FDK goes here .

Chapter 3 Preview
Thanks .
Carol

Lois in the middle with Clark on one side and Lana on the other. Priceless.

Something tells me that this is how it's going to go for most of the story, with Lana trying to horn in on Clark and cut Lois out as if Lana were herding cattle and Lois was an old brindle-horned mossy-headed cull. I foresee some fireworks that have little to do with Clark kissing Lois or Lois kissing Clark.

And this entire premise is so very cute. I was in Drama Club in my senior year of high school, and I enjoyed it so much that I've regretted ever since not pursuing a second career in stage acting. I'd bet real money that with Lois and Lana having that existing undercurrent, the dynamics of "Our Town" will be more dynamic than usual for a high school production. Please tell us that you're planning to let us see them put the play on! Not the whole thing, of course, just the juicy bits with Clark and Lana and Lois.

Very sweet, very WAFFy so far. I'm wondering if Clark plans to tell Lois about his "specialness" before they both graduate. And I'm wondering why Lois is so driven to graduate in three years instead of the usual four? That's more common in college than in high school, although it's not unheard of, but why does Lois want to do this? It can't be due to her romance with Clark. That's just begun. It can't be due to the pressures of a broken home; Sam and Ellen are still together and Lucy still lives with them. So what's the deal?

I hope all your previews aren't about Clark and Lois and their improving kissing skills. I don't expect to read a Carol-fic which lacks some kind of dramatic intensity.

Of course, this could be a first for you, too. But I plan to stick around for the duration either way.

So when are you posting the next chapter?

LOL! Terry - no not all the previews will have to do with kissing but there's just not much drama [comparatively] in these parts. No, not showing much of Our Town - will talk about it at a couple points but I don't know enough about the play to do it justice in that sense. I've never even read it - I think the most I saw of it was Kirk Cameron as Mike Seaver as either George or the Stage Manager on Growing Pains.

However, if someone wants to help me [lots] with that, I'm certainly willing to write a bit of it but would need to be pretty quick as time does fly sometimes...

Carol

Oh this looks like fun. Lana trying to horn in, all three of them in the same drama class...I've buckled my seatbelt for the ride!

Great part,
JD

This was great. I really enjoyed the beginnings of the relationship between Lois and Clark, and the unusual aspect of them being so young.

It was also an insight (for me) into American teenage dating.

Just a couple of questions.

Is it universally set-in-concrete that kids can't date until 16? Is it a country town thing? Or an American thing? Does it not vary from family to family?

What game were they watching/playing? American football? Baseball?

I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Real quick before the kids crawl all over me...

American football

Sixteen isn't universal but moderately standard in my experience. I didn't have a set age, but no one asked me out from 13 to 17 [almost 18 and in college] when now-DH did. Being that serious that quickly is a bit uncommon I'd think - unless they were like L/C in that they've known each other since childhood.

I think midnight is a pretty common curfew as well. Mine depended on what I was doing and who I was with - though I wasn't dating so...


Carol

Thanks!

carol fic! yay! my life has been off-kilter these past few weeks (no carol fic), but its getting better now!

Heh - isn't she going to be surprised.

Nice way to work off that nervous energy!

I have this mental image of the Vatman clone when he yawned and stretched to get his arm around Lois. <g>

Nice twist on her line to him in the Pilot about dating in Kansas!

Says the girl who just told her best friend! I'd be more worried about Abby blabbing over Martha.

<shakes head sadly> Lana, Lana, Lana. Honey, you're fighting against Fate. Poor thing.

Again, very sweet with the teen romance and slow discovery.

I sense trouble coming with Lana playing Clark's stage girlfriend. And Lana taking Lois's seat - wow, is that an overt indication of her ultimate goal, or what?!

That's great! Moms know all!

I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. What bad things are going to happen to our favorite duo?

Maybe Lana will find the green stone in the field, and discover its effect on Clark...maybe Lana will find out his secret and blackmail him....will Clark tell Lois? Has Clark come into the fullness of his powers yet? If he's only sixteen, then he probably hasn't started flying yet, right?

More, please. Soon. I plead.

I thought the same thing about the not-dating-till-16 rule (and I'm an American), but then again this is a small town in the Bible belt. I'm sure some of them are even never-daters.

Still cute.


Elisabeth

Ugh! "Our Town"...I did that show in HS...thankfully I played the bubbly, nosy-body Mrs. Soames, otherwise I would have done bodily harm to myself and others. No set or props = extremely boring play. My mother saw it twice and she still didn't get it.

I like your POV on your recent stories (i.e early L&C w/ supporting character interaction). It's something new and you make it enjoyable to read. It doesn't hurt that L&C usually end up together either =)

More! More! More!

Just food for thought:

There is one scene (at the end of act 1??) during the wedding between Emily and George where they have to freeze during the wedding kiss while the stage manager performs a monologue...you could have fun with that. Just saying.

I saw "Our Town" at a community theater and liked it. It seemed to have a theme of seizing the day, making the most of each day because you never know when it will be your last. Worth seeing, once, at least. I don't think I'd go to see it again, as opposed to a classic like "Oklahoma!" which I will gladly go to over and over. (Of course, the great music in "Oklahoma!" is the major reason for that.)

Agree with the "no props" part - it's probably done very often for that reason - cheaper. The upstairs of the house is portrayed by the actors standing on ladders.

Take heart, Lois - Emily Gibbs (Lana's character) dies in childbirth during the play. The Stage Manager is there throughout.

They will perform Our Town, eh? That play is unknown here in Sweden, but I saw it as a movie once, and I was riveted by the magic of it. Imagine, a movie about life in a small town, and all of it was performed as a play, with sets! The movie was not even trying to be realistic, which served to weave a spell of complete enchantment around it. But it will come as no surprise to you that I was shattered by the death of Emily. (Mutter and grumble - yesterday the librarian of our school talked to us about new books she had bought for the school library, and most of the books were about the lives of boys and the deaths of girls - okay, I'm exaggerating slightly...)

Anyway, I really appreciated this chapter! Looking forward to more of the story of young Lois and Clark, and I'm going to hold you to your promise - eh, to Clark's promise - "You have nothing to worry about from Lana or anyone else for that matter." Let's hope so! Because this Lois and this Clark are soooooooo cute together!

Ann

Hooray for early posting!

High school drama is one of my best high school memories. But I was strictly set and tech crew - no acting here, thank you very much. (We techies always said that it didn't matter how good the actors were if no one was around to make sure there were stage lights.)

I had vainly hoped that the sandbox was the last we'd hear of Lana...<sigh>. She just really irritates me. (Which means, of course, that the story is great!) I'm glad that Clark is not clueless about her, though.

Martha is great. And I love that Lois has a best friend (who had a crush on Clark)!

16 parts, eh? Too short for you to make things too angsty, right?!

Amber

I love the beginning and the slow-yet-quick development of their relationship.

This is priceless: "Our Town" takes me back. That was the senior play my last year of high school. I was not involved but I was friends with most of the cast. Having it pop up here really brings back memories.

I hope Clark realizes how much trouble Lana can be. This would be challenging for Lois under any circumstances but with their relationship just getting started, there will be extra potential for strain.

Bob

Loved their evolving relationship. You did say that the first few parts are just the background. So, maybe the play is just a minor event? Major or minor, Lois and Clark would come out stronger and together, right?

I was also wondering.. what the main plot is... And if the title "Shaken not Stirred" has anything to with the the L&C episode "All Shook Up?" If it does, and if Clark loses his memory, then the whole Lana and Clark kissing has a new meaning... uhoh.

Sorry, just rambling.. Looking fwd to the story and its plot.

So, just to clarify... is Lois one year behind Lana & Clark, and plans to finish one year ahead (i.e. with them).. or are all of them in the same batch? Sorry, I'm not that familiar with the US high school structure.

I'm supposed to be grading papers but this is more fun .

Terry - thanks again. No, not a whole lot of 'Our Town' because I don't know enough about it - though there will be some mentions in the future...

JD - seatbelt? Really? Not necessary. Not yet anyway. Maybe later...

Female Hawk - personally, I'm thinking 47 is a good age to start dating. Of course, I have 3 daughters so I'm sure that's a big part of it [though, my oldest daughter's 'boyfriend' [little boy who rides the same bus] and she are getting married when they're 21 - right after their first date].

Sarah - /waves/ Sorry your life has been off kilter. Glad I can help!

Sue - /looks for Ricochet 7 and doesn't see it anywhere/ LOL! at the Vatman scene! Love it. Kind of but I think even this 16yo Clark is more smooth than that! I know we haven't seen much of Abby, but I see her as Lois' best friend for years who wouldn't say anything not a random sort of friend she doesn't trust.

Iolan - to give Lana a smidge of credit, she may have heard rumors during the morning that Lois and Clark are a thing, but it's only been a couple days. Hmm... Lana with a green rock... hasn't that been done ? Dunno when Clark starts flying but he does at some point.

Elisabeth - what's standard in your experience? Most of my friends [in Phoenix but in a fairly conservative Christian school] couldn't date until 16. See above for my current thoughts .

Lola - Sorry for bringing up those memories and glad you're enjoying the younger L/C. It's a bit weird as the new WIP is set in S-2 or so - couple years before the pilot rather than this 16-18 thing I've had going on lately... Thanks for that - will work in the kiss thing later.

Iolan - Yes, Emily dies [man that was hard to type - one of my daughter's names and all...], but she gets to kiss George - the Stage Manager, originally male, doesn't .

Ann - I looked for a movie copy so I could watch it and possibly work more of it in but couldn't find one cheap enough. Thought about borrowing the book from the library but decided it wasn't worth it. Glad you like them together - as mentioned last time, I kind of wanted them to be like Clana in OTOH but less squicky .

Amber - you've hit it on the head. I can't make it TOO ANGSTY in 16 chapters. And no not the last we've heard from Lana.

Bob - I love Martha. She rocks. I think Clark knows Lana well enough to know he needs to be careful around her.

AnKS - Yeah, I'd say probably more minor than major re the play. Hehe, yeah, if Clark lost his memory then this Lana could be big trouble. Lois and Lana were in Kindergarten, a year behind 1st grader Clark when they met in the sandbox. Lois, for some as yet undetermined reason, has decided to graduate high school in 3 years instead of 4. Technically, right now, she's probably officially in 10th grade with Lana while Clark is in 11th but next year L/C will both be in 12th [and Lana in 11th] because right now Lois doesn't have enough credits to be in 11th grade, but will have enough [with summer school and extra classes during the year] to be considered 12th the next year. Does that make sense? I have a copy of their schedules if that would help. I looked it all up on the KS education website and made sure it met the minimum requirements...

Thanks everyone. Next post probably Friday. Possibly tomorrow if I have another crappy work day [which is possible] but we'll see... I also have to spit shine the whole house between now and bedtime tomorrow night and am not feeling well so we'll see how it goes.

Thanks again!

Off to grade papers...
Carol

Yep! thanks for the clarification on the high school stuff...

Well, they're sure not telling anyone And now Lana is trying to become Clark's girlfriend. Boy, I just hope they don't teach martial arts in the Smallville gym.

BTW, the imagery at the end was hilarious.

Michael

Hey, I wasn't expecting a new fic! This is very cute so far. I'm not familiar with the play, so it won't bother me if you don't go into too much detail about it.

Yay! Carol is posting a new story! No clue how I could have missed the first parts!! Well, it might have been the bachelorette party I had to pull off this past weekend...

Love it so far! Lois is in Smallville with Clark at an early age. That's awesome! They have been friends forever and now they are dating. Why does there have to be a Lana in this? <g> I enjoyed their kissing scenes probably as much as they did. And I am glad to see that Lois has a girlfriend in this fic. Nice change.

I too wonder why she wants to graduate in 3 years.

Looking forward to more,
Natascha

Cool addition and now for the B-plot rub...

If this Lana is like your other Lana's, she will eventually get the idea, sometime in the next century...

James

Noticed that you have upped the tech level of 70's or moved LnC to be born in the 1987...

It's almost been two days already...

/taps foot impatiently/

Michael

<- because I can

LOL!

I only have a minute - will reply more fully later to the rest of you [but hi! /waves/]. We have an extra 5yo coming over tomorrow and the kids' rooms and the playroom are disasters so we're getting ready to go on a cleaning spree. *If* I get enough done, I'll reward myself [and you guys ] with part 3 late tonight [my time, Michael!] but I also have to remember that I have betas that are only through 6 so I need to give them time too .

Besides, Michael, didn't you see this:
BBL .
Carol

Okay back with a bit more time .

AnKS - glad that helped .

Michael - yeah well, I think they decided when she got into his truck after the game that everyone knew and he had her arm around her at the local pizza hang out. I think everyone [except maybe Lana] knows by now .

Amy - glad to see you! It's a good thing b/c I don't know much about the play either :p .

Natascha - Bachelorette party! Fun! Glad to have you now! I'm not sure why she wants to graduate in 3 years - guessing it's one of those 'get on with life' or maybe 'graduate with Clark even before I admit I'm remotely interested in him' or something.

James - in the AN at the beginning I said I play fast and loose with technology and that it's modern day ish. I did the whole actual day and age thing with LtL and it's for the birds :p . During the series time frame is one thing b/c we have the series to go off of but when I was trying to find out when laptops came out and all kinds of other junk... too much work .

Michael - fine! It's tomorrow on the east coast so I'll post in a bit - which is while you're still asleep I'm sure... .

More in a few! Thanks!

Carol

Waking up shaken :p

Michael