Bellarke: Earth Skills

Chapter I, Part One ♕ The 100

♕ ♡ ♛

"Your move," I smirk at Wells who's looking extremely confused at the moment.

He knits his eyebrows together and sighs. "Did you just beat me... again?"

I smile proudly and tilt my head slightly. "You bet I did."

There's not a lot of people in the common room at this time of day, just the regulars. I don't really know anyone except Wells. Since my mother, Abby Griffin, is a member of the council I don't attend regular classes and therefore I haven't had a chance to socialize outside of an impeccably small group. I recognize people, sure, but I'm afraid to speak to them because deep down I know how much everyone hates me. It's so pathetic, really. I was born into a privileged family, meaning my apartment is a little bigger, my station safer and my rations a bit more generous. Because of this, I've become a symbol representing injustice and cruelty towards the less fortunate, and for that, I am hated, and so is Wells. I guess that's why we stick together. I mean, I like Wells a lot, he's my best friend, but he's also one of the few people who understand.

He wipes the sweat off his forehead and chuckles. "So... you want to play again?"

"You know it," I laugh.

I notice we're being watched out of the corner of my eye. The guard on this shift is looking at Wells and me as we play, I'd even say he's more interested in our game than actually doing his job. I haven't seen him before, and honestly, he looks a little too young to be a guard. He has olive skin, fairly short, black hair and a ton of freckles, not your typical guard at all. He realizes I'm looking at him and our eyes meet. I smile gently. He looks away. But as I start studying the chessboard, looking for any weak links in Wells' strategy, I see him turn his head back in our direction.

My mind wanders off to my dad. Today is the day, he's making his big announcement; the ark, it's dying. There's something wrong with the oxygen and we're overpopulated. Everything's changing.

Today.

I rub my neck and shift my eyes from the table down to my lap. "Hey Wells, there's something you should know. My dad's telling everyone today-"

Both doors to the common room slide open and several guards, guns drawn, pour in. At first, I don't understand what's going on, but then it hits me and my breath catches in my throat as the guards all point their guns at me.

Shumway makes his way through the small crowd, a sinister smile plastered on his face. I never liked him.

"Clarke Griffin, you are under arrest for treason. Get up slowly with your hands on your head," he commands.

Wells stares at me, panic slowly making its way onto his face. He gets up and reaches for me just as two guards grab me by the shoulders.

"Clarke, I swear I didn't say-" he pleads.

I try to wriggle loose to no avail. "You traitor!" I scream.

As I'm being escorted out of the room, my eyes land on the young guard who's still looking at me, worry flashing in his eyes. He doesn't smile this time either, thankfully. I turn to look at Wells one last time, his face is now tear-streaked and his hands are shaking.

"Go float yourself, Wells!" my voice echoes through the halls of the ark as I'm dragged towards the jail cell I'll be spending the rest of my life in.

♕

Six months later...

I finish off the picture of the lily on the wall opposite my bed, just as my piece of charcoal wears down into a tiny stump, and turns into powder. The dust falls to the floor, forming a black pile at my feet. Six months since my arrest and the floating of my father, all thanks to my former best friend. People told me to never trust a Jaha, them being the leading family here on the ark. I know Wells' father is the chancellor and that he felt a constant need to prove himself worthy, but I never thought he'd hurt me like this. I never thought he'd kill my father and put me in jail.

"The bitter sarcasm..." I mutter as I slide down the wall, pressing my knees to my chest.

I'm not even too angry about the betrayal, I'm frustrated at the fact that I didn't get to say goodbye to my father, never got to hug him or let him tease me with his terrible dad jokes. I'm raging at the fact that the last words I'll ever say to my mother are "goodbye" before I'm locked in the airlock chamber and sucked into the endless abyss that is outer space. And I want to rip Wells apart for being such a coward.

The metal plate on the bottom of my cell door slides open and a tray with slimy looking stew and a piece of bread slides through. I get up and hurry over to the door.

"Jameson?" I ask carefully.

"Yes?" he answers in a harsh tone.

I fiddle with my fingers. "Could you maybe, uh, get me another piece of charcoal?"

For a moment, there is no response, only a deafening silence that makes me shaky. Then, at last, Jameson coughs and says, in a soft tone, "I'll see what I can do, 3-1-9."

"Thank you," I whisper, smiling to myself as the plate slides shut and I am once again alone.

♕

Another six months later...

"Mom, I don't understand!" I shout, slightly panicking. "My birthday isn't for another month, what are they doing here?"

All around the skybox, prisoners are being escorted from their cells and into the dark corridors of the ark. My mom grabs me by the shoulders and smiles sadly.

"Do as the guards say and don't put up a fight, you need all the energy you can get. Do you understand?" she says calmly, though her eyes are a completely different story.

"No, I don't understand!"

The guards I had just fought off come running out from my cell and my mom gestures something, probably telling them to stand down. They grab me by the shoulder, just like they did a year ago, and start dragging me off. My mother quickly places her hand in mine, holding onto me for as long as possible.

"Mom!" I yell, tears in my eyes.

"You're going to earth, honey. It's going to be okay!"

I am forced to let go of my mother's hand as I slip around the corner and am pushed into a long line of people, teenagers. I look around frantically, trying to see if I recognize anyone, but I don't. Suddenly someone bumps my shoulder, a guard, the guard.

"Hey, watch it!" I yell, but his black hair is already out of sight.

Someone grabs my arm again; Shumway.

"This is going to sting a little, kiddo," he says, voice monotone.

He presses a metal bracelet onto my arm, and the pain of several needles pricking my skin makes me wince. Sting a little? No, hurt like hell. He's about to move onto the next person when I grab his elbow firmly, refusing to let go before I get my answers.

"Are we really going to earth?" I say through gritted teeth.

"You betcha, one hundred of ya," he hisses as he pulls loose, not bothering to look at me.

One hundred delinquents being sent down to earth?

Well isn't this just wonderful?

♛ ♡ ♕