known she was losing Clark to Chloe, that he'd never love her the way he loved Chloe, she'd been certain he'd break up with her before he made any sort of move on Chloe.

Instead, he was cheating on her. Before tonight, she never would have believed he'd cheat on her. But in the time it had taken her to drive across town, Clark and Chloe had almost certainly made love. She imagined them sprawled in Clark's bed in a warm tangle of limbs and sheets, sweaty and panting and satiated, and fury exploded in her chest.

She flung the bat aside and yanked the driver's door open. Smallville was still a small enough town that people tended not to lock their doors, and since Clark had been raised on a farm, he tended to be really bad about it. She'd nagged him about it for years. But tonight she was really glad he never remembered to lock his doors.

She pulled out her keys again, and started carving her name into the leather seats.

Somewhere deep inside, she recognized that what Clark was doing with Chloe really wasn't all that different from what she'd done with Clark when she was supposed to be engaged to Lex. She'd kissed Clark quite readily, despite her supposed engagement, and she would have gone further, a lot further, if he'd been willing.

The painful truth was that she would have cheated on Lex in a heartbeat. She'd enjoyed the taste she'd had of money and power-- but she didn't love Lex, and she hadn't cared much whether her actions hurt him or not.

And maybe that was what was driving her outrage-- the knowledge that in a way, she deserved this. She'd earned it.

As Chloe was fond of saying, karma was a bitch.

Even so, it wasn't an easy thing to lose the guy she loved, especially to a woman who'd been her best friend for years. Especially when Lana had always been afraid to commit to him, almost certain that his heart was elsewhere. And now he'd confirmed her worst fears.

Clark loved Chloe. He'd always loved Chloe. On some level, Chloe meant far more to him than she herself did.

And deep down, she'd always known it.

She remembered the sight of them moving together, eyes closed, mouths fused together, totally and completely focused on each other. Anguish sliced through her, cutting into her heart more deeply than she'd ever thought possible. Shoulders squared, she strode back to her own little SUV and dug in the console for the pocket knife she kept there.

Clark's tires were next, damn it. She was going to cut them into ribbons, the same way he'd cut up her heart.

And then she was going to walk away from him, and never, ever look back. She hoped.

Oh, God, she hoped.

-The End-

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love the song, and (Surprisingly) This story made me feel SORRY for Lana. Wow! Thats a first...

Anonymous said...

Ok..I'm not one for cheating at all...but...

MWAHAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!MWAAMWAAHHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

*phew*. Now that I got that laugh off my chest....I love that song!

As for being sorry for Lana?...well, I don't want to be... (My Chlarky heart rejects sorrow for Lana Lang :) )...but cheating is bad for anyone..so maybe i'll spend the next 5 seconds being sorry: 1...2...3...4..5..

OK! Time's up!

:) meg

Mary Sullivan said...

I loved it and yes, i felt sorry for her.

Anonymous said...

loved it , love the song , love how you got chloe and clark toghther . and made it so lana felt how she made clark feel all those times she made him the middle man in between her other guys . great job.

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

You're right -- I'm disappointing in Chlark for cheeding and stuff, but it was interesting to see this from Lana's VP. Wonder which of your red hot chlark stories she was witnessing.... :)

Meg said...

"Wonder which of your red hot chlark stories she was witnessing.... :)"

I intended to tie this into some particular story, but since Clark had a new truck it had to be set in the future. So I don't think it's any specific story... yet:-).

AqGalaxy said...

You know what is really sad Elly, I know your intention was to have the reader feel sorry for Lana, but I feel more sorry for Clark, I mean Lana destroyed his truck, and it's sad...

Poor truck... maybe it's because I bought a car with my own money and only to end up getting into a car crash.... long story but it hurts to know something you worked hard for only.... NOPE I don't feel bad for Lana at all.

Anonymous said...

oh man, this story was great! I loved the idea of Lana walking in on then *sigh* If only that would actually happen ._o lmao

Anonymous said...

Huh. Well, I think I'm dead inside where Lana is concerned cuz I didn't feel one iota of pity for her. Nothing. Zip. Nada.

I think the initial shock set in when I saw her face gracing your blog *shudders* followed quickly by general numbness! Sorry, but I couldn't generate the least bit of empathy or sympathy for Lana. Not a drop. Just goes to show how severely the Goughlar has ruined this character for me; because I really have a hard time with cheating and/or adultery in any way. Where SV is concerned, I guess my Chlark blinders are pretty darn indestructable!

Anonymous said...

"I intended to tie this into some particular story, but since Clark had a new truck it had to be set in the future."

Oh, good. As I was reading this I was hoping it was the first part in a series where we get to see all the characters' different perspectives. I'm very intrigued to find out what would make Clark and Chloe betray someone they have always been so loyal to. Looking forward to reading where you go with this.

Pixie said...

Wow. People really don't like Lana. But I can't say much, because I'm smug and laughing at her myself. Because she's a lying, cheating, manipulative cow most of the time anyway.

...And I don't save much love for Kristin either. She's got scary pointy vampire teeth...and she's a clearasil model. Says it all.

Keep writing Elly, you rock!

Holly-Marie a.k.a Pixie.

Anonymous said...

Can't feel sorry for Lana: not when she's thinking she left Lex for Clark. She left Lex because she finally saw what an unmitigated SOB he is. But typical of Lana to wind up blaming Clark for her own actions.

Anonymous said...

I'm in the same boat as AqGalaxy. I couldn't help but to feel bad that Lana was messing up Clark's car, while not feeling sorry for Lana's situation. lol. I just can't stand Lana!

Anonymous said...

HA! I heard that song for the first time at the dentist for the first time, and I was like "OMG *thinks of Lana bashing up Clark's car* lmao

Anonymous said...

I really love that song, and wow that actually made me feel sorry for Lana. But it was hilarious, although I'm glad Clark's with Chloe in your story I think he got what he deserved :-p

Anonymous said...

I just really fell sorry for the truck. Poor Clark, it'll cost him a hell of alot of hours to pay for her damage...but hey, the whole show is about cleaning-up after Lana.

I am of the humble opinion that if you must have revenge fantasies, stick to Sex and the City, not C&W...more class, less felony. Then again, Chloe always had the class, and she would've been a better Carrie. Lana was always destined for the 'peaked in highschool' C&W songs love.

blackheart_me said...

I gotta admit this one was quite hilarious. The fact that Lana is being so vengeful toward his truck has me in fits of giggles. I don't even feel bad for her...I sorta feel bad for Clark when he finds his truck, then again he shouldn't b cheating. LMAO. I loved how u went into Lana's POV. I've only read one other story like it but they r just wonderful Elly.
Always love ur writing ;]

Anonymous said...

LMFAO!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! Elly, that was so f***ing unbelievelably disgustingly AWESOME!!!!!! Gawd, you are the shit, really! *Bowing down to honor you*

Love how Lana has always known that Chloe meant waaaayyyyy more to Clark than she did and I love how you went back to the "Lexmas" episode with that Chlark scene and Lana's POV!!! So totally awesome! I don't feel sorry for her ass in the least bit, she totally deserves it!!!! Awesome story!!! Keep'em coming Elly!!!! I live for your Chlark stories!!!!

Rhonda said...

Is it wrong to say that I felt more sorry for the truck than I did Lana? I mean, I seen the truck and despite it being red, it was a nice truck. Poor truck:(

Anonymous said...

I don't feel sorry for Lana at all. When I re watch episodes of Season 1 where she's barely tolerable, I find joy in pausing the clip and forwarding it pasts whenever she opens her mouth