Chapter 3: Conflict
*****
"Clark, where were you last night? I called like five times," Lana asked with concern as she cornered him at his locker.
"I was out," he replied, doing his best to sound aloof.
"Out? Out where? And why didn't you tell me?"
"Like you care," Clark mumbled under his breath before stalking off to his next class.
"Clark, what's gotten into you?"
Her answer stopped him in his tracks. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the side of the hallway.
"What's gotten into me? What's gotten into you? The baby kicked last night and you hung up on me," he replied, whispering in her ear with urgency.
Lana discretely motioned for the door to the supply closet. Clark sighed and followed her inside. As the door closed behind them, Clark crossed his arms and awaited her explanation.
"I'm sorry I hung up on you so quick, but I was having a talk with Nell."
"The baby kicked!! I think that would be a little more important than some talk with your aunt," he replied condescendingly.
"She wants to move to Metropolis!" she shouted out.
"What?!?!" Clark asked incredulously. "You can't move - what about me? What about the baby? You're just gonna move away, just like that?"
"Calm down, I'm not going anywhere," she replied, as she put her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm his nerves. "But - "
"But? No, no buts! You're not leaving! This is your baby too!" Clark exclaimed, pointing to his stomach.
"Quiet down, Clark, someone might hear us!" she said, looking nervously at the door. "Listen, Nell and Dean want me to go with them to Metropolis over Spring Break so I can see what it's like. And yes they'll try to convince me to move with them, but I don't have to. Nell said we could work out a way for me to stay in Smallville if I wanted."
"Spring Break? We were going to spend it together! I can't believe this..." he said with a pout as he slumped down on the ground.
"Hey, come on now. It's only gonna be one week, and we'll have plenty of time to spend together after that." Lana bent down and cradled his head in her arms. "The rest of our lives."
"The rest of our lives?" Clark asked with optimism.
"Of course," she exclaimed with a bright smile as she pressed her forehead against his. "We're having a baby!"
Their lips met briefly before Clark gazed into Lana's reassuring eyes and sighed once again. For the first time that day, he grinned.
*****
Maria's mouth gaped as she pulled her ear from the door. She quickly sped off down the hall, her face displaying a mix of shock and excitement. A few moments later the door opened and out stepped Lana and Clark, with Clark being in a noticeably cheerier mood.
"So, you okay now?"
"Yeah, never better."
Lana reached into her bag, pulled out a scrap of paper and scribbled on it before handing it to him. Clark took it with a puzzled look on his face.
"This is the number for Nell's cell phone. If you need anything or just want to talk, call me okay?"
"Why are you giving this to me now?"
"Well, I'm sort of leaving right after school."
"We don't even get the weekend together? God, this sucks," Clark exclaimed, kicking the wall with his foot.
Lana got up on the tips of her toes and brushed her cheek against his, while patting his belly with one hand.
"Don't worry. Daddy will be back before you know it," she whispered with a smirk.
*****
Clark stood at the front steps of the school and waved half-heartedly at Lana as she got into the car with Nell and Dean. She took one last glance at him before taking off her backpack and getting in the backseat. The car pulled away from the curve and down the street as a horde of students continued to pass him, rushing to their respective cars and buses, delighted by the beginning of Spring Break. He let out a groan as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Clark! Hey, you look sort of sad, what's the matter?" asked Maria.
"Lana's gonna be in Metropolis for Spring Break," he replied, turning his head toward her, a frown on his face.
"Oh," she exclaimed, giving him a compassionate smile. "You know what you need? Something to take your mind off things... you know, I could use your help at the Torch."
"I don't know, Maria, I think I should just go home..."
"C'mon Clark, it won't take that long, and you're not doing anything right now anyways. Besides, everyone else is gone, you're my only hope," she said with a smirk, batting her eyelashes at him.
"Alright," he answered, his resolve evaporating at the prospect of a long and exasperating whining session.
He turned and walked back into the school, his shoulders slumped as he headed down the hall. Maria followed closely behind, a broad grin plastered on her face. Her eyes gazed down appreciatively at his backside as her cheeks became flush with blood. She fanned herself slightly and undid the top three buttons of her red blouse. Her hands reached out on their own accord, desperately wanting the feel his glutes, but they quickly retreated once she realized what she about to do. A trickle of sweat ran down her neck that she carefully wiped away.
She slammed into him as he came to a stop. He gave her a funny look and motioned to the locked door of the Torch office. Embarrassed, she reached into her pocket and struggled to pick out the right key from her keychain. 'Keep yourself together, Maria. Breathe. Just breathe,' she said to herself as she took a few deep breaths and opened the door. Clark casually strolled in, throwing his backpack down on the floor and glancing around. All the computers were turned off, the desks and tables were cleared off and the chairs neatly stacked in the corner.
"So what exactly did you want me to help you with?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.
Maria calmly took control of the situation, locking the door behind her and turning on the lights. She then dimmed them until only a gentle glow filled the room. She licked her lips and set her sights on him. Clark's eyes widened and he began to back away as Maria encroached into his personal space. His butt hit the conference table as she placed her hands on his chest. He swallowed, his throat suddenly becoming dry.
"I do need your help Clark... just not with the paper," she said in a low voice, her teeth digging into her lower lip as she looked up at him. "There is a torch right here," she said, taking his hand and pressing it against her chest, "that needs your attention."
Clark swallowed again, his mouth still agape as he slid around her and backed away, holding his hands up to keep her at bay.
"Maria, look - I'm flattered, but um, I'm with Lana..."
"And she's not here, is she? She just up and left you all alone. What kind of girlfriend would do that to a man like you?" She mused, advancing on him once again as they began circling each other like predator and prey.
"It's not her fault. I don't blame her, she just has to do this to keep her aunt off her back."
"Or maybe she just wanted to go shopping, content at knowing her little puppy is at home, waiting by the door for his master to come home. She doesn't appreciate you. Come on Clark, I see the way you look at me! I'm right here, and I'm game. No one has to know," she exclaimed with mischievous smile.
*****
"Clark, where were you last night? I called like five times," Lana asked with concern as she cornered him at his locker.
"I was out," he replied, doing his best to sound aloof.
"Out? Out where? And why didn't you tell me?"
"Like you care," Clark mumbled under his breath before stalking off to his next class.
"Clark, what's gotten into you?"
Her answer stopped him in his tracks. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the side of the hallway.
"What's gotten into me? What's gotten into you? The baby kicked last night and you hung up on me," he replied, whispering in her ear with urgency.
Lana discretely motioned for the door to the supply closet. Clark sighed and followed her inside. As the door closed behind them, Clark crossed his arms and awaited her explanation.
"I'm sorry I hung up on you so quick, but I was having a talk with Nell."
"The baby kicked!! I think that would be a little more important than some talk with your aunt," he replied condescendingly.
"She wants to move to Metropolis!" she shouted out.
"What?!?!" Clark asked incredulously. "You can't move - what about me? What about the baby? You're just gonna move away, just like that?"
"Calm down, I'm not going anywhere," she replied, as she put her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm his nerves. "But - "
"But? No, no buts! You're not leaving! This is your baby too!" Clark exclaimed, pointing to his stomach.
"Quiet down, Clark, someone might hear us!" she said, looking nervously at the door. "Listen, Nell and Dean want me to go with them to Metropolis over Spring Break so I can see what it's like. And yes they'll try to convince me to move with them, but I don't have to. Nell said we could work out a way for me to stay in Smallville if I wanted."
"Spring Break? We were going to spend it together! I can't believe this..." he said with a pout as he slumped down on the ground.
"Hey, come on now. It's only gonna be one week, and we'll have plenty of time to spend together after that." Lana bent down and cradled his head in her arms. "The rest of our lives."
"The rest of our lives?" Clark asked with optimism.
"Of course," she exclaimed with a bright smile as she pressed her forehead against his. "We're having a baby!"
Their lips met briefly before Clark gazed into Lana's reassuring eyes and sighed once again. For the first time that day, he grinned.
*****
Maria's mouth gaped as she pulled her ear from the door. She quickly sped off down the hall, her face displaying a mix of shock and excitement. A few moments later the door opened and out stepped Lana and Clark, with Clark being in a noticeably cheerier mood.
"So, you okay now?"
"Yeah, never better."
Lana reached into her bag, pulled out a scrap of paper and scribbled on it before handing it to him. Clark took it with a puzzled look on his face.
"This is the number for Nell's cell phone. If you need anything or just want to talk, call me okay?"
"Why are you giving this to me now?"
"Well, I'm sort of leaving right after school."
"We don't even get the weekend together? God, this sucks," Clark exclaimed, kicking the wall with his foot.
Lana got up on the tips of her toes and brushed her cheek against his, while patting his belly with one hand.
"Don't worry. Daddy will be back before you know it," she whispered with a smirk.
*****
Clark stood at the front steps of the school and waved half-heartedly at Lana as she got into the car with Nell and Dean. She took one last glance at him before taking off her backpack and getting in the backseat. The car pulled away from the curve and down the street as a horde of students continued to pass him, rushing to their respective cars and buses, delighted by the beginning of Spring Break. He let out a groan as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Clark! Hey, you look sort of sad, what's the matter?" asked Maria.
"Lana's gonna be in Metropolis for Spring Break," he replied, turning his head toward her, a frown on his face.
"Oh," she exclaimed, giving him a compassionate smile. "You know what you need? Something to take your mind off things... you know, I could use your help at the Torch."
"I don't know, Maria, I think I should just go home..."
"C'mon Clark, it won't take that long, and you're not doing anything right now anyways. Besides, everyone else is gone, you're my only hope," she said with a smirk, batting her eyelashes at him.
"Alright," he answered, his resolve evaporating at the prospect of a long and exasperating whining session.
He turned and walked back into the school, his shoulders slumped as he headed down the hall. Maria followed closely behind, a broad grin plastered on her face. Her eyes gazed down appreciatively at his backside as her cheeks became flush with blood. She fanned herself slightly and undid the top three buttons of her red blouse. Her hands reached out on their own accord, desperately wanting the feel his glutes, but they quickly retreated once she realized what she about to do. A trickle of sweat ran down her neck that she carefully wiped away.
She slammed into him as he came to a stop. He gave her a funny look and motioned to the locked door of the Torch office. Embarrassed, she reached into her pocket and struggled to pick out the right key from her keychain. 'Keep yourself together, Maria. Breathe. Just breathe,' she said to herself as she took a few deep breaths and opened the door. Clark casually strolled in, throwing his backpack down on the floor and glancing around. All the computers were turned off, the desks and tables were cleared off and the chairs neatly stacked in the corner.
"So what exactly did you want me to help you with?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.
Maria calmly took control of the situation, locking the door behind her and turning on the lights. She then dimmed them until only a gentle glow filled the room. She licked her lips and set her sights on him. Clark's eyes widened and he began to back away as Maria encroached into his personal space. His butt hit the conference table as she placed her hands on his chest. He swallowed, his throat suddenly becoming dry.
"I do need your help Clark... just not with the paper," she said in a low voice, her teeth digging into her lower lip as she looked up at him. "There is a torch right here," she said, taking his hand and pressing it against her chest, "that needs your attention."
Clark swallowed again, his mouth still agape as he slid around her and backed away, holding his hands up to keep her at bay.
"Maria, look - I'm flattered, but um, I'm with Lana..."
"And she's not here, is she? She just up and left you all alone. What kind of girlfriend would do that to a man like you?" She mused, advancing on him once again as they began circling each other like predator and prey.
"It's not her fault. I don't blame her, she just has to do this to keep her aunt off her back."
"Or maybe she just wanted to go shopping, content at knowing her little puppy is at home, waiting by the door for his master to come home. She doesn't appreciate you. Come on Clark, I see the way you look at me! I'm right here, and I'm game. No one has to know," she exclaimed with mischievous smile.