Chapter 1: Little Boxes

"In other news, the Grounder gang has struck again. Last night, the infamous criminals hit the Le Baron Hotel during an auction to fundraise for the restoration of the downtown area after the fire 3 months ago. This is the 3rd such robbery this past year by the gang of 5, known for their sophisticated methods and named for the way they fall off the police radar right after robberies. This time gang escaped with an estimated $600,000 worth of jewelry in less than 15 minutes. They remain at large and their identities are unknown. As always if you have any information about the gang, please contact Chief of police Marcus Kane, who is offering a $200,000 reward for-"

Abby switched off the t.v and Clarke gave her an annoyed glare.

"Clarke, honey," Abby moved to sit on the side of her daughter's bed, "I know it's been a tough couple of weeks but staying in bed forever is not an option. Finn and Wells have been coming by every day and we're all worried about you. You need to go back to school, it's your senior year, don't you want to graduate with your friends?" Abby finished lamely by patting Clarke's leg and giving her a pleading look.

"...I'm sorry mom, 'a tough couple of weeks'? When I broke my leg in 10th grade and missed out on going to Europe, that was a tough couple of weeks. What the hell is wrong with you?! Dad is dead! And you act like it doesn't even matter!" Clarke got out of bed and went downstairs.

Abby followed her down the stairs. "CLARKE GRIFFIN! Do not use that tone with me. Clarke stop-". Abby halted abruptly as Clarke spun around and cornered her on the landing.

"I can't stop mom. It's like living with a bunch of pod people in this town! Everyone acts like everything is great. Everyone commutes to their fortune 500 jobs in the city and everyone goes to pilates and drinks their natural fucking spring water out of mason jars. Everyone goes to spas and lacrosse games. Somehow, I'm the weirdo?! Dad used to be one of them. You remember dad, don't you mom? Let me refresh your memory: Jacob Griffin, upstanding citizen, president of the homeowners association of the illustrious gated community known pretentiously as The Ark, went to prison for embezzlement, recently hung himself in his cell, does this ring any bells? And now no one will so much as say his name, it's like he never existed and I'm supposed to just get over it?!"

Abby opened her mouth but decided better. She knew when Clarke got into these moods there was no use in arguing. Abby sighed and reached out to brush her daughter's hair out of her eyes. Clarke dodged and headed out the front door with her bag, put the hood up on her jacket, and got on her bike.

Clarke rode fast, knowing if she stopped someone would try to offer condolences or worse try to make polite small talk. If one of her friends saw her, she would be screwed for sure. She zipped around pedestrians in the idyllic community, aware that the local rent a cops would bust her for sure if they saw her, and not really caring enough to slow down. 15 minutes later, Clarke rested her bike against a tree, shook a blanket out of her bag and sat down, looking down on The Ark from her vantage point on Mt. Weather. This was her home away from home, when being down there with everyone else became too much, which meant she had been here almost everyday since her dad was arrested a few months ago. No one knew about the secluded spot, so she could always count on being alone.

It was so strange looking down on all the people going about their day. From up here, Clarke could almost believe The Ark was as perfect as mayor Jaha said it was during town meetings. At the thought of Jaha, Clarke's mood soured considerably. He was her dad's best friend. They worked together at Wallace Investment Group in the city. Her dad was the one that encouraged Jaha to run for mayor all those years ago. Jaha's son Wells was her best friend for crying out loud. Yet, since her dad's death, Jaha had continued on with his campaign for congress. In fact after the funeral, Clarke had not seen much of him at all. What are friends for after all? Clarke knew what her dad did, no... had been accused of doing was bad but the way the town he loved immediately made him a persona non grata was disgusting. It still didn't make any sense, her dad was as straight laced as they came, what had driven him to stealing from the company he helped build? She knew the company had not been doing well in recent years and then Clarke had been accepted to Yale, could it be that her dad felt that desperate to send her to the school of her dreams?

Clarke shook her head gently. No she couldn't go down that road, she knew exactly where it led. Instead, she took out her sketch book and began drawing a bluebird that landed on a branch ahead of her. She turned as someone panted their way up the hill behind her.

"...geez...princess...you really need to slow down on that bike of yours... before you kill someone. And they say I'm the one with the death wish!". Finn parked his bike and sat down next to her, still panting but with a big smile on his face and his hair in his eyes.

Clarke closed her sketch book, "what the hell? did you follow me here?"

"yep, sure did. You haven't been in school in weeks. Me and Wells have been taking turns going to your house and I figured I would have better luck waiting for you to come out on your own." He was still grinning at her, which only annoyed Clarke more.

"You skipped class to stake out my house and then followed me up here, where I came to be alone? This is by far the stupidest thing you have done so far Finn Collins. But you found me, hello, thanks for stopping by and intruding into my alone time, now you can get back on your bike, and huff and puff your way back down the trail, okay? Thanks."

"Harsh princess. Clarke look I just wanted to talk. I miss you. We all do. What happened was shit, I know. But this whole, 'I'm sick of this town', rebel without a cause schtick is getting old. At some point you're going to have to let me in. You have to come back to school. We made plans, remember? Graduate, go to Europe for the summer, and then come back in time to fall into rank and file at our Ivy League colleges?"

Clarke gave him an incredulous look. Seriously is there something in the water here that makes people tactlessly awful? Did she really used to be just like them? Even Finn who was the town troublemaker, Finn who was most famous for jumping off of the high school's roof into the pool DURING his national swim meet, was still somehow just a cliche in this place.

Clarke rolled her eyes and put her book back into her bag as she walked toward her bike. "You know what Finn, it's cool. You can stay. I'll go. Do not follow me this time."

Finn, obviously not one to obey, jumped up after her and grabbed her arm softly and spun her around, "Clarke please, I'm sorry, ok? I'll go. Just please don't shut me out, ok? I'm here for you, always will be. Clarke I love you," Finn leaned in to kiss her. His lips felt chapped and cold on hers. There used to be time when kissing him would have filled her stomach with butterflies. Clarke placed her hands on his chest, pushing him gently away.

"Finn...I'm just not there okay?" Clarke wasn't sure if she meant opening up to him or kissing him.

Finn looked hurt but just nodded. She watched him ride away.

Clarke sat and cried until the sun began to set.