1.14, Zero

The SHS freshman high school class has to write a six page biography due in a week; Clark gets Lana and Chloe gets the "illustrative Mr. Kent, himself." She says that she's sure she'll be able to unearth a skeleton or two. Clark says it's not a "corruption scandal" and Chloe says that "it's not like [he] has anything to hide." Clark tells her that he'll be around and Chloe asks Pete if he just blew her off.*

When Clark comes home from after-school things, Chloe is waiting at the table interviewing his parents who've let out that Clark doesn't like peas. She says that she's been unable to get a hold of him so she figured she'd "start at the beginning" because the Kents "gracefully agreed to be interviewed."

Chloe asks them about how the adoption processes worked; Jonathan and Martha are silent. Clark says that Chloe's gone "Mike Wallace" on him. Chloe turns to Clark an says that now that he's "finally spinning in [her] orbit" that she has some questions for him too. Clark says he has to go work on his paper; Chloe wants to know if he's avoiding her. Clark promises he'll do it tomorrow. After he leaves Chloe asks the Kents, "Don't take this the wrong way, but has your son always been this strange?" The Kents share a look.

Two days later, she tells Pete that she's "desperate" for information. Pete tells her that her priorities are out of order with the hand that showed up at the Talon and her only talking about Clark. She gets out of him a small story about Clark beating up a bully. When they arrive at the Torch, she grins and proclaims "And so the mystery that isn't Clark Kent deepens." Chloe says because he continues to avoid her, she's had to find information in other ways.

Chloe pulls out information about Metropolis United Charities, citing the strangeness that they were only open for 6 months and handled one adoption. Clark says he can believe she did that. She thought he knew and thought he'd be interested; Clark (getting choked up) says he wouldn't be because his biological parents obviously didn't want him and that she's prying into his private life for a class project. "I'm not some mystery for you to solve," he adds before walking out.

When the cows all turn up dead, Chloe shows up to take photos of them despite their recent fight. She doesn't understand why LuthorCorp would dump there. She shows up later to deliver the photos and Clark asks if their conversation is "on the record or not."

She apologizes and Clark adds on "You saw a story and went right for it; that's what journalists do." Chloe drops the story wanting a friend over a subject. She asks him, off the record, if he wonders about his biological parents. Clark says "Every day of my life." Chloe finds Clark's research on Jude - she comments that she's not the only one "doing some digging." Clark admits that it's part of Lex's past that he was asked to stay out of. Chloe drops off the pictures she took the other day; Clark matches up pictures of Jude.

They go to the Torch where Chloe pulls some files and Clark still can't reach Lex. Chloe pulls up information on the pseudo-Jude by hacking into the DMV database; she tells Clark "See, sometimes persistence is a good thing." Clark tells her to call the Metropolis cops as he thinks Lex is in serious danger.

At the end of the episode, Chloe can't delete the file; although she's obviously conflicted about it. She's dressed up for the Talon opening, looking very Metropolitan but is in the Torch offices saving it in the last frame. The song in the background has lyrics that claim "this lonely road of faith."

*"I'll be around" of course being the repeated phraze from the Donner and Singer films.