"Ai'm houm Clarke! Tel me chit happened last sheidgeda! (I'm home Clarke! Tell me what happened last night!)"
Madi came bounding into Clarke's bedroom and jumped onto her bed, bouncing up and down, the movement drawing a groan out from Clarke as her head span.
Opening one bleary eye, she gave Madi a pained smile and then noticed her Mom, Abby Griffin stood behind Madi's grinning face in the doorway.
"Morning Madi. Mom." She groaned rolling over.
"Did yu ge drunk? Does your head hurt? Laik yu hungover? (Did you get drunk? Does your head hurt? Are you hungover?"
"Gonasleng Madi! Em's seintaim early gon quick faya Trigedasleng questions! (English Madi! It's to early for quick fire Trigedasleng questions!"
"That doesn't make sense you tell me to speak English, not in English. Did you know Nana Abby wants a dog? Can we get dog? She said she might by me a dog if I do good when I start school!"
"Oh did she now?" Clarke said dryly as she heaved herself up into a sitting position.
Abby had the sense to look a little guilty and tossed her daughter a small box.
"Peace offering?"
Once she saw that her Mom had tossed her painkillers, Clarke nodded, then winced at the action.
"Madi, be awesome and go get me some cereal?"
Madi jumped off the bed and said as she began to leave the room,
"Or I can make eggs? You like my eggs right Nomon?"
"Madi. Madi under NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO TRY AND MAKE EGGS!" Clarke shouted after her young charge, wincing again at the volume of her own voice.
At the curious look her mother gave her Clarke explained with a sigh
"Last time Madi tried to make eggs, she set the counter on fire. Don't ask me how but she did."
"So" Abby said trying to supress a smile "You had a good night then?"
"The parts I can remember were okay." Clarke said, downing two pills dry and trying to smooth down her bed head "Any idea how I got home?"
"Well you have a few missed calls from Raven so I'm guessing she got you a cab or drove you home herself."
"Do you – wait how do you know I have missed calls?"
"I picked up your phone from the coffee table. Here-" Abby handed Clarke her phone and then continued "I have a meeting at 12:00 so I cant stay much longer. Just thought you should know, I think you need to talk to Madi."
Clarke frowned.
"About what?"
"School mostly. She was talking about starting, all excited and everything but I could tell she was nervous."
"Nervous about school?"
"It's a big step Clarke. New country and home. Still trying to completely master a new language. Trying to deal with TonDC."
Clarke stiffened slightly.
"We talk about it." She said tightly and Abby came and sat on her daughter's bed.
"Sweetheart, have you considered…" but Abby tailed off like she was unsure of her words.
"Considered what?"
"Have you considered that Madi may benefit from speaking to a professional? That maybe you both would? It happened to you too Clarke."
Clarke stared at her mother for a moment before getting out of bed and heading towards her bathroom saying a little coldly
"You should go or you'll be late for your meeting. We'll see you and Kane on Tuesday."
"Clarke-"
"Don't be late."
Abby bowed her head and headed to the door.
"Mom?"
She paused and turned back.
"I'll think about it. I promise." Clarke said with a small sad smile.
Abby smiled, nodded and then left.
Just as Clarke heard the front door close, Madi reappeared with a bowl of cereal.
"Scratch cereal. Let's go out for breakfast. How does IHOP sound? Then we've got some shopping to do."
"YEY PANCAKES!"
"So school in a week. You excited?"
"Mhmm" Madi mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes, but now Clarke could see what her mother had meant. There was something… off, in Madi's eyes at the mention of school.
Clarke finished her own bite of chocolate chip pancakes, put down her fork and reached across the table to grasp Madi's hand.
"Hey" she said earnestly "Talk to me Madi. Are you worried? About starting school?"
Madi pulled her hand back and shifted in her seat, tugging at one of her braids. She had a smudged of whipped cream on her bottom lip, which was swiped away when she licked her lips nervously.
"It's just…"
"Just what?" Clarke encouraged.
"I want to make friends."
"You will make friends Madi!" Clarke said in surprise.
"But I'm different. I have accent. My English isn't perfect. I start talking in my language on accident. They wont like me."
Clarke looked at the little girl sat in front of her, half demolished plate of pancakes in front of her, tugging on one of her braids, a few sprinkles from her pancakes caught in the bottom of one of her plaits.
"Hei, em will hogeda be okay. Ai laik sure gon em. (Hey, it will all be okay. I am sure of it.)" Clarke said with a smile.
"You are funny, and bright and have more energy than anyone I know. If you make sure that it's positive energy, then I'm sure you wont have any problems making friends." She assured but Madi still looked worried.
"What if they are mean?"
"Well then they'll have to deal with me." Clarke said and Madi smiled.
"Ai hod yu in Clarke. (I love you Clarke)"
"I love you too."
The two exchanged a smile that was interrupted by the sound of Clarke's phone buzzing on the table. She saw the caller ID and answered on the fourth ring.
"Hello Little Miss Tequila!"
"Hi Raven" grinned Clarke at the sound of Raven laughing.
"Ste bilaik Raven? Can ai talk kom her? Teik me say heya! (Is that Raven? Can I talk to her? Let me say hello!)" Madi whisper shouted, reaching for the phone, but Clarke swatted her hand away.
"Sorry Raven say that again? Madi is trying to take my phone hostage so she can talk to you."
"I said how's your head?"
"I'm just fine. How's yours?"
"Pounding if I'm honest. I couldn't find my painkillers, everything got moved around at the house when Miller and Jackson moved in. Do you want to meet me in Trikru Mall in about half an hour? I'm meeting Murphy and Lula for lunch, wondered if you wanted to hang too?"
"Well me and Madi are actually heading to Trikru for shopping anyway. School supplies. Is it okay if I bring her along?"
"Sure. I'll tell Lula to make sure Murphy is on his best behaviour. They wont be meeting us until after midday anyway, so it'll just be me to start with. Is that cool with Madi?"
Clarke turned her head slightly to look at Madi who had squeezed into her side of the booth and was straining to listen to the call. At Raven's words she nodded her head furiously and Clarke chuckled.
"She would love that. Just be prepared for a hundred questions."
"Copy that. Meet you outside Niylah's?"
"Yeah sure. See you there."
And with that she hung up the call.
"Ai'm na hang out kom Raven Reyes!" Madi cried in glee.
"Yes Madi, you're going to hang out with Raven Reyes."
"Madi you have to let her breath between questions!"
Clarke was laughing as she said it, and Madi blushed to the roots of her dark hair as Clarke and Raven chuckled.
"Sorry Miss Raven."
"It's okay kid. Nice to feel like a celebrity."
They had been wondering around the shopping centre for about an hour. Between the three of them they were carrying six bags containing; three sets of the uniform shirts, skirts and jumpers for Arakdia Elementary School. A new pencil case covered in fake paint splatters with pencils, pens, erasers and colour markers inside. A new coat, school regulation socks and a new backpack which was plain black with electric green zippers.
They were now on their way to get school shoes from Capaldi's Shoe Store, before meeting with Murphy and Lula for lunch in the food court.
They reached the store and at once Madi took off, running up and down the aisles looking for the perfect pair of shoes.
As Clarke watched her fondly she heard Raven say
"Just got a text from Murphy, they're about twenty minutes to half an hour away depending on traffic. He says Lula told him a shortcut that wasn't a shortcut. I don't believe him, Lula's a smart kid."
"So how did those two come about?" Clarke asked a little tentatively "They seem…"
"Like an odd match?" Raven supplied.
Clarke nodded and Raven did too.
"Yeah. We all thought that too. To be honest we only know what they've told us. They knew each other when they were kids, best friends really, met through their families. Fell out of touch, then she just showed up one day. They reconnected and started dating about ten months ago, after Emori and John split up."
"What's she like?"
Raven shrugged.
"She's quiet. Kind, smart. She's sweet, but she's… she's got some issues I think. She's kind of the baby of the group, only nineteen, but she looks younger. Bellamy nearly strangled Murphy when he first met her, because he walked in on them making out and he thought she was underage." Raven chuckled lightly and Clarke smiled slightly too.
"Yeah that doesn't sound too far fetched to me."
"Speaking of Bellamy" Raven said with a small smirk "You thought anymore about talking to him about everything?"
"Nope." Clarke said popping the P sound.
"Well, just so you know, he didn't think twice about volunteering to drive you home when your alcoholic ass passed out last night." Raven said smugly and Clarke frowned.
"Wait I thought you brought me home?"
"Nope" Raven copied Clarke "I could barely stand myself. He dropped me off after he took you home, and carried you up to your apartment I might add."
Clarke's mind was racing, but she was spared having to answer when Madi pranced up to them, wearing an adult sized pair of silver sparkly high heels, struggling to keep her balance.
"Can ai don emo? (Can I have these?)" the ten year old giggled and Clarke raised an eyebrow.
"You tell me; do you think the school will let you wear them?"
Madi just grinned impishly, wobbled, then stepped out of the heels and held up a pair of black leather ankle boots.
Ten minutes later, having tried on and tested them, the shoes were purchased and the trio were exiting the store.
Raven's phone beeped and she pulled it out and checked the text.
"Murphy and Lula are waiting for us in the food court. Murphy says to hurry up because he's hungry and Lula wont let him eat until we get there."
"Wow" Clarke laughed as they set off "Lula must be pretty special if she can control John Murphy's appetite!".
Ta da chapter four all done!
So anyone else get the feeling Raven is enjoying meddling with Clarke and Bellamy?
I hope this was okay, I have to say I am so excited to write the next chapter because John Murphy has always been my favourite character!
Let me know what you think! I love to hear from people, thoughts, ideas, suggestions, likes etc.
More soon.
Geronimo xx