Prompt: High School AU where Bellamy and Clarke are on their school's debate team and they often find themselves squaring off against each other. -avarosierthewicked
Note: Rated T because I am paranoid about language. I mean, what really is the definition of "coarse?"
"Well, personally, I believe poetry shouldn't be included in a school curriculum. I mean, what can you even LEARN from a poem?"
"You've got to be kidding me..." Raven speaks, under her breath. "Murphy, the entire point of learning poetry is to be able to interpret it and apply it to everyday life. It is to make your life better and more worthwhile." She is sitting up in her chair like she is prepared to get in a full on fist fight.
"Although I don't necessarily agree with everything Raven or Murphy said, he has got a point. How the teachers use poems as assignments doesn't teach us anything, really. I mean, when in our entire lives are we gonna use prose or alliteration. Seriously. They've got to be shitting us," Bellamy concluded. He did the complete opposite of what Raven did. The tanned senior leaned back in his chair and looked as though he was awaiting applause.
"Excuse me, Bellamy. Watch your language," Principal Jaha scolded. Just as he finished, his phone alarm went off, and he rushed to silence it. "And that concludes this debate." The older man picked up the stack of paper on the desk in front of him and scanned it with his eyes. "Bellamy, you must remember that you cannot use such language in a real debate or we will have points deducted. Okay?" He rolled his eyes, but Jaha took that as a sign of understanding. The teenager, who was infamous for being a troublemaker, had been forced to joined the debate team when he was faced with suspension. "Does anyone have a suggestion for the next debate topic?"
"Yeah, yeah. I have one Jaha." The principal sighed, and again looked at the notorious senior. "Fine. Principal Jaha. Does detention really do anything good in high schools?" Clarke, who had barely been listening the entire meeting, looked up at the suggestion. This caught Bellamy's eye. "Look's like the princess is interested!" The blond rolled her eyes and sat up. That nickname had been started her sophomore year of high school when her father was elected head of the school board. Actually, it was the same boy sitting across from her that came up with it.
"Sure. Let's do it," Clarke smirked. "You've just walked into this one, Bell."
"We'll see about that, Princess," Bellamy protested. Clarke could feel Octavia, Bellamy's sister, become excited next to her. She had informed Clarke before that she loved watching her and Bellamy debate. It was like watching lions fight, she said. Despite Clarke's burning hatred for one of her best friend's brother, she and Octavia got along quite well.
Turning her head, the school's princess saw all the girls on the debate team with wide smiles on their faces and looking wildly animated.
"They can sense the sexual frustration," Raven whispered into her best friend's ear. Clarke whipped her head around to glare at the olive-skinned female who was raising her eyebrows suggestively. Before Clarke showed her smile, she told Raven to shut up and looked down at the notes and tips she had written down to help her win a debate.
"Bellamy, heads or tails?" Jaha asked towards his side of the room.
"Heads," Bellamy asserted, keeping his eyes locked on Clarke's recently risen ones. Jaha flipped the coin from his hand up inot the air, catching it, and flipping it over on his hand.
"Heads. Bellamy, being the captain of the boy's team today, you may make your first statement." Bellamy nods and straightens his back.
"Personally, I think that detention is not a worthwhile punishment. Not only does it require teachers to stay later, but it wastes all of our time! I mean, you have to agree with me there, Princess."
"Clarke, your rebuttal?"
"Gladly. If there wasn't detention, how would those delinquents then learn their lesson?"
"Very nice. Now, you are free to debate," Jaha grabbed his phone from his pocket and set the timer for three minutes.
"But what does detention really do besides show those, 'delinquents,' you called them-"
"-you, I called you," Clarke interrupted, looking determined. Bellamy glared.
"Them. What does it show them about using their time wisely? I mean, I've been in detention for being five minutes late to a class. That is just stupid. I mean, you had to have been in detention once, Clarke, meaning you would have to be classified as a delinquent. You know how remarkably idiotic the entire idea is. It is like being locked in a cell for an hour in solitaire. What good does sitting, basically alone in a room, staring at a wall, do us? It is prison." Bellamy, being the pretentious person he is, looked down the table at his teammates who are giving him satisfied faces. "I think I've made my point clear," he added. Clarke looked down her own table and rolled her eyes before starting.
"Let's say there wasn't detention. Hypothetically, of course. How would we punish those who do wrong? It is all about right and wrong. Detention is letting them think about what they've done. And everyone needs to know when they do wrong. If not, how would they know what was good?"
"You've got to be kidding me! At this point, Bellamy stood up and walked around his table. "Right and wrong is a lesson you learn from your parents and that your younger siblings learn from you! Octavia has come home with a detention slip and laughed because it was for a RIDICULUOUS reason! Some teachers use detention as their power source. They are like those evil, mastermind villains from the movies. They feel the need to control the citizens using fear. 'Don't make me give you a detention!' It is like it compensates for their shitty lives. Sorry, Jaha," Bellamy said, his intense voice unchanging, before Jaha could intervene.
"Just because it is held over us doesn't mean it is a bad thing! It's a learning device." Clarke then stood up and met Bellamy in the middle of the room. "And yes, some teachers might do that, like Mr. Kane. Obviously, they have shitty lives and use detentions to gain power. It is JUST the way things are! If there wasn't detention, school would be CHAOTIC!"
"LIKE IT ISN'T ALREADY! Princess! Open your eyes! Look around you! You are so wrapped up in right and wrong that you have forgotten how to LIVE and have blocked out how messed up everything is. It's all school, grades, and do well for you. How do you LIVE with yourself? What is your outlet? PLEASE tell me because if I could do what you do, and still be living, I sure as hell would!"
"I am not-"
"Let me finish," Bellamy demanded before Clarke could intervene again. "Detention tells us that having fun is how you become a criminal and GOD FORBID we enjoy ourselves in what people call the best years of our lives. But when in class, we are told that we need to live life with adventures and challenges because we only have this one life and nothing else." His voice had lowered into a somewhat compassionate tone. Everyone in the room noticed, including Jaha, "I know it may seem scary to live your life, but what is life worth if you don't?" He stopped speaking and noticed how close him and Clarke were, practically touching. Bellamy also noticed that everyone's eyes were on him and his Princess. His Princess? Bellamy thought before saying. "So, what do you say?"
He didn't realize it before, but Clarke was holding her breath. Then, she breathed out and smiled a little, that he returned. Clarke opened her mouth to say something.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
"Debates over. And it looks like we are out of time. See you all next week." Jaha got up from his seat and walked out the door and Clarke cleared her throat and stepped back, grabbing her stuff, and shuffling out of the room, followed by Octavia and Raven.
"I'll meet you at the car, big brother!" Raven called before leaving. Bellamy feels a hand grab his shoulder, and he turns to see Murphy there with his backpack on.
"What was that all about?" he asked.
"Nothing. It was just a debate." Just a debate, Bellamy repeated to himself.