Songs From Friday Afternoons [Bellarke]

September 6, 1965

September 6, 1965

     Early the next morning, Mrs. Griffin quietly opens the door to Clarke's room. She sees the faint outline of a sleeping figure against the darkness. She looks over her shoulder, hesitant.

     "Clarke?" she asks quietly. "Clarke, honey, are you awake?"

     No answer comes from the bed. Mrs. Griffin opens the door wider and the figure stirs. Confused, Mrs. Griffin moves the door back and forth to see the figure move accordingly. Alarmed, she flips on the light to see a paper-maché dummy lying in her daughter's bed, wearing a blond wig with a crudely drawn face.

     Mrs. Griffin's eyes widened, and she turned over her shoulder. "Jake!"

---

     At Camp Walden, Scout Master Sinclair wakes up to silence. He exits his tent, smoking a cigarette, looking about the slightly foggy camp. When he sees no one, he walks between the lines of tents and doesn't hear a single Scout. He reaches the dinner bell, and rings it to signify breakfast, but no one comes. Aside from him, the camp is completely empty.

     Scout Master Sinclair sends a telegraph to Fort Phoenix, which eventually makes its way to the secretary of the Commander, who is preparing to shave the Commander's face.

     "You're not gonna believe this one, sir," he says. "That Scout Master on Ark? He's now lost his entire troop."

     The Commander rips the towel from his face and springs up, ripping the telegraph from the secretary's hands. His eyes scan the paper. "Well I'll be damned," he says. "Who is this bimbo?"

     "Couldn't say, sir." The secretary holds the towel up to his chest as the Commander takes a seat in the chair, holding the telegraph at arms length to read it in its entirety.

---

     Troop 55, along with Clarke and Bellamy, is camped behind a fence at Fort Phoenix. Sterling stands on the opposite side, as if to watch for someone.

     "I'll be right back," he says, side-eying the Troop before walking away without any further explanation. Shortly after, Finn comes up to the fence, holding a handful of gumballs and offering one to Clarke.

     "There's a broken gumball machine behind the snack tent," he explains. Clarke accepts the gumball, and Finn continues to hand them out to the other members of the Troop.

     Sterling has gone to find his cousin, who is manning the Supply Tent.

     "I don't care how they do it where you come from. You want pop? You want candy? Get some money." A group of Junior Khaki Scouts turn away from the Supply Tent, looking defeated, as Sterling approaches his cousin.

     "Cousin Ben," he greets, and the cousin turns to look at him.

     Cousin Ben looks back at the remainder of the Junior Khaki Scouts. "Come back in five minutes," he instructs, and then reaches to close a curtain on the Supply Tent with a pulley system.

     Cousin Ben leads Sterling and Troop 55 through Fort Phoenix, speaking with them as he goes along.

     "Is this him?" he asks.

     "Fieldmate Bellamy Blake, Troop 55, resigned," Bellamy introduces.

     "He's hot. Almost too hot. What's in the can?"

     "Seventy-six dollars," Sterling answers. "But it's mostly in nickels."

     Cousin Ben holds out his hand. "Give it to me." Sterling hands over the payment, the nickels rattling on the inside as he does so. "You badge in seamanship?" he addresses Bellamy.