Clark woke up to see Lana standing over him, shaking him urgently.
"Clark…are you awake?"
"I am now."
"My aunt's home!" she said in a panicked voice.
"I thought you said she was coming back tonight!"
"Yeah, I did."
"Lana!" called Nell from downstairs. "Are you up yet?"
"Yes, I'll be right down." Lana scrambled around the room picking up her clothes. Clark quickly rolled up the sleeping bag.
"Here honey, you left your math book on the tab-" Nell stopped and stared at the scene of disarray before her.
"Lana, what's going on?" Nell was shocked by what she saw. Her niece had an armful of clothes that she was picking up off the floor, and the neighbor boy, Clark Kent, was busily trying to eradicate all evidence that he had spent the night.
"Okay, don't panic. I know this looks bad." Lana dropped the clothes on the bed. "It's not what it seems."
"Or maybe it's exactly what it seems," Nell said coldly. "My god Lana, what were you thinking? Clark, I think maybe you should go."
"Wait! This is just a big misunderstanding," Clark protested.
"You took advantage of my niece-"
"That's not what happened," Lana said, interrupting her aunt.
"Lana, how could you do this? You're so young. And you already have a boyfriend who adores you."
"Not anymore."
"What?"
"We broke up. Sort of."
Nell looked puzzled and Clark and Lana relayed the whole story once again. At first Nell was hurt that she hadn't been contacted when it first happened, but Lana told her that she hadn't wanted to worry her. She explained what Clark had done and why he had stayed the night. When she was finished, Nell apologized to Clark and thanked him profusely. He took the praise with modest pride and then excused himself so Lana and Nell could talk.
Back at home on the Kent farm Clark relaxed and tried not to think only of Lana. Instead he figured he could use his restlessness to finish his weekend homework. His thoughts about The Odyssey were interrupted when Lana Lang knocked gently on the kitchen door.
"Hey, Lana." His response was dead silence. "Lana," he repeated. "What's wrong?"
"I just got off the phone will Officer McLean. His says they can't press charges. Whitney has an alibi."
"What! That's not possible."
"I know. He got his football cronies to vouch for him. They're saying he was partying all night with them. So that's it, I guess."
"Lana, this isn't right."
"Of course it isn't right! But it's what happens when you date the football star; everyone loves Whitney. It's like he can do no wrong. They have no idea."
"I'm really sorry. Is there any way we can get this turned around?"
"No. Besides, I'm tired of all this. Everything. My perfect, fake little life. Whitney can just go to hell for all I care. I just want to forget any of this ever happened."
"Sounds good to me." Clark smiled kindly at her.
"I wanted to thank you again."
"Lana, it's okay."
"No, I just…I wanted you to know how much it meant to me. When you stayed last night. Thank you."
"Of course." Clark smiled, slightly uncomfortable by the whole situation.
"So, I'll see you in school then?"
"Yeah, in school."
"Okay, bye Clark."
And with that Lana walked out.
TBC…The next day at school. Everyone knows.
"Clark…are you awake?"
"I am now."
"My aunt's home!" she said in a panicked voice.
"I thought you said she was coming back tonight!"
"Yeah, I did."
"Lana!" called Nell from downstairs. "Are you up yet?"
"Yes, I'll be right down." Lana scrambled around the room picking up her clothes. Clark quickly rolled up the sleeping bag.
"Here honey, you left your math book on the tab-" Nell stopped and stared at the scene of disarray before her.
"Lana, what's going on?" Nell was shocked by what she saw. Her niece had an armful of clothes that she was picking up off the floor, and the neighbor boy, Clark Kent, was busily trying to eradicate all evidence that he had spent the night.
"Okay, don't panic. I know this looks bad." Lana dropped the clothes on the bed. "It's not what it seems."
"Or maybe it's exactly what it seems," Nell said coldly. "My god Lana, what were you thinking? Clark, I think maybe you should go."
"Wait! This is just a big misunderstanding," Clark protested.
"You took advantage of my niece-"
"That's not what happened," Lana said, interrupting her aunt.
"Lana, how could you do this? You're so young. And you already have a boyfriend who adores you."
"Not anymore."
"What?"
"We broke up. Sort of."
Nell looked puzzled and Clark and Lana relayed the whole story once again. At first Nell was hurt that she hadn't been contacted when it first happened, but Lana told her that she hadn't wanted to worry her. She explained what Clark had done and why he had stayed the night. When she was finished, Nell apologized to Clark and thanked him profusely. He took the praise with modest pride and then excused himself so Lana and Nell could talk.
Back at home on the Kent farm Clark relaxed and tried not to think only of Lana. Instead he figured he could use his restlessness to finish his weekend homework. His thoughts about The Odyssey were interrupted when Lana Lang knocked gently on the kitchen door.
"Hey, Lana." His response was dead silence. "Lana," he repeated. "What's wrong?"
"I just got off the phone will Officer McLean. His says they can't press charges. Whitney has an alibi."
"What! That's not possible."
"I know. He got his football cronies to vouch for him. They're saying he was partying all night with them. So that's it, I guess."
"Lana, this isn't right."
"Of course it isn't right! But it's what happens when you date the football star; everyone loves Whitney. It's like he can do no wrong. They have no idea."
"I'm really sorry. Is there any way we can get this turned around?"
"No. Besides, I'm tired of all this. Everything. My perfect, fake little life. Whitney can just go to hell for all I care. I just want to forget any of this ever happened."
"Sounds good to me." Clark smiled kindly at her.
"I wanted to thank you again."
"Lana, it's okay."
"No, I just…I wanted you to know how much it meant to me. When you stayed last night. Thank you."
"Of course." Clark smiled, slightly uncomfortable by the whole situation.
"So, I'll see you in school then?"
"Yeah, in school."
"Okay, bye Clark."
And with that Lana walked out.
TBC…The next day at school. Everyone knows.