A/N: I don't what to keep you guys waiting too long, so I'm trying to
update soon.
ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Chloe, Lana, Pete, and Lex were talking busily amongst themselves when Clark walked in. He knew nothing about the plan; Lana and Chloe hadn't wanted to risk telling him in fear of Clark running away . . . again.
Clark glanced at them all with an uneasy smile. "Hi, guys. What's going on? Why are you all here?"
Lana took a steadying breath, and then said, "We're here because we care for you."
She looked at Chloe for support, and then continued. "You can't shut us out any longer. No, I don't want to hear any excuses," as Clark tried to sputter an explanation.
Chloe took up where Lana left off. "Clark, our senior year is about a week from being over. We can't leave with everyone hanging like this. Do you not trust us?"
Lex looked angry. "Clark, I'm your friend. I have overcome so many obstacles in my business, and in my life. What makes you think I can't overcome this one?"
Pete looked to agree with the other three. "You can't shut us out, man. We're here for you."
The entire time during the group's speeches, Clark sat there without a word. On the surface, it looked like he was taking this attack surprisingly well.
However, there was a vein in his neck that looked to be throbbing, proving that Clark did not appreciate the surprise attack. Also, his hands were clenched so tightly around a bale of hay that they had turned white.
Clark dropped the hay and looked at each of the four friends in turn. "I have dealt with this without the four of you for quite a while."
His eyes took on a concerned look. "I only told you guys because I had to. It was either that, or let your imaginations run wild on what really happened that day."
Clark looked at Lana and took one of her hands. "Lana, you know that you are one of my best friends. But I'm supposed to be protecting you. It's not the other way around."
Clark dropped Lana's hand and turned to Chloe. "Chloe, this same thing goes for you too. I can't stand to see you guys hurt, even . . . killed, because of me."
Clark felt like he was saying good-bye to each of them. He had a feeling that this would be one of the last times that they were all together.
Finally, Clark turned to Lex and Pete. "Lex, Pete, you have always managed to stick around when I found myself in a huge mess. Not this time."
He held out his hands in anger. "I won't include you four in this. It's my life, and my decision. You won't be seeing me as of the end of school. I've decided to attend Washington State University."
Lex laughed sarcastically. "Are we doing a little running away, Clark?"
Lana's voice took on a pleading note. "Clark, please. Give us a chance."
But Clark remained unmoved. "Please just forget that you ever heard the name Clark Kent."
He slowly turned around and walked out of the barn. Chloe and Lana ran to catch up with him, but he had used his super speed, and was only a speck in the distance.
Chloe sat down despairingly in the dirt. She never cried, but now, fat tears were rolling down her face. This situation made her feel so helpless.
Lana had the same ideas. She sat on a stool nearby, and buried her face in her hands. How could she imagine her life without Clark Kent? He was her rock, the one constant in all her life when Whitney died, when Nell moved away, and all the other disastrous events in her life.
The rest of the week, Clark never so much as glanced her way. Lana even went so far as to corner him in the hallway. He wordlessly stepped around her and kept walking towards his next class.
Lana pushed through the crowd, trying desperately to reach him. But he walked on, and walked right out of her life.
8 YEARS LATER
"Ms. Lang? Ms. Lang?" Jack, the copyboy, tried frantically to get Lana's attention.
Finally, she looked up from the report she was reading. "Yes, Jack. I'm sorry; I didn't hear you come in."
He smiled, clearly nervous. "Ms. Lang, Mr. Frost wants to see you in his office. It's important." He still held the coffee in his hand that Lana had asked him to get.
Looking down at it, he said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Here's your coffee, Ms. Lang."
She stood up and took the coffee, puzzled. Victor Frost rarely asked her to see him, unless he wanted a very big favor.
Lana walked unhurriedly to the office of the president of the whole division. She rapped softly, and then walked in.
Victor looked up, clearly glad to see her. "Lana, Lana, come in. Have a seat."
Lana tried her best to appear nonchalant. "Victor, Jack told me that you needed to see me."
Victor looked nervous as well and cut right to the chase. "Lana, as you know, here at Frost Advertisements, we try to give the client the best publicity they can get for their money."
He reached in one of his desk drawers, and pulled out a manila envelope. "A very prominent newspaper has contacted us, and they would like to hire us to start publicity for them."
Victor hastily continued. "They want us to send a representative of Frost Advertisements to meet with them tomorrow, at 6:00 p.m."
Lana smiled sweetly. "Victor, you know I don't actually go to meet the clients anymore. I'm more behind the scenes."
Victor shrugged. "You know that, and I know that, but this client wants the best. And truthfully, I want them to have the best. They would be a valuable asset to Frost Advertisements."
Lana sank into the large armchair in front of Victor's desk. "Ok, so you have my attention. Just who is this client?"
Victor paused, drawing out the anticipation. "The Daily Planet."
Lana almost dropped the scalding coffee directly into her lap. "The Daily Planet?" She found her mouth forgetting how to form words. "THE Daily Planet of Metropolis, Kansas? How did we get them?"
Victor looked very excited. "They saw your work on the new Amanda Davis clothing line, and they loved it!"
Lana took a deep breath. "And so now you want me to go out and meet a spokesperson of the Daily Planet to discuss my ideas?" She looked at her hands. "I don't know, Victor. I haven't done the actual discussing with the clients in a long time."
Victor took her hands across the big oak desk earnestly. "Lana, I'm almost 60 years old. I'm planning on retiring at the end of this season. If we bag this client, I will be able to retire satisfied. And you will have a new job as President of Frost Advertisements." He added with a wry smile, "Or maybe it will be Lang Advertisements?"
Lana took a sip of her coffee, and studied the rim of the mug in her hands. Being President of an advertising agency this big had been her ultimate goal for a long time. She looked up, and met Victor's gaze, which was boring into her. "Ok, I'll do it."
He clapped his hands together happily. "Great, it's a done deal." He started to usher her out the door and handed her the manila envelope containing the Daily Planet information. "Shoo, shoo, go pack."
Lana realized something and said, "Don't you need to call the airline and make a reservation for my ticket? I can't drive from Calle, New Jersey, to Kansas."
Victor looked down guiltily at his hands. "Well, I . . . I already reserved it." The last part of the sentence was said in a mumble.
Lana turned around to look at Victor. "Excuse me, what did you say?"
Victor let out a sigh. "Ok, so I said I already reserved your ticket. It's under Lana Lang and waiting at the airline center. I knew you wouldn't turn down something this huge, and I was afraid we wouldn't have a ticket on the airline this time of year with Christmas coming up, and . . ." He threw up his hands sheepishly. "I had a lot of faith that you would take this job."
Lana let him see her small smile. "Well, I'm taking the rest of the day off, then, if I'm leaving tomorrow."
Victor almost pushed her out the door. "Sure, sure, take the day off. And have fun in Metropolis."
Lana smiled ruefully. "I'll try."
A/N: Are you starting to catch the drift of this fanfic? Review and let me know what you think!
ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Chloe, Lana, Pete, and Lex were talking busily amongst themselves when Clark walked in. He knew nothing about the plan; Lana and Chloe hadn't wanted to risk telling him in fear of Clark running away . . . again.
Clark glanced at them all with an uneasy smile. "Hi, guys. What's going on? Why are you all here?"
Lana took a steadying breath, and then said, "We're here because we care for you."
She looked at Chloe for support, and then continued. "You can't shut us out any longer. No, I don't want to hear any excuses," as Clark tried to sputter an explanation.
Chloe took up where Lana left off. "Clark, our senior year is about a week from being over. We can't leave with everyone hanging like this. Do you not trust us?"
Lex looked angry. "Clark, I'm your friend. I have overcome so many obstacles in my business, and in my life. What makes you think I can't overcome this one?"
Pete looked to agree with the other three. "You can't shut us out, man. We're here for you."
The entire time during the group's speeches, Clark sat there without a word. On the surface, it looked like he was taking this attack surprisingly well.
However, there was a vein in his neck that looked to be throbbing, proving that Clark did not appreciate the surprise attack. Also, his hands were clenched so tightly around a bale of hay that they had turned white.
Clark dropped the hay and looked at each of the four friends in turn. "I have dealt with this without the four of you for quite a while."
His eyes took on a concerned look. "I only told you guys because I had to. It was either that, or let your imaginations run wild on what really happened that day."
Clark looked at Lana and took one of her hands. "Lana, you know that you are one of my best friends. But I'm supposed to be protecting you. It's not the other way around."
Clark dropped Lana's hand and turned to Chloe. "Chloe, this same thing goes for you too. I can't stand to see you guys hurt, even . . . killed, because of me."
Clark felt like he was saying good-bye to each of them. He had a feeling that this would be one of the last times that they were all together.
Finally, Clark turned to Lex and Pete. "Lex, Pete, you have always managed to stick around when I found myself in a huge mess. Not this time."
He held out his hands in anger. "I won't include you four in this. It's my life, and my decision. You won't be seeing me as of the end of school. I've decided to attend Washington State University."
Lex laughed sarcastically. "Are we doing a little running away, Clark?"
Lana's voice took on a pleading note. "Clark, please. Give us a chance."
But Clark remained unmoved. "Please just forget that you ever heard the name Clark Kent."
He slowly turned around and walked out of the barn. Chloe and Lana ran to catch up with him, but he had used his super speed, and was only a speck in the distance.
Chloe sat down despairingly in the dirt. She never cried, but now, fat tears were rolling down her face. This situation made her feel so helpless.
Lana had the same ideas. She sat on a stool nearby, and buried her face in her hands. How could she imagine her life without Clark Kent? He was her rock, the one constant in all her life when Whitney died, when Nell moved away, and all the other disastrous events in her life.
The rest of the week, Clark never so much as glanced her way. Lana even went so far as to corner him in the hallway. He wordlessly stepped around her and kept walking towards his next class.
Lana pushed through the crowd, trying desperately to reach him. But he walked on, and walked right out of her life.
8 YEARS LATER
"Ms. Lang? Ms. Lang?" Jack, the copyboy, tried frantically to get Lana's attention.
Finally, she looked up from the report she was reading. "Yes, Jack. I'm sorry; I didn't hear you come in."
He smiled, clearly nervous. "Ms. Lang, Mr. Frost wants to see you in his office. It's important." He still held the coffee in his hand that Lana had asked him to get.
Looking down at it, he said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Here's your coffee, Ms. Lang."
She stood up and took the coffee, puzzled. Victor Frost rarely asked her to see him, unless he wanted a very big favor.
Lana walked unhurriedly to the office of the president of the whole division. She rapped softly, and then walked in.
Victor looked up, clearly glad to see her. "Lana, Lana, come in. Have a seat."
Lana tried her best to appear nonchalant. "Victor, Jack told me that you needed to see me."
Victor looked nervous as well and cut right to the chase. "Lana, as you know, here at Frost Advertisements, we try to give the client the best publicity they can get for their money."
He reached in one of his desk drawers, and pulled out a manila envelope. "A very prominent newspaper has contacted us, and they would like to hire us to start publicity for them."
Victor hastily continued. "They want us to send a representative of Frost Advertisements to meet with them tomorrow, at 6:00 p.m."
Lana smiled sweetly. "Victor, you know I don't actually go to meet the clients anymore. I'm more behind the scenes."
Victor shrugged. "You know that, and I know that, but this client wants the best. And truthfully, I want them to have the best. They would be a valuable asset to Frost Advertisements."
Lana sank into the large armchair in front of Victor's desk. "Ok, so you have my attention. Just who is this client?"
Victor paused, drawing out the anticipation. "The Daily Planet."
Lana almost dropped the scalding coffee directly into her lap. "The Daily Planet?" She found her mouth forgetting how to form words. "THE Daily Planet of Metropolis, Kansas? How did we get them?"
Victor looked very excited. "They saw your work on the new Amanda Davis clothing line, and they loved it!"
Lana took a deep breath. "And so now you want me to go out and meet a spokesperson of the Daily Planet to discuss my ideas?" She looked at her hands. "I don't know, Victor. I haven't done the actual discussing with the clients in a long time."
Victor took her hands across the big oak desk earnestly. "Lana, I'm almost 60 years old. I'm planning on retiring at the end of this season. If we bag this client, I will be able to retire satisfied. And you will have a new job as President of Frost Advertisements." He added with a wry smile, "Or maybe it will be Lang Advertisements?"
Lana took a sip of her coffee, and studied the rim of the mug in her hands. Being President of an advertising agency this big had been her ultimate goal for a long time. She looked up, and met Victor's gaze, which was boring into her. "Ok, I'll do it."
He clapped his hands together happily. "Great, it's a done deal." He started to usher her out the door and handed her the manila envelope containing the Daily Planet information. "Shoo, shoo, go pack."
Lana realized something and said, "Don't you need to call the airline and make a reservation for my ticket? I can't drive from Calle, New Jersey, to Kansas."
Victor looked down guiltily at his hands. "Well, I . . . I already reserved it." The last part of the sentence was said in a mumble.
Lana turned around to look at Victor. "Excuse me, what did you say?"
Victor let out a sigh. "Ok, so I said I already reserved your ticket. It's under Lana Lang and waiting at the airline center. I knew you wouldn't turn down something this huge, and I was afraid we wouldn't have a ticket on the airline this time of year with Christmas coming up, and . . ." He threw up his hands sheepishly. "I had a lot of faith that you would take this job."
Lana let him see her small smile. "Well, I'm taking the rest of the day off, then, if I'm leaving tomorrow."
Victor almost pushed her out the door. "Sure, sure, take the day off. And have fun in Metropolis."
Lana smiled ruefully. "I'll try."
A/N: Are you starting to catch the drift of this fanfic? Review and let me know what you think!