Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 71

Twentieth Day.

"What are you doing?"

Barely glancing up from the floor, fingers tangled in braided strands, Ethan shrugs. "I'm trying to remember what Octavia's hair looked like." Though his hair is much, much shorter in length, not quite at his shoulders, the idea keeps him reminiscent.

Murphy steps further into the bedroom, "You about done?"

"Almost."

He's watching fingers switch back and forth, tugging at strands and pulling together.

Ethan feels the eyes burn into his skin. "You wanna learn?"

Murphy hesitates, "Nah, I'm not very good at. . ." He gestures, chewing on the inside of his cheek, "learning."

It was a well known fact on the Ark that his teachers found him frustrating. It's just reading and writing, Murphy. Maths isn't that hard, Murphy. But they were the privileged and didn't spend most of their childhood sick, lonely, and without medicine. He couldn't go to his classes so how was he supposed to learn everything he'd missed?

Even before the sickness, Murphy had difficulty. His father, the one person that loved him for who he was - though it led to his death, so was love really worth it? - had to sit him down and explain that Abby had a diagnosis. It was something about his brain.

Dyslexia.

Just another thing that set Murphy apart from the other students.

Ethan drops his hands from an unfinished fish braid and hangs them on his knees, "Murph, you went from trying to kill Bellamy to scarring your own hands to make sure he didn't die. I'd call that learning."

Not to mention all those games you seem to get the hang of so quickly. I'm still salty over the chess matches I lost.

"Doesn't excuse all the shit I did before it. Being trapped in here is karma."

Ethan nods slowly, "It isn't all that bad." He reaches out, grabs Murphy's hand and shares a look with the boy. "I can teach you the simple stuff if you're bored."

Murphy swings an arm out in a shrug, "What the hell," He smirks, "Teach away, boss."

New things were learnt everyday, this wouldn't be any different. Though the other things were mostly by accident. Like how much alcohol was a bad idea.

How to work a TV was somehow the hardest.

Murphy clicks his tongue, sitting on the edge of the mattress. "Well?"

"Yeah, I didn't think this far. Hold on," Ethan spins so he's facing the bed, his legs crossed and socked feet static against the carpet. Undoing the braids, his hair falls back against his neck.

"Okay, class is in session." Elbows bumping against Murphy's knees, Ethan looks up.

And quickly flits his eyes at the opposite wall instead. Thoughts bounce around in his head and he tries to quell them, but one particular memory makes its way through.

Two weeks ago and a set of teasing words."You look good on your knees."

Fidgeting with his fingers, Murphy's lips pull downwards. He tries to see what Ethan is looking at only to find nothing. The understanding dawns on him when he glances back and notices their familiar positioning.