Chapter 3- Wednesday at Lunch
"But how, Pete? How?" Clark asked, his words coming out in a whine.
Pete shook his head. "Clark, man. I said you could talk to me, but you're driving me crazy. I can't pick for you. Look, tell me what you like about each one."
"Chloe is very open, she doesn't mind telling you exactly what she thinks. She's passionate, and very loyal. She cares about her friends and will do anything for them. She's got a great smile," Clark went on and on.
"But? You know there's a but," Pete prodded his friend.
"But she doesn't know when to drop things. She's nosy, and tends to get carried away. She can also be pushy," Clark continued, poking his fork in his mashed potatoes.
"What about Lana?" Pete asked, taking a big bite of chicken fried.well, he wasn't exactly sure what it was.
"Lana's beautiful. And she's so sweet and caring," Clark replied.
"But?" Pete supplied, drinking a gulp of soda.
"But she's pretty dull. She never really shows any emotions. I mean, Chloe can be moody, but Lana isn't ever anything. We never really have anything to talk about, except her parents who just happen to be dead," Clark said.
"Not to mention she has a boyfriend, no matter how far away he may be," Pete pointed out.
"Exactly," Clark exclaimed, jabbing his fork into his peas in emphasis.
"So, who are you going to choose?" Pete asked, looking expectantly at Clark.
"I don't know," Clark whined, putting his head into this hands.
"Here, I am giving you until tomorrow night to figure it out," Pete said, earning a withering look from Clark. "Don't give me that look. You've had years to figure it out. Anyway I will pay for dinner for you and the date of your choice Friday night, as a little incentive to choose. If you don't pick by then, no free dinner."
"Pete," Clark complained when Pete stood to leave.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow after you choose," Pete said walking out of the crowded cafeteria.
* * *
Wednesday afternoon at the Kent farm.
"Clark, your Dad said you were up here," Lana said, walking into the loft.
Startled Clark stood quickly from his telescope and turned it toward the sky. "Hey, Lana."
"Are you okay? You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders," Lana said, sitting primly on the edge of the couch.
"Lana, if you had to choose between two people, what would you do?" Clark asked, looking back into the night sky.
Lana laughed. "Clark, what's wrong?"
Clark looked at Lana, then moved to sit next to her. "If you had to pick between two friends, and risk losing the one you didn't choose, what would you do? If you absolutely without a doubt had to choose?"
Lana seemed to think a moment, twisting a chestnut strand of hair between two fingers. "I would pick the one I was most comfortable with, and had the most in common with."
Clark nodded.
"Why, Clark? Do you have to choose?" Lana asked, hoping he'd say no.
Clark sighed and stood. "I guess I do. I don't have a choice."
"Who do you have to pick between?" Lana asked softly, already knowing the answer.
"It doesn't matter. You're right, Lana. Who I'm most comfortable with. You're a great friend," Clark said, smiling down at Lana.
Lana offered a weak smile. She stood and brushed imaginary dirt off of her pants. "Well, I have to go."
"Did you need something, Lana?" Clark asked, remembering that she had come to him.
"Uh, it's not important," Lana replied, trying her best to smile. As she left Clark thought he heard her mutter. "I just lost my chance."
* * *
Wednesday night, Clark's bedroom.
Clark was trying to sleep, but it was impossible. He kept hearing voices inside his head.
"My chance."
"You have to choose."
"Because you love me."
"Clark, what's wrong?"
"You're driving me crazy."
"I am not addicted."
"Clark, are you okay?"
"Who I'm most comfortable with."
"She has a boyfriend."
"Lost my chance."
"Why won't you tell me?"
Clark shoved his pillow over his head to try and drown out the sounds. How was he ever going to choose? Chloe was his best friend, so if he screwed it up with her he would lose the best friend he'd ever had. On the other hand if he screwed it up with Lana he'd lose her plus the trust he'd built up with Whitney. There were too many things at stake for him to make a quick decision.
"Who you have the most in common with."
"Clark, man."
"I'd think you were a meteor freak."
Clark fell asleep as his friends' voices danced around inside his head.
"But how, Pete? How?" Clark asked, his words coming out in a whine.
Pete shook his head. "Clark, man. I said you could talk to me, but you're driving me crazy. I can't pick for you. Look, tell me what you like about each one."
"Chloe is very open, she doesn't mind telling you exactly what she thinks. She's passionate, and very loyal. She cares about her friends and will do anything for them. She's got a great smile," Clark went on and on.
"But? You know there's a but," Pete prodded his friend.
"But she doesn't know when to drop things. She's nosy, and tends to get carried away. She can also be pushy," Clark continued, poking his fork in his mashed potatoes.
"What about Lana?" Pete asked, taking a big bite of chicken fried.well, he wasn't exactly sure what it was.
"Lana's beautiful. And she's so sweet and caring," Clark replied.
"But?" Pete supplied, drinking a gulp of soda.
"But she's pretty dull. She never really shows any emotions. I mean, Chloe can be moody, but Lana isn't ever anything. We never really have anything to talk about, except her parents who just happen to be dead," Clark said.
"Not to mention she has a boyfriend, no matter how far away he may be," Pete pointed out.
"Exactly," Clark exclaimed, jabbing his fork into his peas in emphasis.
"So, who are you going to choose?" Pete asked, looking expectantly at Clark.
"I don't know," Clark whined, putting his head into this hands.
"Here, I am giving you until tomorrow night to figure it out," Pete said, earning a withering look from Clark. "Don't give me that look. You've had years to figure it out. Anyway I will pay for dinner for you and the date of your choice Friday night, as a little incentive to choose. If you don't pick by then, no free dinner."
"Pete," Clark complained when Pete stood to leave.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow after you choose," Pete said walking out of the crowded cafeteria.
* * *
Wednesday afternoon at the Kent farm.
"Clark, your Dad said you were up here," Lana said, walking into the loft.
Startled Clark stood quickly from his telescope and turned it toward the sky. "Hey, Lana."
"Are you okay? You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders," Lana said, sitting primly on the edge of the couch.
"Lana, if you had to choose between two people, what would you do?" Clark asked, looking back into the night sky.
Lana laughed. "Clark, what's wrong?"
Clark looked at Lana, then moved to sit next to her. "If you had to pick between two friends, and risk losing the one you didn't choose, what would you do? If you absolutely without a doubt had to choose?"
Lana seemed to think a moment, twisting a chestnut strand of hair between two fingers. "I would pick the one I was most comfortable with, and had the most in common with."
Clark nodded.
"Why, Clark? Do you have to choose?" Lana asked, hoping he'd say no.
Clark sighed and stood. "I guess I do. I don't have a choice."
"Who do you have to pick between?" Lana asked softly, already knowing the answer.
"It doesn't matter. You're right, Lana. Who I'm most comfortable with. You're a great friend," Clark said, smiling down at Lana.
Lana offered a weak smile. She stood and brushed imaginary dirt off of her pants. "Well, I have to go."
"Did you need something, Lana?" Clark asked, remembering that she had come to him.
"Uh, it's not important," Lana replied, trying her best to smile. As she left Clark thought he heard her mutter. "I just lost my chance."
* * *
Wednesday night, Clark's bedroom.
Clark was trying to sleep, but it was impossible. He kept hearing voices inside his head.
"My chance."
"You have to choose."
"Because you love me."
"Clark, what's wrong?"
"You're driving me crazy."
"I am not addicted."
"Clark, are you okay?"
"Who I'm most comfortable with."
"She has a boyfriend."
"Lost my chance."
"Why won't you tell me?"
Clark shoved his pillow over his head to try and drown out the sounds. How was he ever going to choose? Chloe was his best friend, so if he screwed it up with her he would lose the best friend he'd ever had. On the other hand if he screwed it up with Lana he'd lose her plus the trust he'd built up with Whitney. There were too many things at stake for him to make a quick decision.
"Who you have the most in common with."
"Clark, man."
"I'd think you were a meteor freak."
Clark fell asleep as his friends' voices danced around inside his head.