Abby had welcomed them into her home politely, and Clarke looked at Bellamy just in time to see his jaw clench the way it does when he gets nervous. Abby took their coats and asked them to have a seat on the couch. The second she had left the room, Bellamy turned to Clarke and frantically whispered, "I can't do this!"

"Bellamy, what do you mean you can't do this? We're already here!"

"I know, but Clarke, she's looking at me like I'm her son...how am I supposed to lie to her?"

"Look, just--" Bellamy put his head in his hands; he was feeling overwhelmed, "--Bellamy, look at me! I'm sorry if this is bringing up memories of your mom, okay? But please, just for tonight, will you do this for me?"

He hesitated, weighing his options. He could bail, but Clarke would be left to come up with an excuse as to why her fiance left her alone the first time they are to have dinner with her mom. He could stay, but he would probably screw up the story they had worked out--and that wouldn't be good for anyone. He sighed deeply, "Yeah, sure. Fine,"

Bellamy doesn't know what to say to Clarke now, so the awkward silence continues until they arrive back at Clarke and Octavia's apartment.

He stops Clarke before she steps out of his car, "Hey, I-I'm sorry I screwed up back there,"

Clarke learned tonight that when Bellamy got flustered, he got rude. She couldn't blame him seeing as how she put him in that situation in the first place, but let's just say that Abby Griffin wasn't completely happy in Clarke's choice in men. It kind of hurt Clarke, knowing that her mom didn't approve--but it shouldn't, because Clarke isn't actually engaged to Bellamy. So why did it upset her so much?

"It's okay," Clarke responds, "you just need more time to prepare. Next time it'll go better."

"Wait--what do you mean next time? You said just for tonight,"

"I know I did but, if I recall correctly, you said that you would help me until I found a way to break it to her,"

"No better time than the present, princess. She already doesn't like me,"

"C'mon, Bellamy, that's not true."

"Yes it is, Clarke."

"Bellamy, this is really important to me. She's wanted me to settle down ever since my dad died. Something about needing a 'man of the house' to take care of me."

Bellamy groaned, "Fine, but no more solo dinners with your mom. If I'm going to have to suffer through that again, then so do the rest of our friends,"

"Deal," Clarke shut the car door and began walking away, only to be stopped again by Bellamy.

"Clarke! Sorry, one more thing: you need to come over early tomorrow morning to help me with chem,"

"I was actually planning on spending the day with Octavia--" Even though they live together, Clarke barely sees Octavia anymore. She’s been spending a lot more time at her boyfriend’s place, and Clarke actually misses that crazy girl.

"Well, now you're tutoring me. Sorry, princess, part of the deal,"

"Fine," Clarke thought her groan was internal, but the look on Bellamy's face told her she made it out loud.

"Oh, and bring coffee. It's gonna be a while," Bellamy added, smirking at how flustered the princess was getting.

Clarke kept walking furiously up to the doors of the apartment building as Bellamy tried to piss her off more.

"See you at eight," he shouts as she slams the apartment's doors.

God, now it was Clarke who was regretting this arrangement.

Clarke is really just looking forward to winding down with a nice bubble bath and glass of wine--or two. She unlocks her door, walks in, and drops her keys on the table right by the door. When she hears a noise coming from the living room, she stills. Octavia said she would be at Lincoln's place tonight, so who the hell was in her apartment?

"You're such a fucking idiot--TAKE THE MONEY AND GO" Raven was draped across Clarke's sofa with a bowl of popcorn watching reruns of Let's Make a Deal.

"DAMMIT, RAVEN, YOU SCARED THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME!"

Raven didn't bother tearing her eyes off the screen for a second while adding, "My bad,"

"Your bad? I could have shot you!"

"Clarke, stop being dramatic, you don't even own a gun."

"Well I could have just bought one, and then what would you do?"

"OH MY GOD CLARKE SHUT UP YOU'RE MAKING ME MISS THIS IDIOT RUINING HIS CHANCE OF WINNING ANYTHING"

Clark sighs, giving up on trying to reason with Raven. If her best friend was anything, it was stubborn.

"Remind me why I'm even friends with you?"

"Because I'm awesome," Raven responded while shoving a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

"Mind if I join you?" Clarke asked, just wanting to sit down and forget the whole night.

"Go ahead--wait, didn't you have that dinner with Bellamy tonight? Why are you back so early?"

Clarke was not in the mood for questions. "We ate quickly. That's all,"

"Uh, Clarke, how long have we been friends?"

"I don't know, a while," Clarke knew exactly how long they had been friends--four years, seven months--but she knew where Raven was going with this.

"Right so I know your 'nothing's wrong' face and that is not it. Spill,"

"Nothing, it's just...tonight didn't go as planned. I'm pretty sure my mom hates Bellamy,"

"Isn't that good? I mean, you were trying to figure out how to tell her he wasn't actually your fiance. Wouldn't this make it easier?"

"No--yes--ugh I don't know. All I know is that it kind of upset me, the disappointed look she gave me when Bellamy went to the bathroom. Like there was something wrong with him, like I could do better. He's not a bad guy, it was just an off night for him,"

"Clarke, I know exactly what's going on," Raven was smirking by this point. "You like him," she adds in a sing-song voice, "you like him like him,"

"Ray we are not in second grade and I do not like Bellamy-fucking-Blake," honestly, Clarke does not need this right now.

She stands up and heads to her bedroom while Raven shouts after her, "I know what I'm talking about, Clarke! You and Bellamy have something real, and one day you two idiots will realize it,"

Clarke slams her door and collapses face first on her bed. She didn't even feel like changing out of her clothes. She does NOT like Bellamy. That's ridiculous. Right?

**

Miller knows Bellamy's back as soon as he hears boots stomping all the way to the fridge and the snapping of a bottle cap off a beer. "I'm just gonna guess here and say the dinner didn't go well?"

"You could say that," Bellamy was not in the mood for this.

"What happened?"

"I fucked things up. Abby hates me," Bellamy lowered himself onto the chair beside the couch where Miller was currently playing BioShock Infinite.

"So?"

"What do you man 'so'? Clarke isn't gonna want me to be her fake fiance now that her mom hates me,"

"And that's bad because..."

Bellamy thought to himself for a second. Why did he care about this so much? It's not like he actually wanted to be Clarke's fiance, so why is he seeking Abby's approval? "You're right, it's probably just stress making me feel like this. G'night,"

Miller wasn't confused in the slightest. He knew how much Bellamy cared for Clarke, he could see it every time they had one of their heavy arguments. Behind that cool facade was a guy who was afraid of being hurt. Not that he would ever tell Bellamy that, I mean, he has to live with the guy. For now, he'll just let Bellamy lie to himself because eventually, he won't be able to hide his feelings.

"G'night,"

Bellamy went straight into his room and lay down, not bothering to change out of his suit and tie. He didn't need Abby's approval...

**

Raven Reyes 11:32pm They're in love. Pay up, Monty.

Nathan Miller 11:35pm I can confirm this. They are definitely in love.

Monty Green 11:36pm I'll believe it when I see it.

Jasper Jordan 11:38pm WAIT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT MOM AND DAD?? THEY ARE GETTING TOGETHER?? FUCK YES BELLARKE FOREVER

Raven Reyes 11:39pm                   What the hell is bellarke??  

Monty Green 11:41pm just Jasper being delusional

Jasper Jordan 11:42pm Um I resent that. Bellamy + Clarke = Bellarke 5EVER                    

Nathan Miller 11:44pm Please stop                                                                                              

Monty Green 11:50pm Really Jasper, stop. I can hear the weird noises you’re making from my bed which is all of 10 ft from yours    

Jasper Jordan 11:51pm you’re the one who wanted to share a dorm room  

Nathan Miller 11:52pm Want me to beat him up for you babe?

Raven Reyes 11:54pm LOOK AT YOU TWO CUTIES *vomits*

Nathan Miller 11:55pm shut up reyes

Monty Green 11:55pm Shut up Raven and no it's okay Nate :)                              

Monty Green 12:03am JASPER WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY LAPTOP??      

Monty Green 12:07am He just made my background a photoshopped picture of Bellamy kissing Clarke. Look what you started Raven

Raven Reyes 12:13am You’re the one who bet there was nothing between them so you started it

Monty Green 12:14am and now I get to live with it. LITERALLY

Jasper Jordan 12:16am i did you a favor monty                                      

Lincoln 12:22am Remind me again why I'm in this group chat??                            

Octavia Blake 12:27am bc you need to be in the loop babe. RAVEN AND MILLER DID YOU GUYS SAY THAT MY BIG BROTHER HAS FINALLY ADMITTED HE HAS FEELINGS FOR CLARKE?????                                                                  

Raven Reyes 12:31am Well ~technically~ nothing was admitted but it's coming. I can feel it      

Nathan Miller 12:32am Me too