Chapter 1: New Life
Fighting has always been apart of Bellamy Blake's life. When he was younger he was smaller than the rest of the boys in his class, he was easy prey for bullies. Instead of sitting back and taking it he fought back. He became well acquainted with the principal while his mother expected to be called to the school at least three times a week. She used to joke with him by saying they were going to permanently have a chair with his name on it.
In middle school she signed him up for wrestling as a way to keep him busy and hopefully tame his anger. Then his younger sister Octavia was born, money became an issue so he had to quit but he promised her he would always protect her and do whatever it took to do just that. As he grew up he worked out every day but he couldn't settle for just lifting weights in a gym. It became boring for him. He needed excitement, he just wasn't sure how it was going to happen.
His senior year he met a man named Joe and convinced him to start boxing. Like a moth to a flame Bellamy took to it, he had a God given talent is what Joe and all the guys in the gym told him. Just two months after he started training he entered his first fight and after he won it became his drug.
"Bellamy! Wake up! I need a ride to school!" Groaning into his pillow Bellamy tried his best to ignore his younger sister but her constant banging on his door wouldn't stop.
"Ok, fine, O, just calm the fuck down." He yawned swinging his legs over the side of his bed. Picking up a discarded T-shirt off the floor he slid it on before opening his bedroom door. "Where's mom?"
"She had an early shift at the diner, I thought you knew that?" Octavia scowled.
"No, I didn't. Come on." He mumbled grabbing his keys off of his dresser he led her outside to his beat up truck.
Pulling out of the driveway Bellamy groaned as Octavia turned the radio on full blast. The pounding in his head became ten times worse with the horrible music Octavia insisted on playing. Shutting it off he kept his attention on the road but Octavia couldn't take the silence. "Just how hungover are you? I know you didn't come in until four in the morning but damn I thought you said you never drank that much."
"Leave it alone, O." He muttered. "Why do you need to be at school so early anyway? You usually leave the house ten minutes before class starts."
"Principal Kane asked if I could be a guide for some new student coming in today. Clarke I think is his name."
"He asked or did you volunteer? I thought you and that Lincoln guy were still talking?" Bellamy wasn't sure about Lincoln but he knew Octavia would never listen to him so he kept his opinions to himself. As long as Octavia was happy.
"We are, I was just the first person Kane saw in the hallway. Plus he just likes me because I'm the opposite of you."
"I don't know why he hates me, I mean, all I did was start what fifteen fights in the cafeteria?" Bellamy chuckled.
"Yeah, I'm sure that's all you did." Octavia rolled her eyes. All her life she had heard stories about her big brother. Interrupting teachers, starting food fights, and causing kids to go to the nurses' office with nose bleeds.
Pulling up to the front of the school the first thing Bellamy noticed was a blonde girl he had never seen before sitting on one of the concrete benches. "Hey who's that?" He questioned.
"I don't know, but I'll see you later. Love you!" She smiled hopping out of the truck.
Clarke hated being the new girl. The stares, not knowing anyone, and then she thought back as to why they had to move in the first place. Her father's business folded causing plenty of fights at their household. Abby and Jake thought Clarke was asleep but she heard all the screaming, broken plates, and slammed doors. Night after night, it seemed like they were getting worse. Then they came up with this solution, move back to Jake's hometown. They would move in with her grandparents while they find a place to live and his old friend Thelonious Jaha needed a business partner. From what she heard they were starting a boxing gym. Since her father was once a champion boxer she hoped it would all work out for the best.
Hearing a truck pull up Clarke saw what she hoped was her guide. Her mother had told her the night before someone was to meet her before school started to show her around. A beautiful brunette girl hopped out of the truck saying goodbye to an equally handsome man in the driver's seat. Rising from her seat Clarke smiled as the girl walked towards her. "Are you Clarke Griffin?" She asked.
"That's me, let me guess you were expecting a guy?" Clarke chuckled, judging by the look on her face Clarke already knew the answer.
"Yeah, just a little bit, but whatever. Hi, I'm Octavia, I will be your helping hand in this new insane place we call the Ark."
"The Ark? That's what we call the school?"
"Yeah, I don't get it either, I just know that's what everyone's been calling it since it was built." She explained as they walked through the front doors.
"I think my dad may have mentioned that. He graduated from here back in the eighties."
"Really? That's cool, but if you don't mind me asking, why did you come back here after all this time?"
"Oh its no problem, there's not much to tell. My dad went off to college and he met my mom. When they graduated they moved to California. That didn't really work out so we came back here."
"Ok, well do you have your schedule?"
Nodding her heard Clarke pulled it out of her bag. "The secretary told my mom they wrote my locker number down on the bottom."
After handing the paper to Octavia she saw her smile. "Awesome, you'll be around Monty and Jasper. Don't worry, you'll like them. You have Lit and French with me and all your other classes have some of my friends in them too."
"Ok great, so where to now?" Clarke asked before Octavia led her down the hall to her locker.
The day started off great. Octavia was right Clarke hit it off right away with Monty and Jasper. Their senses of humor really made her feel better about her new life. In her History class she met even more people, Raven Reyes and John Murphy. Then at lunch time she sat in the middle of their table and got to know them a little better. So far she was liking her life at the Ark.
When the day ended she got a text from her mom saying she wouldn't be able to pick her up. Today was her first day working at the local hospital and being an emergency room nurse came with plenty of challenges. "Great, that's just great." She sighed stuffing her phone back in her pocket.
"Hey Clarke, how was your first day?" She heard Octavia ask as she walked up behind her.
"It was good, but now I don't know how I'm gonna get home."
"Oh don't worry about that, if you need a ride me and my brother can give you one. Here he is now."
Inside Clarke was a little excited. Earlier that morning she had gotten a glimpse of Octavia's brother but now she was going to be able to see him up close. As she walked towards the truck she couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. His dark curly hair and tan complexion, he reminded her of the surfer boys back in California. "Hey O, who is this?" He asked as Octavia opened the passenger side door.
"This is Clarke, and we are giving her a ride home." Octavia explained, climbing into the middle of the cab. "Clarke, this is my brother Bellamy."
"Well, Clarke is definitely not a guy." He smirked looking her up and down.
"Nice observation, can we go now?" Clarke scoffed, slamming the truck door closed.
"Whatever you say, Princess. So where are we going anyway?"
After giving him the directions to her grandparent's house the truck became quiet. It wasn't long before Octavia spoke up. "So didn't you say your dad was a boxer?"
"Yeah, ever since he was a teenager."
"Bellamy's a boxer! He's pretty good too."
"O, I'm pretty sure your friend doesn't want to hear about me beating some guy's ass."
"Well my dad is opening up a gym downtown. Maybe you could train there?" Clarke told the older boy.
"Thanks but no thanks, I'm already working with a trainer."
"Good ol' Joe," Octavia muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Octavia's not a big fan of Joe."
"I'm not a fan of anyone who pimps my brother out for fights just to win a buck. I mean, he doesn't give a shit about you, all he cares about is winning."
"Well I always win so there is nothing to worry about."
"You sure aren't modest about this are you?" Clarke asked.
"Why would I be modest over something I'm good at? If you're curious, I could give you a whole list of things I'm good at."
"Ew Bell, shut up." Octavia groaned.
"Here we are," Clarke coughed as her grandparent's house came into view. "Thanks for the ride." She smiled opening the door.
"See you tomorrow!" Octavia grinned sliding into the passenger side.
Waving goodbye Clarke made her way into the house where her grandmother was waiting for her. "Hi dear, how was your first day?"
"It was good, surprisingly." She laughed. "Where's dad?"
"He went with Thelonious to see a possible location for the gym. They seemed pretty excited about it before they left."
"Oh that's cool, maybe it won't take too long to get it up and running."
"Hopefully, oh there's someone in the kitchen you'll be happy to see." Her grandmother told her as she walked into the laundry room.
Throwing her bag to the side Clarke headed into the kitchen. To her surprise her old friend Wells sitting at the dining room table. "Hey Clarke," He smiled.
Wells Jaha was Thelonious' only son. Whenever the Griffins came to town the Jaha's would have them over for dinner. In the short amount of time their visits were Clarke and Wells became close friends. They kept in touch while she was in California and once when the Jaha's visited during the summer Clarke took Wells to the beach for the first time in his life. "How have you been?" She asked giving him a hug.
"Great, I started college earlier this month but dad is sure I'm gonna be apart of this new business venture he and your dad are on."
"I'm sure all of us are gonna have to help out. I mean they're opening a boxing gym with no one to actually fight in it."
"They'll figure it out, our dads always do."
It was around six thirty when they all sat around the living room. Clarke's grandmother had fixed lasagna for dinner and waited for everyone to come home. Wells told Clarke about his school, he wanted to be a lawyer. "Well you did always like to be right."
"That's what my dad said." He laughed. "But it all worked out because my school is only an hour and a half away. I can visit on the weekends and help out whenever they need me."
"Yeah which I'm sure..." Clarke was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who's that Grandad?"
The older man shook his head. Folding up his newspaper he put it to the side before walking to the front door. Opening it everyone was surprised to see two policemen standing in front of them. "Mr. Griffin?" One asked.
"Yes, is everything all right?"
The grave look on his face sent panic through Clarke. "I'm sorry sir, there's been an accident."
"John?" Clarke heard her grandmother whisper from her chair.
"What happened?"
"There's been a shooting. I'm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Griffin. Jake didn't make it."
Clarke didn't hear anything else. She was aware of her grandmother screaming, the police trying to explain the situation to her grandfather, and Wells trying to take her hand but Clarke couldn't take it. Jumping up she ran out the back door to the yard. Falling on her knees she thought back to the last time she saw her father. He was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee reading the classifieds. "Today's gonna be a good day." He told her.
"I hope so, as much as I love Grandma and Grandad it would be nice to have my own room." She sighed.
"I know, sweetheart, not long now." He smiled. "You have a good first day, all right?"
"I will, I love you."
"I love you too." He kissed her head before leaving the room to take a shower.
This couldn't be true. It just couldn't. She wasn't positive when she started crying but once the tears started falling she wasn't sure if they would ever stop.