Expectations (Violentine)

Chapter One: Prom Queen, Miss America

“Beccs,” Clementine’s head peering around the corner, offering her roommate a small smile. “Wanna go out to dinner? I’m paying?”

“To celebrate your big fucking win? Fuck off, Miss America. Go eat with somebody else.”

A frown. “Do you want me to bring you back takeout?”

“What part of fuck off dont you understand? I don’t want to eat with you.”

After a minute of silence, Clementine’s eyes widened in realization. “You’re using again, aren’t you.”

“Oh, fuck you!”

“You know it isn’t good for you Becca-” “-you arent my fucking mom! Go fucking eat your god damn food and leave me the hell alone!”

-

“Beccs?”

No answer. The lights were off, which meant Becca was more than likely at someone’s house getting high. Great. With a sigh, Clementine set the food down on the living room table, making her way to her room to change into more comfortable clothes.

-

She didn’t understand why Becca would pass her up on this. Chopstick House and Lion King? Sure, drugs were addicting, but nothing felt better than internally crying as you stuff more noodles in your mouth because Scar pushed Mufasa into the stampede.

With another bite of noodles, fingers barely holding them with chopsticks, Clementine furrowed her eyebrows to a knock on her door. At another rough knock, Clementine set down her box of noodles and approached the door.

“Clementine Everett?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “David? What’re you-” She was cut off as a paper was shoved in her face.

“This is a search warrant. We’re coming inside.”

She shook her head in confusion, stepping back. “Okay…? I would’ve just let you in-” Clementine was cut off as several more officers stepped into the house. “-and you guys…” Following him into her kitchen, watching as he shuffled through her cabinets and drawers, tearing the place apart, she put her hands on her hips. “What’s this ab-” “-Garcia!”

David’s head turned as his name was called, standing and moving towards her bedroom.

“Uh, David?? Hello?? Are you gonna tell me why you’re-” Clementine froze as she reached the doorway to her room. Pills, and lots of them. From where the officer was standing, she assumed they had been placed under her mattress.

“Clementine, put your hands behind your back-” “-David, you know those aren’t mine-” “-you’re under arrest for possession of illegal substances-” ”-David-” “anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult with a lawyer and have that lawyer present during any questioning.” Clementine’s heart dropped into her stomach as her hands were cuffed behind her back, heart racing. “If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you if you so desire-” “-David,” God, she hated the way her voice broke.

“What is it, Clementine?”

Heart in her throat, she gulped, speaking with a shaky voice. “Please let me put on shoes? You can keep me handcuffed, just- just please let me step into them? Please, David,”

The burly man studied her for a second, before sighing and gesturing to the loose gym shoes in the corner. “Put them on. Hurry up.”

With a facial quver, Clementine nodded. “Thank you,”

Before she had even processed that her shoes were on, or that she was under arrest, she was being led out to her front yard where half a dozen cop cars were parked. Not only that, her heart sunk impossibly further at the reporters behind the police line. She scanned over them, watching them flash pictures that would no doubt be on every news channel within minutes, before furrowing her eyebrows at one specific person in the crowd.

Becca. Face smug. Eyes glaring. Arms crossed.

-

“Hey,”

Clementine glanced up to David from behind the holding cell bars, keeping her arms around her knees.

“I’m gonna go get some food…” He trailed off, glancing to the floor with pity. “Can… Can I get you anything?”

“I’m not hungry.”

David’s face hardened, eyes looking up to her in a glare, before he sighed and stormed off down the hallway. Great. Now she was alone.

How the hell had they gotten a search warrant? Surely they couldn’t just get that on their own? Someone must’ve-

“Fucking Becca.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, glaring at the concrete floor. She had never touched a drug in her life; side from advil for cramps or birth control for the same reason. Other than that? She was clean. Becca, however, had been on just about everything. Why the fuck would she-? “-Clementine!”

Clementine glanced up with a glare as her name was whisper shouted, glancing around the empty area, before relaxing. “What, Gabe?”

Gabe shook his head. “You look like shit,”

“Ah, thank you. I’ve just been arrested for something I didn’t do and that’s the first thing you say to me. Love it.”

Gabe cringed. “Sorry,”

With a roll of the eyes and a wave of the hand, Clementine’s gaze changed to one of curiosity. “Why’re you here, anyways? Are you allowed to be talking to me right now?”

Gabe glanced over his shoulder. “Probably not, but-”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “…-but?”

Gabe glanced again, before pulling a ring of keys out of his pocket. Clementine’s eyes widened. “What are you-!” “-Shh! I’m trying to get you out of here!”

Clementine looked at him like he was crazy. “Gabe, I’m not running-” “-yes, you are!”

Before Clementine could further protest, Gabe swung the cell door open and shook his head. “We don’t have time to argue. It’s really bad, Clem. They found enough drugs in the house to send you away for life.” “-what!” “-that’s what I’m trying to tell you!” Looking to his pocket, Gabe pulled out a set of car keys. “My car’s outside. It’s got a few hundred dollars and a change of clothes for you in the bag in the passenger seat-” “-Gabe-” “-no, Clementine! I don’t think there’s any other way out of this! At least not now. I’m not letting you sit in prison for years while you wait for evidence to prove they aren’t yours. You need to leave, okay?”

Clementine stared him in the face for a minute, brain slowly processing everything. “-I...Yeah, okay. Okay.” With a sigh from Gabe, she grabbed the car keys from him and leaned forward, engulfing him in a hug. “Thank you, Gabe,”

The boy huffed. “Thank me when your name is cleared.”

With a small smile and a nod, Clementine made her way out of the cell and to the back lot. Gabe’s car was parked only a spot away, her hand shakily unlocking the door and jumping inside. She could barely even breath as she stuck the key in, car roaring to life. To her right, a backpack that looked rather full. After another deep breath, Clementine put down the emergency brake and shifted into reverse, tires faintly squealing as she did her best to draw the least amount of attention as possible.

“Holy, fucking shit…”