Author's Note: Set in high school. You pick the year. This is just something that sort of tumbled out last night. It's basically a conversation that I have with myself quite often.

Something

"Okay, so where was the first U.S. capital located?"

"Um, New York?"

Lana Lang shook her head and sighed dejectedly. "Clark, we've been over this like three times."

Sitting on the floor, his head leaning against her legs, Clark Kent groaned. "I know, I know. But I just can't seem to get anything into my brain today."

She gave him a look of sympathy and sank to the floor next to him. Leaning against the back of the couch, she spread her legs out in front of her. "Well, you got to tell those workers inside of your cerebrum to take a vacation some other time--preferably after our exam is over."

"I'm sorry, Lana." He reached over and gently took the stack of flashcards from her hands. "It's just..."

She turned her body to face his, observing the furrowed brows and slight pout upon his lips. "Yes?"

"Sometimes I ask myself why I'm doing this."

"Doing what?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Memorizing useless facts...pretending that this exam is life-or-death...just doing this." He made a grand gesture.

She scooted closer to him, resting her head against his strong shoulder. "We could always take a break if you want."

"Yeah, I guess." He unceremoniously threw the cards into the air, scattering them around the loft.

Lana reached for her mug of hot cocoa sitting on the table in front of them. Grabbing two of Mrs. Kent's chocolate chip cookies, she handed one to him.

They chewed on their cookies for some time before Clark spoke up. "Do you ever feel like this?"

She nodded. "All the time, actually." She took a sip of the cocoa before setting it down. "I feel like I'm supposed to be doing something else with my life. Not sitting here, worrying about some exam that will either make or break my grade." She paused. "I mean, let's face it. Grades are just grades. College is just college. But life..."

"Life is life," he said quietly.

Lana let the words hover over them until she felt their presence slip away. "Do you want to get away from it all? Smallville, I mean."

"Yes and no." He shifted uncomfortably. "There's a lot here. My parents, the farm...and you."

She lifted her head, her eyes meeting his.

"But there's so much more out there," he continued, his voice low. "I feel like I'm missing something."

"And you'll never know what that 'something' is until you find it," she concluded softly.

He turned to look at her, his eyes searching hers. "Yeah."

Lana felt herself being pulled forward, sorry for ever having this conversation, and yet happy that they had. For it was that exact moment that she knew that Clark Kent would find that 'something'. And it would be a great 'something'. Something so wonderful and terrific that it would break her heart.

His lips collided with hers.

"Philadelphia," she whispered once she pulled back.

"What?"

"The first U.S. capital."

"Philadelphia," he repeated, holding her to him. They stayed like that until the last ray of sun had fled the loft, cloaking them in darkness.