A/N: From this point on the story will be told from the first person, through Lana. The italicized fonts are her thoughts (Similar to voice overs on shows like My So Called Life, Wonder Years, or Felicity).
BEEP BEEP BEEP
I bet if there were a nationwide poll of the most dreaded sounds in the
world, an alarm clock would rank in the top 5. Honestly, whoever created that
wretched sound is evil.
With my face down on my pillow, I slowly remove my hand from beneath it and
plop it down on my bedside table. While knocking over numerous items, my hand
wanders the table for the off button. You'd think by now I'd know where it is,
but of course I don't.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
OH my god.
I fling my body upwards and remove the numerous strands of hair in my face
while finally granting the room and myself some peace and quiet. And, naturally
once I've done this, I fall back on to my bed, my eyes closing once more. I'm
almost asleep again, when a voice snaps me out of my close to slumber.
"Lana…you really should get up!" Nell is mostly a soft spoken woman, but she
can yell with the best of them.
"I am!" I shout back, still in the same position with my eyes closed.
As I expect it to, my bedroom door opens.
I lift my body from bed and say, "Ok…ok, I'm getting up.".
"Thank you." Nell says, as if claiming victory, while she closes the door.
I swear parents know everything. I think when you reach parental status you're
given a sixth sense of psychic abilities.
I go through my morning routine. As always, I take a 10 minute shower. And when
I return to my room I pick out a pair of simple blue jeans and a plain button
down long sleeved shirt. For breakfast I have the same thing I have every
morning, a bowl of honey nut cheerios. And as I run out the door to meet the
bus, I tie my hair back in to a low ponytail.
I know what you're thinking, and I agree. I could be like the most boring
girl on the planet.
When the bus doors open, I get that same feeling in my stomach as every
morning. A fear of nowhere to sit. Which is completely ridiculous considering
Cat saves me a seat everyday. But the fear of her not being there. The fear of
walking up those steps, searching for her familiar face, and not seeing it.
These fears haunt me everyday. For the 5 seconds it takes me to walk up those
few steps, I hold my breath. And when I reach the platform of the aisle, I hold
it until I find her face.
"Lana…over here!"
Ok breathe…
I walk down the aisle and plop myself down next to her.
With papers scattered all over her lap, Cat frantically searches through the
pages of her textbook and asks, "Did you do those questions on To Kill A
Mockingbird?"
It's always been a mystery as to how we became friends, since we are direct
opposites. But then maybe that's the reason we're so close. That might be the
reason we've never seriously fought...ever.
"Yeah…" I reply as I look around the bus.
"I don't even know why I asked…you know I really need to get like one of
those…one of those…crap…those things you write stuff down in…help me out here…"
As she focus's downwards she snaps her fingers at me.
I'm still not paying attention to her as I continue to scan the faces of the
passengers and reply absentmindedly "Oh…like an organizer."
"That's it! I can't believe I couldn't remember that…you see that is exactly
why I need one." She finally turns to me and laughs, "you know you can stop
looking…he's not here."
Damn
"Cat…I wasn't…" I stop and try to sound convincing "…looking…for anyone."
"Lana…this is me. We basically share a brain."
"I know…unfortunately." I look to her and laugh, but really I'm waiting for her
to give me what I'm searching for.
"Since I'm sure you're wondering…with the pep rally today, I'm guessing his
jocko friends picked him up." Cat goes back to looking through her book. I
watch her stressing over 5 simple questions for a little longer, before I pull
my bag over my shoulder and remove my notebook.
"Here…" I drop it in her lap, and she looks at me as if I've given her gold.
"Oh Lana…I couldn't…." She stops for a moment and looks at the notebook and
then continues "Well…I mean if you don't care." She looks at me knowing my
answer.
"Just take it….it took me like 5 minutes." I roll my eyes as she throws her
arms around me.
"Thank you…thank you….thank you." She finally lets go of me and frantically
starts copying my paper.
Some might think that letting her copy my homework is wrong, but when you've
been friends with someone for as long as Cat and I, it's only right.
As our bus barrels into the school driveway, I'm excited for the day. I forgot
about the pep rally. It's so embarrassing that I'm actually looking forward to
it. But really it's only the fall season pep rallies that I like.
Alright, I confess. I like the fall pep rallies because Clark only plays
football. Now before you think it's impossible for one person to make a pep
rally enjoyable, then I'd tell you guess again. Because you've never seen Clark
Kent in a football jersey before. It could be one of the best worn uniforms
ever.
As we step off the bus stairs, Cat hands me homework and points with her other
hand, "Hey Lana...you can stop fantasizing, there he is."
Ok when did best friends pick up the psychic talents. I thought it was
reserved for parents. Is anywhere safe?
I quickly pull her arm down and look both ways. "Cat…is it like your mission to
embarrass me?" I continue to search nervously for anyone who saw or heard her,
while Cat laughs.
"I'm sorry Lana…look nobody pays attention to me. But really, I don't see what
you see in him. He's just like the rest of them." She says as she looks at him,
and I follow her stare. He's in front of the school with a bunch of other
football players. While the rest of them pretend to wrestle, and cause a scene,
he quietly sits on one of the ledges that surrounds the stairs. He just sits
there and watches everyone around him.
I swear every time I look at Clark, it's like seeing him for the first time.
Everyday I notice something new about him, and I wonder how anybody could not
fall in love with him. As I see him laughing, I notice that, his nose crinkles
a little, which I've been told mine does as well. It must be a sign.
"Cat…there's more to him then you give him credit for." I say as she continues
to walk, but I stay put, admiring him. She comes back and grabs my arm.
"Oh yeah…indulge me." She says as she pulls me along to walk with her.
"I can't explain it…I just know." I mindlessly reply as I drift off into my own
thoughts. I become so lost in my thoughts that I don't even notice the football
players invading the space before the school entrance.
Ouch
I look before me only to see a blinding number 7. I feel two strong hands
softly set on my shoulders as suddenly that all too familiar face lowers to
meet mine.
"I'm so sorry…are you ok?"
I'm in heaven actually
"Yeah…I think so." It takes me a minute to process what's happened, but I
finally realize that Clark and I have bumped into each other. He looks back at
his friends and then turns back to me. I don't know if he realizes it, but his
one hand is rubbing my shoulder.
"Well my friends are sorry too…are you sure you don't need anything?"
Well now that you mention it…
"Oh yeah…I'm fine really." I wave my hand as if shrugging it off, but it's
really to cool myself off. Just being near him is overwhelming.
"Ok…" He stops to look me in the eye, making me feel like I could just melt, as
he continues, "…you're the boss."
"Kent…come on…let's go." His friend's shouts cause him to quickly retract his
hands from my shoulders.
"I should probably go…but maybe I'll see you in the stands tonight."
Before I can say anything, He runs to catch up with his friends. I see them
playfully punch his arm, and it looks like they are teasing him.
"Lana…he was totally flirting with you!" Cat stands next to me.
"Shut up…" I roll my eyes and start walking up the stairs.
"You know what you really need?" She says as she catches up to me.
"No but I'm sure you're going to tell me."
Cat stops me in the middle of the busy hallway, "Self-confidance. Lana, I
hope one of these days you realize how lucky Clark or any other guy for that
matter, would be to have you."
"You're a good friend for saying that." I say disregarding her as I
reach my locker.
"No...I'm an honest friend for saying that." Cat says and walks away.
She always has to have the last word. And I know she's right about the self
confidance thing. But about Clark, the guy is a walking Charm Machine. So I
know what happened back there was just Clark being himself. However, he can
bump into me any morning of the week. I could definatley add that to my morning
routine
I shake my head and laugh to myself in the middle of the hallway.
I am so wierd.
