Alone in my bed I'm waiting
For you to call in the morning
But then I cry and realize
That all I'll get is the sunrise
Forever here and yet so far
You are like all the other stars
You are concrete yet fantasy
This paradox is agony
"Clarke" The girl grabbed her friend's shoulders, shaking it hard "Clarke wake up !"
The blond answered with a groan.
"Clarke, remember what day we are ?"
Clarke, sitting at her desk, stayed silent for a minute and then lifted her head from her crossed arms and exclaimed "No way ! It's today !? Oh my god ! What are we waiting for !"
"For YOU thickhead ! You have ten minutes to prepare. I'll wait in the car with the others ! Hurry Princess !"
Octavia left Clarke's room to head back to her Brother's car.
"Hey, O ! We heard loud noises and screaming. Did you break her leg to wake her up again ?" asked Bellamy on a joking tone.
Octavia answered with the palm of her right hand glued to her forehead "No broken leg this time. And the noises and scream you heard were probably me trying to reach Clarke. It's a miracle I didn't break my own legs. Her room is a total mess"
"But it was clean two days ago" questioned Jasper with a frown.
"Well now it's so messy we can't see the floor !"
"Speaking of the devil" Added Monty.
"Hey guys, sorry for the wait"
"No more time to waste Princess, jump in and buckle up or I'll go without you"
"Ok, ok Bell I'm coming" Clarke sat in the car, at her usual spot, on the passenger seat next to Bellamy. Octavia was between Jasper and Monty behind them. "Where's Raven ?"
"She'll join us at the studio"
"What if the mail isn't in the box when we arrive ? What if it's a no ?"
"Hey guys we should have taken her to the studio ASLEEP"
"Yes maybe" Jasper agreed with Octavia. Even the usually "on-Clarke's-side" Monty was nodding.
"If it's silence you want, then you'll have it !" With an exasperated sigh Clarke crossed her arms and turned her head to look at the landscape she already knew so well.
"Clarke, is that your new lyrics I can read on your cheek ?"
"What !?" Panicked, the blond turned the rear-view mirror to her and checked her cheek. "Bellamy ! You Jerk !"
"Hey it's dangerous to hit the driver and turn his rear-view mirror like that !"
"Hey, O. remember this time when Clarke came out of her room with an entire page of lyrics printed on her thigh ?" said Jasper with a smirk.
"Yes ! And the chorus was on her forearm !"
"And she had the title tattooed on her right cheek ! Remember it guys ?" asked Bellamy
His sister and the other boys answered at the same time "I'm a mess !"
Clarke rolled her eyes and smiled "You know I'm bad at picking titles"
"Oh I find it pretty accurate"
"Shut up Jasper !" Clarke faked a pout for a minute before laughing with her friends. They joined Raven waiting for them in front of the studio ten minutes later.
"Seriously I've been waiting for an eternity ! What were you doing !?"
"Ask the princess, Rav. Not me" answered Octavia, following Jasper out of the car.
"Hey, I spent my last three nights searching for new lyrics and music for our next audition, you should be grateful !"
"Stop bragging and open this door blondie my ass literally froze waiting for you ! " The brunette had had indeed, all the time in the world to curse her friends a million times for making her wait in a car without air con in the middle of winter.
The blond obeyed with a roll of her eyes. Raven, Clarke, Octavia and Jasper tossed their coats on the nearest chair and ran to the desk to switch on the computer. Bellamy and Monty were picking up the other's coats and putting them on the coat rack as usual.
"Bellamy why isn't it working !?" Clarke was really tense this morning.
"If the computer is not plugged in it won't work you know that right ? Seriously coming from O. and Clarke I'm not surprised but, Raven and Jasper... I'm disappointed…" said the self-proclaimed manager with a smirk, still arranging the coats with Monty "And I already know your middle finger is magnificent so no need to show it to me again, and because I know it will come, it's the same for your tongue"
With an exasperated sigh, Raven ignored the boy and sat on the desk next to the computer.
"So ? Mail received ?"
"Hush Raven ! It's loading !"
"Hey, Geeky and Big bro stop being perfect mommies and get your asses over here !"
They were six around the computer when the mail's title appeared on the screen.
"What are you waiting for Clarke, click on It !" hurried Jasper.
"Ok, ok I'm opening it ! Ready ?"
*CLICK*
They sent the next five minutes reading and rereading the mail. Then Clarke, tears in her eyes and sob bubbling up in her voice, broke the religious silence "Guys… we did it… we actually DID IT !"
"Holy shit…" Octavia mouthed what the others were thinking, like always.
Followed a session of hugs and tears of joy and screamed swearwords.
"Move your ass from my chair Clarke, I need to plan your next audition !"
"I can't believe we're in fourth position among the five finalists…"
"Yes we are princess !" said Raven hitting Clarke's shoulder "Now let our "momnager" work please"
Clarke stood from Bellamy's chair just to go collapse on the couch "I'm so happy !"
Monty, a little excited "We all are"
"Hey Princess, what's our next song ? The one you promised us ! Show it !" commanded the younger Blake sibling.
Clarke, legs still trembling, went to her coat, took a ball of paper out of one of her pockets and threw it to Raven "Seriously Clarke, even *I* am not so messy and disrespectful towards my things and creations…"
"Shut up and read the sheets"
Clarke was standing in a corner of the room waiting for her friend to tell her what they thought about her three-days-and-night-in-a-row work.
Then Octavia released a huge sigh "Again ? Clarke you haven't talk in TEN FUCKING YEARS forget about her already !"
"But I can't ! I tried again and again but I can't… I NEED to let it out and songs are perfect for that !"
"Bro please tell her that writing songs about her is just a way to reopen her wounds !"
"I don't know a thing about female internal thoughts system functioning but I think it's a good idea. Plus, Clarke's best and most popular songs are those talking about her. No problem with this new song with me. See her as Clarke's muse and go with it"
"O. this song is good. Really good. I can already see what I can do with it"
"Thanks Mont' and Bell !" Clarke could always count on her substitution moms' support.
With another sigh and a head shake Octavia capitulated "Ok but it's the last time. And just because it IS in fact, a good song" At that Clarke jumped on her best friend, hugging her tightly.
"Thanks O. I love you" they hugged for a minute before a slightly embarrassed Octavia broke the embrace, leaning her hands on Clarke shoulders "So ! Let's get to work girl !"
Jasper the "master of the chorus arrangements" talked, his motivation growing with each syllable "Why not starting with the chorus ? What were the lyrics again ?"
Clarke, excited again answered as fast as her mouth permitted her "Oh it hurts, 'cause every time I call your name, I wish that you could do the same, I know that you're real but it seems, That I am in love with a dream"
"Oh let me tell you, this one's gonna be a hit !"
"Well said Jasper, high five" answered Raven, raising a hand.
They started working. The audition was in two weeks. It was two pm when Bellamy came back with pizzas and beers.
"Lunch time guys !"
"Big bro you're the best !"
"Can I kiss you ?"
"Yes little sis, I know. And no thanks Jasper" Bellamy waited for his friends to free the table of all the papers on it before putting down the pizzas and beers. Each grabbed a beer and a piece of pizza.
"Cheers !"
At five pm Bellamy had packed their instruments in his car. They were all waiting at the parking.
"I know that you always insist on playing with your own instruments but it's still a pain in the ass for me to deal with it" Bellamy had become a champion at "putting-instrument-inside-a-car" tetris. He always had to make Jasper's battery, Monty's synthesizer, Raven's bass, Octavia's guitar and even Clarke's favourite Mic fit in his car. Family car but still. "Don't forget you have to be at the bar at eight. Be ready and properly showered and dressed please"
"Yes mom !" the girls answered in unison.
Bellamy rolled his eyes, jumped in his car "Don't forget, eight. Don't be late !" he waved to them one last time before driving away.
"Clarke in my car. O, boys, I'll come pick you up at seven and half"
Monty and Jasper were roommates and lived two streets away from their studio. Raven lived with Clarke (well, live was a big word because she spent most of her nights at her boyfriend's apartment), twenty minutes away by car. Octavia and her brother lived in the apartment upstairs their studio.
They quickly said their goodbyes before heading to their respective homes and, more importantly : closets.
Bellamy was calling on Clarke's phone for the fifth time when his sister & co entered the bar screaming "We're back bitches !" Some regular customers clapped their hands and Octavia bowed her head, a hand on her heart "Thank you, thank you !"
"You're late."
Raven was the first to answer "Oh please mommy, it's eight. We're in time"
With a huge sigh Bellamy headed behind the scenes, followed by his punk-rock little band. In backstage they tossed their coats all around the place again and Bellamy was really starting to lose his legendary patience.
Finally ready, they all took their usual places on the scene. Jasper in the back on the left, was wearing a red, lose and torn tank top, black pants with chains and nails, and black unlaced bovver boots. He also had his now famous enormous steampunk goggles around his neck. Monty next to him was more discreet. He was just wearing a simple short sleeved white T-shirt with the Japanese kanji for "strength" printed in red on his back, with torn black jeans and black boots. Raven at the front on the left had her hair tied in a high and tight ponytail. She was wearing a grey torn long hoodie without sleeves with its zipper open, letting her red sport bra and raven pendant show. She also had black essential denim shorts with dark red strapped leather boots. Octavia at the front on the right was wearing thick leather black boots with heels and platform sole. She had black low-waisted pair of nailed shorts with torn tights. She also decided to wear the short tank top her brother hated just because she discovered Bellamy hid it under his bed (because Bellamy was the "protective" kind of brother that doesn't really appreciate when his sister was showing her belly to hundreds of unknown people).
And there was Clarke. In the centre of course. Her hair was wild and her eyes were encircled by dark make-up highlighting her blue eyes. A black simple ribbon was sticking to her neck. She was wearing a dark grey jean jacket with its sleeves rolled-up to her elbows. Under it she had a dark red leopard translucent tank top. She was wearing her favourite jeans : dark and tight and torn and worn out but still cool. And of course her good-luck charm, her bloody red Doc Martens.
The Den was an old small concert hall, reorganized in a bar-like kind of place. There was the bar on one side, the scene was at the back and the space left was occupied by chairs and tables. Only fifty places but always occupied on Saturday nights.
Echo, the bartender and the owner of The Den was welcoming one or two different bands every nights. Her goal was to promote young artists while doing some benefits. Anyway, Saturday nights were the Arkers' nights. They started playing in this place two years ago and now they were on the verge of releasing their first album. Well if they won their next audition of course.
Every member was in place and Bellamy had joined Echo at the bar.
"Red, black and white huh ?"
"It seems"
"Did you do something to piss Octavia off again ?"
"Hid her horribly too short T-shirt under my bed"
"Oh. Explains a lot of things"
With a sigh Bellamy took the first sip of his whiskey. And he heard Clarke say her usual "Good night everyone hope you'll enjoy the show !" before finally starting playing.
"Oh, Rolling Stones tonight. Good"
"Yeah. "Start me up" was my idea"
"Oh please don't brag ! You're not a kid anymore. Be a good mom and let them their glory !"
"I am not their mom, I'm a manager" defended Bellamy with a smile.
"You sure you don't miss it ?" asked Echo, concerned.
"What ? Playing ? Of course I miss it. But when I look at her, when I look at how happy they are, it feels good and that's all I need" Bellamy answered with one of his "charming smirks" that made Echo's cheeks flush easily.
"Huh ! One day she won't need you anymore and you'll end up crying at my bar !"
"Ha ! Probably !"
Echo went to the other side of the bar to serve another customer. An unknown figure entered the bar. The woman was wearing a long black coat, black pants and heels, white scarf, a black beanie and huge sunglasses. She sat next to Bellamy and ordered a Dirty Martini.
Bellamy waited for the next song to start to finally talk "Why are you here ? "
"Like any customer, I wanted a drink"
"Bullshit. I know you're following her. But it's usually one of your minions. Why is it you today ?"
"You're well informed" she paused, searching for her words "I came because I wanted to and I had time for once"
"Are you gonna talk to her ? "
"I'm here to watch"
"Coward"
"It's been ten years. She forgot"
"Huh" Bellamy answered in an annoyed, exasperated sigh, a smirk never leaving his face "I shouldn't tell you that but… In two weeks, here. They have an audition. If they win they'll be able to release their first album"
The woman smiled "It's wonderful"
"Come"
"What ?" she turned fully to face Bellamy, frowning.
"The audition. If you don't I won't let you or your minions approach her ever again"
"I have a really precise schedule, I don't know if-"
"Just come Lexa" His tone was cold.
The woman turned to her glass again, staring at it. A minute later she finished her drink, wrote something on a napkin and exited the bar, letting Bellamy alone, a smirk on his face.
Echo interrupted Bellamy's stream of thoughts "Who was that ?"
"Her"
"Her as in like, "Clarke's her" ?"
"Yep !"
"Oh… So she does exist after all"
"Yes and it's probably the beginning of big problems for me"
"You'll let her see Clarke ?"
"I don't know. But I want her to see what she did to Clarke. I want to see her face full of regret in two weeks. I want to see her beg for me to let her talk to Clarke. I want her to cry her eyes out and seek out redemption"
"If I didn't know you, I'd think you're a freaky sadist"
"Maybe I AM a freaky sadist"
Echo faked a laugh "Of course mommy !" He gently punched her shoulder and they laughed together for a moment. Then both of them turned to look at Clarke, now singing her remake of "Knocking on heaven's door". "What makes you think she regrets ?"
"She was there tonight"