It was only a few days before Smallville High's annual dunk tank event. "How do you feel?" Whitney asked.

"Really nervous and really excited at the same time" she replied enthusiastically as she pulled books out of her locker and stuffed them in her backpack. Whitney followed her down the hallway.

"By the way, if nobody volunteers, I'm supposed to pick a freshman to throw first. You have any preference?"

"I want you to dunk me first" Lana replied sweetly and kissed him.

"I'd like to, but I already told the other guys on the team I'd be the one who hosted the event and supervised it. Sorry."

"It's okay"

"So, you have a second choice? Anyone after me you'd especially want to plunge you into a tank of freezing water?"

"How about Clark Kent" she suggested almost immediately. Whitney felt a twinge of uneasiness. He'd never really been comfortable with the way Lana looked at Clark whenever he walked past her or talked to her, or the way he looked back. But he wasn't going to say so.

"Okay. I'll remember that" he said as casually as he could.

Lana had sensed that something in Whitney's mood had changed when she mentioned Clark's name. She felt guilty. Then she wondered if she should feel guilty. After all, her feelings for Whitney were genuine, and she couldn't really help the way she felt about Clark. But her attraction to Clark was one reason she'd picked him. Should she have randomly picked someone else or not picked instead? But what did it matter? She was choosing someone to dunk her first, not to go to a dance with.

A few days later, after school, Lana entered the girls' locker room, her heart beating faster than normal with anticipation. She changed into the t-shirt and shorts she'd picked out for the dunk tank. Her heart pounded harder as she walked out across the field, the unoccupied, water-filled dunk tank in the distance. There was a big crowd in front of the tank. She was beginning to shake a little as she climbed into the tank. From inside the tank, she watched the crowd grow. Finally, Whitney stepped in front.

"Which of you studs thinks you're a better quarterback than me?" he challenged. "I need a brave freshman to step up". The next few seconds felt like forever for Lana. To her and Whitney's surprise, nobody volunteered. "Kent, how about you?" he asked.

"Huh? No, that's okay" Clark said quickly. "If you're too busy milking cows to try out, the least you could do is show some school spirit" he said cheerfully. "Am I right?" asked the crowd as he tossed Clark the football. The crowd cheered its agreement. "Don't you wanna take a shot at the hottest freshman in Smallville High?" he dared. Lana's heart beat even faster still when Clark looked at her. She smiled at him nervously as she waited for to fall in, but he didn't throw.

She wanted him to succeed and be congratulated by the crowd. She tried to encourage him. "Come on Clark" she said cheerfully. He still didn't throw. "Just take your time. Come on, Clark, you can do it!" He threw, missed terribly, then turned around and melted back into the crowd. Lana was a little disappointed. "All right, who's going to step up here and dunk her?" he asked.