Chapter Five: You're Letting Go

(A/N: Instead of a dance, the school is having a carnival.)

"I say we get to know them. Find out their weakness, their powers--"

"If they have any." Isabel chimed in feeling that Max was being a little paranoid. As he had been a lot lately.

"Look, our school's hold that corny carnival. It's the perfect time to divide and conquer." Michael stuffed the half-eaten sandwich he had carried from the cafeteria into his mouth and stood up.

"Hey you." Maria smiled, hugging Michael from the back as Liz stood back trying to pretend that she didn't notice that Max was staring at her. But she did. They always played that game.

"Didn't I tell you not to address me in public?" Michael wondered, losing eye contact with the blonde girl who had been hanging out with Clark.

"Excuse me? Look if you're still PMSing about the info I lost. I found it." Maria replied.

"Good. Where the hell is it?" He shot back trying to piss Maria off so she wouldn't ruin the plan … and figure out that he was starting to feel something genuine for her.

"You know what Mikey G. You're really pressing my nerves." Maria answered ready to walk away.

"Wait." Michael turned Maria around, kissing her slowly. Both of them paused for a moment, caught up in the intensity of it all before Michael broke the moment my demanding, "Just get outta here will you?"

"Leave it to me to have something bad happen. It's like freak accidents are bound to me." Lana sighed weakly after being stabilized. "How long was I out for?"

"Just a couple of hours." Clarke responded, still worried that something else would go wrong.

"At least it's not serious." She joked, ignoring the stinging pain that was starting from the top of her head and went all the way down to her feet. Lana really wanted and needed some time to herself, but after all, Clark was the one who had saved her. "Shouldn't you get going?" Lana urged.

"No. I don't think I'm going to that carnival." He admitted, willing to stay by her side until Lana was on her own feet again.

"Come on Clark. The only reason they're having one is for all of the new people. Us." Lana argued, briefly touching the top of her head in hopes of making that echoing, throbbing pain go away.

"I don't think--"

"Come on Clark. It's the place to be." Chloe urged him with Larisa tagging closely behind.

"Hey." She gave Clark a short look before making eye contact with Lana who seemed less-than-happy Larisa was there. "What were you guys talking about?"

"The carnival." Clark answered as Lana sensed the attention shifting away from her. "I don't think I'm going."

"But you should." Both of them walked closer to one another with Clark glancing back every few seconds to check on Lana.

"What do you think Lana? Don't you think he should go?" Chloe put her on the spot as Lana nodded helplessly.

"Why not?" She smiled.

"But who would I go with?" Clark desperately looked for an excuse to spend the night with Lana instead.

"You could hang out with Chloe and I." Larisa offered.

"Actually, I think I have other plans." Chloe admitted with a smile, keeping them to herself while looking at Lana sympathetically.

"Yeah. Go." Lana urged, looking away as Larisa whisked Clark out of the room with Chloe behind. Lana couldn't help but feel a little jealous. But it wasn't like Clark felt that way about her … not anymore anyway. He was just a good friend that was always saving her life.

"The nerve of him! He infuriates me, thinking that he can just kiss me and then control my every subsequent action. What the hell!" Maria yelled as she and Liz walked to the school's football field, ready to help set-up for the carnival.

"Well actually …" Liz smiled. "It worked."

"No it didn't." Maria hit Liz's shoulder. "I can't believe you said that." Liz just continued to smile. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"Maria, he's got you wrapped around your finger and you know it. Maria when Michael kissed you … you felt something. We all could see it. Even Michael."

"You know?" Maria beamed. "It was so amazing Liz. I mean we've kissed before, but that time I think he actually meant it. Ahh!" She screamed, running the rest of the way into the field as Liz struggled to keep up with her only to bump into Max Evans.

"Max!" Liz squealed as she tried to stop herself, but ended up knocking him down instead. "What are you doing here?" She wondered, falling on top of him.

"I came to talk to you." He looked at her intensely as Liz quickly stood up, tugging at her hair and attempting to make sure that she looked okay.

"Really? If it's about what I think it is--"

"No." Max cut her off. "I just wanted to let you know that I am going to the carnival." He finished, making it seem as though he was going to accept her offer.

"Well, I'm doing committee, so I'll be here all day." Liz nodded, fighting with the wind to keep her dark brown hair out of her face.

"Actually, Michael, Isabel, and I need to find out some stuff and I'm going with … someone else." Max admitted as Liz nodded furiously.

"I understand." She continued to nod while backing away, unable to believe that this was the end.

"We just need to make sure that they're aren't anything threats and …" Max explained but Liz had already taken off. Running to Maria, she explained what had just happened and held back a much-needed cry as Maria hugged her.

"This is awesome." Larisa beamed, while holding on to Clark's arm nervously.

'Yeah, it's cool." He added, still thinking about how he ended up here with Lana in the hospital. This was so unlike him.

"Well let's go do something." She urged.

"I don't know …"

"Lana didn't want you to come here and sulk you know." Larisa retorted as Chloe ran up to them holding a small baby blue unicorn with a tall dark-haired guy near her. Michael.

"Chloe." Clark called her over as Larisa and Michael started talking. "I think you should stay away from him."

"Why Clark? He's my unofficial date." Chloe bragged.

"There's something not right about him, but …"

"Don't worry." Chloe cut him off. "You don't have to use that excuse with me. It's okay to be a little jealous Clark. But Michael's harmless." She walked back over to him.

"Wait!" Clark demanded.

"If you're so worried, come with us to the dance area." She offered with a shrug happy to be doing something that didn't involve Clark Kent.

"I never pegged you as a dancer." Larisa yelled over the loud music that was playing. After a while, no one seemed that interested in the carnival itself, but just listening to the music and dancing.

"Yeah. I'm a little thirsty, you want something?" Larisa shook her head, continuing to dance as Max came up to her.

"Hey you!" Larisa smiled as they began to bounce around to No Doubt's latest hit 'Hella Good.' Before they could really get a chance to hold a conversation, Clark was back. Sensing the competition between the two, Larisa stopped dancing as Max and Clark stared each other down as though they wanted to kill one another. Without thinking about what she was doing, Larisa gave Max a look that seemed to say, 'Get away.' And he was gone.

"What was that about?" Larisa wondered as an influx of slow songs started to play, including "Finest Hour," "By Your Side", and "Don't Let Me be the Last to Know."

"I just don't like him." Clark shrugged it off, pulling Larisa closer as if reading her mind.

"You know you don't have to be afraid Clark." She spoke suddenly.

"Afraid of what?"

"Telling me the truth. I know there are a lot of things that you keep hidden and it's okay if you want to tell me something that you don't want anyone else to know."

"I don't have any secrets." Clark scoffed, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Yeah, well I do." Larisa whispered, catching Clark's eye for the first time since they'd been dancing.

"What is it?"

She smiled shyly, looking down. "Do you trust me?" She whispered in Clark's ear sending shivers down his body.

"Uh … yeah, I--" Clark was cut off by a long-lasting passionate kiss that left both of them speechless and breathing loudly. "What was that about?" He wondered, hearing cheers and 'whoops' from the people that had been watching them.

"You seem like someone I can trust." Larisa whispered to Clark, a little embarrassed that everyone had just witnessed their intimate moment. But she couldn't stop herself … her lips were just inches from his. Kissing him again, more lightly this time, an image from her past flashed between both of them.

"Wow. Did you just—How did you?"

"Can I trust you not to say anything?" She wondered as Clark nodded, holding her tightly as though she needed to be protected. Somehow it was comforting knowing that he wasn't the only one with … a secret …

(A/N: Another update. Finally! With reviews to come, I hope. And tell me what you want to see happen! –NL)

To come…

Max makes an important connection between the Skins and Smallville

Lana hears about Clark and Larisa

Larisa in connection with the Skins?