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The Glitter Princesses
by Wendy
Whitney let her down again, horsing around with his buds, drinking from the surrepticous hipflask concealed in his tuxedo jacket. She was standing at the entrance to the gym, her crown clasped loosely in her hands. She was a glitter princess tonight: Lana Lang, the most popular girl in school, decked out in sequins and baubles.
Nell said she looked pretty. That meant small-town to Nell. Her aunt had her sights set on bigger things for Lana. A good college, a career - she'd even mentioned talking to her modeling agent friends. Nell had so many 'friends'. Friends out to use each other. Lana smirked at the thought that the friends the both made were just the same.
Except for Clark, she supposed. But Clark wasn't here tonight, or else she was sure he'd be offering to dance with her, or just making those puppy dog eyes at her. He was her friend, and he helped her out the same way that he helped everyone out. Honest, sweet. Dull and boring. Lana shook her head, enjoying watching the glitter sprinkle the ground around her. She hated this. This - not her life, she knew - but the unidentifiable expectations that hung about this town. One day, you'll all go to Metropolis, it seemed to say.
Lana had been to Metropolis. She'd been all over the country, and had found nowhere to call her ideal destination. Part of the American Dream, she was. Tanned, well-travelled. Rich. And still the little girl with the fairy wings. The glitter princess. She tossed the crown up, higher and higher.
What would happen if she just flung it all away?
"Hey. Watch out. You might put my eye out with that." A figure ducked and caught the crown. Chloe. "Say, does this mean that I'm now Queen of the School?" She laughingly shook her shoulders, playfully holding the crown over her head. "Lana?"
"If you want it, keep it." Lana grinned, happy that someone was paying her attention now. Chloe was one of these people she'd never been able to pin down. "Nice dress. Was it for anyone special?"
Chloe stroked the purple silk. "It was my father's choice. Said I looked like his little girl again. I said, hello. I'm fifteen, Dad. Then he did the..." Chloe grimaced.
"I know. I've got the credit card, not you...." Lana agreed with her.
"Exactly. I was going to come in this really fantastic one I found in the attic. How many cool clothes did my Mom have... Oh." Chloe stopped rolling her eyes. "You wouldn't have any of your mom's stuff."
"Nell was a model, you know. She was a lot slimmer than me." Lana tried to keep the conversation going. "I can't fit any of her clothes."
"Like Lana Lang would wear hand-me-downs. This is such a weird conversation for us. Normally it's like wall of weird stuff." Chloe slouched on a nearby railing, swinging her feet.
"Or newspaper stuff." Lana reminded her.
"Or Clark stuff. I thought he'd be here tonight. Y'know. See the glitter princess or something." Chloe waved the crown at Lana's outfit.
Lana just shook her head. "If anything, he'd be here for you."
"I bet he's with Lex Luthor or something. Too good for his old pals now." Chloe said. "Not like I care. He's just too..."
"Dull." Lana's mind was a million miles away.
"I was going with sweet, but dull will cover it." Chloe finally stuck the crown on her head. "Hey, how do I look?"
"Very pretty." Lana nodded, pursing her lips together to stop the laughter coming out. She failed, and her giggles sounded loud in the night air. "It's just... Would you like to dance, Queen of the School!" She mockingly bowed.
"Certainly, kind sir." Chloe's attempt at a mocking, supercilious accent just intensified the giggles, as she curtsied and they joined hands. There was an awkward pause, as neither knew what to do next. Lana felt her heart beat faster as she leaned in towards Chloe. Their lips touched, ever so gently.
Chloe pulled away first. A breathy "no" sounded from Lana, and they came together once more. Lana was more confident now, and Chloe responded, their lips and mouths hot and wet. Both of them were breathing heavily, as tongue and tooth seemed to mesh in the perfect kiss.
Footsteps sounding from the gravel path at the side of the gym startled them apart. Chloe shakily handed the crown back to Lana, who immediately dropped it. It was handed to her by Clark. "Here, Lana. You wouldn't want to lose this. Hey Chloe."
"Nice to see you, Clark." Chloe smoothly, as she turned to reenter the gym. "Coming, Lana?"
Lana merely blushed bright red, and replaced the crown on her head. "I could do with some more air, I think." She smiled. "You go ahead."
And as Clark and Chloe entered the gym, she heard Clark say, "Did you know that you've got glitter on your face?"
Chloe didn't reply.
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