Chapter 2: Giving Up The Dream
~~~
"Clark! Is that you?"
"Mom - "
"Where the hell have you been? You're father and I have been worried beyond belief."
"I fell asleep in a field."
"A field? What were you doing in a field?"
"Having a nervous breakdown?"
"What are you talking about Clark, you've been gone the whole night and you show up here in the loft instead of coming into the house to let us know you're alright. This isn't like you at all, are you sure their aren't anymore red meteor rocks around here?"
"No, Mom...things just have been really hard on me is all. I needed a break. I sat down and spent some time thinking about things and just lost track of time, got tired and fell asleep."
"I take it things didn't go well with Lana?"
"That would be an understatement. When's the last time the love of your life gave you an icy glare that made you afraid to even talk to her?"
"Look Clark, we both know being special is tough on you, and on top of that you're a teenager and teenagers have a tendency to be irrational. I'm sure she'll come around, she's a smart girl."
"Yeah, I guess. So, I figure you want me to get up and go to school, huh?"
"You know what, you've already missed half the day anyways. And I suppose you of all people deserve a break once in a while. Now I'd love to sit here and console you, but I have the dubious task of informing your father where you've been all night."
"Thanks, Mom."
~~~
***Warning! Flashbacks***
Clark and Pete quickly finished their lunches before running out the door and racing to the monkey bars. I finally won, thought Pete as he reached the bars first. He turned his head and looked back at Clark, who had stopped mid-stride. Clark stared across the playground at the magnificent sight before him. His eyes were lit like a Christmas tree, focused on a stunning brunette sitting on the steps of the school, reading a book.
"Clark, what are you looking at, you never let me win."
"Who is that, Pete?"
"Ah, that's Lana Lang. She's your neighbour, Clark, you've never seen her before?"
"No, I've never been over there. Our houses are pretty far apart."
"Well it looks like love at first sight."
"That's gross, Pete, no way!"
"Lana and Clark sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G"
"Pete, stop it, someone might hear that!"
"Hear what? That you're in love with Lana Lang, that you're going to marry her and share her cooties?"
With that being said, Clark promptly tackled Pete, before being pulled off of him by a pair of rather large hands.
"Well what do we have here? You know very well fighting is not allowed here at Smallville Elementary."
"Sorry Principal Simpson, Clark and I were just fooling around."
"I've heard that one a million times, both of you to my office. Now!"
Lana Lang glanced up, her concentration broken by some kind of ruckus. In the distance she sees Principal Simpson dragging two boys into the school. Stupid boys, she thought as she shook her head.
~~~
"Mom, who's Lana Lang?"
"Well, Clark, that's Nell Potter's niece."
"She's lives with Nell?
"Yes, that's right."
"How come she doesn't live with her Mom and Dad?"
"Well you see. Um, her parents died a few years ago, and her aunt takes care of her now. Where did you hear about Lana?"
"Um, Pete told me about her. You see - I think he has a crush on her."
"Oh, hey would you like to meet her?"
"No! I mean, uh sure, I guess. She's in town?"
"She's probably over at Nell's flower shop."
"Oooh, take me there Mom, I've never been in there."
Martha takes Clark's hand in her own, looks both ways and crosses the street over to the flower shop.
*The Shop's door chime sounds*
"Martha! What a surprise, you haven't come in here for a long time. Oh, you brought Clark, what a big boy he is now. I haven't seen him in ages."
"Hi, Nell. Clark, say hello to Nell."
"Hello, Nell."
"Lana, could you come here a minute, I want you to meet someone."
Lana who is up on the counter fiddling with some flowers jumps down from her chair and runs over towards Clark.
"Lana, this is Clark, and his mother, Mrs. Kent."
"Hello, Clark, Mrs. Kent. Nice to meet you."
Clark stares at her for a good moment, notices her green necklace before he feels a searing pain go through his arms and lets out a scream. Lana runs behind the counter in fright. He falls to the ground and clutches his hands together. Martha quickly joins him on the floor, wrapping her arms around him.
"Clark honey, what happened, are you alright?"
"I don't know Mom, can we get out here now?"
"Yeah, of course. I'm really sorry about this Nell, there must be something wrong with Clark, I better have him checked out."
After they leave, Nell goes behind the counter to console Lana.
"Are you okay, sweetie?"
"Yeah, that Clark boy scared me. He's strange."
"I'll say."
~~~
"Are you sure you're okay, Clark?"
"He's fine now, Jonathan. Lana had a meteor necklace on."
"A what?"
"Her necklace was made out of a meteor rock. I called Nell at first, she said Lana likes to wear it all the time, it makes her feel like her parents are looking over her."
"Well, let's just be grateful, it could have been a lot worse. Listen, Clark, you know what those meteor rocks do to you. You have to stay away from Lana Lang, from now on, okay kiddo?"
Clark looks down and sighs, "Yes, Dad. I'll stay away from Lana from now on."
~~~
"Wow, Dad, is this really for me?"
"You bet, son. You're always up here sitting by the window, looking out at the stars, we thought you might need some help seeing everything that's worth seeing in the sky."
"Thanks Dad, thanks Mom. I love you guys."
"The look on your face is thanks enough, Clark. You need any help setting it up?"
"It look simple enough, and there is an instruction manual. If I need any help, I'll come call you."
"Alright, son, have fun and happy birthday."
Martha and Jonathan walked out of the barn and made their way back into the house.
"Did you see his eyes light up, Martha? I've never seen him so happy."
"Well, Clark's a special boy, he deserves it. He's so smart too, I bet he's already got it assembled and is looking at something beautiful."
Clark had indeed set up his telescope all by himself and looked into it all night hoping to catch a glimpse of something beautiful...eventually, he would start looking at stars too.
~~~
***End Flashback sequence***
Sitting on the couch, Clark continued to stare at the telescope case. The urge to put it back together was strong, but he willed himself not too. No sense in teasing himself. He could never have her; there would always be something keeping them apart.
*****************************************************
A/N: Sorry, I can never resist putting in a bit of fluff here and there. You see I wrote the first chapter when I was depressed, but don't worry it will come back - guaranteed! Hey, those flashbacks would make a good stand- alone fic...hmmm
~~~
"Clark! Is that you?"
"Mom - "
"Where the hell have you been? You're father and I have been worried beyond belief."
"I fell asleep in a field."
"A field? What were you doing in a field?"
"Having a nervous breakdown?"
"What are you talking about Clark, you've been gone the whole night and you show up here in the loft instead of coming into the house to let us know you're alright. This isn't like you at all, are you sure their aren't anymore red meteor rocks around here?"
"No, Mom...things just have been really hard on me is all. I needed a break. I sat down and spent some time thinking about things and just lost track of time, got tired and fell asleep."
"I take it things didn't go well with Lana?"
"That would be an understatement. When's the last time the love of your life gave you an icy glare that made you afraid to even talk to her?"
"Look Clark, we both know being special is tough on you, and on top of that you're a teenager and teenagers have a tendency to be irrational. I'm sure she'll come around, she's a smart girl."
"Yeah, I guess. So, I figure you want me to get up and go to school, huh?"
"You know what, you've already missed half the day anyways. And I suppose you of all people deserve a break once in a while. Now I'd love to sit here and console you, but I have the dubious task of informing your father where you've been all night."
"Thanks, Mom."
~~~
***Warning! Flashbacks***
Clark and Pete quickly finished their lunches before running out the door and racing to the monkey bars. I finally won, thought Pete as he reached the bars first. He turned his head and looked back at Clark, who had stopped mid-stride. Clark stared across the playground at the magnificent sight before him. His eyes were lit like a Christmas tree, focused on a stunning brunette sitting on the steps of the school, reading a book.
"Clark, what are you looking at, you never let me win."
"Who is that, Pete?"
"Ah, that's Lana Lang. She's your neighbour, Clark, you've never seen her before?"
"No, I've never been over there. Our houses are pretty far apart."
"Well it looks like love at first sight."
"That's gross, Pete, no way!"
"Lana and Clark sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G"
"Pete, stop it, someone might hear that!"
"Hear what? That you're in love with Lana Lang, that you're going to marry her and share her cooties?"
With that being said, Clark promptly tackled Pete, before being pulled off of him by a pair of rather large hands.
"Well what do we have here? You know very well fighting is not allowed here at Smallville Elementary."
"Sorry Principal Simpson, Clark and I were just fooling around."
"I've heard that one a million times, both of you to my office. Now!"
Lana Lang glanced up, her concentration broken by some kind of ruckus. In the distance she sees Principal Simpson dragging two boys into the school. Stupid boys, she thought as she shook her head.
~~~
"Mom, who's Lana Lang?"
"Well, Clark, that's Nell Potter's niece."
"She's lives with Nell?
"Yes, that's right."
"How come she doesn't live with her Mom and Dad?"
"Well you see. Um, her parents died a few years ago, and her aunt takes care of her now. Where did you hear about Lana?"
"Um, Pete told me about her. You see - I think he has a crush on her."
"Oh, hey would you like to meet her?"
"No! I mean, uh sure, I guess. She's in town?"
"She's probably over at Nell's flower shop."
"Oooh, take me there Mom, I've never been in there."
Martha takes Clark's hand in her own, looks both ways and crosses the street over to the flower shop.
*The Shop's door chime sounds*
"Martha! What a surprise, you haven't come in here for a long time. Oh, you brought Clark, what a big boy he is now. I haven't seen him in ages."
"Hi, Nell. Clark, say hello to Nell."
"Hello, Nell."
"Lana, could you come here a minute, I want you to meet someone."
Lana who is up on the counter fiddling with some flowers jumps down from her chair and runs over towards Clark.
"Lana, this is Clark, and his mother, Mrs. Kent."
"Hello, Clark, Mrs. Kent. Nice to meet you."
Clark stares at her for a good moment, notices her green necklace before he feels a searing pain go through his arms and lets out a scream. Lana runs behind the counter in fright. He falls to the ground and clutches his hands together. Martha quickly joins him on the floor, wrapping her arms around him.
"Clark honey, what happened, are you alright?"
"I don't know Mom, can we get out here now?"
"Yeah, of course. I'm really sorry about this Nell, there must be something wrong with Clark, I better have him checked out."
After they leave, Nell goes behind the counter to console Lana.
"Are you okay, sweetie?"
"Yeah, that Clark boy scared me. He's strange."
"I'll say."
~~~
"Are you sure you're okay, Clark?"
"He's fine now, Jonathan. Lana had a meteor necklace on."
"A what?"
"Her necklace was made out of a meteor rock. I called Nell at first, she said Lana likes to wear it all the time, it makes her feel like her parents are looking over her."
"Well, let's just be grateful, it could have been a lot worse. Listen, Clark, you know what those meteor rocks do to you. You have to stay away from Lana Lang, from now on, okay kiddo?"
Clark looks down and sighs, "Yes, Dad. I'll stay away from Lana from now on."
~~~
"Wow, Dad, is this really for me?"
"You bet, son. You're always up here sitting by the window, looking out at the stars, we thought you might need some help seeing everything that's worth seeing in the sky."
"Thanks Dad, thanks Mom. I love you guys."
"The look on your face is thanks enough, Clark. You need any help setting it up?"
"It look simple enough, and there is an instruction manual. If I need any help, I'll come call you."
"Alright, son, have fun and happy birthday."
Martha and Jonathan walked out of the barn and made their way back into the house.
"Did you see his eyes light up, Martha? I've never seen him so happy."
"Well, Clark's a special boy, he deserves it. He's so smart too, I bet he's already got it assembled and is looking at something beautiful."
Clark had indeed set up his telescope all by himself and looked into it all night hoping to catch a glimpse of something beautiful...eventually, he would start looking at stars too.
~~~
***End Flashback sequence***
Sitting on the couch, Clark continued to stare at the telescope case. The urge to put it back together was strong, but he willed himself not too. No sense in teasing himself. He could never have her; there would always be something keeping them apart.
*****************************************************
A/N: Sorry, I can never resist putting in a bit of fluff here and there. You see I wrote the first chapter when I was depressed, but don't worry it will come back - guaranteed! Hey, those flashbacks would make a good stand- alone fic...hmmm