Unwritten
'Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin'
It had been three months since her breakup with Finn. Clarke was not the type to dwell on things but something had been bothering her lately and she couldn’t put a finger on it. She had been living in the outskirts of the city with Octavia and their new roommate Raven.
Surprisingly her and Raven clicked instantly that night and have created a real bond. Initially Clarke assumed hanging with Raven would be a constant reminder of Finn, who she at one point in her life truly loved. However, it wasn’t like that at all. Raven had been a wonderful addition to their group. She had a way of always cracking a joke at the right moment and balancing out Octavia’s hyperness with Clarke's calmness.
Octavia had been up Clarke's ass about her artwork which could be a trigger to her bother. She was a recent grad of School of the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the top schools for art in the nation. Passed with flying colors, she immediately landed a job at a small newspaper company drawing comics. Though she hated it with every bone inside of her, money was now a problem.
The only reason Octavia was bothering her about the issues was because Clarke had a prepaid workspace where she could exhibit her artwork. For many years a small bakery ran in her father’s side of the family. Being the only child he quickly inherited the business but he never wanted it. After it closed down he decided two years ago, as a birthday present, to give the space to Clarke for her art works.
Once he had passed, Clarke found it hard to even walk into her studio anymore without the constant reminder it had. Her father had been her biggest fan and without him art wasn't the same. Day after day she sat in front of her blank canvas every night feeling uninspired.
It was eleven at night and today was just one of those days. Her coloring of a tiger was not going to get her any buyers. Raven suggested she call people to put their work up in her exhibition to help create discussion in the art community. Of course it was a great idea, considering Clarke could not come up with any sort art. Maybe other art would inspire her. So she spent the day calling up other rising artist and potential buyers to start building up her first exhibition.
Finally calling it a night she shut the lights off and locked the door. Outside a river flowed the streets. New York was experiencing one of those terrible rain storms and had highly suggested everyone remain indoors. The subways were closed so her only other option was to take a long walk home. Closing her eyes tight shut as the rain smashed loudly against her coat, she could feel herself ankle deep in water already. Checking to make sure she was going in the right direction she noticed the rare empty streets of the city. If you ever had a chance to experience one of those moments it felt as if you were watching New York being vulnerable. It never ceased to amaze Clarke as she understood this high expectation New York had and it was at these moments she didn't see it for its weakness but it's beauty.
Except for that one or two crazy people like her, no one filled the streets of the city so great they named it twice. However, Clarke was caught off guard when someone ran into her. It was impossible to see the face but it was clear it was a woman as she only wore a red shirt and blue jean shorts.
Though the hard rain and her hair covered her face, her dancing eyes stood out in the craziness that could distract any person, however, Clarke wasn’t any person. Immediately engrossed she felt as if she was walking through a dark forest as she stared into the woman’s green eyes. The kaleidoscope of dark greens for some reason looked like they had seen a lifetime, when in reality they had only seen a fraction. There was pain in the dark forest but the water splashing against her face seemed to reveal that pain she must hide. Clarke only could confirm that the woman was hiding her pain through the rain as her eyes were slightly swollen and red. It was a feeling Clarke had experienced one too many times.
“Oh my god. Are you okay? Do you need a jacket?” Clarke immediately looked to take off her own assuming the girl was homeless or something.
“No thank you I'm just enjoying the rain” She screamed over the smashing rain. Her wet hair covered her face but the girl didn't seem to have a care that her lips looked like they were turning blue.
“Are you crazy?” Clarke screamed back.
“No you are!”
“I don't understand!” She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the rain.
“What's your name?”
“Clarke!”
“Well Clarke, here is a life lesson for you. When you are so close to your dreams you have to remember what reality is. The sun, the rain, or whatever it is that’s out there is there to remind you that realities and dreams can be one as long as you don’t forget about the other.” The girl began to back up spreading her arms out to let the rain devour her. “Feel the rain on your skin, Clarke! No on else can feel it for you! That’s the only way to live.”
Clarke watched as this complete stranger gave her a life lesson that would stick with her for years. Laughing along with the girl she ran back to her studio suddenly inspired.
Art was Clarke’s voice, imagination, and dreams tied into one. Starring at the blank canvas she finally had an image in her head that she knew would be her greatest artwork yet.
Now determined, she stormed up to her apartment banging on her roommates’ door.
“GET UP!” Clarke walked around the apartment in her wet boots and jacket trying to get her two roommates to join her.
“Are you on drugs? It's three in the morning.” Raven came out of her room rubbing her eyes.
Octavia only groaned ready to sleep strangle Clarke for disturbing.
“Come on! I finally found it!” Clarke threw shoes at the girls.
“It better be millions of dollars.” Raven reluctantly put on her shoes secretly planning Clarke's death.
Finally both girls were ready and Clarke dragged them to the steps of their apartment.
“Come feel the rain!” Clarke shouted over the loud banging of water against the different objects. Her wet blonde hair began to cover her face but she didn't bother to remove it discovering why the girl had done the same, because she couldn't give a shit.
Reminded of the girl, Clarke began to dance in the rain letting the cool water hit her skin and electrifying her every movement. Something clicked in Clarke as if the rain was sort of a blessing. After her father's death, work and mom struggles, her breakup with Finn, and other issues it was like the universe was cleaning her.
Reality was giving her a chance to start over refreshing herself like some sort of nature baptism. Never had she experienced nature like this.
“It’s probably the fumes in her art studio.” Raven concluded as she watched Clarke dance in the rain. She nudged Octavia but her eyelids were tight shut.
Clarke may have experienced one of those life altering moments but all Octavia could think about was sleep and that's what she went to do.
Both Raven and Octavia headed back upstairs hoping to catch some more sleep before they had to get up in the morning. Grudgingly moving one foot in front of the other, Octavia suddenly felt a hand on her chest.
“Mmh?”
“Look.” Raven pointed out to the painting standing in front of their living room they had failed to notice earlier. Octavia slowly moved her head up to drop her boots, knowing exactly who the painting belonged to.
Walking over to the painting she immediately noticed the two different mediums Clarke used. A woman stood in the middle of the street with her arms stretched out wide. Everything had been in charcoal but the rain that fell. Using colored wax she melted on rain drops and everything it touched. The puddle surrounding the girl was mixed with all different sorts of waxed colors.
“I call it ‘Feel The Rain’” Clarke stood behind them arms crossed with a large grin on her face. Octavia traced the raindrops with her finger in awe. Looking in closer she could see the extensive detail Clarke had put into every stroke and motion of the painting. The tall building illuminated over the girl had the windows down to a tee with the color waxed carefully dripping from the rims. As well the girl's eyes were covered in charcoal creating a mask with strokes falling down as tear drops. However, her eyes were meticulously painted with numerous dark green to make her eyes pop out.
“Its beautiful.” Octavia whispered. Then and there she was brought back to the moment she saw Clarke’s drawing for the first time. Octavia laid eyes on the painting and knew there was something so enchanting about her abilities. The way she expressed her emotions had always inspired the younger one. This was the first time in a really long time Octavia got that same swell she did when she first saw Clarke draw.
“What inspired you?” Raven inquired.
Clarke wanted to tell them about the random girl she encountered that evening. However, something in her told her that the moment she had was too special to share.
“I guess thunderstorms are an inspiration to me.”
Octavia, fully awake now, turned towards Clarke and leaped into a hug. Raven still new to their group had no idea what this moment meant to Clarke.
“He would have been so proud of you.” Clarke did everything in her power to keep the tears running down her face. Both girls knew she couldn’t make art not because she didn’t want to but because she couldn’t. Deep down she felt as if her father’s death was the death of her own work but tonight proved differently.
“Thank you.” She choked up tightening her grip around Octavia.
-----
Two months later Clarke had finally found people to exhibit their artwork in her upcoming exhibition. Though she had one or two of her own she wish she had more of her own artwork as this was intended to be her exhibition.
After final preparations she closed the door to her studio awaiting tomorrow's big day. There was something oddly satisfying and scary not knowing what tomorrow will bring. Being her first exhibition, you wanted to make the best impressions or reviews would kill her and she could start with a terrible reputation.
The next day had gone so smoothly. Clarke stood in front of the entrance greeting buyers and thanking them for their presence. People were buying artwork and the place was packed. Clarke felt she was running on adrenaline as she counted some of the donations made. Most people had flooded out with only a few people lingering around.
“Awesome we'll finally be able to pay May’s rent.” Octavia placed a hand on Clarke's shoulder who was admiring the exhibition.
“It's August.”
“Yeah I know. We are so late on rent.”
“That bad?” Turning towards the younger she watched as she sighed in dismay.
“Here.” Taking the envelope from Octavia’s hand, Clarke opened it counting two hundred dollars in it. Lifting up the envelope she raised her eyebrow in question.
“It’s from Bellamy. He sends his donation and love to you. He feels bad he couldn’t make it tonight.”
Clarke instinctively went in for a hug grateful for the Blakes.
“Let me put this away.” Clarke headed towards the back where her studio was hidden. Bellamy was deployed to Iraq eight months ago. Clarke always wrote to him as there was something very calming when she wrote to him. He looked out for her, made sure everyone respected her in high school, and was just one of her closest friends.
Arriving at her desk, she took a sticky note and reminded herself to send a thank you letter to Bellamy later.
“Very spacious area you have here.” Letting out a small scream, Clarke jumped and spun around to encounter a woman in a dark red tight dress with long dirty blonde hair that curled down as it reached her shoulder. Her olive skin color complemented the red dress that highlighted her hips. She was a striking woman who held a sturdy grin.
“Excuse me you aren’t allowed to be back here.” Clarke clenched at her chest to make sure her heart was still there.
“I'm looking for the owner.”
“That's me.”
The woman gave a chuckle and placed her purse under her arm to use her hands. “No the owner of the building.”
“Still me.”
“Oh well excuse me then. How is the circulation in this building? Is everything up to date?”
How the hell was one supposed to answer that? Clarke assumed she was one of those crazy art buyers who needed everything so perfect that even the room temperature had to be right for it. Reading it once in some magazine she definitely did not exclude that option.
“Yes everything is up to date.”
“May I see the basement?” Why doesn’t she smile, Clarke inquired. Like how can people be so serious? Smiling is supposed to be good for the soul. Octavia and Raven always make her smile. Wait did she just ask her to see the basement?
“What?”
“I want to make sure there aren’t any animals living there. My boss likes a clean basement.”
“The basement is not for sale. This building is not on auction.”
“How much is it worth? We’ll double it.”
“No.”
“Fine, triple it.”
“Decuple it.”
“Deal.”
“Wait no, I was joking! No one has that kind of money.” She had to be on a prank show or something, after all this is New York City.
“My boss does.”
“Well tell your boss they can shove it up their ass. I don’t want any money.” Clarke had began to lead the woman out, still in awe she had the nerves to even ask.
“We won’t stop. When my boss wants something they get it, Miss. Griffin.”
“Goodbye.” Clarke reluctantly took the card that was being shoved in her face as she led the woman back out.
“This is just the star-” she started but stopped in her tracks. Clarke turned around when she didn’t feel the woman.
Clarke watched as she walked over towards the painting and stood in front. Her hands traced the outline of the girl just as Octavia had when she first saw it.
“What’s it called?” The woman whispered.
“‘Feel the Rain’” Her index finger meticulously followed the raindrops to the puddles.
“What is the representation behind it?” Eyes still fixed on the painting.
“Well uh it’s to remind you that realities and dreams can be one as long as you don’t forget about the other.” Clarke uttered as she reiterated what the girl had told her. When painting it the girl’s words replayed in her mind inspiring her to depict realities and dreams.
The woman turned away from the painting now out of her trance. Clearing her throat, she looked slightly embarrassed. “I’ll buy it.”
“Its back here for a reason. It’s not for sale.”
“I’ll triple your starting price.” For a second Clarke as felt she had touched the woman’s heart as she hoped her paintings would do one day. However, she could not believe this woman was constantly trying to throw money at her and could not respect the meaning of no.
“No.”
“We will give you enough money to support you until the day you die.” She casually suggested.
“No!”
“We can buy you a permanent house.”
“She’ll do it.” Both women turned around to find Raven standing in the entrance holding a cookie. Clarke’s eyes widened at the announcement.
“She’ll give you the art for six million dollars.” Raven offered.
“What about five.”
“What happens when she has a family. She could sell this to someone else at a better price.” Sighing the business woman pulled out her checkbook ready to make the deal.
“Who do I make this out to?”
“Clarke Griffin.” Just as the woman ripped it out of the book to hand it to Raven, Clarke instinctively reached out and snatched the check.
“I said no.” Suddenly she felt aggravated that her prized possession was being bartered. Ripping the check she continued, “Get out of my studio before I call the cops to drag you out.”
“Miss.Griffin I can assur-”
“Leave now.” Without another argument the woman left the studio leaving with the declaration of a battle. “This isn’t over.”
“You could make another painting Clarke. What’s the big deal?”
Too disgusted with Raven she used her shoulders to push into her. Clarke had a bigger issue on her hands now.