Neighbors

Chapter Six: It's Just a Lamp

(Third Person POV)

Bellamy had fallen into the same routine every week. He'd work, take Gina out, pick up extra shifts, and bake cookies with Clarke every Friday night. Right now, he had four plastic containers of cookies in his freezer stacked on top of each other. Even though he was perfectly content with how his life was at the moment, there was still an emptiness inside of him, something was missing and he wasn't looking in the right place. He tried riding his bike, hoping the lack of rubble was the problem, but it wasn't. Bellamy still felt the same and he didn't know if there was a way to change that.

"You seem down deep in the dumps," Clarke said as she placed a coffee on the desk in front of Bellamy.

"Alliteration? You must be feeling a little off today," he replied, graciously take the cup from her and began to drink it. "And you remembered my coffee order,"

"Well, it's just straight coffee with milk. Not that complicated," she laughed as she cautiously leaned her elbows on the desk, hoping it wasn't too forward. Although, she secretly hoped he would see her slight flirtation.

"Still, you don't have to be so nice to me."

"I broke your lamp, coffee is the least I could do."

*****flashback*****

"Don't throw stuff at me!"

"Can't handle a little flour, Bells?" Clarke laughed as she chased Bellamy around his flat with a sack of flour larger than his head.

"I know I'm going to be stuck cleaning it all up by myself, just like last time!" So far, he had successfully dodged every fistful of cooking ingredients that had been thrown at him.

"Can you think fast?" Clarke asked as she accidentally tossed the bag of flour at Bellamy. However, the bag slipped and he ducked at the last possible second, and in doing so, knocked over the lamp. It shattered into a hundred pieces, the bulb being crushed my the glass shade.

"Why do you have a glass lamp!?" She screamed as she ran to try to piece it back together, completely forgetting that she needed glue to do so.

"Why did you throw the bag!?"

"I thought you would catch it!"

"I didn't think you'd throw it!"

*****flashback over*****

"It's just a lamp, C, no big deal. I was meaning to buy a new one anyways. Now I have a reason to, so thank you."

"You're thanking me for breaking your lamp? I regret spending my hard earned money on your coffee," she spoke sarcastically, trying to move away from the quaint banter. Clarke wanted to talk longer to him, get to know him, but he was with someone and she didn't want to make things awkward.

"You don't even have a job," he laughed as he threw out his now empty cup in the trash bin behind the desk.

"That's not true, I found one. I'm going to be a cashier at the department store down the street from her."

"Look at you, getting out of your flat and being a normal human being," he said but was interrupted by the library phone ringing. He threw a sympathetic glance towards Clarke and she motioned for him to pick it up.

"It's your job, you know," she said so he picked up the phone and they lost momentum in their conversation. Clarke actually had time to process everything that was happening and everything she was saying. She mouthed, "I'm gonna go," to him and she waved goodbye.

The wind whipped against her face as she zipped up her jacket and tried to keep warm. Clarke wanted, no, needed to get Bellamy out of her head. She's not supposed to like him, he's already taken. The world doesn't morph to fit our wants. Her thoughts were broken when she was pushed to the ground with full force by a stranger running straight at her.

"I'm so sorry!"

"How many people are going to accidentally run me over?" She said as she picked herself off from the ground, ignoring the outstretched arm.

"Does this usually happen?" He laughed as he stood in front of Clarke, unsure of what to say.

"Yes, actually. I should go–" The guy grabbed her arm before she could start to walk.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"'I'm only going to tell you once: let go."

Almost immediately he let go and threw his arms up in defeat.

"I'm sorry. I'm just, I don't usually knock down people everyday."

"Whatever," she fixed her coat and started walking.

"I'm Finn, by the way!"

"I don't care, by the way!"