The 100: Chapter Seven (Almost Murderer Rebel Child)

Okay, so hallelujah, we've finally gotten to the chapter where Bellamy and Clarke talk to each other. Because lbr, that's why we're all really here, right? This is a safe space, you can be honest.

It's a Bellamy chapter, and therefore automatically way, way less painful. I'd even go so far as to say "it's good." Also we start off with this:

Bellamy squinted up at the sunrise. He'd always assumed those ancient poets had been full of shit, or at last had much better drugs than he'd ever tried.

Oh god bless this child, I love him so.

Also if you hadn't caught that little HINT there, he's watching the SUNRISE not the SUNSET which means TIME HAS PASSED, isn't that CLEVER? It was pretty subtle so I wanted to make sure y'all caught that.

So Bellamy's watching the sunrise and reluctantly thinking about how it's maybe a little pretty, whatever, don't make a big deal out of it, and Octavia's sleeping, and Bellamy thinks about the blanket he knocked some kid out for her because he's scary protective, and OH MY GOD THEN HE MENTIONS CLARKE SHIT'S ABOUT TO GET REAL YOU GUYS

He looked around the clearing. After that Clarke girl had finished evaluating Octavia and determined she only had a sprained ankle, Bellamy had carried her over toward the trees where they'd spent the night. They were going to keep their distance until he figured out how many of these kids were real criminals and how many had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Oh, "that Clarke girl," sure. He sounds like an eighth-grader trying to casually ask the kid in English class if he hangs out with his secret crush and if so do you think she'd say yes if I asked her to  Spring Formal? "Oh yeah, that Clarke girl. You know the one with the blonde hair, blue, maybe green eyes? Haha, idk, I wasn't paying attention or anything."

Also, notice the difference here between Wells' approach and Bellamy's? Bellamy acknowledges that there's a possibility that some of these kids are dangerous, but somehow manages to do it without making broad, shitty assumptions based on ingrained prejudice. Weird, huh.

So then he thinks some more about how it's his fault Octavia is on Earth, because everything is always everybody's fault, like wow, Bellamy, how dare you not have psychic "bad things are about to happen" superpowers. 

He should've known she'd been planning something; she'd been talking for weeks about how hungry some of the children in her unit had been. It had been only a matter of time before she did something to feed them--even if it meant stealing. His selfless little sister was sentenced to die for having too big of a heart.

It was his job to protect her. And for the first time in her life, he'd failed.

So, yeah, if you didn't already know that Bellamy has some serious issues, those two paragraphs maybe give you a little clue. But oh, my friends. My dear, dear friends, it gets so much worse. You have no idea. 

Flashback time! That was one of Morgan's better transitions, actually. Which is sort of sad in context, but anyway, now we're on the Colony, where tiny!Bellamy is about to make us all LOVE HIM EVEN MORE OH MY GOD HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE.

Bellamy threw his shoulders back and raised his chin. He was tall for a six-year-old, but that didn't stop people from staring as he made his way through the crowd at the distribution center. It wasn't against the rules for children to come on their own, but it was rare. He went over the list his mother had made him repeat back to her three times before she'd let him leave their flat. Fiber meal--two credits. Glucose packets--one credit. Dehydrated grain--two credits. Tuber flakes--one credit. Protein loaf--three credits.

He darted around two women who'd stopped to grumble in front of some white things that looked like brains. Bellamy rolled his eyes and kept moving. Who cared that Phoenix got all the good stuff from the solar fields? Anyone who wanted to eat vegetables probably had little, mushy white brains themselves.

I hyperventilated a little when I first read that so I'll give you a moment to process SIX YEAR OLD BELLAMY BLAKE. Jesus fucking Christ.

So, two big things in this passage: ECONOMY and AGRICULTURE. Like, economy, of course, obviously they'd need some kind of monetary system, and it's no surprise that Morgan falls back on some sci-fi staples here: "credits," and lol, "tubers," which after years of sci-fi I still picture as the play-doh food from Farscape, even though it's really just a weird-sounding way of saying "potatoes and other potato-adjacent vegetables." 

But "solar fields" ??????????? The Colony has farming? Seriously? Where?! How?! What?! This is so interesting tell me more about that!! Why do I care about any of these people's lives when you could be explaining this super cool self-sustaining fucked up dystopian society in space???!?!?!?

Also, can I just say that I really appreciate that Morgan doesn't do that annoying thing some authors do when writing from the perspective of children, where they assume because somebody is young means they're stupid? I really appreciate that. I know it's more because she's not a very flexible writer than any deliberate consideration, but still. That just annoys me so much.

Bellamy cupped his hands under the fiber dispenser, caught the packet that slid out, and tucked it under his arm. He started to make his way over to the tuber section when something bright and shiny caught his eye. Bellamy turned and saw a pile of red, round fruit inside a display case. Normally, he didn't care about the expensive things they locked away--twisted carrots that reminded Bellamy of orange witch fingers, and ugly mushrooms that looked more like brain-sucking black-hole zombies than food.

Uh, so what do carrots look like normally? And what the fuck is a "brain-sucking black-hole zombie"? Is that supposed to be a hint on how urban legends would change in a culture that exists in space, and kids tell stories about space zombies that live in black holes and suck out brains? I mean, I think that's what that means? But, um, why do they look like mushrooms? 

But these were different. The fruit was a rosy pink, the same color that his neighbor Rilla turned when they played alien invasion in the corridor. Or used to play before Rilla's father was taken away by the guards and Rilla was sent to live in the care center.

Oh my God, I was like, charmed and melty with cuteness, and now I'm horrified. I'm melty/horrified.

Bellamy stood on his tiptoes to read the number on the data panel. Eleven credits. That sounded like a lot, but he wanted to do something nice for his mother. She hadn't gotten out of bed for three days. Bellamy couldn't imagine being that tired.

"Do you want one?" an irritated voice asked. He looked up and saw a woman in a green uniform glaring at him. "Order it or step aside."

Wow, lady. The fuck is your damage, he's six. Everybody on the Colony just seems like they're constantly having the worst days of their entire lives, which...oh my God, okay, they totally are. Never mind.

Heat rose to Bellamy's cheeks, and for a moment, he considered running away. But then a surge of indignation washed over his embarrassment. He wasn't going to let some sour-faced distribution worker stop him from getting his mother the treat she deserved. "I'll take two," he said in the haughty voice that always made his mother roll her eyes and ask, I wonder who you got that from? "And don't rub your fingers all over them," he added pointedly.

First: oh my God what a shit I love him so much, and second: is that "I wonder where you got that from" line supposed to be a subtle hint about Bellamy and Octavia's father? I feel like that's a subtle "Luke, he's your father" hint. 

The woman raised her eyebrow before glancing at the guards behind the transaction table. No one on Walden liked the guards, but his mother seemed particularly afraid of them. Lately, she'd grab Bellamy's hand and turn in the other direction whenever she saw a patrol team approaching. Could she have done something wrong? Were the guards going to come take her away like they'd taken Rilla's father? No, he told himself. I won't let them.

Okay, so clearly Aurora is pregnant and this is actually really heartbreaking, if the entire book was told from the perspective of tiny, indignant, angry and protective Bellamy Blake, I would turn into a sobbing pile of uselessness and never leave my room ever ever again. I mean, actually, why isn't there a book out there entirely from the perspective of a child living in an oppressive society? I mean, there probably is, I just haven't read it yet.

Or, like, maybe it doesn't exist because you can just walk up to any random child in America and listen to them talk for a while. Ha ha. Ha. 

So Bellamy gets his rebellion apples and then books it the fuck outta there, running all the way home like the cutie patootie freedom fighter he is, where there's another hint about the pregnancy, because the lights are broken and Aurora hates putting in maintenance requests. Then he finds her out of bed, standing in front of the window and probably freaking the hell out because what the fuck is she actually going to do oh my god my heart is already shriveling up into miserable dust about this.

His mother inhaled sharply but didn't turn around. "Bellamy," she said, as though he were a neighbor dropping by for an unexpected visit. "You're back. Leave the food on the table and go to your room. I'll be right there."

Disappointment pressed down on him, weighing his feet to the floor. He wanted to see the look on his mother's face when she saw the fruit. "Look!" he urged, stretching his arms forward, unsure what she could see in the reflection of the dark, dusty window. 

She twisted her head to look at him over her shoulder. "What are those?" She narrowed her eyes. "Apples?" She pressed her lips together and rubbed the side of her head like she used to do when she came home from work. Before she got sick. "How much did they--never mind. Just go to your room, okay?"

Bellamy's palms had begun to sweat as he placed the packets on the table near the door. Had he done something wrong? The lights flickered and then went out. "Damn it," his mother muttered as she looked up at the ceiling. "Bellamy, now," she commanded. Or at least, he thought it was his mother. She was facing away from him again, and her voice swirled through the darkness until it didn't sound like her anymore.

Oh my God, this is horrible and I want to punch myself in the face. I have been Bellamy. I have literally been Bellamy, trying really hard to cheer up my mother and then feeling bereft and guilty and completely lost when it doesn't work, because when you're a kid you don't know what depression is and you don't know that it isn't your fault. I have also been Aurora, unable to pull myself up out of the ditch I've fallen into, even for a child that I love dearly (like, not mine, my brother and sister), and taking it out on them a little because you can't help it, and then feeling like shit afterwards and the whole thing is just an ugly, sad spiral. 

This is the best part of this book, hands down. I don't think I'm spoiling anyone when I say that this story doesn't end happily, and the Aurora flashbacks are fucking terrible with how sad and tragic they are. I've given Kass Morgan a lot of shit, and will continue to do so, but I've got nothing bad to say about this part of the novel. She is fucking on point.

So yeah, that happens, and as Bellamy is going off to his room, he notices that her stomach is really big, because she's pregnant, of course, and then we're back to the present. For Bellarke stuff. Because this chapter is a balm to my soul.

Clarke asks him how Octavia's doing, and Bellamy's like, "she's okay," because lol she sprained her ankle and now she's sleeping, it's not all that complicated, and then we get this amazing piece of amazingness that I've seen on at least two gifsets so far:

"Good." She raised as lightly singed eyebrow. "Because it'd be a shame if you followed through on your threat from last night."

"What did I say?"

"you told me that if I didn't save your sister, you'd blow up the goddamn planet and everyone on it."

Bellamy smiled. "Good thing it's only a sprained ankle."

What a coupla jerks. I just love them.

He cocked his head to the side and surveyed Clarke quizzically. The skin under her eyes was bruised with exhaustion, but the purple shadows just made them look greener. He felt a twinge of guilt for being such a jerk to her the night before. He'd pegged her as another self-absorbed Phoenix girl who was training as a doctor because it gave her something to brag about at parties. But the strain in her delicate face and the blood matted in her reddish-gold hair made it clear she hadn't stopped to rest since they'd landed.

I mean, I dig this because Bellamy is clearly a giant marshmallow underneath his snappy, defensive exterior. Like, I knew that already, but it's just nice to get it confirmed, you know.

you know who else was prickly and defensive before being won over by the rebel with a heart of gold??? mmhmmmmm

Also, it's nice to finally get a physical description of somebody, for fuck's sake, this is literally the first mention we get of what Clarke looks like. Or anybody looks like. I'm pretty sure the only other detail we know at this point is that Bellamy is tall. 

But yeah anyway, book!Clarke is a redhead with green eyes. If I hadn't already cast 50s-era Paul Newman in the role, I'd totally go for a Lucy Ricardo vibe here.

So Bellamy asks her about the beef she has with Wells, and Clarke is like "dude, don't be nosy," and Bellamy proceeds to pull off the most awkward, over the top, dorky flirting in the history of teenagers:

"Is he your boyfriend?" Bellamy pressed.

"No," Clarke said flatly. But then her mouth twitched into a questioning smile. "Why do you care?"

"Just taking a census," Bellamy replied. "Specifically, to determine the relationship status of all the pretty girls on Earth."

Oh my God, what a geekazoid. He is literally that nerdy guy at the bar who walks up and gives you a pickup line out of one of those joke books, winking like it's supposed to be ironic but you know he secretly sort of hopes it's gonna work. 

So Clarke sidesteps that like a pro and changes the subject to how she's worried about Octavia, which is utter brilliance. Like, we all wish we could move past awkward flirting that smoothly.

Clarke rolled her eyes, but then she turned back to Octavia and the playfulness drained from her face.

"What is it?" Bellamy looked from Clarke to his sister.

"Nothing," Clarke said quickly. "I just wish I had some antiseptic for that cut on her face. And some of the others are going to need antibiotics."

If she didn't do that shit on purpose, I'll eat my own shoe, oh my God. "Oh nothing," she says casually, "just, your sister might die, possibly. But we can go back to flirting if you want." Seriously.

So Bellamy is rightfully a little alarmed at the news that they have no medicine, and Clarke maybe realizes she went a little far and tries to backtrack, being all "oh, but humans are really tough or whatever, I'm sure we'll be just fine praying to the Moon Goddess to heal our wounds, lol," and then she stares at Bellamy's bloodstained uniform, probably because Bellamy in bloodstained clothing is really fucking hot. Or it reminded her that he almost-murdered somebody, whichever.

Bellamy grimaced as he glanced down, wondering if she was thinking about the Chancellor. Bellamy hoped he'd survived--he had enough blood on his hands already. But it probably didn't matter one way or another. Whoever the Council sent down with the next group would most certainly be authorized to execute Bellamy on the spot, regardless of the fact that the Chancellor's injury had been an accident. As soon as Octavia was well enough to move, she and Bellamy would be out of there. They'd hike for a few days, put some distance between themselves and the group, and eventually find somewhere to settle down. He hadn't spent months poring over those ancient survival guides he'd discovered on B deck for nothing. He'd be ready for whatever was waiting for them in those woods. It couldn't be worse than what was going to come hurtling down from the sky.

Couple things. Number one: have I mentioned how I want to curl into the fetal position every time Bellamy casually thinks about how they're going to kill him? Because I want to curl into the fetal position every time Bellamy casually thinks about how they're going to kill him. Number two: Bellamy's grand plan is literally to build he and Octavia a rustic cabin in the woods and live off the land for the rest of forever. This simultaneously the most naive and wonderfully amazing thing ever. Also, my dream ending for this series - book and show. Bellamy, Octavia and Clarke in a rustic cabin, the end. Raven's there too. And they all have really good sex and nothing bad ever happens, shut up.

So then Clarke tells Bellamy that it'll be a few days before Octavia can walk on it, while Bellamy stares goofily at her thinking about how pretty her smile is. Then Clarke gets called away by someone and vanishes. Like a ghost.

But before he had time to respond, someone called Clarke's name and she was gone.

Literally like a ghost. I wasn't kidding.

So then there's this paragraph, which I'm going to quote because it's really cool.

Bellamy took a deep breath. To his surprise, the simple act cleared his head, leaving him more awake and alert. It'd probably turn out to be toxic, but every time he inhaled, he sensed something unnameable but intriguing, like a mysterious girl who wouldn't meet your eyes but passed closely enough for you to catch a whiff of her perfume.

That is...not the weirdest metaphor I've ever read, but okay, obviously Bellamy is the type of guy who compares everything to either drugs or romanticized fantasies about women straight out of dime store mystery novels. What a fucking dork, I love it.

Then he mentions super casually that Wells had said they had landed on the East coast of the former United States, because that's not a conversation that we would've liked to see actually happen or anything. 

I'm still really confused as to why we're supposed to buy that there's all this untamed wilderness on post-apocalyptic Earth, like...wreckage? Evidence of industrialization? Debris? Cities? Hello? Adventure Time does a better job of portraying a realistic vision of post-nuclear war Earth than either versions of this dumb story, and that's really quite sad, considering one of the main characters is an immortal, sentient piece of bubblegum. Like, just think about that, for a second.

there's also vampires and a talking dog and way better feminism.

So then, a girl with a narrow face and stringy hair shows up, because you either get a name or a introductory, physical description in this book. One or the other. This isn't Hannah Montana, you don't get the best of both worlds.

"Wells says everyone who's not hurt should collect wood."

A thread of irritation coiled around Bellamy's stomach and he gave the girl a tight smile. "I don't think Wells is in any position to be giving orders, so if it's all right with you, I'm going to worry about myself, okay?" She shifted uneasily for a moment before shooting a nervous glance over her shoulder. "Off you go," Bellamy said, motioning her forward with his hands.

He's being awfully polite for a rebellious almost murderer rebel child. It's almost like he's SECRETLY A GIANT MARSHMALLOW. 

He craned his neck and stared up at the sky, his eyes drinking in nothing but emptiness in all directions. It didn't matter where they were. Any spot on this planet was going to be infinitely better than the world they'd left behind.

For the first time in his life, he was free.

*lies down* Okay. That's a hell of a sentence to end on, I've got nothing at all poignant to say other than "the Colony's so fucked up, man, so fucked up" and "let's hold hands and talk about Bellamy's feelings." But I do that all the time anyway, so what's the point.