Clarke POV:
The day I left hospital everyone turned up, and I mean everyone. Bellamy (who rarely left), Octavia (who visited every day, painting my nails and filling me in on the gossip), Lincoln (who was always by her side, and was a source of peace for Clarke. If she felt scared and Bell was out the room, Linc's comforting smile was good too), Jasper and Monty (making her laugh until her ribs hurt and her Mum told her off), Raven and Wick (who were either arguing or kissing), Murphy (who gave Clarke a protective hug and was constantly present in the background, reassuring her he was there. It was nice of him). Even Finn turned up, despite the harsh warnings from all of their friends, but Clarke didn't actually mind for once. I knew Finn would be feeling guilty and I wanted him to know it wasn't his fault. He didn't try and rape her.
It was the busiest hospital room ever, but they got away with it since it was only for five minutes, and Clarke's mum was a doctor there. They all turned up so they could go out to lunch together, they were all saying it was a spur of the moment thing, but Clarke knew nobody wanted her to feel alone.
It was all really fun, they were at the meal bantering and joking, until it happened. Monty was sitting next to me and on the other side of me was Bell. Monty reached over and touched my arm to tell me a joke and I flinched. It was small, and nobody noticed but I felt the blush in my cheeks immediately. It was all I could do to look like I was listening to the joke, laugh in the appropriate place and then hastily go to the bathroom. I all but ran there, and locked myself in the cubicle. Clarke get it together, this is Monty, Monty we're talking about, not some psycho rapist. You've known him for years. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He's like your brother. Trying to reassure myself, I thought this through, and thought of all the good times I'd had with Monty, but all I could see were fingers stroking my arm, stroking my face. I could feel the breath on my face, taste the vodka on my lips. I even felt the wet ground on my face.
It took me a moment before I realised that my face was wet, I was crying, sobbing, bawling, and my cheeks were drenched. I didn't even know I was crying. My moistened cheek was lying against the cool tiles of the bathroom floor and I could see a small puddle of tears on the squeaky clean floor, could see my reflection, distorted but recognizable.
His fingers were calloused and I could vividly remember them stroking my face. I couldn't stop wailing. I was trying to be quiet about it, but the sniffs were hard to disguise. Deciding not to care because I was alone in the bathroom, I just let the tears roll out. Well that was until I wasn't alone anymore.
"Clarke?" his voice echoed across the bathroom, and now I really was panicked. I didn't want him to see me like this, it would worry him, worry him more than before. Wiping my eyes, the tears suddenly stopped. He was the only thing in the world that could stop me crying.
"Bellamy, this is the girl's loo, now I know it can be a bit confusing, but if you're having troubles with your gender then I'll help" I tried her best smirk as I walked out of the cubicle, knowing it wouldn't be good enough. Knowing I would have mascara tracks and puffy eyes. Refusing to look at him I stared straight into the mirror, seeing just how obvious my sobbing had been. It was written all over my face.
Normally one to have a quick and easy reply Bellamy didn't laugh, he didn't even acknowledge the joke.
"Princess I saw" he replied, his brow creasing in concern. It was then that the steady stream of tears erupted from my eyes once more. Apparently he can bring tears as easily as he can stop them. There was never any point in trying to hide it from Bell, he noticed everything, and understood what every movement meant. He pulled her in, and swaddled her in his arms, like a newborn baby in a blanket.
Bellamy POV:
The meal was fun. I mean it was great, but he was worried about Clarke. He told everyone he was worried it would be too much for her, but everyone wanted to see her, wanted her to know they were there, that they cared. They'd all visited her of course, but they thought this would show her just how much they cared.
He sat next to her, and was always making sure he knew she was ok. Occasionally he would bump her knee, and she would look at him, having a silent conversation that reassured him more than one with words would. He was about it nudge her knee again when Monty grabbed her arm and she flinched.
I was expecting people to notice, for Monty to look hurt, and for everyone to want to protect Clarke wrap her up in a bubble and keep her close, but nobody saw it. Actually I think Octavia saw it, but when Clarke continued to listen to Monty's joke and even laughed at the end she was reassured.
Octavia knew Clarke better than I knew her, but we just had this connection, this understanding. And I knew she wasn't ok. It might have been that Octavia wanted her to be ok so badly that she was willing to look over small hiccups like this, but I thought it was more the endless hours I spent with Clarke at the hospital. She told me when she started remembering things, when she woke up from nightmares; I woke up from my own. Hers involved the creep being successful, whilst mine contained not being able to get to Clarke, not being able to save her. I could see her, she wasn't that far away, but no matter how fast I ran, or for how long she was always the same distance away, always with the shadow hovering over her stroking her face.
So when Clarke went to the bathroom, I knew she wasn't ok. I waited for a couple of minutes, desperate to be wrong, but I knew I wasn't. I excused myself and stood outside of the toilets for a few seconds debating how bad it could be if I went in there. But Clarke came first, so if I got thrown out of the restaurant for upsetting a few girls for being in the wrong toilets then so what.
Immediately, I heard her sobbing. I could see her hand under the door and she was lying on the ground. When I called out to her she stopped crying and got up, trying to act normal. I think she even attempted telling a joke but her eyes, her eyes showed her sorrow. I could tell, along with her fear, her repulsion from the creep, she also felt guilt for flinching from Monty when it wasn't his fault. That woman is too selfless and kind for her own good.
I felt her leaning into my body, hugging me. I was trying to put my arms around her, to reassure her and comfort her, but it took me a few seconds because I could smell her, smell her hair, it was brushing up against my nose and it smelt like a weird mix of vanilla and mango that actually worked really well, only because it was Clarke and everything she did just happened to click into place correctly.
After a few minutes of hugging she calmed down, only to get worked up about worrying our friends. I reassured her with a plan, gave her the keys to my car and told her to wait there for me. I knew just how bad she was feeling because she didn't even protest, she just said thank you and gave me another hug before leaving.
I walked up to the table desperate to get to Clarke. "Guys, Clarke just came out of the toilet as I came out, she didn't look too good, she told me she was sick, must've been the good food mixing with that hospital garbage, but I'm taking her home. She told me to tell you she's sorry and she loves you all. Oh and to not worry, she's fine you drama queens." He looked pointedly at Jasper for the last bit. They didn't look too convinced but they let him but enough money down for the whole group, get his jacket and leave after kissing O's head. He was glad he needed to get to Clarke.
The drive to my apartment with Clarke in tow consisted of her explaining to me what had happened, and if she felt like it was too much and she was going to start crying or panicking again she would turn the radio on, find the happiest song playing and listen for a while, holding my hand; after a little bit she would continue. She just said that doing that helped.
We got to my apartment, and I gave her my baggiest t-shirt, a hoodie and some old sweats that would have to be rolled a lot to not trip her or fall down. When she came out of the bathroom in all my clothes it took me a minute to remember what I was doing. I wanted her to dress like that all the time. I wanted to mark her as mine. Forever.
Clarke climbed into bed, and tapped the space next to her. I squeezed into it, putting my arm round her shoulder, and she rested her head on my chest, on my heart. "Can you tell me a story please Bell? A nice one?" she asked closing her eyes as he stroked her hair. She waited patiently as he tried to think of one, not needing to verbal assurances to know he would.
I thought through the stories I knew, I knew a lot of mythology, and Clarke normally liked that. But then I remembered how Clarke liked hearing stories she already knew when she was ill. She said before when her and O both got food poisoning from their favourite Chinese delivery that hearing stories she already knew comforted her, it was like hearing a fairytale when you were a kid.
"Ok Princess, how about the first Unity Day?" he asked her smiling as he remembered it, and she just nodded, squeezing the hand that wasn't round her.
Clarke, Octavia and the gang had been friends for a while now. They always alternated houses to hang out at, all the parents loving all of them. It was like a massive family; apart from Bellamy Blake. He frequently refused to talk to anyone younger than him apart from O.
The group were at Octavia's house about to head off to a party when Bellamy found out, and discovered the mini-dress she was planning to wear. Needless to say they had an argument. All of Octavia's friends were already round apart from Clarke, as were Bellamy's friends Murphy and Miller. The younger teenagers knew not to get involved in the argument, so they sat back in the living room, mucking around waiting for the decision of whether or not they were going to the party. Octavia and Bellamy were at full throttle and the older Blake locked the door, saying he refused to let O go to a party, especially the same party he was going to.
"Why are you too cool to be seen at the same party as your sister?" she asked hurt that it might be the answer.
"No, it's because I know the guys that have invited you to the party, and I know what they expect, and what they will do. They will get you drunk and take advantage O. If it means I never go to a party again to keep you safe then fine, my social life may as well have ended the day you were born, but I don't care. I will do whatever to keep you away from them!" Bellamy explained, while his friends also joined the other teenagers in the living room, sensing a heartfelt declaration of love for his sister coming on that they've seen one too many times.
Octavia knew that her brother was just trying to protect her and she loved how sweet he was with her, but she didn't need protecting, she went through a lot with her break up with Atom, and it toughened her up, not a lot, but enough to know how to handle groping jerks. And she had Clarke. She explained this to Bell, and at that exact moment, Clarke knocked on the door.
Bellamy opened it, and saw her dressed in a mini-dress of her own. It was all black, and clung to her, showing off all the right parts. It cut low, and showed just enough cleavage to be exciting, but classy at the same time. Her legs looked endless, and her makeup made her look dark and dangerous. She looked hot. Bellamy was shocked that he was still standing because his legs were like jelly just from looking at her.
She smiled as she walked in and gave O a hug, and the youngest Blake gave her an approving look and voiced the same thought Bellamy had had just seconds ago. Bellamy had always known Clarke was pretty, beautiful even, but tonight well he felt like he needed her; as if the very blood in his body would stop circulating if he didn't have her.
That thought was what solidified his argument against his sister going to that party. What if a creep saw her and thought the same thing? What if Clarke got with some idiot at that party?
He locked the door again, and told O she couldn't go. But he made a deal with her, they would all stay in, and just have themselves a gathering, they could drink the alcohol they bought from the party, invite any girlfriends/boyfriends that would be meeting them at the other party and just stay with people they actually like.
Octavia was shocked that he would stay in with her friends, but even more shocked that he would allow her to drink. His friends seem shocked too, but they said that they'd stay with Bell, no doubt they'd noticed Clarke also. Clarke and Octavia went upstairs so O could get ready, Clarke gave Monty and Jasper a hug and Wells a kiss on the cheek as they went.
Bellamy was jealous of Wells.
Dammit this was bad. Maybe staying in a confined space with Clarke when she looked like that and there was alcohol in the mix wasn't such a good idea. Too late now dumbass.
Even though not many people would be attending their impromptu gathering, Octavia and Clarke still felt the need to stay dressed up. They said that it was still a party and it helped them get in the party mood. Plus there would be photos.
When they eventually got down a few more people from Bellamy's year had turned up, mostly girls, but it was good, nicely balancing out the boy: girl ratio and it was just enough people to be fun but still cosy at the same time.
They drank. They ate. They laughed it was pretty good. They had so many different drinking games and all of them, even Octavia under Bellamy's watchful eyes were drunk by the end of the night. Awkwardly for the Blake siblings they even played Truth or Dare, but if there was an awkward Truth the other sibling would just drink. A lot. Somehow everyone sensed not to give Octavia a sexual dare otherwise Bellamy might just get a little mad.
They stayed up for hours the two groups bonding without them even realising it.
Miller, Bellamy, Clarke and Wells were the last ones up. They were just talking. Wells hadn't taken his eyes off Clarke the whole night. He was intoxicated the moment she stepped through the door. Bellamy and Wells were sitting on the sofa in one corner of the room, both trying to be subtle when they glanced at Clarke but failing miserably. Luckily the other one didn't notice, as they were both pretty drunk and not too observant. They were talking. Bellamy couldn't even remember about what, although he vaguely remembered complimenting him, telling Wells he was a "Prince". It was all very blurry.
On the other side of the room, Clarke and Miller were leant up against a wall whispering to each other. Before this night they hadn't talked before, but it was like they just clicked. They were laughing and joking about all the stuff that had happened that night; all the ridiculous dares and funny drunken ramblings from the lightweights.
They didn't know it but it was the first, and definitely not the last, time that Bellamy was jealous over Clarke.
The next morning was really what got everyone bonding though. Hangovers.
The worst hangovers the gang had ever had. The people who had been invited to the party, but weren't party of the inner circle left to go sleep, but the rest of them slobbed out. They all put on their comfiest clothes and lay next to each other, on top of each other, across each other, whatever was comfortable to the detoxing teens. Some ate, some couldn't. They all forced water down along with some drugs to take away the pain of the screaming inside their heads at every sound.
They watched TV for a while but they didn't want to. They wanted movies.
They watched Homeward Bound first, which got a lot of dry eyes very wet. High school musical once their heads had eased and they could sing a long lifting their spirits and just generally taking the piss out of the cheese. Then they watched Terminator so they guys could feel manlier. The lion king was another film that brought out the tissues and finally they watched Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, bringing back their childhood memories.
After that, every time one of them made plans, it included all of them, younger and older teenagers alike. They christened that day "Unity Day" and on the day of August 18th they always watched the same five movies together and hung out. It was their little family ritual.
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