4. Movie Date

The drive to Lana's apartment was loud.

Music blasting.

Both of them singing badly.

Lana drumming against the dashboard whenever she thought Clark wasn't looking.

It felt normal.

Easy.

By the time they reached her building, Lana had almost forgotten what she was planning.

Almost.

"I'll be quick."

"I can come upstairs and wait.” he started to open his door.

"No!"Lana froze; that had come out much too quickly.

Clark blinked.

"I mean..." She laughed awkwardly. "My apartment's a mess."

"Lana." He rolled his eyes. “You’ve seen our place already.” 

"I'll be ten minutes, plus you don’t want to get towed.” She slammed the car door before he could argue.

Clark watched her disappear into the building.

Something about today felt different.

She'd asked him to see a movie.

Just him. No Jimmy, Evan, or Jason.

He knew better than to make something out of it.

Still...

He couldn't stop himself from wondering.

~~~

Thirty minutes later, Lana came back outside wearing jeans and a fitted black sweater.

A backpack hung from one shoulder.

"What took you so long?" Clark leaned over to push open the passenger door for her. 

"Beauty." She shrugged.

"Twenty minutes?"

"Some of us have to work for it."

"I don't think you do.” Clark looked her over.

Lana paused.

For once, she didn't have an immediate comeback.

Clark cleared his throat and turned the engine.

Lana put on her seatbelt and checked her phone.

**Sora: I'm leaving now. Stop panicking.**

Lana immediately locked the screen.

"Everything okay?"Clark glanced over.

"Yep." She answered looking out the window.

"Why are you acting weird?" Suspicion crossed his face.

"I'm not acting weird." She said defensively. 

"You're definitely acting weird."

"Drive."

Clark stared at her another second before pulling away from the curb.

Lana smiled to herself; so far her plan was going perfectly.

~~~

It stopped going perfectly when Lana was almost run over by a bicycle messenger.

They were walking toward the theater when Clark noticed the bike messenger speeding down the sidewalk.

Lana hadn't.

Of course she hadn't.

She was staring at something across the street.

"Lana." Clark said her name in warning.

Nothing. The bike was getting closer.

"Lana!" Clark grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him.

Lana stumbled directly into his chest as the cyclist flew past.

"Hey!" Clark shouted after him. "Watch where you're going!"

The cyclist didn't even glance back at them.

"I didn't even see him." Lana stared up at Clark.

"I noticed.” Clark's hands moved over her arms automatically, looking for any scratches. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She brushed him off.

"You're sure?" Clark frowned.

"You pulled me out of the way."

"You really need to pay attention to your surroundings."

"Oh God." She rolled her eyes, once Clark went into lecture mode there was no end in sight.

"I'm serious."

"We're going to miss the movie." Lana whined. 

"Lana.."

She grabbed his hand.

"Come on."

Clark looked down.

Her fingers were wrapped around his.

Lana tugged him forward.

"You're just trying to avoid my lecture."

"You know it." She stuck her tongue out at him and let go before running toward the theater.

Clark stood there for half a second longer than necessary.

Then followed.

Lana insisted on arguing about the tickets.

Clark paid anyway.

She argued about the popcorn.

Clark paid for that too.

By the time they found their seats, Lana had given up.

"You have a problem." She complained.

"I have money." He shrugged. 

"That's not what I meant."

Clark smiled and handed her the popcorn, leading her toward two oversized recliners near the back of the theater. The seats had a small armrest separating them. 

They took their seats as the lights began to dim.

For the first time all day, Lana started feeling guilty.

Clark actually looked happy.

Really happy.

Maybe ambushing him with another woman wasn't the nicest thing she'd ever done.

Then again, Sora was gorgeous.

He would end up thanking her later.

The previews started.

Lana checked the time.

Any minute now.

"I have to use the bathroom."She leaned toward Clark and whispered.

Clark looked at her.

"You just went before we left." Clark laughed.

“I have a small bladder.” She handed him her popcorn and stood up.

"Don't take too long."

"I won't." Lana squeezed past him.

The second she reached the lobby, she pulled out her phone.

**I'm here.**

A message appeared almost immediately.

**Sora: Outside.**

Lana hurried toward the entrance.

Sora was waiting beneath the theater lights, looking unfairly beautiful.

Her glossy black hair fell over her shoulders, and she'd traded yesterday's casual studio clothes for a light blue skintight dress.

"Wow."Lana grinned.

"What?" Sora adjusted her hair.

"You look amazing." Lana complimented her.

"I always do.” 

Lana handed her the ticket.

"The movie already started. Go."She pushed her gently toward the entrance.

Sora took the ticket and walked in, not sparing a glance back at Lana.

Lana watched her disappear inside.

For the first time, doubt crept in.

Clark had been very clear that he didn't want to be set up.

Maybe she should've listened.

Too late now.

She pulled out her phone.

**Don't kill me. Sora is coming to sit with you. Give her a chance. She's amazing. **

Lana stared at the message.

Then hit send.

~~~

Clark felt his phone buzz.

He glanced toward the aisle.

Lana still hadn't come back.

He pulled his phone out to see a message from Lana.

Clark stared at the screen.

For several seconds, he didn't understand.

Then everything clicked into place.

The movie.

The strange behavior.

Her practically shoving him out of the apartment.

It hadn't been what he’d thought.  

Clark shut his eyes.

Of course it hadn't.

What the hell had he been thinking?

He stood, trying to leave before Sora got there.

Too late.

A woman stopped infront of Lana’s empty seat. 

"Clark?"

He looked at her.

She was beautiful.

There was no denying that.

Tall. Slender. Long black hair. Striking dark eyes.

And Clark felt absolutely nothing.

"I'm Sora.” She gave him a sultry smile.

Clark glanced toward the theater exit.

Then back at Sora.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"Her smile faltered.

“I didn’t know this was a setup.” Despite himself, Clark almost laughed.

"Should we at least watch the movie she paid for?" Sora held out her hand.

Sora stared at him, starting to feel annoyed that he made no action to take her outstretched hand.

She sat down in the seat Lana had been sitting in.

Clark looked toward the aisle one last time.

Then forced himself to sit down and face the screen.

~~~

The movie felt approximately six hours long to Clark, even though it was only two.

Sora was the problem.

She kept trying to make physical contact. It hadn’t taken her long to lift the hand rest and move close to him. A normal guy would’ve been thrilled, but he was just angry.

Every time he looked at the empty popcorn container between them, he thought about Lana.

Like an idiot, he'd let himself imagine that maybe—just maybe—something had changed.

Instead, she'd been preparing to hand him off to someone else.

Someone who kept putting her hand on his thigh every time he moved her hand away. 

Clark stood the instant the credits started to roll. 

"Sora...” He looked down at her.

"It's okay."She gave him a knowing smile. "You don't have to explain."

Clark wasn't sure what she thought she'd figured out.

He wasn't going to ask.

She picked up her purse.

"Maybe next time Lana decides to arrange my love life, I'll ask for someone who isn’t hung up on her.”

Clark said nothing and walked away. 

Outside, the cold air hit his face.

Clark shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking.

He shouldn't be angry.

Lana hadn't done anything wrong.

She didn't know.

That was the problem.

She had no idea what she was to him.

No idea how difficult it was to sit beside her and pretend he didn't notice every little thing she did.

No idea how often he had to remind himself that she didn’t belong to him yet, and had no idea what he was.

No idea how much it hurt every time she casually tried to push him toward somebody else.

Clark stopped walking.

He looked back at the theater.

Through the glass doors, he could see Sora standing in the lobby typing furiously on her phone.

For one stupid moment, he'd thought Lana had chosen him.

He laughed bitterly at himself.

"Idiot." 

Then he turned and walked away.

Because lately, pretending he didn't want Lana was getting harder.

And Clark wasn't sure how much longer he could keep doing it.

He clutched at the tightness in his chest and tried to push down the emotions that were boiling up. But it wasn't so easy anymore. He couldn't stand the thought of his mate being with anyone else. The thought of not having her. It was a matter of time before he wouldn't be able to control his feelings anymore. 

"Why? Why?!" He slammed his fist into the wall in anger.