CHAPTER 7: TEENAGE CONFESSION
EXT. - SMALLVILLE BEANERY - DAY
The next afternoon, Lana Lang sits alone at the Beanery, waiting for Clark to show up. Spotting him across the street through the store's window, she leaves and heads toward him. Carefully crossing traffic on foot, she approaches...and immediately notices a conflicted expression on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Don't worry; I left the necklace at home." "That's not it, Lana", he sighs, a resigned tone to his voice. "I just discovered something about my family last night...my real family. It has me really messed up in the head; I'd love to tell you, but I'm not sure where to start. It might make you think of me differently."
"Why would you think that?", Lana smiled. "Its not like you caused some huge tragedy or anything." Her smile quickly fades, as she realizes Clark's not joking. "What is it, Clark? Did you do something? Is it your real family?" Clarks sighs, more to himself than anyone else. "Lana, we really need to take a walk; I can't speak about this publicly." Nodding, she looks him in the face, to be sure he understands. "I'll get my things."
A few minutes later, Clark and Lana arrive on the outskirts of town, near Miller's Field. Stopping, Lana speaks first. "What's going on, Clark? You've barely said a word, in the last half hour." "I was trying to think of how to explain what I'm about to say. Tell me, Lana...do you know this place?" "Of course", she replied. "This field belongs to the Miller family; they live about five miles away." "And before they moved here, Lana...do you know what happened in this field?" "I know it was one of the places hit by the meteor shower; why do you ask?" Clark hesitates, clearly unsure about how to respond. Sensing his discomfort, Lana tries her best to reassure him. "Its okay, Clark; I'm not going anywhere." Shifting around on his feet, Clark finally speaks. "This field...is where they found me, Lana. My dad's truck was turned upside down after nearly missing a meteor."
At this news, Lana shakes her head. "That doesn't make any sense, Clark; you were three years old. Why would you have been in this field all alone?" "You're gonna think I'm crazy, belonging on Chloe's wall at the Torch or even in Belle Reve." "Try me." "Okay...but just remember, you asked." Nodding again, she looks at him...only to see him disappear before her eyes. Confused for a moment, she turns around in a full circle, seeing no sign of him anywhere. After a few seconds, she gets irritated. "This isn't funny, Clark!" A few more seconds pass, and Lana feels her hair move with a huge gust of wind. Then, Clark's voice causes her to turn again. "Over here."
Turning back, Lana's expression is similar to Lex's from twelve years prior: a mixture of awe and fear. Breating slowly for a few moments, she tries to make sense of what's happened. "How...how did you do that?" Sighing, Clark fesses up. "I can do things no one else can, Lana - my speed is just one of several abilities. I never knew the reason behind them until today, and felt it was necessary to tell you first." Still in shock, Lana walks to the roadside, leaning against a fence. "Why me?" Seeing Clark's hesitancy return, she politely but urgently repeats the question. "Clark, you started this; now, please explain...why me?" Sighing loudly, he turns away from her, unable to confess the truth to her face. "Your parents...they died in that meteor shower. I know its not my fault, since I was so young...but I still feel responsible. Those meteors...my ship was among them. For all I know, that cursed thing drew them here."
This hits Lana hard; her first reaction is simply shaking her head, as if trying to will the truth away. "No...its not...its not possible..."
Not knowing what else to do, Clark simply stands still, and slowly turns back around. Lana is on the roadside, crying into her sleeve. A few minutes pass, and she finally stops long enough to look at Clark. Her eyes are a mixture of pain and anger; standing defiantly, she approaches him. "You tell me the truth right now, Clark...or so help me, I'll wear that necklace the rest of my life and never take it off again. But this time, it will be from pure hatred...toward you." Raising his hand in a surrender pose, Clark speaks. "You don't have to threaten me, Lana; this reaction is exactly why I kept my powers from you all these years." "You said you just found out about your family, but you knew you had these abilities?" "Yes", he sighs. "I was normal until I was six, except for getting sick around the meteors. After that, different things started happening. My speed hit first; I got lost in the woods, and wound up three miles from my folks in seconds. After that was my strength, and durability. I'm almost invincible, but still bruise from impacts that would kill most people. As of now, I can lift a car over my head, one-handed; there's been no need to test myself further, though."
She nods, understanding. "So, you're obviously not from around here. Anything else?" "No", he says. "I only learned of the ship's existence yesterday afternoon; you're the first person who's been told. I didn't even consult my folks over it; they'd freak like crazy." "So, Pete and Chloe don't know?" Clark looks down, hands in his pockets. "Nope...nobody. The only reason Pete knew about my sickness from the meteors is because we used to play near the steel factory as kids; lots of small pieces were scattered there. If I'm around them for too long, they'd probably kill me."
Hearing this, Lana's anger softens; she realizes she's gone too far with her threat. "Clark, I...I'm so sorry..." "No, Lana; I know you miss them. If I'd been in control of that ship, I'd have landed in the first clearing, away from anyone. The fact it hit this field instead of Main Street was a miracle. I'm guessing whoever built it wasn't expecting a catastrophe. Not here, anyway." Lana looks up, with a confused look. "I'm not keeping anything from you; its just a guess. After all, why would anyone send their child away in such a dangerous manner, unless something worse would happen by keeping them? You remember the story of Moses from Sunday School at the church?" Nodding, she wipes her eyes. "Yeah, it makes sense; you've obviosuly thought this through a lot."
Clark just shrugs. "When you're adopted, and can do crazy things others barely even dream of...its tough to avoid grasping for straws. May I walk with you, back to town?" Lana nods, her nerves calming. "I promise you, Clark; this will never leave my lips without your permission. You can trust me."