Chapter Text
“Just one last touch.” Clarke smiles, pulling the match across the side of the box and lowering it to the candlewick. “Woods scented candles. Just like home.”
“Clarke, you spent way too long decorating this apartment.”
“You can’t spend too long creating a home, Raven.”
“Yes, you can. When it takes you literally an entire week, that’s too long. School starts in two days and you haven’t bought a single book.” Raven comments, propping her feet onto the newly painted table. Clarke turns to her best friend, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“I’ll get them tomorrow. You can come with.”
Raven sits forward, “Really? Golly, that means a lot!”
Clarke throws a pillow in Raven’s direction. “Shut up, bitch. “
Raven laughs, laying down on one side of their new yellow couch. Well new as in new to them, old to the world, thanks to Octavia and Bellamy’s mom. Raven scans the perfectly organized living room, nodding in approval. “All jokes aside, the apartment looks great.”
Clarke sits next to Raven, eyeing the drapes of pictures around the living room, smiling at each memory. “Thank you.”
“You’re missing a wall of pictures, though.”
“Raven I am not going to tell you why. That’ll make it cheesier than it already is.”
Raven shoves Clarke’s shoulder. “Come on, please! It’s cute!”
“No.”
“Clarkey-poo!” Raven whines.
“Never call me that again.”
Raven bends down, forcing Clarke to make eye contact. She sticks out her bottom lip and bats her eyes.
Clarke groans. “Fine.” Raven jumps up, clapping. Clarke sucks in a breath and closes her eyes, grinning. “It’s for all the new memories we’re going to make.”
* * *
‘Where’s the Engineering building?’ Clarke clicks send, spins in spot, and continues down the unfamiliar sidewalk.
Thankfully, the reply comes quickly. ‘Middle of campus, behind the library.’
Clarke glances around her, soon seeing the library just a few buildings away. ‘Thanks, Bell.’
‘No problem. Freshmen are so cute.’
‘Shut up, old man.’ She sends off to Bellamy, her childhood best friend and current Columbia junior.
Clarke slides her phone back into her pocket and wraps her fingers around the straps of her backpack.
Five minutes later she’s located room 313 and strategically chosen a seat in the second row.
“Welcome, students!” The professor says as he hurriedly enters the room. “This is Biological Anthropology. It is a one thousand level class but I will not be lowering my expectations. This is not an easy A course for you fine arts majors to get your science credits in. You will work for your grade. You will read the materials. And you will attend class. If this is not as you expected, feel free to drop the class and enroll into Biology 101 where you may fit in a bit better.”
Clarke chuckles. The professor turns toward her, making eye contact. Clarke lowers in her seat slightly and lets her smile fall. The professor nods and makes his way to the white board.
He writes “Professor Jaha” on the board as he speaks. “My name is Thelonious Jaha. You may call me Professor Jaha. I am the head of the Anthropology department but will make myself as available as possible to each and every one of you. However, I do have three TA’s that you may speak to and expect a quicker response.” Jaha continues, introducing each TA as they pass out the syllabus. As expected, he does not explain the course, but instead begins the first lecture.
‘I hate when teachers use syllabus day to start their lectures.’ Clarke types out, sending it to Raven.
‘Same. Although I can’t complain, my teacher just let us out forty minutes early.’
‘I hate you.’
‘I’m an engineer, Clarke. Let me enjoy the moments of silence before I begin to hate my life.’
‘Pre-med, Raven.’
‘I wasn’t comparing our majors, don’t get your granny panties in a twist.’
Clarke holds in a laugh, but allows a small smile. She tucks her phone away and opens a new word document.
* * *
Clarke drops her backpack as soon as she opens her front door and makes her way to the couch. She opens the fridge door, eyeing the few contents and finally settling with a cup of yogurt. She turns on Netflix and tucks her feet under her legs, contently watching the newest episode of Greys Anatomy.
Thirty minutes in, her phone starts singing
“Mother knows best, listen to your mother, it’s a scary world out there, Mother knows best, one way or another-“ Clarke pauses the show and picks up the phone.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, Sweetheart. How were your first day of classes?”
“Good. Anthropology is going to be tough, I know, but the others don’t seem awful yet.”
“Well, good. I wouldn’t want your first semester of college to be hard.”
Clarke rolls her eyes. “Mom, You would never let me get away with a group of easy courses.”
“That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want my baby girl to do well.”
“Whatever.” Clarke laughs. “Is Dad home?”
“Not right now. But I’ll have him call you later.”
“Okay! How was your day?” As she talks with her mom, Clarke throws away her yogurt cup and paces the house. Ten minutes into the phone call and she’s ready to use any excuse in the book to get back on that couch.
“Seen any cute boys yet?”
“Mom.”
“What?”
“Classes started four hours ago.”
“But you’ve been there a week!”
Clarke groans. “You’re right. Yes, I’ve seen dozens of cute boys. In fact, I already have four boyfriends. And I’m pregnant. First Christmas with the grandchildren!”
“Very funny, Clarke.” Clarke smiles to herself.
“Yeah, no one could give birth that quickly!” This voice is further away, harder to hear, but Clarke sits up, excitement flowing through her.
“Dad?” She can practically hear her mom roll her eyes as she hands the phone off to her husband.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hi, Dad.”
“So how’s my favorite pregnant daughter?”
“Dad!”
“What? You can make fun of your mom but I can’t use your own jokes against you?”
“No. Come up with your own jokes, thief.”
“That’s too hard.”
“Maybe you should have gone to college.”
“Ouch.”
“Clarke!” Her mom yells from what Clarke assumes is another room. Luckily her dad laughs.
“Alright I’ll give you that. But just remember who’s paying for your education.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Thanks, Dad.”
“Anything for my favorite child.”
“I’m your only child.”
“And my favorite.”
“Wow. I’m honored.”
“Anyways, sweetheart. Your mom is starting a fire in the kitchen so I better go. I love you.”
“I love you too!” Her mom yells.
“Love you guys.” Clarke closes the phone, instantly picking up the remote and starting the show again, this time feeling the nerves from the day slipping away.
* * *
Raven gets home later that day with a box of ‘free’ donuts that she claims she got from a fraternity bake sale. Clarke asks no questions as she quickly eats three donuts before returning to the homework from that day. Raven disappears into her room to face time her high school senior boyfriend, Finn, and leaves Clarke alone, laying on the floor of the living room, occasionally loosing track of her spot on the page in favor of memorizing their new ceiling.
After two hours of ‘homework’ and two hours of ‘innocent’ face time, the two retreat to the couch to watch the next episode of project runway and binge eat leftovers. Clarke occasionally allows herself a moment to glance around the room, appreciating the pictures hanging up that Bellamy painted, or the bong on top of the fridge that Monty and Jasper gave them as a housewarming gift. The only time it was ever used was when the duo came over to help them move in and ended up on the floor of the kitchen, questioning the reason behind beginning college.
Clarke pulled at the corner of her childhood blanket, tracing each square that her aunt had knitted on before she died. Raven laughed next to her, gnawing on carrots, the ‘best snack food’, occasionally. Clarke smiled, deciding that a new start in a new town would be good for them, however far away from home it was.
Who knows what she will do? What she’ll learn. What she’ll experience. And who’ll she’ll meet.