Clark gets out of his dad's truck in the parking lot of Smallville High. He slings his backpack over his shoulder and starts walking up the sidewalk to the school.

"Clark!" Chloe calls and catches up to him.

"Oh hey, Chloe." Clark greets her and she walks with him.

"I haven't seen you since you ran back off to Metropolis. It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back. I don't know what I would do if Lana hadn't of came." Clark tells her.

"Yeah. For a change of pace, someone saves Clark Kent." Chloe smiles. "I found something a little strange yesterday." She says and pulls out a copy of the Smallville Ledger.

"Oh, what's that?" Clark asks.

"Lex's car was found upside down on the side of the road."

Clark laughs. "You call that strange? Lex was just driving too fast like usual."

"No, the strange thing is the excuse Lex made. Apparently, the car was stolen from his garage and taken on a joy ride where the thief mysteriously went off the road into a tree trunk. How would someone break into Lex's garage and take a car without anyone noticing?" Chloe explains.

"I don't know, must have been lucky." Clark guesses. They get inside the school and head to the Torch office.

"Too bad my inner reporter doesn't believe a word of it." Chloe responds.

"And what do you believe?" Clark asks with a smile, dying to hear her story.

"I wanted to see your results from your race Saturday night, so I found out." She pulls a piece of paper out of her bag and hands it to Clark. On the piece of paper is a picture of Clark and Lana driving off in the silver Astron Martin with the headline "Budget racer, Clark Kent in Luthor wheels".

"Nothing gets past you, huh Chloe?" Clark asks.

"Care to fill me in?" She asks.

"Lex let me borrow the car. On our way home, it was dark and I guess I was too tired, and I ran off the road. I was unconscious after the wreck, and Lana pulled me out. She got me home and took care of me until my parents came home." Clark explains, smiling a little too much after the last sentence.

"Took care of you… yeah I bet she did." She comments.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clark asks her.

"I also found this…" Chloe hands him a second piece of paper. This one has the headline "New racer, Clark Kent's biggest fan" and has a picture of Lana giving him a kiss after he got out of the car.

"Where did you find these articles?" Clark asks.

"I guess you're more popular than you think." She smiles.

"Your not mad about this, are you?" Clark makes sure.

"No… of course not!" Chloe gives him a weird look. "Besides, Lana told me how she felt about you before she left for Metropolis."

"Good, I don't want to leave you in the dark about me and Lana's relationship again." Clark tells her. The bell rings.

"You better get to class before you're late again." Chloe tells him.

"Alright, I'll see you later Chloe." Clark says and walks out in to the hall. He walks past the door to the school's pool focused on getting to class in time, before the door opens suddenly and Clark is yanked in. Clark doesn't have time to react before he's pushed up against the wall and kissed deeply. He recognizes the softness and gentleness of the kiss as Lana's and wraps his arms around her.

So much for making it to class on time.

After several seconds, Lana releases Clark.

"I've missed you." She whispers, staring into his eyes.

"I missed you too. All I could do last night was think of you." Clark tells her.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Lana asks.

"Of course."

"For the past month, all I've ever thought about was you. Every night I would dream about you lying there next to me. Holding me, kissing me, assuring me that you will always be there. Dreaming isn't enough, I need you." Lana tells him.

"Lana, you have me. I'm here." Clark tells her.

"That's not what I mean, Clark."

"Then what…?" He asks.

"I've been alone too much. I want to spend every night sleeping next to you. I want to wake up next to you every morning. Clark, lets run away together." Lana says with a big smile.

What?!

"Lana, are you ok?" Clark asks seriously.

"I'm fine, Clark. We belong together, we always have. If we leave, we can start a life together. A life without this weird town and its weird people."

But I'm part of this weird town. I am the reason this town is weird.

"As much as I want to, we can't leave." Clark tells her.

"Why not?" Lana asks.

"Smallville is our home. My family is here, our friends are here." Clark explains.

"Clark, are you turning me down?" She asks, kind of hurt.

"Don't do this, Lana. We are finally together, let's not ruin it." Clark says and rubs her arm. Lana jerks her arm away and backs away from Clark.

"What is it that ties you to this place? And don't say your family and friends, because we both know that isn't the reason. You tried to leave them behind twice. What is your damn secret?" Lana demands.

"Lana…" Clark starts.

"Of course you can't tell me, you never can. What is more important to you? Keeping your secret or me?" She asks. Clark stands there, trying to decide what to say. "I'll let you think about it." Lana says and shoves open the door, walking back in to the hallway.

I just have to face it, we can never truly be together until I'm completely honest with her.

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