Disclaimer: I do not own The 100 or the characters. I also do not own the rights to Dirty Dancing.

Clarke scowled out the car window as they passed the giant sign marking the beginning of the road leading to the main lodge of The Ark Resort. The bright sunshine outside glanced off the water of the lake that could just be seen from the gravel road, the laughter and shrieks of other resort guests drifting across the open space on a light breeze. She fidgeted slightly in the passenger seat of the car, already wishing they were leaving instead of just arriving. Her mother glanced over at her as the car slowed.

"For god's sake, Clarke, at least try to look like you're happy to be here," Abby scolded. "Marcus was wonderful to invite us to stay here for the summer, and it's a great opportunity for you to get to know him better. Please don't ruin this with a poor attitude."

Clarke huffed out a breath. "Ruin what, Mom? I doubt your whole summer could be ruined by my 'poor attitude'."

"Just promise me you'll give Marcus a chance. You haven't spent much time with him before, but this will be your chance to really bond," Abby clarified. "I want the two of you to get along."

"Why does it matter?" she demanded. "It's not like you're going to get married."

The faintest blush colored Abby's cheeks as she pulled the car to a stop directly in front of the main lodge. "It's much too early to be thinking about that," she replied.

Clarke's scowl deepened as she flung open the passenger door and stepped out. She narrowed her eyes against the light and looked around, noting the perfectly manicured grass, two sets of volleyball courts in the lawn on the opposite side of the parking area from the lodge, and a series of guest cabins in an orderly line leading away from the lodge towards a thick stand of trees.

"Abby! Clarke! I'm so glad to see you. How was the drive?" A middle-aged man with dark hair and crow's feet at the corners of his eyes called out as he hurried down the stairs from the lodge's entrance. He pressed a quick kiss to Abby's cheek when he reached her, looking over the top of the car at Clarke and smiling kindly. "Clarke, how are you?"

"The drive was lovely," Abby replied before Clarke could answer. "Marcus, your resort looks beautiful. You do not do yourself justice."

Clarke rolled her eyes, looking away from the couple. She watched as a teenaged boy with floppy brown hair walked down the stairs towards them, his white collared shirt and khaki pants marking him as an employee. He nodded to Clarke as he passed her and went to the trunk of their car, pulling out their suitcases and setting them on the sidewalk along the edge of the parking area.

"I have you staying in our best cabin," Marcus Kane was telling Abby. "It's the furthest from the lodge, but it has the most beautiful view of the woods and the creek that runs from the lake. I think you'll really like it."

"It sounds wonderful," Abby agreed.

Marcus smiled. "Great. Jasper will take care of your bags if you'd like to join me in the lodge for some iced tea before going to your cabin?"

"Iced tea is exactly what I need after that drive," Abby replied. "Come along, Clarke."

Glancing up at the lodge and back at the adults, Clarke pasted on her most agreeable smile. "Actually, I'm feeling a bit tired. Would you mind if I went straight to the cabin? I need a light nap and then I'll be good as new."

Small lines appeared at the corners of Abby's mouth. "Are you sure? Perhaps the refreshments would revive you?"

Marcus took Abby by the hand. "No, that would be fine. There will be plenty of time for all three of us to spend together. Jasper, please show Miss Griffin to Cabin 12."

The boy nodded as he picked up the two large suitcases again. "Right this way, Miss Griffin," he said to Clarke before starting off down the sidewalk. Clarke slung her purse strap over her shoulder before following him, not bothering to look back to see the disapproving look on her mother's face.

"I could carry one of those," she offered after they were out of earshot of the adults. "I know how heavy they are."

"It's no problem," Jasper replied, voice mildly strained.

Clarke frowned. "Seriously, let me carry one. I feel stupid just walking along while you're lugging two suitcases."

"It's my job," he said.

"Aren't you supposed to do what the customer asks?" Clarke asked. "I'm asking you to give me one of the suitcases to carry. Now hand it over."

Jasper smiled, his lips slightly crooked. "You're really stubborn, aren't you?"

"The most stubborn you will ever meet," she grinned as he handed her the bright blue suitcase that held her things. "I'm Clarke, by the way."

"I'm Jasper," he replied. "So your mom is dating Kane, huh?"

Clarke sighed. "Yeah. She dragged me out to a resort in the middle of nowhere for the entire summer so she could spend time with her boyfriend. Worst summer ever, right?"

He shrugged, shoulder moving up in an awkward motion. "It could be worse. This place isn't so bad if you know where to look for some fun."

"And where should I look? Wednesday night Bingo?" she asked sarcastically.

Jasper laughed. "I'd recommend the one o'clock dance classes. The instructors are a lot of fun. And, I mean, there's always the lake and tennis and stuff like that."

"Yeah, I'm not really the sporty type," Clarke replied as they started to climb the little staircase to the door of Cabin 12. "Come on, what do you do for fun when you're not working?"

"The staff have our own cabin area and we all just hang out there when we have time off," Jasper explained, unlocking the door with one of the many keys on a ring on his belt. "We don't really get to mingle with the guests much unless we're working."

Clarke frowned. "Well, that's stupid. Why can't you hang out with guests?"

"It's Kane's policy," Jasper said, setting the bag down inside the door. "I've found its better not to question the guy who signs my paycheck, so I just go with it. If you need anything you can just call down to the front desk. It was nice to meet you, Clarke."

"Nice to meet you too," she called as he walked back down the wooden stairs to the sidewalk. Clarke dropped her suitcase off in one of the bedrooms in the cabin, walking over to the window and looking at the view of the woods behind their cabin. The woods weren't as thick as they seemed from a distance. Through gaps in the trees she could make out the shapes of smaller cabins on the other side of the wood. Glancing at a clock on the nightstand and quickly calculating how long her mother would spend with Kane before bothering to come to the cabin, Clarke opened her suitcase and pulled out a sketchpad and a pencil. Flipping the lid back onto the case, she walked out of the cabin and towards the woods.

There was a beaten path that led through the woods a few feet from the base of the steps leading up to her cabin. Clarke followed it through the woods, looking around at the trees and the wildflowers that grew beneath them. It only took about ten minutes to get to the other side of the woods, and then the smaller cabins were in front of her. All the pathways here were made of gravel and the cabins looked rougher and much smaller than those of the guests. The area was quiet, only the sound of the breeze, gravel crunching under her feet, and a few birds reaching Clarke's ears.

"What are you doing here?" A gruff voice asked from her left.

Clarke jumped, turning to look at the speaker. A tall boy- young man really- leaned against a tree and watched her with dark, suspicious eyes. His hair was a mess of waves and curls, his skin a deep tan, and he wore a pair of black jeans with a white wife-beater tank. She could see the smooth lines of muscles in his arms and in the way the shirt clung to his body. Realizing she was staring, she refocused on his face.

"I was following the trail," she answered, pointing behind her at the woods.

"This area is off-limits to guests," he said, still not smiling. "You should go back."

She bristled slightly at his tone. "Fine," Clarke replied. "Sorry to have interrupted your very important leaning."

He glared at her as she turned away and reentered the woods. She walked halfway through the trees before stopping by a large rock. Sitting down on it, she looked around and opened her sketchbook. Focusing on a clump of wildflowers, she began to draw.

Clarke returned to the cabin an hour later, the wildflower sketch completed on one of the pages of her sketchbook. Her mother had arrived at the cabin and was unpacking in the other bedroom. "Where have you been?"

"I just took a walk," Clarke replied, going into her own room.

Abby followed. "Clarke, you can't just wander off. I'm sure the paths are safe, but you never know. And you really should have joined Marcus and me for refreshments. It was rude of you to refuse."

"I have all summer to have refreshments with you and your boyfriend," Clarke said. "I don't think he'll mind that I missed one day."

"You will be joining us for dinner tonight," Abby stated. "And please change into something nicer. The restaurant is fancier than jeans, and do something with your hair. I'm so tired of seeing it hang in your face."

Clarke counted to ten in her head as Abby left her alone. Flipping open her suitcase, Clarke began to put the clothes in the dresser and closet in the room. She placed a small pile of books on the dresser along with her sketchbook. A small framed photograph went on the nightstand. The cherry wood frame held a picture of a sandy-haired man and a younger Clarke. They both were grinning and held ice cream cones. A Ferris wheel stood in the background.

Once her things were settled, Clarke threw herself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling the beginning of a very long summer.

Four and a half hours later found Clarke in a lavender short-sleeved dress that fell to her knees. Her blonde hair had been pinned up into a small knot at the back of her head. She toyed with the water glass at her table setting while her mother and Kane spoke about the excellence of the food. Her own plate of chicken alfreado sat half unfinished in front of her, a breadstick picked apart on the edge of the dish.

"I hear you went on a walk this afternoon," Marcus said to her, shifting in his seat to look at her. "Which trail did you take?"

"The one through the woods," Clarke replied.

His smile dimmed slightly. "The one to the staff area?"

"Yep," Clarke said. "The woods are cool."

Marcus nodded. "Yes, we have some excellent flowers back there. However, Clarke, I am going to ask that you don't go on that path again. We try to keep our guests and the staff separated as much as possible."

"Why?" Clarke asked. "I mean, they're people too."

"Yes, they are," he said patiently. "However, they are employees. They are paid to be here and work and it doesn't make sense or turn out well if they spend too much time with our paying guests who are here to relax and enjoy themselves."

"Are you saying that you keep the staff and guests separate because the guests are wealthy and the staff have to earn their pay?" Clarke demanded.

"Of course not," Kane replied smoothly. "I'm saying that the two groups are here for very different reasons and I see no reason for them to mix when their goals are so different. Now, how about dessert?"

"I'm not very hungry," Clarke bit back.

"Clarke," Abby warned. "Have some dessert. We can sit and chat some more. Why don't you tell Marcus about the universities to which you have been applying?"

Clarke grit her teeth as Abby launched into the list of schools she had forced Clarke to consider for college. All of them had great pre-med programs, and not a single one had an art program worth mentioning.

An hour of inane chitchat later and Clarke was freed from the table. Abby remained at the table with a cup of coffee and Kane, deep in a discussion of the schedule of activities for the next day. Clarke left the main lodge and began taking the path back to the cabin, a group of chattering girls behind her.

"Hey," she heard one of them call to her. "I love your dress."

She turned around and came face-to-face with a dark-haired girl with green eyes. They were almost the same height and the brunette had a classically beautiful face. Her companions wore the employee uniform of a white collared shirt with khaki pants, but she wore a dark gray halter dress. Her hair was falling down from what had clearly been an elaborate ballerina bun.

"Thanks," Clarke said.

"I'm Octavia," the brunette said, starting to walk beside Clarke. "I help teach the dance lessons. You should sign up for one, they're pretty fun or so I hear."

"I'll think about it," she replied. "Thanks."

Octavia pursed her lips. "What's your name?"

"Um, Clarke."

"Well, Clarke, are you doing anything right now?"

"I was just going to go back to my cabin," Clarke admitted.

Octavia grinned. "How would you like to go to a party instead? It's the first Saturday of the season, and we staff members want to celebrate."

One of the girls with her leaned forward to mutter in Octavia's ear. The brunette shook her head and laughed. "Please, it's a party! Everyone is allowed at a party. If Bellamy has a problem with her being there, he can talk to me."

"I don't want to cause you any trouble," Clarke said. "Thank you for inviting me, but I'm not really even supposed to go to the staff area, right?"

"That rule is so stupid," Octavia replied. "Come on, it'll be fun! There's music and drinks and I think we even managed to get some watermelons and chips. Come on, Clarke, I promise it'll be the most fun place at this resort tonight."

Thinking of the movie night happening at the main lodge, Clarke didn't doubt Octavia's assurance. "Are you sure no one will mind?"

Octavia grinned, linking her arm through Clarke's. "If anyone cares, then they can come talk to me. So, where are you from?"

They chatted as they followed the path through the woods, the sound of pounding music getting louder as they approached the staff cabins. Octavia let out a cheer when they reached the group of employees, mostly teenagers, milling around the cabins. "What's up bitches?!"

A few people laughed and Octavia led Clarke through the crowd, telling her names as they passed people. "Monty's the Asian with Jasper, do you know Jasper? Cool. Miller is the one by the music, Anya is the bitchy looking girl over at the table, Charlotte is the kid who is way too young to be here, I seriously think she lied on her job application. Murphy is the asshole hanging out with Anya, and Raven is the girl with the perfect black hair and the red jacket," Octavia took a breath, grinning over at a large guy with tattoos up his bared arms. "That's Lincoln. You can look all you want but no touching because I've been dating him for the past five months, okay?"

Clarke laughed. "Okay. So, um, what now?"

"What do you mean?" Octavia asked. "It's a party."

"Tell me you didn't bring one of the guests here," a gruff voice said from behind the two girls. Clarke turned to face the guy who had been leaning against the tree when she had visited the staff area earlier in the day. Somehow his hair had become even more of a mess. He glanced at her for a second before looking back to Octavia. "O, she's obviously not an employee."

"So what?" Octavia asked. "Come on, Bellamy, this is a party. Clarke is a friend, I invited her."

"A friend huh?" the guy asked. "How long have you known each other?"

Octavia waved a hand through the air. "Time is relative. Relax, Bell. It's not like Clarke is going to tell on us, right?"

"Right," Clarke nodded.

Bellamy's lips pursed before he sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. "Fine. I need a drink."

Octavia grinned in triumph as he walked away. "He's my big brother," she told Clarke. "He worries way too much about everything. But, I mean, he's kind of the reason I have this job anyway."

"What do you mean?" Clarke asked.

"He's been the dance instructor here for the past few summers," the brunette said. "He used to work with this girl, Lexa, but she left for a job in Canada this spring, so Bellamy needed a new partner. I've been dancing almost as long as he is, so he took me on as his partner. He can be kind of a pain, but it sure beats working as a waitress all summer, you know?"

Clarke nodded. Octavia grinned and shimmied slightly to the music. "Hey, you gonna be alright on your own? I want to go grab Lincoln for a dance."

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Clarke said. Octavia gave her a quick hug around the shoulders before darting through the crowd to reappear beside Lincoln. Within seconds they were in the middle of the group of people dancing. They and everyone around them were pressed together at the hips, swaying to the music and pulling apart only for seconds before dipping back together and resuming the dance. Clarke stayed where she was on the edge of the party, unsure of what to do with herself.

"Do you dance?" Bellamy asked, once again showing up at her side without making any noise.

"Not much," Clarke admitted, watching the people moving to the music. "I never really had a reason to learn."

"Alright," Bellamy grabbed her hand and tugged her after him towards the people dancing. Clarke followed, too surprised to do anything else and focused on the warmth of his hand over hers. He stopped them on the edge of what was apparently considered the dancefloor, releasing her hand and instead placing one hand on her hip and the other on her back. The places he touched burned.

"This kind of dance doesn't really have a name," he said into her ear, raising the hair on her neck. "Basically the point is to really get into sync with the music and your partner. Just follow my lead, okay?"

She nodded as he pressed her up against him, maneuvering them into the same kind of position as the other people dancing. Their hips pressed together and Clarke felt her cheeks warm. Silently she blessed the darkness for providing cover for her embarrassment. Bellamy began to circle his hips, making her do the same as a result of how they were pressed together. He kept his face by the side of her head. "I'm going to push you into a dip, okay?"

Clarke didn't even get a chance to respond before he was leaning forward and lightening the pressure of his hand on her back. She felt herself go a bit off balance as she leaned away from him, his hand providing just enough support to keep her from falling. He pulled her back up again, once more resuming the circling of their hips in time with the music. As the song ended he grabbed her hand and spun her out.

"Thanks for the dance," he said before leaving her standing on the edge of the dancefloor. She watched as he walked away from the party towards the last cabin in the row. She flinched slightly when Octavia returned and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"My brother isn't much for parties," she explained. "I saw you dancing, you're not bad. I think you have some natural talent. Sign up for my class tomorrow?"

Clarke nodded. "Sure."

Octavia grinned. "Awesome. Now come on, you still need to meet people."