Esperança 》B. Blake

1.10

"What? No!" Roseline protested. "We can't just let them go! They killed Wells! He was one of us!"

Clarke nodded in agreement and went for the exit, but Bellamy blocked her path. 

"Get out of my way, Bellamy," she gritted. Roseline stood behind her with her arms crossed.

"Be smart about this," he countered slowly. "Look at what we achieved. The wall, the patrols. Like it or not, thinking the Grounders killed Wells is good for us."

"Oh, good for you, you mean." Clarke rolled her eyes. "What--keep people afraid and they'll work for you? Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it. It's good for all of us. Fear of the Grounders is building that wall. And besides, what are you gonna do--just walk out there and ask the killer to step forward? You don't even know whose knife that is."

"Oh, really?" Clarke showed him the knife. "J.M. John Murphy. The people have a right to know." She pushed him aside and stormed out. Roseline was quick to follow, her hands shaking, but Bellamy held his hand out to stop her. 

"Rosie, c'mon. You don't wanna do this." She could hear the pleading in his voice.

Roseline scoffed. "I'm not just gonna let this one slide, Bell. He killed someone. He didn't just pee all over a guy, okay? He straight up murdered Wells."

She pushed past and stomped off to confront Murphy with Clarke. To her displeasure, Clarke had already begun the accusations without her.

"That's my knife. Where'd you find it?" Murphy responded to a question Clarke had asked, and Roseline stepped in with a scowl.

"Where you dropped it after you killed Wells," she spat, her hands still trembling. The campers had left their stations and were now crowding around them, curious as to what would go down. A confused look passed Murphy's face, making Roseline frown even more, but he covered it up with anger.

"Where I what?" He took a casual step forward to Clarke. "The Grounders killed Wells, not me."

"I know what you did," Clarke seethed, stepping forward as he did. "and you're gonna pay for it."

"Really?" Murphy glanced at the pair with amusement which fueled the fire in Roseline's hands. "Bellamy, you really believe this crap?"

Bellamy had his arms crossed over his chest like Roseline's mother did when she caught Roseline staying up too late. He didn't respond to Murphy, and the brunette could tell that it irked him. 

"You threatened to kill him, we all heard you," Clarke said, her voice rising with each word. "You hated Wells."

"Plenty of people hated Wells," Murphy retorted. "His father was the chancellor that locked us up--"

"Yeah, but you're the only one that got in a knife fight with him!" Clarke cut him off.

"Yeah, I didn't kill him then, either."

"Tried to kill Jasper too," Octavia commented from the sidelines. "And Rose."

Roseline's nostrils flared as she glared daggers at the boy. Murphy flickered his eyes around the criminals, the flash of doubt crossing his face. He masked it with a fake laugh.

"C'mon, this is ridiculous. I don't have to answer to you. I don't have to answer to anyone."

"Come again?" Bellamy raised an eyebrow. Murphy limped toward the leader, his face desperate which puzzled Roseline.

"Bellamy, look, I'm telling you, man. I didn't do this."

"They found his fingers on the ground with your knife," Bellamy reminded him lowly. Murphy turned away, the desperation still clear in his eyes.