CHAPTER SIX
At the Kent barn, Clark was in his barn loft, still very disturbed about the dream he had had the night before. He was still racking his brain trying to figure out what the heck it meant. I mean the electricity going haywure, all of it, the voice of Jor-El. What did it all mean? Was it Jor-El trying to get Clark to do what he wanted? Was it some kind of warning? WHAT DID IT ALL MEAN?
"GRRRRR!" growled Clark. The dream was frustrating Clark so much that he couldn't even get his tie on straight. It was his graduastion day, the day he had been waiting for for the past four years, and hr couldn;'t even get his tie on straight. Why? because of a silly dream that probably didn't mean anything.
"Look, Smallville, you don't have to growl like a bear," called a familiar loud voice, "But even I can tell you that hand-eye coordinartion isn't one of yor strong suits."
Clark nearly turned and saw that it was Lois. Clark growled under his breath. He so did not want to have to deal with Lois Lane, now of all times. But it seemd that she was going to help him anyway, because she grabbed the toie out of Clark's hands and started tying it herslef! "Here," she isnsited, rather annoyingly, "Let me help you with that."
Clark just smiled at her, while trying to get his belt on, and said rather sarcastically, "Lois, I am really not sure what I'm going to do without you."
Lois just shrugged and replied, "Oh, c'mon, Clark, your future's laid out right out in front of you. You're going to go to Kansas Community College, major in agriculrure, probably minor in law enforcement knowing you with your hero complex and all, and then you and Lana are going to have a nice little church wedding."
As Clark was finishing up his belt, he was caught off guard with Lois's comment. He wasn't even sure he knew about his feelings for Lana. "Excuse me?"
Lois just smiled at Clark, knowing he had caught him off-guard and said, while finisnhg up his tie, "It's written in the stars and you know it. It's only a mater of time before you join the bowling league, take over the family farm, and then . . well, you and Lana can being little 'Clark jr.' into the world."
As Clark bucked his nbelt, he tried to play it cool, by saying, "Lois, I think you're hallucinating."
Lois physically turned Clark around and put his tie on his neck and said "No. Hallucinating would be imagining Clark Kent going off to the big city of Metropolis,IL to make his mark in the world. I'm just being realistic."
Clark noticed that his tie was a little tight around his neck and just smiled and lauighed at Lois' tie-tying techniques, to which Lois only smiled and laughed back. "Well, Lois, what about your future? After Europe, of course. Are you going to go back to school? Maybe actually stay a little while?"
Clark walked over to another part of his loft, wher he cointinued to finish tying his tie. Lois only folllowed to continue the converstaion, which she wasn't about to give up. Especially with a smalltime weasel like Clark Kent.
"I figured that if I'm going to get an education, it's going to be in the real world," Lois replied as she sat on the couch in Clark's loft, "Y'know, when I was in the one and only barbershop in this hick town, I took this career test in this magazine, and it said, that my perfect job would be a - - "
Clark waited as he tied his tie to find out what that perfect job would be.
"-- radio disc jockey." Lois seemed to beam with a lovely smiled as that was something she had wanted to do.
Clark simply smiled and replied as he buttoned the left button on his shirt collar, "Well, that makes sense. You talk enough, so there won't be any dead air."
Lois just scowled at Clark for knocking off her dreams. Clark only smiled back, in pride, as if he was prpoud of his smart-alleck comment to Lois.
"You mock me now, Smallville, but you just wait and see." Lois said.
"Journalism," said Clark, as he finished the last button.
"Excuse me?"
"Journalism. i think it'd be a good career for you. Did you ever think about it? I mean, you wrote some half-decent articles in your short-lived career at the Torch."
Lois just shook her head, as if ascoffing at the idea. "No! Kill me first! Even if I could spell, the last thing I'd want to do is spend my time in a newsroom. I mean . . . Probably, with my luck, i'd end up across the desk with the most shy, mild-mannered, bumbling reporter on the masthead. Forget it, Kent. Journalism is my cousin's calling. Not mine."
Clark just shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Well, it was just an idea."
Thebn, clark stood tall and proud, as he had finally finished his tie. He was ready for graduation.
Lois looked at him uip and down, and smiled. "You know what? You actually look handsome for a change."
"Well, I'll take that as a compliment."
Lois got off the couch and stood up and started to straighten Clark's tie. "Look, I know we've had our disagreements in the past, and I will be the first to admit that I have made it my own personal hobby to bust your chops."
Clark nodded. "I've gotten used to it. Besides, I know I haven't been the most gracious host."
Lois just looked and smiled. "I just want you to know, Clark, that when I'm sitting in the audience today at your graduation and you stand up on that stage in front of all those people . . . I'm going to be looking up at you and thinking only one thing."
Clark looked nervously at Lois. "What's that?"
Lois just smiled at Clark, and said, "Please, don't let him trip."
Then, as Lois walked out, she slugged Clark in the shoulder and walked down the stairs of Clark's upper barnloft.
Clark walked to the banister and watched Lois leave. Lois saw Clark watching her from afar and said to him, "See ya around, Smallville."
Clark just smiled, and said, "See ya around, Lois Lane."
Clark stared at Lois and realized that Smallville would not be the same without Lois Lane. You know, Clark Kent would almost actually miss Lois Lane.
Almost.
As Lois headed to the Kent truck, as she would be accompanying them to Clark's gradiation, Clark looked down on his watch, and realized that he was going to be late to his graduation. So, in the blink of an eye, Clark ran!1
Clark immediately changed into his Smallville High graduation robes as graduation was commencing. This graduation was probably the biggest event in Clark's life. As he arrived at the yard in front of Smallville High, he saw a 5'7' blonde high school senior. It was Chloe Sullivan, his best friend.
"Hey Clark, 'bout time you got here. Take a shortcut?"
"Yeah."
Chloe smiled. "Cool."
"Where's Lana?"
Chloe just shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen her yet. SHe's probably just nervous. I know I am."
Clark looked to the distance and nodded. "Yeah, I'm nervous too, Chloe."
Clark was nervous. He had hoped whatever Jor-El was warning him about in his dream didn't come to pass on his graduation day. He hoped nothing would ruin this day for him.
It was now graduation time. Clark and Chloe had been put in their separate gender lines. The graduation song was playing. Clark didn;t know what it was. But it was playing. It had been an hour and a half and Clark hadn't seen Lana yet. It was starting to worry him a little bit. Clark looked over at Chloe, and he could tell she was worried, too.
Principal Reynolds began calling names, from the list. "CAROLINE DRIES!" Applause followed as each name was called and each graduate stood up and accepted their diploma.
Clark looked over at Chloe, and asked the question that seemed to be on both of their minds. "Have you seen Lana yet?"
Chloe shook her head. "Still no sign. I'm starting to get worried, Clark. Lana's never even had a tardy. She's not going to miss her high school graduation."
Clark just looked at Chloe firmly and said confidently, "She'll be here."
Then, Clark and Chloe separated into their different lines where they would receive their high school diplomas. As Clark moved closer, he couldn't help but notice that the banners all over the graduation ceremony read, "SMALLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT." Truly, this day was a commencement for all the seniors this year. But this year, for Clark, had been a commencement in of itself: with the hunt for those crystals always on his mind, the death of Dr. Swann, Lois coming to Smallville, Chloe's almost death. It had been a stressful yeart. He hoped nothing else stressful would come to pile on him.
"HOLLY HAROLD!"
Clark gave a small applaud for Holly. She took over for Chloe at the Torch during her "death". Clark had been very impressed with what she bbrought to the Torch. Holly had told Clark that she wanted to be a hollywood screenwriter. Clark hoped Holly would do it. Holly Harold had accepted her diploma. It seemed as if they waited forever for Clark.
"TANYA HARTE!" Clark gave a mini-applause for Tanya. Tanya was one of the cheerleaders for the Smallville High Football Team. Everyone told Clark that Tanya had a crush on her. But Clark had always only had eyes for Lana. Lana was the girl he had loved since grade school. He looked around and still saw no sign of Lana.
"KATE HORTON!" Clark looked over at Chloe as Katie accepted her diploma. They saw the looks of nervousness in both of their eyes. They still wondered where Lana was. Chloe had a look of worry and nervousness combined. Clark tried not to let his worriness show.
"HANNAH JACOBS!" As Hannah accepted her diploma, Clark walked up the steps onto the stage where he would accept his diploma. As he walked up the stairs, his nervousness went up with him.
"CLARK KENT!" Clark walked further up the stairs. Clark also turned to look at the audience. He saw both his parents stand up with a standing ovation, with Lois, of all people. His dad took a picture with his old camera, and his mom stood up and clapped and cheered, while Lois put her two fingeres to her mouth and whistled. Clark smiled and went over to Asst. Principal Ellsworth and accepted his diploma. He had finally got it. He held it high for everyone to see, smiling, and shook Principal Reynolds.
Principal Reynolds shook Clark's hand and smiled. "Congratulations, Mr. Kent. Now go out into the world and make something of yourself. Never ignore your destiny."
Clark just smiled. "Thank you, sir."
After Clark got his diploma, he turned and looked around and couldn't believe he had finally graduated. As he stood in amazement, Principal Reynolds called another name. "LANA LANG!"
Clark stopped dead in his feet, and looked to see if Lana had shown up. He had dreamed of the day where he would be graduating and Lana would be in her graduating gown right after him. He had dreamed of it for as long as he could remember. But Lana wasn;t here. He l;ooked around to see if Lana was comign out of the parking lot. Out of the park itself. But she wasn't.
Lana was missing.
