West Ark High

Big Problem

Wells could barely move the next morning.

His feet and legs were sore from dancing, but mostly his head spun because damn, Clarke had danced with him!

Back in September, Wells never would have never thought that Clarke would ever come within touching distance of him ever again, let alone dance with him! But it had happened, and even if she had spent most of the night with Monty, Harper, and Fox, for Wells those three minutes that Clarke was delicately pressed against his body was enough.

He could even overlook the bitter taste he got in his mouth when he watched her dance with Bellamy. The only consolation that Wells could get out of that one was the pained look that Finn also wore.

Lifting his face from where it was smashed against his comforter, Wells peered out toward the door that led to his master bathroom. He really didn't want to get up. Like, at all. Sleep sounded much more pleasureable at this point, but skipping a shower in favor of going straight to bed the night before was coming back to kick him in the butt.

Plus it was nearly noon already and he couldn't waste the day away!

Eventually his inner type-A personality won over and he rolled out of bed. After his shower, Wells crept down the stairs to the kitchen, although he wasn't sure why he was being so quiet. His dad was rarely home, and even if he was, the house was big enough as to where his dad couldn't hear him from his room.

"Love being me," Wells grumbled, plopping down at the table with a box of cereal in one hand and a bowl in the other.

Despite what most people seemed to believe, Wells wasn't necessarily happy by the fact his father ran the school district because what they didn't realize was that his father doubled as a lawyer. Sure it was cool to live in a big house and be well off, but at what cost?

Thelonious had always been kind of done his own thing, but ever since Wells' mother died, he had become so elusive to the point where Wells had spent a good part of the last seven years alone. Every once in awhile a maid would be hired by his father, and Wells would have someone to talk to. But eventually that maid would have to leave and Wells would be left alone again.

That's when Clarke walked into Wells' life and things started to get better. They had developed a strong friendship in middle school that only strengthened over their love for school and great dislike for Bellamy Blake. (Even if that last one is tedious right now.)

Clarke was his only friend for a long while. She would come over to his house and together they would work on their homework until all they saw when they blinked was equations and formulas. Then they'd settle down on the couch with juice boxes and play Mario Kart until Jake came to pick her up.

Then one day she came over with Jasper. Another day she brought Monty. And then another time, Harper had fallen into the mix. Suddenly, he wasn't so lonely anymore.

Then he went and made that stupid mistake of ratting on Jake thinking that he was helping him out.

Wells laughed bitterly, dumping his empty bowl and spoon into the sink as he deserted the kitchen. In retrospect, he should have realized that everyone he had come to view as a friend would turn on him considering they had all been loyal friends to Clarke first.

But that didn't even matter now because she danced with him last night. Maybe things would finally start getting back to a somewhat-normal.

Fully clean and drunk on memories, Wells started up for his room to work on some homework he had put off when one of the rarely hired maids stopped him. "Your mail, sir."

"Thanks," he said, accepting the mail. He had long ago given up trying to convince the outside help to stop referring to him so formally because they never listen. She just expects him to take the mail to his father's room because she's afraid of Thelonious. Most people seemed to be. "I'll get this to him."

She nods and then scurries off, probably to do the two dishes newly in the sink.

Wells snorts, taking the stairs two at a time as he began to rifle through the several envelopes in his hand. He normally doesn't snoop through his father's mail, but today he was feeling extra rebellious. As he expected, most of them were bills, solicitations, and other official paperwork items but one caught his attention.

What was a contracting business doing writing his dad?

It would become what Bellamy called one for the history books because, damn, Wells Jaha committed a felony?

It may not have been the best idea to rip the envelope away from the letter tucked inside, but the minute he read through the first few lines, he didn't even care that he would undoubtedly get in trouble.

In fact, he was borderline speechless except for four words that slipped out in horrified desperation:

"I've gotta tell Clarke!"

...

"Oh get over it, you big baby."

Monty felt that he had been thinking that line in his head a lot lately, but he finally got the opportunity to use it today. It felt good.

Jasper, predictably, groaned against the counter top. "She didn't show up!"

Monty sighed, shooting an exasperated look at Clarke who merely shrugged from her spot behind the stove. "You've been repeating that ever since you woke up. You need to get a grip, man," Monty scolded.

In fact, Jasper had been groaning in his sleep about it too, but Monty didn't feel the need to bring it up at this point. It's like Jasper would acknowledge anything other than She didn't show up! Anyways.

Jasper mumbled his famous line against the counter again. Clarke pursed her lips. "Monty is right Jasper," she decided after a second of hesitation. "I know you're upset but you can't keep pissing and moaning about it."

"You don't understand!" Jasper shot up from his seat, making Monty jump back in surprise. This was the most Jasper had moved all day, other than dragging him from his room to the kitchen. He still hadn't showered. "She has been excited about Homecoming for weeks! She's been yammering on about the dress she bought for weeks! And then she complained about needing the new one because the color was wrong! I know she was going to go!"

"Do you think she went to one of the other school's homecoming?" Clarke asked bluntly.

Monty opened his mouth but closed it when he realized that he didn't have anything to say. The thought had never crossed his mind but it did seem plausible, especially since he knew that Trikru had their homecoming the night before as well.

Jasper looked more traumatized than thoughtful. "How can you say that?" he demanded angrily, eyebrows furrowed. "Why would she skip out on us for a rival school? Octavia isn't like that!"

Clarke raised her eyebrows as she took a sip of her coffee. "Calm down, Jasper. It was just a suggestion."

"I don't think he really wants his problem solved," Monty muttered in annoyance.

Jasper frowned at him. "Shut up, Monty."

Monty glared, but said nothing. A heavy silence settled between them, something that had been happening a lot, Monty noticed. Clarke cleared her throat as she set a plate of steaming eggs, toast, and turkey bacon in front of each of the boys.

"Okay," she said, uncharacteristically cheerful. Monty figured she was just trying to diffuse the situation. "Just eat up while I," she paused when a pounding came from the front of the house," answer the door, I guess."

Monty peaked his head out of the kitchen. He was mildly surprised when Wells was the one at the door with a look of anger. Straining his ears, the words he caught made Monty's stomach drop.

"Clarke, we have a big problem."