CHAPTER 5: LOVE AND MYSTERY
EXT. - LANA'S HOUSE - EVENING
Clark had visited Lana Lang's house many times as a child, but it had been a good three or four years since the last time he saw it. Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, he rang the doorbell. The face who greeted him was not Lana, but rather her aunt, Nell Potter. "Well, hello Clark; its been quite a while." The young man simply shrugged. "Too long, I know. Is Lana home?" "I'll fetch her for you; wait here." She heads upstairs, and soon afterward, Lana comes down...still wearing her necklace. The pain immediately begins again, and Lana soon notices Clark's grimaced expression. Removing the chained jewel from around her neck, she apologizes. "Sorry; I forgot. Force of habit. Let's go outside." Clark nods, and the two walk a few yards toward some trees. Lana notices his expression returning to normal, and starts with the obvious question. "Pete told me, after you disappeared today. Why does it make you sick?" "I honestly don't know; its happened for years. Not just yours, either; all of them." She stops, and faces him. "Your mom told Nell about the crash; I'm glad you're okay, Clark." "Just a bit shocked is all; I don't remember much. I woke up in the water, then saw the car on the riverbed. Pulled the guy to the surface, and did CPR. We had to wait for the ambulance, and my Dad chewed him out at the med center." She chuckled a bit, making Clark smile. "Nell often says your Dad barely lost his temper, but it came out full-force on occasion."
Clark nods in agreement. "You ever think its weird they actually dated?" "Yeah, sometimes. Then again, this is a small town, with folks knowing all about each other; I'm not too surprised." "I guess so", Clark sighed, his voice sounding tired. "Thanks for agreeing to talk to me, Lana. I was too scared to ask you before." She just stared back, sympathetic. "Well, the necklace certainly didn't help. I understand why you didn't want to tell me though, not knowing why it affects you." Suddenly, Clark looks uncomfortable in a different way, and is silent for a short time. "Would you like to, uh..." "Yes?" she smiles back. Nervous, he looks at her. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Blushing, she can't stop herself. "I can't help it; you just look so cute when you're nervous." Getting defensive, Clark finally turns bold, but more restrained this time. "Would you like to have lunch with me at the Beanery tomorrow?" Nodding, she smiles again. "Yes, I would...and congratulations, Clark." "For what?" he asks. "You just got through asking out your first date. I'll see you tomorrow." Turning back, she walks toward her house, leaving Clark by the darkening trees.