Not All Fun and Games

Chapter 29

"What now?" Shouts Bellamy, more in shock than exasperation. This time, it wasn't Zoe who screamed. This one sounded more like a shriek of fear mixed with a moan than a terrified shout.
The three of us dash out of the tent. People are beginning to approach the dropship: some running, some walking uneasily.
Octavia and I leave Bellamy, who assures us he'll catch up, and begin to push through the wave of scared teenagers. By the time we reach the dropship, at least half the camp is standing inside of it, staring in shock at the image before them.
A tall, tan girl with wavy blond hair and a large birth mark across her cheek stands over Alex, terror mixed with fury in her eyes. For a moment, I worry if she's hurt. Then I see the bloody cloth covering Alex's mouth.
"What are you doing?" I shout at her with a bit too much force in my words.
The girl locks eyes with me, her eyebrows furrowed in anger. I recognize her at once: she was the girl who had told Chloe to stand down ("come on, Chloe. She needs space"), one of the kids who had helped carry Alex into the dropship when we found her.
"What's your name?" I ask her, with a gravity to my voice that forces her to answer me.
"Clara," she spits, and then looks down, as if cursing herself for replying to me.
I begin to ask her what she had been doing, but am cut off by an accusatory voice coming from behind me.
"Clara? What are you doing?"
I turn to see Chloe dashing towards us, anger, confusion and sadness all combined on her round face. Her eyes move from Clara to Alex, who lies, eyes closed, on the cot. When she sees the cloth over Alex's mouth, her eyes widen.
"Were you..." Before she finishes her sentence, she brings two of her fingers to Alex's neck. She must be checking her pulse.
"You better be happy she's alive," Chloe says to her friend. Her words come out as a snarl. Clara glares at her, a strange mix of pleading and anger in her eyes.

Realization hits me, causing my jaw to drop and a shiver to run down my rigid spine. Clara had been trying to smother Alex with the cloth. She wanted to suffocate her.
"How could you? Why would you?" says Chloe, her eyes welling up with tears. "She's our friend, Clara. Why would you try to- to murder her?" Chloe wipes her cheek, her face suddenly less sad, more stern. More angry.
Clara narrows her eyes, taking a dangerous step towards Chloe, who remains unwavering.
I stand, helpless, as I watch the events before me.
Chloe doesn't give the bright green-eyed girl a chance to reply. "Oh my god. No, it couldn't be." Chloe gasps, her eyes now wide with terror.
"I had no choice," says Clara, finally speaking. "Chloe, she's the one who got Hunter killed."
But Chloe just looks at her in disgust, and then begins to make her way out of the dropship.
Through everything that has happened in the past five minutes, my brain hasn't been able to function properly.
"Chloe, what is it? What did she do?" I ask, uncaring that Clara is still in the room.
"You don't get it?" says Chloe, shaking her head. She takes a deep breath, looking from Alex to Clara one last time. "The grounders didn't take Alex and hurt her. She did." She's talking about Clara.