Clouis: New Start

Chapter 2: First Day

 "Clementine. It's time to wake up." She grunts at the soft spoken woman, turning her back on her. "Clem. Come on. You don't want to be late!" Carley calls out from the hallway before closing her door. That wasn't necessarily true. Clementine couldn't care less if she was late or not. Still, she didn't want to upset her parents.

Thankfully, the morning rays were blocked from entering her window, making the room dark. She rolls out of bed and slugs her way over to her closet, looking for something to wear. Nothing to over the top, but also nothing to lazy. She finally decides on a pair of jeans, light blue that fades into an off white around the knees then obremes back to blue again towards the ankles, and a simple white sweater that always keeps her warm.

"Clementine!" she hers Lee call from downstairs. "Hurry up! I want you to eat before you have to go." She rolls her eyes as a grin appears on her face. Back in Washington, Lee had already left for work by the time she started getting ready and Carley woke up right before Clementine left to get AJ up for school. It's going to be a little strange for her to have people around during her morning routine. She hopes it's only a one time thing, though she knows it's not.

After slipping on her favorite boots, a pair of light brown Uggs, she scurries downstairs. A few boxes still sit on top of the island, so she pushes them aside to clear a space for her to make breakfast. "Where did we put the bowls?" she asks Lee, who faces away from her pouring coffee into his mug.

"Far cabinet," he answers. She crosses the kitchen and opens the door closest to her, locating the bowls on the top shelf. Even on her tiptoes, she can barely even touch them. Lee lets out a chuckle before reaching up to grab her on. "Here you go, sweet pea."

"Thanks Lee," she replies, grabbing the box of Chex Mix left on the counter. "We have milk, right?" she asks. She wasn't the biggest fan of dry cereal, but she would eat it if there was no other choice. Luckily for her, Carley bought milk the other day when she went out shopping.

Clementine takes her time eating, not in any rush to leave for school. However, Lee keeps his eyes on the clock. As soon as it hits seven, he's about ready to push her out the door. "Let me brush my teeth and then we can go," she tells him.

"Alright. I'll be in the car," he states with keys in hand. She rushes up stairs, reaching the bathroom as AJ is exiting.

She rubs the top of his head. "Hey kiddo."

"Morning Clem," he says in a groggy voice before heading back into his room to get dressed for school. She quickly brushes her teeth then rushes back downstairs. Her black long coat hangs in the closet off of the foyer; she puts it on before heading out to the car. The cold bitterness of the morning bites at her face, making her cheeks to go numb. Thankfully, Lee has the heat blasting in the car causing her to warm up instantly.

Clementine prays for a silent car ride. She doesn't want to talk about how she should try to find friends or be lectured about focusing on her school work which she slacked on back in Washington. All Clementine wished for was a silent ride, but Lee as always had other plans.

"This is going to be good for you, sweet pea," he tells her. His eyes never leave the road when he speaks, making Clementine a bit uneasy. Lee always looked at her when they talked. Sure, she is rarely in the passenger seat when he's driving, but still it makes her sad that his gaze is fixed on the road in front of them. With his stare ahead, he doesn't see Clementine's gentle head nod. Her silence causes him to continue. "You had a rough start back in Washington and I think you should be more open to the idea of being here."

"How do you know this place isn't as bad as back home?" she asks, attitude lacing every word. Lee pulls over to the front of the school, puts the car in park, then finally lays his eyes upon Clementine. His glare is full of anger, causing her to realize how disrespectful she has been to him recently. Ever since she found out they were moving, she's been very snappy with Lee and he's put up with it.