Through Lana's Eyes

Chapter 13

Kinetic

Author's note- For all of you who were wondering, I plan to continue this until one of two things happen. I will stop when the show stops or if/when Lana dies. (The 100th episode made me a little nervous) So, don't worry there will be plenty more chapters. Right now I'm working off the DVDs so when the other seasons come out I'll use those.

Lana had just come out of her aunt's store when she saw Whitney walking by.

"Hey, Whitney. Wait up! I thought you were going to meet me at the hospital." Chloe was there and she had gone over earlier to visit her.

"I'm sorry. I forgot. How's Chloe?"

"Better, but not out of the woods yet."

"That's the thing with this town. It'll always find a way to keep you down." 'That doesn't sound like him. There's something wrong.

"Whitney, what's wrong? Is it your dad?"

"No, it's nothing. I've just got to go do inventory. See you." She walked back into the theater. Nell was inside cleaning out boxes.

"I had no idea I stored so much stuff in here. Will you hand me the tape, please?"

"Yeah." She grabbed it off of a stack of boxes. "I still can't believe you're selling this place, Nell."

"I can't believe your sudden interest in this place."

"My parents met here. This place means a lot to me."

"I know, Lana but one screen can't compte with a multiplex. Ant the fact is I wanna be able to send you to any college you want."

"Could you tell me who the buyer is? Maybe I could talk to them. See if they'd be willing to renovate."

"It's Lex Luthor." 'I'm going to have a hard to convince him to do anything.' The next day, she called Lex and asked him to come over to talk.

"This theater means something to a lot of people." she told him as she showed him around. "I spent every Saturday of my childhood here, eight row center. When the light went down and the screen flickered on the problems outside these doors just disappeared. It was like being transported to a magical place."

"That's a nice story, but why is it so important to you really?"

"My parents met here. I guess I'm just looking for something to hold on to."

"So, I'm supposed to preserve this monument to Lana Lang's sentimental memories."

"That's not what I meant."

"You're a teenager, Lana. Mercurial doesn't do you justice."

"I thought you might understand. Clearly I was mistaken."

"This is business, Lana. All these old store fronts are becoming office spaces. This town needs a parking garage."

"So you're going ahead with your plans."

"You haven't given me any reason to change my mind. If you'll excuse me, I have a pressing matter to attend to." She sighed and tried to hold back tears until Lex had left. When she went into the flower shop Nell told her that Clark had called about something important. She got a ride over to the farm and went into the barn.

"Hey, Nell said you called. Sounded urgent." She walked over and sat down next to him.

"Have you seen Whitney today?"

"Yeah. I asked him what was going on. He said he was out with friends, blowing off steam. When I tried to press him he got angry, so I backed off. It's hard watching people you love suffer and there's nothing you can do to help."

"Lana, I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you this, but Whitney lost his scholarship." 'Why didn't he tell me? Doesn't he know that I'd understand?'

"What? Why didn't he tell me? He was so close to his dream, and then to just have it taken away like that."

"Must hurt like hell."

"Thanks for telling me. You're a good friend."

"I raided the Torch. I think these are Whitney's new friends." He handed her a year book. She looked at the page.

"Wade Mahaney and Scott Bowman. Class of '96. Who are these guys?"

"They were Whitney, six years ago. All star athletes, lettered in football, baseball, basketball. They ruled the school."

"What happened?"

"Well, according to the Ledger Wade got injured and Scott got caught up on drugs."

"They watched their futures vanish."

"Do you think Whitney's in trouble?"

"I don't know." 'I hope not. That would be terrible.' "I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"He thinks that scholarship is his only way out of here. I wish he'd see himself the way I do. There's more to him than football."

"He's lucky to have you."

"Yeah. Big influence I am. I can't seem to convince anybody to do anything today."

"Are you talking about the Talon?"

"I met with Lex, tried to make my case, but he totally shot me down. He said I hadn't given him a good enough business reason."

"Sounds kind of harsh."

"Yeah. But I think the thing that makes me maddest, is that he's right."

"Maybe it wasn't rejection, maybe it was a challenge. My first challenge is helping Whitney."

"Let me work on that."

"Clark, why are you doing this? Not that I don't appreciate it."

"I couldn't stop what happened to Chloe. There's a chance for Whitney."

"Thanks. I should go figure out what I'm going to do about the Talon." She got up and walked down the stairs and out of the barn. She went back to the theater to think. When she walked in she thought she heard someone.

"Nell? Nell, is that you?" She looked around, but didn't see anybody. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Whitney standing behind her.

"Whitney." 'He looks horrible. There is definitely something wrong with him now.'

"I'm in trouble, Lana. I messed up. I trusted the wrong guys. I'm sorry. I let you down. I just don't know what to do."

"It's okay. It's okay." She reached up and wrapped her arms around him. Once she got Whitney calmed down she called Clark and he came over. When Clark got they Whitney told them both the whole story.

"Once they get the money, they're going to kill Lex, and me too for betraying them."

"You did the right thing." she reassured him.

"Yeah, too little too late."

"Do you know where they are now?" Clark asked him when he handed Whitney a cup of coffee.

"Back at the loft, sleeping it off."

"Did you see this disk they stole from Lex."

"No. But it's gotta be there. I can sneak in and get it."

"It's to dangerous. We should call the police." 'I don't plan letting him out of my sight for the rest of the night.'

"No cops. I'm already in enough trouble."

"Tell me where they are. I bet I can get in and out before they even wake up."

"I can't let you go alone, Clark. I got myself into this mess, I gotta try and get myself out of it." 'This is hopeless. If they both want to go I'm not gonna be able to stop them. I should call Lex.' She picked up the phone.

"Hello."

"Hi, this is Lana Lang. Can I talk to Lex?"

"Hold on Miss Lang."

"Hi, Lana."

"Clark and Whitney went after those guys."

"What? I'm glad you called me I'll go strait there." She went home feeling slightly better, but still uneasy. That night she stayed up late coming up with a new plan for the Talon. The next day she met Clark and Chloe outside the hospital, and they started walking with her to the theater.

"Ah, the sweet smell of freedom." Chloe had been complaining about the hospital the minute the left her room.

"You were in the hospital, not Alcatraz." Clark reminded her.

"You spend a week in there and you'd feel like a prisoner too. I mean, come on. Bad food, lights out by nine, and no cable? I'm think about doing an expose. How's Whitney, by the way?"

"He's taking it one day at a time." she told Chloe.

"Good. All right, well, bye."

"Chloe, where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go do a little checking with the police. Apparently none of the tattoo ink was found at the loft and Scott and Derek aren't saying anything to anyone, so I smell a cover up."

"Chloe? It's good to have you back." Clark said.

"Thanks." Chloe ran across the street to the police station.

"He's early." Lana said looking at Lex's car. "Okay. Here goes nothing." 'I'm not so sure if it will work though.'

"It's a good plan." he reminded her.

"Thanks for all you help. Wish me luck."

"You don't need it." She walked inside the theater to see Lex sitting on one of the tables waiting for her.

"Thanks for coming."

"I was surprised by your call. After our last meeting, I didn't think I'd hear from you again."

"This time I came prepared." She handed him a packet of papers from inside the folder she was carrying.

"What's this?"

"My business proposal. Small towns across the country have revived their old downtowns returning them to the social centers they once were. They didn't do this by building cookie-cutter malls or parking garages. They did it by restoring the great buildings that were already there turning them into cafes, bookstores, restaurant."

"You want to turn the Talon into a cafe/bookstore?"

"It could also be avenue for local bands and arthouse movies. If you look on page twelve I found you can register the building as a historic landmark which gives you certain tax benefits. Just don't ask me to explain them."

"Who's gonna manage it?"

"Nell said she'd be interested. And I could train with her after school, and try running it myself in the summers."

"How'd you come up with this?"

"Something Clark said. He told me you like to challenge people."

"Well, you've definitely risen to the challenge."

"So it's a deal?"

"I need to look over everything but, yeah it's a deal."

"Really?" 'I can't believe it!'

"Really. I think this could be the start of a very interesting partnership." He smiled and walked out the door, leaving her standing there brimming with excitement and happiness. 'Finally something good has come out of this place. I can't wait to tell everyone! This is going to be great.'