Goddamn Tragedy

XII

She was eating a bowl of soup and watching her mother play her hands at bridge.

It was a Tuesday, which meant she was at the Ark way earlier than she would have liked and she was playing bridge with her mother and a few other members of the club. She yawned into her palm as her mother forced out a small laugh at something Callie Cartwig had said.

She would usually roll her eyes in her mother's direction but she was too much in a good mood to do so. She thought about yesterday and she felt a smile make its way toward her face as she thought about the pair of familiar brown eyes. She missed him already, which was strange for her to even admit.

"So, Clarke." She adjusted her eyes toward Callie even though the brunette didn't look up from her cards. "Has your mother told you about the Hopkins internship?"

She turned her head quickly and looked at her mother. Her mother didn't look back at her. "No." Her mother still didn't look up. "Must have slipped her mind."

Which wasn't exactly true. Her mother hadn't spoken much of a word to her, even when she came home mid afternoon yesterday without much of a word of where she had been. It had stung but she didn't really imagine another alternative to the situation. Her mother was mad at her and when Abigail Griffin was mad at someone, they knew.

Callie however, laughed slightly and finally lifted up her head to look at her. "Well I have to say it's rare that an upcoming sophomore gets selected to go." Callie turned her head toward her mother. "When does it start again?"

Her eyes were wide as she glared holes into her mother's head. Her mother once again didn't look at her.

"Next week."

She looked down at the table and felt her pulse rise. She started to feel so anxious. She started to feel so angry. She took a deep breath and looked up to see her mother's eyes finally on her. "Can I please have a word?"

Her mother looked shocked at her calm tone but nodded before she smiled at the two other's sitting around their table.

She quickly threw her napkin onto the table before she started to walk away from it. She didn't mutter a single word to anyone. She felt her hands clench up into fists as she made her way outside to the abandoned veranda. Her hair blew lightly across her face as she turned to face her mother. "Hopkins?"

Her mother's face resembled hers in almost every way. Her laughter lines weren't visible. Her hazel eyes were emotionless and the smile on her face was full of irritation. "Yes. I called a few people and I got you in."

She rolled her eyes at this. All previous conversations about her future and school flying around in her head. "And you didn't think to tell me at all?" She let out a small breath before she continued in her speech. "You didn't think to yourself, 'hmm maybe I should ask Clarke' or anything along those lines?"

Her mother's face didn't show off any emotion. "When was I supposed to say that Clarke? When you're gallivanting around the town or bailing people out of jail?"

Her eyes grew wide. "How-how did you know about that?"

Her mother laughed before she shook her head. "I think I'd notice if my daughter had to pay her low scum boyfriend out of jail."

Her temper rose. Her shoulders squared in defense. "That is none of your business."

"It is my business when it's my money, Clarke."

She let out a frustrated huff. She thought about their previous encounters and how by now, she would have wandered off into a bathroom. How she would count until her hands stopped shaking and her breath was even.