We went our separate ways after our lunch together at the Talon. I haven't heard from Lois since then.

I sometimes wonder if it's intentional, and there's some sign that I'm suppose to pick up, but then I look back at the other times she's left my life and it gets me thinking: maybe we're too much from different worlds.

What can a farmboy from Kansas offer a woman like Lois Lane?

Then, as bad luck would have it, just as I was finishing up removing the truckload of hay, I see a car pull over and Lana comes out. Sarcastically, I utter 'great' and appropriately move to greet her.

"Hi Lana," I say with a forced smile.

"Hey Clark," she returned. Lana walked towards me with legs of hesitancy and with eyes of curiosity. "We didn't get the chance to say 'hi' to each other yesterday when you were at the Talon," she brought up out-of-the-blue.

I think about it for a moment and I'm left flabbergasted. I was with Lois yesterday, why does it matter if I greeted Lana when I practically see her every so often? Is saying 'hi' to her really in my daily top-to-do-list?

Thinking it over again, it took me but a second to think NO.

"I'm sorry, I've been busy." I didn't know why I was apologizing to her; but it's probably because I'm so used to it.

It's like second nature.

When Lana gets a bad lit paper, I say sorry.

When she 'again' dates the wrong guy, I'm always the first to apologize even when it's completely not my fault.

Whenever she's down and lonely, I find myself going right to that very place and feel down and lonely myself just so I could say 'I'm sorry.'

It's sadly coming to my attention that I'm sick and tired of it.

For the first time since I've known her, I want Lana Lang to go away.

"I was wondering if you wanted to stop by the Talon later," she practically stated, not even bothering to ask the question. I forced my head not to shake, I'm always at the Talon, and unless a certain Metropolis Co-Ed is there, at this point on, I really have no interest in going.

I look at Lana to speak, and for a moment I find myself lost in her eyes. It wasn't the green I wanted to see. It was just brown. Brown and nothing.

"Clark," she says, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" My mind's a jumble of thoughts.

"Have you ever regretted not taking that first move?"

Oh no, here we go again. It's like riding a rusty beat up Merry-Go-Round. We're always returning to the same discussion over and over and over again, giving them results that don't go anywhere.

I don't want to deal with this.

And more importantly, I don't want to have to.

"Why are you asking?"

She averted her eyes away from me for a second. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately"

"Before or after the Talon yesterday?" I question bitterly. I didn't know where that voice came from, but to be honest, I didn't care and it's a perfectly legitimate question to ask.

Judging by her reaction, she looks offended.

"Do you really think so little of me, Clark?"

Guilt.

There it is.

I didn't have to see it coming, it was already there.

She always had a way of making me feel insignificant. Why didn't I see it before? Was I just blinded by how much I believed I was in love with her that anything she says is perfectly justified?

There was a time that being in love with Lana was real, but even when I search my thoughts, I can't differentiate how much of it was pure and how much of it was my need to feel wanted, loved and normal.

For four years that I've known Lana and the rest of my early years I spent watching her, I can't find a single moment where she made me feel all three.

I finally find my voice.

"I think it's time you should leave, Lana"

"Excuse me." She didn't believe me, but that didn't matter because I believed it.

I breathe deeply. "I'll always be your friend – but this – you and me – It' over." I never thought I was capable of saying those words, but man, once I did, it's like this huge weight on my shoulders were finally lifted.

I feel free.

I feel happy.

"If that's how you feel"

I nod, not just standing by my words but feeling it too.

"I do"

Author's Notes: Whew! So what'd ya think? I placed this here so I can get Clark completely moved on from Lana without any of that pesky residual feelings going on. It's his choice and his choice alone, and in going with continuity, Clark to Lana will always be the guy that got away. I don't care one way or the other. I won't be losing any sleep over it. LOL! Yes, I know, I'm mean, but at least I'm rational.