You Never Knew - Part 3

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Clark would always go to his Fortress of Solitude whenever his brain was as muddled as it was. However, it has never been this muddled before. For this, he needed his real Fortress… his family. Around his mom and dad he could be himself; his real self - nothing to prove, nothing to hide. Besides, no matter what he goes through, he couldn't hide anything from his mom. She always seemed to know.

"Clark, honey, what's wrong?" Martha Kent asked as she lovingly stroked her son's tousled hair to some semblance of grooming. They finished up with dinner but somehow her always-hungry teenager was still at the starting line.

Clark drew out his breath before he confided to his mother. "It's just… I thought I knew some people already. Then suddenly something happens and next thing, you realize you have no clue about this person…I mean, them." He let out his frustration by jabbing his rosemary potatoes with a fork.

Though Martha Kent didn't really grasp the idea of what her son was trying to say, she did understand that he was going through some emotional turmoil. "Why don't you go up to your barn and get some air, sweetheart. Don't worry about the dishes."

"Thanks, Mom."

In his barn Clark could be alone with his thoughts - no matter what time of day, no matter what season. It never bothered him when the temperature dropped at night or if it was the middle of winter. This was where he found his solace. This was also where he can look upon Lana Lang from a safe distance.

He was focusing his telescope to its default target when he heard footsteps coming up to his loft. Tonight, he didn't need an astronomical gadget to look at her. "Lana, what are you doing here?"

"Hi!" she said as she climbed up the last few steps. "Came by to return your algeb notes - thanks."

"You're welcome, just…" Clark motioned for Lana to drop his notes on the couch. She did so and sat beside it as well.

"Can't believe you were able to take down so many notes. How'd you go through those exercises so quickly? Those equations were out of this world."

Clark just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He moved over to sit beside her. "Hey, can I borrow your chem notes? I kinda skipped class this afternoon. Dad sorta needed me home."

"No problem. You really didn't miss much. But, you did miss out on meeting this new guy." Lana's be-dimpled smile was the opposite of Clark's stunned face. "He's so cute he didn't have trouble getting into a new lab group. He's kinda a mix of this retro charm but he's definitely a city boy. And what a name - Trev."

Clark couldn't believe what he heard. Lana thought this guy was cute. And this guy was in his chem class. And he thought he could get away from it all when he got to his barn. But nooooo….. Clark simply looked at Lana and thanked the heavens that she was smart enough to get what his eyes tried to communicate.

"Okay," she said, feeling somewhat foolish. "I guess it's not something you tell a guy. Sorry, Clark. Anyway…" she continued to at least help break the tension as she smiled nervously, "I'll lend you the notes tomorrow."

"Thanks." Clark was annoyed. Annoyed at Trev; annoyed at Lana talking about Trev; annoyed at Trev's involvement with Chloe; annoyed at the fact that he was annoyed.

And Lana noticed that Clark was annoyed. She decided to take the risk to help a friend. "So, wanna talk about it?"

"No." Clark blurted. He stood up to pace the loft and raked his hands through his hair. "Yes - I need to get this out."

"Okay." Lana braced herself. "Shoot."

Clark leaned against the side of the loft window and stared towards the half-moon. "How would you handle it if you realized you don't really know this person who you consider a friend? I mean, all this time you think you have this person figured out then suddenly…" he gestured with his hands, "everything you thought you knew about that person is out the window. You find out this thing you never knew about them …."

"…and you feel betrayed?" Lana was not prepared for this kind of emotional weight. "Clark, everybody has something to hide and people have a way of coping - sometimes with a façade."

Clark's own words hit him. Lana's words were the follow through. He felt a pang in his chest as it drove through. Would his friends feel the same way towards him if ever he decided to tell his secret? Remorse washed over him as he entertained the thought. He had no right to feel upset that Chloe hid part of herself from her friends when he was guiltier. A past boyfriend, strappy shoes, moves they'd remember together? It didn't seem to fit the puzzle of Chloe that he knew too well… or did he? The more he realized how little of Chloe Sullivan of Metropolis he knew, the more he feared that he didn't deserve to be called her friend anymore.

Lana saw Clark standing by the window but he was definitely somewhere else. She decided it was the best time to bid her leave. "Well, I hope you get to sort this thing out, Clark. I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded his acknowledgement and heard her footsteps move away from the loft when he returned his attention to the telescope. This time it was seeking a new target - the home of a best friend. He sent out a silent prayer that she'd still consider him a friend.