CLEXA - Revelations

Chapter 8: All Roads Lead to New Haven

Clarke POV

"I'm so glad I'm not an art major," Raven moaned, flipping through the pages of my art history textbook. She had her chin propped up on her hand and her eyes were starting to droop.

I had asked Raven to help me study for midterms in the campus library last minute and it was getting late. I felt bad for making her stay out until 2 a.m. with me, but I could never focus in our dorm.

The library was open pretty much all night and we were the only ones occupying the main floor that I could tell. Raven and I had picked one of the many long, maple wood tables, each decorated with several banker's lamps, to study at and had been camped there for a little over three hours. We had just run out of coffee and energy drinks and I could tell Raven was ready to throw in the towel. Just then my phone buzzed. It was Lexa.

Lexa: Hey. Haven't heard from you. You doing okay?

I hadn't talked to Lexa since last weekend and it was already Wednesday. I felt bad for blowing her off after the incident in the darkroom, but she had become the target of a very messed up situation. I wanted to go to her so badly and explain everything, tell her the real truth about what Finn had done to me, but I was scared. Scared for me, scared for Lexa, and scared for anyone who got close to me. Even now I was scared for Raven. I thought about replying for a split second but ended up locking my phone and refocusing on my exam notes.

"Okay," Raven continued quizzing me wearily. "'In 450 B.C., the Athenian general Pericles'—oh, my God, I can't anymore," she slammed the boom shut. "Quantum mechanics, I get. Engineering cybernetics, I get. But Athenian generals and old pottery with little stick figures on them, I don't get at all. Especially at two in the morning. This stuff is like Greek to me."

I threw my head back in a weak fit laughter. "Rave, this whole chapter's on the Hellenistic period."

She raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Greek history?" I was still trying to stop laughing. The tiredness was clearly getting to me.

"Oh," she smiled, finally sharing the humor with me. 

"And by the way, the word 'mechanics' is Greek. Besides, you won't have to be hearing too much about the Greeks anymore. I'm officially an art minor as of next week."

"What?" Raven exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her seat.

"Shh," I quieted her. We may have been the only ones in the library but Raven was still really loud. "Seriously, Rave, you need to help me concentrate. This test is tomorrow morning. 'The Athenian general Pericles tried to consolidate his power by'—"

"No, screw midterms. Back up. What do you mean art minor?"

"I mean what I mean," I gave her an exasperated look, but Raven shot one right back at me. "I got scared, okay? I can't handle the 'starving artist' prospect. It's just too risky. Besides, it's smarter to be pre-med and do my art on the side."

"Did your mom—"

"No, I did this on my own. I haven't even told her yet."

"But, Clarke. Your paintings are so good."

"I'm still going to do my art. It's not like I'm giving it all up. It's just safer this way."

Raven didn't look too convinced. "You mean your mom thinks it's safer this way."

"Rave, stop. She has nothing to do with this. It's my decision."

"Fine, I just think—"

Buzz. Buzz.