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The Talon, a run-down old theatre converted into a coffee shop, was now the favorite gathering place of Smallville's townspeople. The exterior still maintained its age-old decor, complete with regularly updated marquee, but the interior was completely new. Neon lights and Ancient Egypt motifs collided in a perky, invigorating contrast of new and old. But what was usually a bustling yet peaceful hang-out was currently the site of a heated and rather one-sided argument between two teenagers.

The first, a petite brunette by the name of Lana Lang, was busying herself with clearing tables and putting up chairs while she vehemently scolded the hapless recipient of her disappointed rage. Her hazel eyes burned with an angry fire as she went from table to counter and back with trays and mugs, ignoring the hurt puppy dog look that the tall, hansome young man had in his deep jade eyes. /Clark Kent, man of excuses/, she thought wryly. So far that was all she had heard from him since this conversation had started. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she spun around on her heel at the counter and held up a hand to silence him.

"Clark, you can't lie to me about something I saw with my own eyes!" Lana practically shouted. She couldn't believe that he would try to deny kissing Chloe when she had clearly caught them in the act.

He looked hurt.

"For once just be honest with yourself," she went on before he could say anything, lowering her voice slightly. "I know why Chloe was kissing you. But why were you kissing her back?"

Clark hesitated, trying to find something to say. An awkward silence was sure to have followed had Lana not sighed. "I have to lock up," she said as she turned away again. I knew it/, she said to herself. /The same explanation every time: that pathetic look. Well, I'm not standing for it any longer.

"I wasn't kissing her back, Lana." She stopped and turned around slowly as he continued. "I don't know where you heard that, or what you saw, but you have to believe me."

"Oh, so you just expect me to believe you, just like that?" Lana asked, incredulous that he was still denying the truth. This is ridiculous! What has gotten into him?

Clark sighed. His already pathetic story was losing credibility every time he opened his mouth. "She came onto me, okay?" he offered rather lamely. "Look, I wish I could've stopped her, and I wish you didn't have to see that." His voice was practically dripping with sincerity, but it didn't seem to move her in any way.

She walked briskly behind the counter and began arranging dishes on their shelves. "It's too late for that, Clark," she said without turning around.

This was getting to be too much for Clark. Why can't she just believe me? "All right, you want the truth then?" The question was out of his mouth almost before he thought about it.

Lana spun on her heel to face him, her face tear-streaked. "Yes, I would," she grated out. "And how about we start with this: Can you honestly tell me that you did not kiss Chloe?"

Clark hung his head. "No, Lana, I cannot," he said softly. "I will admit that I did kiss her before you got there. But... but Lana, you have to understand, that wasn't me."

Shaking her head, Lana gave him a mock smile. "This again? Clark, I'm not going to accept that excuse anymore! If you're not going to tell me the straight truth, then just go. I have work to do."

She started turning away, but not before Clark started speaking again. "All right, Lana," he said. "Here it is." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Do you remember those red meteor rocks they put in our class rings?"

Lana looked confused. "I don't know what that has to do with any of this, but, yeah, I do," she answered skeptically.

"Well," Clark went on hesitantly. "Those red meteor rocks have some kind of strange effect on me." There, it's out. Before long I'll have to tell her the rest. And who knows what will happen then?

Still confused, Lana wasn't satisfied with his answer. "Like, what kind of strange effect?"

There was no way for Clark to know how much he could tell her without her freaking out. If he told her everything, would she ever see him the same way? What would become of their friendship? But there was no way around it now. He had gotten himself in too deep to back out now. /Besides/, he told himself, /our friendship is in a lot more trouble if I don't tell her anything at all/. "Like, my emotions, for one," he said slowly after another moment's hesitation. "They... they make me do and... and say things that I would normally never do, and... They bring out a darker side of me that I didn't even know I had." A darker side that gave him shudders just to think about, and that he remembered all too well...

Where the heck had this rebellious attitude come from? He had never spoken to his father like that before. Ever. He had heard the anger in Jonathan's voice, but when he opened his mouth to apologize, what had come out? "You can talk all you want. I'm outta here!"

I'm outta here? he thought. Since when do I talk like that?

Lana's voice pulled him out of his memories. "What does this have to do with you kissing Chloe, Clark?" she asked, cutting him off before he could say anything more, though his voice had been already cut off into the faintest squeak of an attempt.

Clark took another deep breath. "Well, Pete knew that the meteor rocks had that effect on me. So, after he and Chloe got infected with that parasite, they tried to get me to join them in their daredevil rampage by slipping one in my shirt pocket." I can't believe I'm telling her all this!

Lana seemed slightly taken aback. She didn't appear to be too freaked out thus far, just rather indifferent. But that could all change in a mere moment. "You said /tried/," she said finally. "Does that mean it didn't work?"

Now thoroughly flustered, Clark let out a quick breath. "I wouldn't be using it as an explanation as to how I ended up kissing Chloe if it didn't, would I?" he burst out, a good deal more harshly than he intended. Lana's hard gaze never faltered. She just stared at him, as if trying to tell him that his explanation was absolutely absurd. "There's more for me to say," Clark went on, softening his voice. "This also explains my strange behavior this past spring, when Jesse arrived..."

Lana held up a hand to stop him. "Wait a minute. You mean the bike, the bar, going out with Jesse, that was all because of these meteor rocks?" Clark nodded. /Well, that explains a lot/, she thought. Then something else occurred to her. Slowly, she asked, "Does this mean that you're one of those meteor freaks, then?"

Clark sighed and set the rose gently on the black marble counter before turning to leave. "I've told you everything I can. I don't want to hurt our friendship any more than I already have." He walked toward the door and Lana picked up the rose from the counter, holding it up in front of her and absently twirling it between her fingers. She wasn't sure if Clark was telling the truth, but even if he wasn't, this excuse was different from his usual lame explanations. Maybe, just maybe...