Fallout [The 100]

9

For a day and a half nothing eventful happened. Clarke was quiet, staying away from the rest of our group and sticking to drawing in her new sketchbooks. I had been the one to tell Dante about Clarke's love of art, it was something she'd told me about the night we found the guns. We had spent the night avoid the topic of Bellamy's certain punishment for shooting Jaha and instead discussed trivial things, like art. I cringed now, knowing that I had shared this detail with Dante.

Monty plopped down onto my bed next to me, making me jump. "Breakfast?"

"Sure," I said. Honestly, I had never been a breakfast person. I preferred to skip it and save the money for a big lunch or diner, or prior to Octavia's arrest, for her to spend at the sale. Now, however, I was expected to attend each morning. Clarke excluded, there were forty-six other kids who looked to me as an example.

Monty and I had a long discussion the previous night about my character. His point was that I was inherently good, but unlike Clarke I didn't know how to inspire good in others. I added that my charming disposition probably didn't help much either.

I pointed out Jasper and Maya talking across the room. "I suppose he won't be sitting with us this morning."

Monty grinned. "I like her, she's cool."

"Well, I'll let her know she's got the best friend's blessing," I joked. Someone patted me on the shoulder and I jerked around. "Miller!" I was a little surprised to see Bellamy's former lieutenant on his feet so quickly. "I thought you were still in the med ward, I would have come to see you."

"No worries, you've clearly got your hands full here. I'm feeling better than ever, three surgeries patched me right up." There was a pause. I hadn't known Miller well, the only interaction I'd had with him was really just through Bellamy.

"We're going to breakfast, would you like to join us? You'll love the food."

He smiled. "I'm starving." Monty and I stood. An alarm made everyone freeze. I turned toward the entryway, in a defensive position, half expecting an attack. Maya scurried towards the front of the room.

Clarke jumped from her top bunk. "What's going on?" She asked Maya.

"That alarm means a search party has returned from the surface and needs medical attention. I've got to go." Maya sprinted down the hall.

Clarke looked at me. "There might be more of us, we need to go with her." She chased Maya down the hall, without looking back to see if I was with her.

"Clarke, wait!" I called after her. I turned around and saw Jasper. "Go, with her, please!" He nodded and took off after them. The rest of the group stared at me, equal parts confused and afraid. "I'm sure everything is fine! The rest of you should all get to breakfast, you know the best dishes will be picked over if you wait too long." As if coming out of a spell they all began moving, some towards their bunks but most towards the door.

It was my turn to be frozen as I watched them, wanting someone to argue with me, or demand to know where Clarke had gone. Monty pushed my shoulder till I was facing the door. "Let's take your own advice and get breakfast, alright?"

★ ★ ★ ★

I was picking at an orange cranberry muffin, when Clarke practically yanked me out of my seat. "Be right back," I mumbled. "What's going on upstairs?"

"One of the guys they brought back was shot," she said. "With a gun."

"Grounders don't use guns," I said confused.

"Exactly! They're lying to us, our people are out there." A few people glanced our way.

"Clarke, you can't just keep butting your nose into places it doesn't belong," I said, loud enough for the tables near us to hear. I pulled her farther away. "The grounders could have gotten ahold of ours guns after the fight."