Lana’s house looked different in person than it did through the lenses of my telescope, but the familiar porch was still just as neat, well maintained, and charming.
The light in her bedroom window was still on.
The temptation to look through that window was strong.
Very strong.
After all, if some pervert could do it, why couldn’t I?
The answer was simple.
He was a pervert.
I was trying to become Lana’s official boyfriend.
Eventually.
That was different.
Besides, nobody would know.
Except me.
And that was more than enough.
So no.
Instead, I settled down on the porch where I could keep a good view of the house without making myself obvious.
Then I pulled out my laptop.
What?
I hadn’t mentioned that yet?
Right.
Then I should probably explain.
Earlier that morning, while Lex had stopped by our stand at the fair, Dad hadn’t exactly welcomed him with open arms.
But he hadn’t attacked him either.
More importantly, he had been perfectly willing to let me walk around the fair with Lex.
One of the first things Lex asked about was my “startup.”
Apparently, the subject had caught his attention.
I couldn’t blame him.
The subject was close to his own interests.
I didn’t bother being modest.
I told him about my first successful jobs and the money I’d made.
Then I told him I was going to sell my current computer.
After enjoying the expression on his face for a moment, I explained why.
I wanted to buy a new one.
A more powerful one.
The old computer had already paid for itself, and I’d earned enough to cover the cost of its replacement.
Lex was naturally surprised by how quickly I’d managed it, but he was genuinely happy for me.
He even offered me a solution that would save me a trip to Metropolis.
He had an older laptop that he was planning to replace anyway.
It wasn’t the newest model, and it certainly wasn’t the most powerful machine available, but it was considerably better than the “piece of ancient junk” I’d bought the previous time. Find the original chapter at novelping . com.
At least, that was how Lex described my old computer.
Personally, I thought his laptop was incredible.
And it came with something even better.
A phone capable of connecting to the Internet.
GPRS wasn’t exactly an amazing experience, but for the year 2000, it was pretty damn impressive.
Lex also included a carrying case, two spare batteries, and a charger that could be connected to a car’s cigarette lighter.
Basically, he sold me his current work laptop and its entire collection of accessories because he was planning to buy a new one anyway.
Maybe he was a little jealous of my success.
Maybe he was simply tired of the old machine.
It didn’t really matter.
The entire package cost me three thousand five hundred dollars.
I picked it up when I delivered the food to Luthor Castle.
Something had told me it would come in handy.
And apparently, that feeling had been right.
I ran home long enough to tell my parents I wouldn’t be spending the night there.
Then I brought one of the spare batteries from Dad’s pickup, set it down on the porch, connected the battery to the charging unit with alligator clips, placed the laptop on my knees, and settled into position.
My shift watching over Lana Lang had officially begun.
***
The night passed without incident.
Greg didn’t appear.
Nobody suspicious approached the house.
The light in Lana’s bedroom stayed on until almost three in the morning.
Work went well too.
Not quite as spectacularly as the first night because there were fewer new assignments, and I’d stopped going completely overboard with the amount of work I accepted.
Most of the night was spent answering complaints from clients who hadn’t been satisfied with the programs and pieces of code I’d sent them the previous night.
I corrected them.
Reworked them.
Added features.
Sent them back.
It was tedious.
But necessary.
On the other hand, several of those clients were gradually becoming regular customers because, overall, they were satisfied with my work.
Some of them had already sent me new assignments.
So, all things considered, it had been a productive night.
I hadn’t spent the night watching Lana for nothing.
When morning came and the light in Nell’s window finally turned on, I ended my watch and rushed back home with all my equipment.
I didn’t stay long.
I reassured my parents, ate breakfast, got ready for school, and then headed straight toward Lana’s house.
Lana blinked in surprise when she stepped outside and found me standing by the gate.
“Good morning, Lana.”
I smiled.
“Would you mind if I walked you to the school bus stop?”
“Are you rushing things a little?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Maybe.”
I shrugged.
“Nell is driving me.”
“Great!”
I smiled even wider.
“See you at school.”
I turned to leave.
“Clark!”
She hurried toward the gate.
“Wait!”
She hesitated.
“About what happened yesterday in your barn…”
“Should I forget about it?”
My expression immediately became sad.
“I understand.”
“No…
yes…”
She stumbled over her words.
“It’s just…
everything is so complicated.”
She took a breath.
“Let’s not rush anything, okay?”
“Okay.”
I smiled gently.
“I can wait, Prom Queen.”
“Clark!”
Her cheeks immediately flushed, whether from my touch or the nickname, I couldn’t tell.
“See you at school.”
I took her hand, lifted it gently, and kissed the back of it while looking directly into her eyes.
She went completely silent.
She was so stunned by my words, my expression, and the gesture that she didn’t manage to say anything before I turned away.
And by the time she thought of calling after me, it was already too late.
I walked toward the bus stop with a stupid grin on my face.