Homecoming
Page 17
“Glass,” Clarke called after her. “Do you know how to get to the south stream?”
Glass shook her head, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “No, sorry. I was just going to ask someone…”
Clarke gave her patient a few instructions, then grabbed an armful of metal bins and followed Glass. “I’ll show you,” Clarke said. “I could use some air.”
The girls stepped into the sunlight together, squinting and taking in big gulps of cool air that seemed almost refreshing after the stuffy cabin.
As she and Clarke walked toward the fire pit at the center of camp, Glass caught a quick flash of movement from the corner of her eye. She whipped her head toward the tree line and squinted. Back in the shadows, about ten feet into the woods, a tall, dark-haired boy stood halfway behind a tree. He was staring at them. Glass sucked in her breath, startled, and stopped walking.
“What is it?” Clarke asked. She followed Glass’s gaze and spotted the boy.
“Should we tell someone?” Glass asked nervously. “Is that—is that one of the Earthborns who want to hurt us?”
Clarke shook her head. “No, that’s Bellamy. He’s one of us, but he’s not supposed to be here right now.”
Glass heard something in Clarke’s voice—was it worry? Fear? Much to Glass’s surprise, Clarke furrowed her brow and shot Bellamy a strange look—almost like a warning. But the boy just met Clarke’s eyes and grinned, unruffled by her serious expression.
Bellamy took a few bouncing steps forward, as if he were heading into camp. Clarke shook her head firmly this time. He stopped, though he didn’t look happy about it. Clarke mouthed a few words and gestured toward him, as if waving him away. He shrugged, and just before he stepped farther back, he gave a little mocking salute before disappearing into the trees.
Glass turned to look at Clarke, who was blushing slightly. She knew Wells was with Sasha, but it hadn’t occurred to her that Clarke could also have met someone new so quickly. Things certainly moved fast down on Earth.
“So, why are you keeping Bellamy in the woods?” Glass teased. “Do you want to make sure you get him all to yourself?” She meant it as an icebreaker, an attempt to tell Clarke that she knew she and Wells had moved on. As soon as Glass uttered the words, though, she realized it hadn’t come out that way.
“I’m not keeping him anywhere,” Clarke said, shooting Glass the same look she used to give her when she said something ditzy during tutorial.
Glass flinched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
Clarke must have realized how harsh she’d sounded. Her face softened. “No, I’m sorry,” she said, exhaling. “That wasn’t fair. There’s just… there’s just a lot going on that we haven’t told you about yet.”
Glass let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out.”
“Does that mean you know about Wells?”
“About him and…” Glass trailed off, not sure whether Wells’s secret was hers to share.
“… and Sasha,” Clarke finished for her.
Glass nodded, relieved that Clarke knew as well. “So, you’re okay with all that?” she asked hesitantly.
Before Clarke could respond, a boy with red hair and freckles dashed over. “Clarke, one of the new people says he can’t breathe and he needs a shot of something.”
She let out a small sigh. “He said all that?” The boy nodded. “If he can talk, he’s fine. It’s probably just a mild panic attack. Tell him I’ll be there in a second.” The boy nodded again and ran off.
“Yes, I’m definitely happy for Wells and Sasha. Things with Bellamy are… I mean, I know it hasn’t been that long, but it almost feels like—”
“It’s okay,” Glass said, cutting her off with a smile. Clarke might be all composed and in control when in doctor mode, but talking about boys made her endearingly flustered.
Clarke looked like she was weighing whether to speak or not. “Did Wells tell you anything about Bellamy yet?”
Glass shook her head.
“I’d better let him talk to you first, then.”
Glass scanned the bustling camp and turned back to Clarke. “I think it’s going to be a while before Wells has time to gossip with me. What’s going on?”
Clarke hesitated, biting her lip.
“Come on, Clarke,” Glass cajoled, slightly amused by the fact that although she’d known Clarke for most of her life, they were having their first proper chat on Earth. “I’m sure Wells won’t care if you’re talking about your own boyfriend.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that.” She looked from side to side to make sure no one else was in earshot, then turned back to Glass with a small smile. “So, this is crazy, but what do you think the odds are that the second guy I fell for would turn out to be the secret half brother of the first guy I fell for?”
Glass stared at Clarke, certain she’d misunderstood. “Wells has a brother?” she said slowly, bracing for Clarke to burst out laughing and correct her.
But to her amazement, Clarke nodded. “The Chancellor and Bellamy’s mother had a secret affair before he married Wells’s mother.”
Glass had heard a lot of confusing things come out of Clarke Griffin’s mouth over the years, especially during math tutorial, but nothing as mind-blowing as this. “I can’t believe it.”
Glass shook her head, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “No, sorry. I was just going to ask someone…”
Clarke gave her patient a few instructions, then grabbed an armful of metal bins and followed Glass. “I’ll show you,” Clarke said. “I could use some air.”
The girls stepped into the sunlight together, squinting and taking in big gulps of cool air that seemed almost refreshing after the stuffy cabin.
As she and Clarke walked toward the fire pit at the center of camp, Glass caught a quick flash of movement from the corner of her eye. She whipped her head toward the tree line and squinted. Back in the shadows, about ten feet into the woods, a tall, dark-haired boy stood halfway behind a tree. He was staring at them. Glass sucked in her breath, startled, and stopped walking.
“What is it?” Clarke asked. She followed Glass’s gaze and spotted the boy.
“Should we tell someone?” Glass asked nervously. “Is that—is that one of the Earthborns who want to hurt us?”
Clarke shook her head. “No, that’s Bellamy. He’s one of us, but he’s not supposed to be here right now.”
Glass heard something in Clarke’s voice—was it worry? Fear? Much to Glass’s surprise, Clarke furrowed her brow and shot Bellamy a strange look—almost like a warning. But the boy just met Clarke’s eyes and grinned, unruffled by her serious expression.
Bellamy took a few bouncing steps forward, as if he were heading into camp. Clarke shook her head firmly this time. He stopped, though he didn’t look happy about it. Clarke mouthed a few words and gestured toward him, as if waving him away. He shrugged, and just before he stepped farther back, he gave a little mocking salute before disappearing into the trees.
Glass turned to look at Clarke, who was blushing slightly. She knew Wells was with Sasha, but it hadn’t occurred to her that Clarke could also have met someone new so quickly. Things certainly moved fast down on Earth.
“So, why are you keeping Bellamy in the woods?” Glass teased. “Do you want to make sure you get him all to yourself?” She meant it as an icebreaker, an attempt to tell Clarke that she knew she and Wells had moved on. As soon as Glass uttered the words, though, she realized it hadn’t come out that way.
“I’m not keeping him anywhere,” Clarke said, shooting Glass the same look she used to give her when she said something ditzy during tutorial.
Glass flinched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
Clarke must have realized how harsh she’d sounded. Her face softened. “No, I’m sorry,” she said, exhaling. “That wasn’t fair. There’s just… there’s just a lot going on that we haven’t told you about yet.”
Glass let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out.”
“Does that mean you know about Wells?”
“About him and…” Glass trailed off, not sure whether Wells’s secret was hers to share.
“… and Sasha,” Clarke finished for her.
Glass nodded, relieved that Clarke knew as well. “So, you’re okay with all that?” she asked hesitantly.
Before Clarke could respond, a boy with red hair and freckles dashed over. “Clarke, one of the new people says he can’t breathe and he needs a shot of something.”
She let out a small sigh. “He said all that?” The boy nodded. “If he can talk, he’s fine. It’s probably just a mild panic attack. Tell him I’ll be there in a second.” The boy nodded again and ran off.
“Yes, I’m definitely happy for Wells and Sasha. Things with Bellamy are… I mean, I know it hasn’t been that long, but it almost feels like—”
“It’s okay,” Glass said, cutting her off with a smile. Clarke might be all composed and in control when in doctor mode, but talking about boys made her endearingly flustered.
Clarke looked like she was weighing whether to speak or not. “Did Wells tell you anything about Bellamy yet?”
Glass shook her head.
“I’d better let him talk to you first, then.”
Glass scanned the bustling camp and turned back to Clarke. “I think it’s going to be a while before Wells has time to gossip with me. What’s going on?”
Clarke hesitated, biting her lip.
“Come on, Clarke,” Glass cajoled, slightly amused by the fact that although she’d known Clarke for most of her life, they were having their first proper chat on Earth. “I’m sure Wells won’t care if you’re talking about your own boyfriend.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that.” She looked from side to side to make sure no one else was in earshot, then turned back to Glass with a small smile. “So, this is crazy, but what do you think the odds are that the second guy I fell for would turn out to be the secret half brother of the first guy I fell for?”
Glass stared at Clarke, certain she’d misunderstood. “Wells has a brother?” she said slowly, bracing for Clarke to burst out laughing and correct her.
But to her amazement, Clarke nodded. “The Chancellor and Bellamy’s mother had a secret affair before he married Wells’s mother.”
Glass had heard a lot of confusing things come out of Clarke Griffin’s mouth over the years, especially during math tutorial, but nothing as mind-blowing as this. “I can’t believe it.”
