Disclaimer: i do not own smallville or it's character no matter how much i would like to.
A/N: Ok, chap. 4 is up. not a whole lot going on in this chapter but it was necessary. Enjoy!
"Lana! Lana, were are you?" Clark found himself walking through the empty red and yellow halls of the high school.
"Clark…" Clark turned on the heels of his bare feet to see were the faint noise had come from. He heard it again stronger than the last. "Clark.." A closet door to Clark's left started to shake violently. "Clark…" The dark haired boy walked cautiously over to the door with an out stretched hand. Before he could touch the metal knob the door flung open revealing a woman surrounded by fog. Clark squinted, trying to focus on the figure. Clark's features turned to shock and he back away from the open closet as it became all to clear who the woman was. Lana Lang walked out from the fog, face mangled and bleeding all over the white lace of her dress. "Clark…. Your fault." The mauled version of Lana held out a green rock. Clark backed into the wall, the lockers making a dull thud as his body hit them. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor. Clark felt soft dirt beneath him and look around. He was at the Smallville grave yard. Clark scrabbled to his feet, trying to see through the thick fog.
"All this time." Clark wheeled around to face Lex who had his hands in the pockets of his coat. "All this time, and you never trusted me, I'm your friend!" Lex's emotion quickly turned to anger. "You'll pay!" Lex lunged at Clark who ducked. When Clark stood up straight he was alone again.
"How could you." This time Clark turned to face a Lana who was standing in front of him with tears streaming down her face on to a black dress with wings. "I trusted you, I loved you, and you pushed me away. We could have been happy if you had just told me! I don't know who you are."
"Lana," Clark started franticly. "I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you…" The rest of his words were lost in a breath of wind that stung Clark's eyes to the point were he had to look away. When he picked his head up he was alone was again once more. "Lana!" Clark ran forward. "Lana!" He tripped on a head stone and fell to the ground.
Clark sat up with a jolt sending the blankets around him flying. He was drenched in sweat, the thin blue t-shirt he was wearing was soaked. Clark ran both hands through his wet hair then left the warmth of his bed for the sink in the bathroom. Clark lifted his cupped hand to his face feeling cool water run over it. He shook so that the tips of his hair dangled in his eyes and pulled his wet shirt over his head. Clark looked out the small window opposite the sink. He could see the beginnings of dawn peaking over the tree tops. It would be no use to go back to sleep. Clark walked as quietly as he could down the stairs. He reached the door and tried to keep it from slamming as he walked through it. Clark turned around looking over the fields that the dawning sun had cast a mist over. Clark closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air.
"Clark?" Clark spun around to see Ginny standing in front of him. "I didn't mean to scare you. Is everything ok? I heard a lot of noise coming from your room."
Clark sighed. "Everything's fine, I'm just a little jumpy."
Ginny nodded and passed him to sit on the swinging bench. She nestled into the to large sweatshirt she was wearing over fuzzy purple pajama pants. "I couldn't sleep either." Clark watched her stare out towards the barn. "Do you ever think about them?" Ginny asked after a moment, still staring at the barn. "Your birth parents I mean."
Clark nodded slowly. "All the time. I wonder what my life would have been like if they hadn't sent me away." Ginny wrapped her arms around her knees as Clark continued. "I know another person who knows what it's like to lose her parents."
"Lana?" Ginny looked towards Clark while pulling her dark red hair into a lose pony tail.
Clark was surprised by this. "Yeah how'd you know?"
Ginny shrugged. "I didn't." She paused thinking. "Does Lana know about you?"
Clark dug his hands into the pockets of his flannel pants and looked back towards the fields which were now filled with a soft golden light.
Ginny took this for an answer. "She'd want to know."
Clark blinked. "You know what it's like to be different, you know that people would never look at you the same if they knew."
"You don't think she would except you. You're afraid."
Clark turned abruptly to gaze on the small girl in front of him. He opened his mouth to protest but Ginny beat him to it.
"Clark, your relationships can't grow without truth, and truth involves change. Your afraid of change. You have so many fear, and fears keep you from living." Ginny shook her head, sending loose strands of hair flying. "The only thing to fear is fear it's self."
"Theodore Roosevelt." Clark smiled. It amazed him at how wise she could seem at times.
Ginny smiled in return. "Yeah." By now the sun had risen fully into the sky and the rest of the house had started to wake. They could hear noise from the kitchen and somebody walking down the stairs.
"Come on." Clark motioned to Ginny. " We need to get ready for school."
"We?" Ginny asked standing up and stretching.
"My mom thought it would be a good idea for you to sit in on some of the freshman classes while you're here." Clark said with a hasty grin.
"Remind me to thank her." Ginny quipped as she tramped into the house behind Clark.
"Do you need me go to the principals office with you?" Clark turned to face Ginny right outside the doors to the high school.
"Clark, I've been through a lot worse than high school, I think I can handle it." Ginny stated confidently though the look on her face told Clark otherwise. She straightened the forest green tank top she was wearing.
"Ok, my mom already got this all straightened out so he should be expecting you."
Ginny nodded and shrugged Clark's old backpack over her shoulder before following him into the old building.
"The office is that way." Clark pointed down a hall way. "I'll see you at lunch." Clark watched Ginny shuffle through the crowd of people most of which were taller than her until she was out of sight. He then headed down a different hall way, stopping at his locker to gather books for his first period class.
"Hey mystery man." Chloe appeared next to Clark. "Are you going to give me an explanation for running off yesterday?" Chloe waited.
"Sorry Chloe, I….remembered about a report I had to do for Biology." Clark finished lamely.
Chloe stared at Clark in disbelief. "You sure it had nothing to do with the murder?"
"Why is this story so important to you?" Clark jabbed a little harder than he meant to.
Chloe looked taken aback. "It's a story of a life time Clark! If I could find how this happened then I'd have a spot at the daily planet with my name on it."
"That's all you care about isn't it, the story. Not if an innocent life gets hurt in the process!" Clark's temper rose.
Chloe stepped back, staring him down. "Is that what you think of me Clark?"
Clark's temper fell as fast as it had risen. "I didn't mean it like that Chloe." Clark said in a calmer voice.
Chloe nodded. "I think you did. And any of the lives involved with this story won't be innocent." She shook her bleach blonde hair and walked very fast down the corridor away from Clark. He looked after her feeling his heart sink. Clark looking around. People had stopped what they were doing and were starring at him. Avoiding their gaze he slunk his backpack back over the shoulder of his soft blue and white checkered shirt and head down the hall.
"Hey, how has your day been going?" Clark questioned as light heartedly as he could with his fight with Chloe on his mind as Ginny joined him at the table.
"I don't get why they are called princi-pals. It makes them sound so friendly." Ginny slumped down in the chair across from Clark. "He lectured me for 30 minutes on being a guest in the school, and how he expects me to behave and bla, bla, bla."
"Really?" Clark said with an amused grin. "How did you manage to get away in such a good mood?"
"I stuck some gum on his chair, and watched him walk out of the room with it on his butt."
Clark stifled a laugh but nearly spit out his drink in doing so.
"What's so funny?" Pete sat down next to Clark.
Clark just grinned at Ginny.
Pete decided not to ask again and moved on. "Have you seen Chloe, there's something I want to ask her?"
Clarks smile faded. "Not since this morning, but I need to find her too."
Ginny looked over at Clark's watch. "I should get going, I've found that you are actually expected to find your classes so I'm going to give myself a head start." She stood up and brushed off the back of her old faded jeans before heading out of the cafeteria, hair waving from side to side in back of her.
"We should go find Chloe." Clark started to get up but Pete bolted out of his seat.
"Um…how about I find her and I'll tell her your looking for her." Pete pushed on Clarks shoulders trying to get him back in the chair.
"What's going on Pete?" Clark questioned, forgetting about the effect Pete's pushing should be having on him.
Pete stopped his futile attempts at getting Clark back in the chair. "Nothing, I just need to talk to her alone."
"Are you ok Pete?" Clark said with a worried look. Pete didn't answer but gave Clark a grim smile before heading out of the room. Clark stared after him in a confused silence then picked his bag off the ground and made to throw his trash away.
"Dude, you know her?" Clark turned to see Reese O'Neil, a junior that Clark had tutored the year before standing next to him.
"Hey Reese, I know who?" Clark looked down at the slightly shorter boy.
Reese gave him a wide eyed glance. "Little red head."
"Oh, Ginny, yeah I know her." Clark said with a humorous tone.
Reese licked his lips. "Well, so you think you could introduce me?"
Clark looked incredulously down at the sandy haired boy. "No, I don't think so." Clark's voice had become stiff.
"Why not? She's hot!" the boy said with a slight pout.
"Look Ginny is like a little sister to me, and I truthfully don't want you anywhere near her."
Reese's pout became clearer but he seemed to decide on something else. "Forget it, I don't need your help." Reese sidled past Clark but didn't make it very far before Clark had him by the shirt. The boy fought this but to no effect.
"I said stay away from her." Clark let go and Reese goggled at him. Clark walked past him confident he had given Reese enough of a reason not to bother his little sister. Clark caught himself. No, not little sister, she's going to be gone in a day or two…like Ryan. Clark's mood dropped slightly. Clark trudged along the path until he found himself at the Torch. Pete was there, talking to Chloe who seemed to be smiling. I thought she would be grouchy for the rest of the day. Chloe laughed then her sight fell on Clark and she stopped but a smile still held on her face. She murmured something in Pete's ear and he nodded. Pete stood up and walked to the door, he seemed to be in a very good mood about something and patted Clark on the shoulder as he passed. Clark walked all the way into the room.
"What's made you two so happy?"
"Why do you care?" Chloe answered stiffly, the smile fading from her face.
Clark shifted his bag uncomfortably. "Look Chloe, I want to apologize, I know that you care, just sometimes it seems like-"
"I accept." Chloe interrupted.
Clark looked stunned. "Just like that?"
Chloe shrugged. "I know you didn't mean it. I got angry because, believe it or not I can tell when your being less than truthful." Chloe looked up at Clark. "After all the chances you've given me, I can at least give you the same."
"So you forgive me?" Clark gave her a sincere look and touched her arm.
Chloe nodded but pulled away from his touch. "But you know I can't just forget about a story like this. I'm still going to investigate it, but I wont ask you for help."
Clark considered this for a moment. There was really no way that he could think of for Chloe to connect the murder to Ginny. He nodded slowly. Chloe smiled in relief.
"So." Chloe returned to her never ending job of being an editor. "Have you figured out the costume thing yet?"
"I'm not going to wear a costume."
Chloe looked up from her computer. "Won't that be kind of weird, you'd be the only one without a costume." Clark grimaced. "You'll find something Clark. What did you wear last year?"
Clark shook his head. "I didn't go last year."
Chloe nodded humorously. "Have you ever been trick or treating?"
"When I was a kid.." Clark failed to see where this was going. "The last time I went I wore….a pirate outfit."
Chloe choked on a laugh. "ClarkKent, hoarding swag..."
Clark rolled his eyes. "Thanks Chloe." He bid her goodbye, his heart feeling exceptionally lighter as he left the schoole newspaper. MaybeI could be a pirate...Clark turned the corner only to run into Lana.
"Sorry Lana, I wasn't paying attention." Clark apologized as he helped pick her books up off the floor.
"It's fine." Lana took her books back. "I'm really excited about the dance tonight."
Clark smiled at her feeling very warm. "Me too. I was thinking I would pick you up at 8?
Lana gave him a sweet smile, the one that always made his insides squirm. "Sounds good." They stared at each other for a minute, Clark could see her fumbling with the zipper of her jacket then the bell rang. "I've got to go." Lana touched his hand then continued her way down the hall. Clark shivered. They had been friends for nearly 3 years, he should be past the butterfly stage, but it was always like that with Lana. Even after all they've been through, it never changed. Clark headed off in the opposite direction than Lana, hoping against all odds that this time things would work out.