Chapter 7
Nobody
Clark was acting fidgety at breakfast. Jonathan was out in the fields already, so he wasn't there to see it, but Martha was doing dishes, and having a mother's fine-tuned senses, she knew something was different about today.
"Clark, is something wrong today?" Martha asked.
Not looking up from his fruit-topped oatmeal, Clark mumbled a hurried, "No, Mom."
"Come on now, Clark. I'm your mother and I know when something is bothering you…only today, it's different than what usually gets under your skin."
Wondering how she always managed to read him so easily, Clark relented and said, "I need to borrow a truck today."
"That's not so unusual, Clark. What do you need it for?"
After finishing off another spoonful of oatmeal, and washing it down with a swig of milk, Clark said, "Today is the day."
Looking for further explanation, Martha took a seat at the table and waited, her chin cradled in the palms of her two hands. When no more explanation was immediately forthcoming, Martha prompted, "The day for what?"
Very hesitantly, Clark said, "The day I ask Lana out."
Surprised, Martha sat back in her chair and asked, "Isn't she still dating Whitney?"
"Yes, but if everything goes well, she won't be for long." He finally looked Martha straight in the eyes. "I know this sounds harsh and somewhat selfish, but I'm tired. Tired of waiting, tired of putting my life on hold just because Whitney has some family problems. I want to take a chance with Lana. I can feel there's something between us every time we meet."
Martha couldn't disagree with the last part of his statement, for sure. Any time she saw Clark and Lana together, the chemistry between the two was palpable. Why they weren't dating already was a mystery to her, but maybe Lana felt an obligation to Whitney, in which case Clark was headed for a disappointment. Still, it was his choice to make, so she said, "Since your chores are already done, you can take a truck."
Hearing that, Clark's face lit up with that grin that always reminded Martha so much of Jonathan. At times like that, it was hard for her to believe they weren't genetically related.
Clark, meanwhile, raced through the rest of his breakfast. When finished, he placed his dishes in the sink and headed upstairs to shower and change into something presentable. He remembered, from the advice Chloe gave him before Lana's birthday party, that he looked good in blue, so he pulled on a blue oxford and khaki Dockers. A quick buff of his shoes and Clark was ready to go…and then he realized that he was dressed for a date, which might be a bit too formal for just asking Lana out, so he changed into something more normal for him: a form-fitting red t-shirt and blue jeans along with white Nikes.
Taking a quick look at himself in the bathroom mirror as he tried to bring a semblance of order to his hair, Clark was satisfied. This was a slightly neater version of the way he looked every day. If Lana really liked him as much as he thought she did, then this would be enough.
Clark thanked his mom for letting him have the truck as he ran out the kitchen door. He was halfway to Lana's before he decided to get something nice for her. He headed into town and bought a small bouquet of wildflowers at the floral shop in town not owned by Lana's Aunt Nell. He already knew Nell didn't look upon him with a friendly eye, so there was no point in letting her know who Lana's flowers were from.
With the flowers sitting beside him on the bench seat, Clark headed to Lana's. He was so nervous, that he drove past her driveway three times before he could make himself turn in. As he approached the porch with flowers in hand, Clark realized his palms were getting sweaty, so he stopped to dry them off on his jeans before knocking on the front door.
*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK*
Clark stepped back, flowers in hand, and waited. He felt like the condemned, waiting, with his head on the chopping block, for the death stroke to fall.
The door opened, but instead of Lana, Clark saw Nell. His spirits dropped and he quickly lowered the bouquet to his side, hoping she wouldn't see it.
Nell was just as disappointed. She had the day off from the flower shop and had been helping Lana get ready for Whitney. That's who she was expecting the visitor to be, and instead was faced with Clark Kent. A more-than-handsome boy, Clark bore no resemblance to his father except for being tall and strong, but whenever Nell saw Clark, she always saw the man that broke her heart, Jonathan Kent, walking in Clark's shadow like a ghost.
Polite as ever, but without a hint of warmth, Nell said, "Hello, Clark. How are you today?"
"Just fine, Ma'am," Clark replied. "And how are you doing?"
"I'm well."
When she opened the screen door, she got a look at what Clark was holding down at his side: a bouquet of wildflowers. The sight of the flowers made Nell's smile curdle, but Clark was so nervous, that he didn't notice.
In a slightly squeaky voice, Clark asked, "Ms. Potter, is Lana home? There's something I need to talk about with her."
Forcing a polite smile back on her face, Nell said, "No, Clark, I'm sorry, Lana's gone out riding with Whitney this morning."
Clark looked like the air had been let out of him as he said dejectedly, "Oh."
"If you call ahead next time, things like this can be avoided."
Hearing the slight reprimand in her voice, Clark realized it would have been polite for him to have called ahead, only, he had been so excited that he had completely forgotten to.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Potter, I'll call ahead next time."
"You do that." Nell started to close the door. "Goodbye, Clark."
"Goodbye, Ms. Potter. Would you tell Lana I came by and that I need to talk to her?"
"Sure thing, Clark."
Clark headed home, cursing his lick and wishing he had called before coming over. As he turned the truck down Hickory Lane for the short drive home, Lana came bouncing down the stairs in a royal blue tank top and blue jeans. She would've answered the door herself, but she had been putting her hair into twin braids to keep it out of her face while she rode.
While she pulled a pink jacket out of the hall closet, Lana asked brightly, "Who was at the door? Was it Whitney? Has he brought Tyson over already?"
Nell had stayed at the door to watch Clark leave. She turned quickly and said, "It was no one, Lana…no one at all."
