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Blake Music Enterprises opened on the 6th of February, 1993. Which happened to be Bellamy's 4th birthday.
Blake Music Enterprises was a music school that Aurora Blake ran in the afternoons and on weekends. She taught all sorts of instruments to people young and old, and was highly regarded in the area for being a lovely person.
Bellamy and Octavia were taught to play instruments from the moment they were born. It ran in their blood.
At the time, the building neighbouring it had been vacant. And Bellamy had spent years sneaking around the back to explore the ancient house.
On the 20th of July, 1999 the vacant house was bought by Abigail and Jake Griffin and their small daughter.
The Griffin's were an incredibly rich family. Abby Griffin was a surgeon at Ark Hospital, the most highly regarded hospital in the state. Jake Griffin was a Professor at Ark University, and ran a part time dance studio in there house. And Clarke Griffin was, well, Clarke Griffin.
Tall, blonde and athletic, with piercing blue eyes and a smirk that could wipe out a nation. Clarke Griffin was the torment and terrorisation of Bellamy's childhood. She was three years younger than Bellamy and a pain in the ass, so naturally they annoyed the hell out of each other, and naturally they were also best friends.
They were the kind of friends that you never saw one without the other. The kind of friends that relied on each other for everything and nothing.
They took turns eating at each other’s houses, organising sleepovers where they would sleep under the stars in their backyards, swinging on the swings at the park trying to swing higher than the other.
Clarke was there for him when a four year old Octavia fell out of a tree and broke her leg while Aurora was at work. Bellamy was panicking, Octavia was screaming, and Clarke calmly spoke to Octavia, soothing her as she sent Bellamy to get her mother.
Bellamy was there for her when her father got diagnosed with cancer, he hugged her and sat with her as she stared into space, scared that her father would die. That night they set up the tent in Clarke’s backyard and whispered their deepest secrets to each other in the pitch black of the night.
Clarke was there when the bullies pushed him down, calling him a nerd and a loser because he had that little sister who always trailed after him, staring absentmindedly into space. Clarke helped him up, and stood up for him when they came back, scaring them with crossed arms and threats about school grades.
Bellamy was there when her father died when she was twelve, together they sat on the old swing set out the back of Clarke's house, talking about memories and hugging until she forgot to keep crying. That night that camped in Bellamy’s backyard and talked about their hopes and dreams until their voices were horse and the sun was peeking out of the horizon.
******
It started to fall apart when Bellamy went to high school. Being three years older, he left middle school first, leaving Clarke alone. He made new friends and spent less time with the blonde haired girl from next door.
Clarke was spending a lot more time in the dance studio her father had built, learning more difficult moves, avoiding her mother. But it was increasingly difficult to ignore the sounds of the piano next store, played by a pair of hands she knew so well.
Everything was shattered into pieces when Clarke went to high school. Her mother insisted on sending her to a fancy boarding school halfway across the country. All about "the best education leads to the best future" or some shit like that.
Bellamy looked out the window of his house as she left, tears he would never admit he'd shed trickling down his face.
Clarke, glaring at her mother glanced up at Bellamy's window and smiled softly. An expression he'd never forget.
******
Clarke returned every summer, each year taller and more grown up then the last.
Octavia would run out and hug Clarke the moment she saw Abby's car pull into the driveway next door.
Bellamy spoke to her once in all those summers, when he was twenty, she was seventeen, and that was the day Aurora died;
He'd received a phone call at 3pm, it was from the hospital, informing him that his mother had been in a car accident.
Octavia had been at Clarke's house, in the dance studio, as Clarke taught her how to dance.
Bellamy had banged on the front door. Clarke had answered it.
Two hours and a car drive to the hospital later Aurora Blake was pronounced dead, with serve head and spinal injuries.
The only thing Clarke said to Bellamy was that she was sorry, and that Aurora was a wonderful person.
She came to the funeral if only to say goodbye to him. She placed a bouquet of flowers on the grave before kissing him on the cheek before walking away. He wondered if he would ever see her again.
******
As it turns out he did, four years later, the year he travelled to New York. He'd left Eighteen year old Octavia by herself, with Abby's promise that she would keep an eye on her.
By some strange coincidence he ended up in the same cafe that Clarke Griffin happened to be working in.
He didn't even notice until she was taking his order. "One Caramel Mocha Frappe please."
"Of course, name please."
He looked up. "Bellamy."
It wasn't until he left that he fully allowed himself to process the information that Clarke hadn't recognised him.
******
Clarke doesn't make another appearance for almost two years.
It's not until a Red Mercedes pulls into his driveway that he ever thinks he'll see her again.
He opens the front door, just as she raises her hand to ring the doorbell.
"Can I use your phone?" she asks.
He stares at her. "You live next door, or at least your Mum does."
"That's the thing, our relationship is a bit rocky at the moment. But I really need a place to stay, but I didn't call her and tell her I was coming, so can I please use your phone."
"What about your mobile, I'm sure you have one of those fancy iPhones."
"It's dead, and my charger is still in New York. Bellamy please, it's just one phone call, and then I'll leave. I'll even pay the bill for you."
He lets her in. "I don't know what kind of trouble you got yourself in, that you left your phone charger behind. But I better be worth it."
"Thank you so much."
He shrugs and takes her to the phone. She dials her mum’s number and holds her breath.
He can see that's she's nervous, tell it by the ways she's breathing, the way her hands are twisting.
"Hi mum, look-" she stops, "yes I know- I'm coming home." she finally says. "I don't care, I'm coming home, I'll see you in an hour."
She hangs up and turns to him. "Thanks."
"She's just going to let you come home?" he asks.
"I didn't give her a choice."
"Why an hour?"
"What?"
"You said you'd see her in an hour."
"Oh, she has people over, and I need time to convince myself that I can do this." Clarke smiles at him.
"What happened to you?" he asks. "You just left, no phone calls, no emails, nothing."
She takes a deep breath. "Like I said, things are a bit rocky with my mum at the moment. After your mum died, I found out that my mum was only sending me to boarding school because she thought you were a bad influence, you know with your friends and getting into trouble. She wanted to get me away from you."
"She really thought that?"
"I think that was the initial idea, as you got older I think she realised you were a better person than she thought. She wanted me to come back one year, then I told her I was Bi. She said, and I quote 'I will not have you making a bad impression on what I've done for this family.'"
Bellamy stares at her. "You're Bi?"
She raises her eyebrows. "Yeah, you got a problem with that?"
He shakes his head. "No, you just never told me."
"It never seemed relevant, and it's not like you ever paid attention to my love life."
“You were fourteen the last time we had a full conversation. It’s not like you even had a love life.” He counters.
“Relax.” she says. “I was kidding.”
“Right. And what brings you back, despite you and your mums ‘rocky relationship’?”
“New York isn’t the place for me.”
Her expression tells him to drop it. He does. “You still dancing?”
She smiles. “Yeah, never stopped. I was teaching part time back in New York. I’m thinking I might reopen the dance studio seeing as I don’t have a job at the moment. The music school still going strong then?” she gestures to the schedule on the fridge door.
“Yeah, O does the singing lessons, I do the instruments. Not as many students as we used to have, but still going strong. We only Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and weekends now though, I work at the University, Octavia’s a student there, we need to spilt the time.” he smiles back at her. “It’d be nice if you reopened the dance studio, be like the good old times, I miss seeing people walk out of your house wearing their little tutus.”
She punches him in the arm. “How is Octavia?”
“Really good actually. She’s studying to be an elementary school teacher, she has boyfriend, and he’s a good influence, really supportive. She’s really happy.”
“That’s really good, and how are you?”
“Surviving, it took a while to get over mum, but I’m dealing with it. I went to New York a while back, went to see something new. Came back, got my history major, and got offered a job. I’m a History Professor. It feels good, like I’m finally doing something for myself. It’s what my mum would have wanted for me.” he smiles at the table. “How are you doing?”
“Well I started at my Pre-Med major at Collage, then decided that wasn’t for me and switched to art. Mum was pretty pissed, she said that I wasn’t reaching my full potential, I told her I didn’t care, that dad would’ve wanted me to do what made me happy, that it was my future not hers. That was about the last time I spoke to her before now.”
There was a bang as the door opened, revealing a red faced Octavia. Clarke turned around at the noise, and Octavia, seeing her face, squealed and ran forward, enveloping the girl in a hug.
“Clarke! You didn’t tell me you were coming back! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? I would of organised a party, did you bring your friends from New York, please tell me you did? Where are you staying, you can stay here if you want, Bell won’t mind sleeping on the couch.” Octavia begins rambling.
“O.” Bellamy says.
“What it was just a suggestion, way to be rude, it wouldn’t kill you to sleep on the couch you know.”
Clarke interrupts. “Thanks Octavia, but I’m staying with my mum.”
“Oh. But I thought you weren’t talking to her?”
Clarke grins. “I’m not.”
Bellamy’s phone starts to ring. He answers it. “Hey Miller, listen- Yes I know that we were going to meet up- No I didn’t- What happened- Is it serious- He’ll be fine- Chill man- How long- I’ve got to go man- Why do you- I know you’re worried- I really- Fine I’ll be there in twenty.” He hangs up.
Clarke looks at her watch. “You know I think I might go and buy a new phone charger while I’m waiting.”
Bellamy stands up. “I can give you a lift, I need to go that way anyway?”
“If you could, that’d be great.” she smiles. “But only if it’s not too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all Princess.”
She punches his arm again. “Don’t call me that.”
He grins at her. “Sure thing… Princess.”