Chapter 10 [After School]
[Talon]
Lana sat in the corner and sipped on her coffee anxiously. She'd survived a round in the stylist's chair getting her tresses styled. Her nails sparkled with white polish and evened off. She knew everything sat ready to go upstairs.
Around herself, the café only had about half of its normal business. A smattering of customers discussed personal business at the tables over coffee and the holiday offerings. Others bought up all of Martha's scones and the usual pastry offerings.
At least they liked the Irish offerings. Maybe we should try this more often! She smiled at the Irish crème cappuccino in her hand. This is an interesting change of pace. She took another draught from it. "Nice." She saw Chloe sitting by herself in the corner booth and busily inhaling a bowl of stew. She sighed. This has gone on long enough. She got up and walked across the room to the reporter's booth. "Hi, Chloe."
Chloe looked up in surprise. "Oh! Hi, Lana. Sorry. I didn't want to interrupt you." She started back in on her meal.
"Chloe, we really need to talk," Lana insisted. "I was hoping we could stop avoiding each other."
Chloe shrugged. "We had an agreement, Lana. Funny how Clark and you are just breaking it." She put her hand up. "I know I'm not going to win. So fine. It's okay. I actually do have a date for tonight. I'll pick him up once it gets dark. I just hope his folks keep the dogs at bay."
Lana fought to keep a straight face at the snarky smoothing out attempt. "That sounds like Byron Moore. You two know each other?" Lana wondered.
"We met here about a week ago. Lex brought him in here for a dose of culture. He helped me with Dickens. Then he read me some poetry. We've had coffee every night here ever since. Lex has been great with getting him here. I bring him back." Chloe looked her housemate over curiously. "So you know Byron too?"
"Clark, Pete and I all do. He was the poetry stalker from last fall," Lana informed her with a warm smile. "Byron's a great guy, Chloe. I hope it works out for you both."
"Are you serious? I knew he composes poetry but…wow!" For a second though, she felt the familiar distaste for being the runner up prize in the relationship competition with Lana.
Lana slid into the seat opposite to her. "That was last fall. Okay? Byron's moved on. So have I. He needs someone. So do you. Trust me. Clark and I are both behind you one hundred percent on this. Byron's no consolation prize. He's a real gentleman. Just keep him out of the sunlight."
"Great. I'm dating a vampire. That figures." Chloe rolled her eyes. "You got the normal farm boy. Nothing abnormal about Clark, is there?"
"Clark's as normal a guy as they come," Lana assumed. "And no, Byron's not a vampire. He's...well…kind of like Jeckyl and Hyde thanks to LuthorCorp. Just be patient with him. And no, I don't 'have' Clark except as a friend…."
"Lana," Chloe interrupted. "Don't kid yourself or Clark any longer, okay? You two care about each other. Byron's my ticket out of the triangle. He said as much. He's been helping me with the idea of Clark and you as a couple. As he said, "Cry not over milk spilt/For it's wasted time/Love without guilt/And live life sublime." She giggled. "He just spontaneously composes. I love it!"
"That's Byron for you." Lana grinned. "Seriously, Chloe, this is so great!"
"It is. But, Lana, this is as much about you and Clark as it is about Byron and me. Enough of pretending to be friends. Just come out with it." Chloe urged. Seeing the other's hesitation, she asked, "You love him, right?"
Lana conceded a nod. "I love him. I just hope he feels the same way about me."
"Lana, cut it out. You know Clark does. You two need to stop denying yourselves that feeling. Whitney's gone and Clark's here! I'm realizing that Clark and I weren't meant to be. I'm also dealing with the fact that you and Clark are meant to be. Promise me you'll tell him?" Chloe continued.
Lana wiped a few happy tears away. "I promise."
"Stop already. Don't smear your make up before the big event," Chloe teased. "Now give me a hug and move that drink over here."
Lana gladly embraced the other girl with a big grin. "Give me a second." She headed over to other table and took her drink back across the room.
Peace definitely felt better than strife….With that, the last external obstacles were removed.
Question is could the couple admit it to themselves?
[Kent Farm—about an hour later]
Clark stood in the Loft and looked himself over in the mirror. His white shirt felt crisp and starched on his back. His dark blue slacks matched the other garment. He could see his blazer hanging on its hook by the stairs. He set his cell phone down on the coffee table by the couch and stared in disgust.
Still he couldn't tie his tie. As at the Spring Formal, the neckwear mystified him. For ten minutes he'd tried to do it with no success. Why did someone have to invent this stupid thing? "Honestly!" He heard creaking on the stairs and saw Martha standing there. "I'm late, aren't I?"
"Not yet. I figured I'd check on you. Here. Allow me." She took the tie from him and tied it on him properly. After smoothing out his collar, she stood back and admired him. "You look almost as handsome as your father."
"You're biased," he replied with a grin.
"And you're still my baby," she retorted without missing a beat. "You have the corsages?"
He patted the blazer's left and right pockets.
"And you called for the pizza?" she queried.
"It'll be ready in about fifteen minutes," he assured her. He wasn't about to tell her but the bracelet rested in the blazer's inner left pocket. He strode across the wood floor and donned the coat. "Now I look good."
"You most certainly do." She smiled warmly at him. "You both just have a great time. Don't worry about anything."
"I'm feeling better about this. I just wish I could come out and tell her about my gifts," he noted. "I know I can't at this point."
"I know, Clark. I'm working on your Dad. Let's see where things go. Okay?" she declared.
"Okay." He kissed her cheek. "Love you!" With that, he streaked down the stairs, out of the barn and toward town.
She watched the blur vanishing down the road with both wonder and amazement. She'd told Jonathan that morning about Clark's changing feelings toward Lana. She also advised the elder Kent to be ready for another person to know the Secret in the very near future. "Love you too, Clark."
The air felt different…as if the Chinook was about to blow winter back north in Spring's wake….
And so it would be where Clark and Lana were concerned…..