Lana's PoV
You know what? I've come to the conclusion that life sucks. I mean big time, oh-my-god sucks. I know- cynical much? Well, you can't argue that it's a lie- there's nothing more truthful than that. I mean, just look at my life- I've been ostracized my entire life for going against the norm, for not conforming or whatever, my family died when I was six. My sister, my only remaining family, left me when I was still in the hospital, leaving me alone. And here I am, again, alone. A pretty ugly recurring pattern, if you ask me.
But enough with the self-pity. I need to convince myself that I'm doing the right thing...problem is, I'm not quite sure that I am...
Normal
Max walks out of the diner, immediately spotting Lana on the hood of the truck, staring into the sky with a pout marring her features. She sits next to her, and Lana doesn't move. "Brooding?" she asks, smirking. Lana just shrugs. "You all right?" she asks, and Lana nods.
"I'm always all right." she says, plastering a smile on her face, as if to say, 'See? No worries!' Unfortunately for her, Max is a pretty good judge of character (thanks to Manticore's elite training and, of course, the help of OC) She sees right through it, and Lana cringes as she realizes it.
"You know, you don't always have to be strong." she tells Lana, who scoffs and rolls her eyes in a very broody-teen way.
"Yeah, I do. I always have to take care of people. It's my job to keep my sibs happy." she says, letting out a sigh and looking at Max, as if trying to determine whether she can trust her. Max hopes that she can see the trust in her eyes, and Lana continues, rolling her shoulders in an effort to rid herself of some of the stress. "But I'm so stressed, and caught up in the nightmares and stuff, that it feels like I'm lying by acting happy."
Max thinks about that for a while as she remembers Ben, the brother that was always cheering her up, telling her stories to help her through the seizures. I wonder if he was lying, too...
"Hey, ladies," Alec says, interrupting the thoughts of both girls. They nod their hellos. "Ready to move out?"
"Let's do it." Max says, hopping off the hood and climbing into the cab of the truck. "Lana, you coming?" she asks, watching Lana pause at her door.
"Shooting star..." she says, shutting her eyes tight, surprised to have seen more than one in a night, "Make a wish."
Max and Alec smile, and Alec climbs onto the motorcycle, revving it up. The truck pulls out, followed by Alec. Max looks at Lana, who's staring out the window, her face a mask. Not usually one to make small talk, she decides to try to take Lana's mind off leaving her sibs. "So, you like any boys in Eden?" Lana just snorts. "Come on," she prods, "TC doesn't have much good gossip." she says, wiggling her eyebrows. "You had to have liked at least one."
Lana's laughter stops abruptly, and her face scrunches up disgust. "Ugh, I just got that barf taste in my mouth." she says, opening the window and spitting out it. "Ew."
"Come on, they couldn't have been that bad." Max says. Lana just rolls her eyes, trying to forget the stupid bastards.
"No, they really were that bad." she says, shrugging, "I've decided to revert to my six-year-old philosophy of 'Boys are icky!' until further notice." she tells Max, who scoffs.
Alec passes them, winking and blowing a kiss at them. Max rolls her eyes. "You know what? I totally support you in that endeavor." she says, fighting to hide her blush, and Lana nods proudly, turning up the radio.
"Oh! I love this song!" Lana cries happily, looking at Max as the beginning beat of 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' comes on. Max just looks at her like she's crazy. "Oh, come on, you have to know this!" she says, singing along to the lyrics.
"Nope, can't say I do. Hip hop is the only genre Crash plays." Max tells the younger girl, not explaining what Crash is. Lana shakes her head.
"Now, I know that hiphop is the best kind of music, but other kinds are good, too." she says, smiling evilly. "I'll convert you yet. Come on, it's not that hard." she says, singing it slowly so Max can catch on.
"I saw him dancing there by the record machine,
I knew he must've been about seventeen.
The beat was going strong,
Play my favorite song...
I love rock 'n' roll,
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock 'n' roll,
So, come on, take some time and dance with me..." she pauses, looking at Max, who's smirking,
"You have to bark here, it's a rule." she says, yelping at the precise moment. Max just grins, happy to have a new girlfriend to hang out with, as many see her as just another leader, as an untouchable. Apparently not Lana.
Two hours and Forty-Eight minutes later
"We are so lucky this truck has a cd player." Lana says, pushing a cd with "Lana's mix" written on it in the player. "Ok, now this is the twangiest song you'll ever hear, but it's kinda our anthem around here, as sad as that is. Please, don't laugh." The music starts, and Lana holds up her hand like a pretend microphone, clearing her throat like all the drama queens at school do before they go on stage and suck it up.
"Lazy yellow moon comin' up tonite,
Shinin' thru the trees,
Crickets are singin' and lightning bugs
Are floatin on the breeze
Baby get ready....." she belts out, her voice strong and clear, hitting every one of the notes
perfectly. Max gapes, not knowing that such a small girl could hide a voice that beautiful.
Lana dances like a madwoman, serenading an audience that exists only in her head.
"Across the field where the creek turns back by the ole stump road
I'm gonna take you to a special place that nobody knows
Baby get ready.....ooooooooooo" She looks at Max, who by now has recovered from her
initial shock, and grins. "We played it at all the dances. Come on, here's the refrain...it's
pretty easy to learn. You can borrow the cd if ya want." Lana shrugs, and Max nods, liking
the out-of-the-ordinary style of music.
"You and me going fishing in the dark,
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows.
Down by the river in the full moon light,
We'll be fallin' in love in the middle of the night
Just movin' slow..." Lana does a line dance- well, as good as one can do in a truck, clapping and
singing along as Max watches amusedly.
"Stayin' the whole night thru," Max lets out a grin as Lana winks and pretends to fix her hair, but
then is stuck on the next part, " feels so good to be with you..."
She casts a glance at Alec, who's riding beside them again. He gives her another wink, but this time she just smiles, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Lana watches the interaction, grinning inwardly. They're in love...ok, so they just have to realize it, but after that, smooth sailing!
"What?" Max asks as she watches, and she shrugs.
"So, what's with you and Alec?" she asks, and Max rolls her eyes, a light blush covering her cheeks.
"Alec and me? Nothing, strictly business." she says, and Lana scoffs. "Shut up." Max snaps, turning her eyes to the road. Lana waves to Alec through the window, and he waves back.
"Whatever you say, Max." she says. They're gonna need some work
A/N: what'd ya think? Sorry it's been forever since an update, but I've been really busy with cheerleading practice- the mere sight of stairs makes me want to cry. Our computer's downstairs, so I sacrificed my legs, people! Jk, but anyway, I'm sorry, and I'll have new chapters of most of my stories up next week, cuz finals are done Friday. Woo hoo!!!
DISCLAIMER: I hate you Fox, I really do. Grrrrr.....
Live fast, play hard, die laughing.
Molly Jeane XOXO