"I am the son and the heir of nothing in particular. I am human and I need to be loved just like everybody else does." - The Smiths

"Alexandra who is this girl you say is coming over?"

"Her name is Clarke, Mother. We were partnered up for a chemistry project."

"Clarke? That's an unusual name for a girl don't you think? What do her parents do for a living?"

"Her mother is a doctor and her father is an engineer."

"That's respectable. Is she catholic?"

"I'm not sure."

"Alexandra you should ask these things of people before you invite them into our home. Right Joseph?"

"Yes, dear." Alexandra's father replied, not once looking up from his newspaper or showing any kind of interest in the conversation.

"I'm sorry, mother. I'll remember next time."

But Alexandra wasn't sorry at all. She knew her mother would have been more upset if she made plans to study at someone else's house. Elizabeth Woods would rather her daughter be in the safety of her own home with a person not affiliated with their religion than have her daughter in the home of an unfamiliar family. And her father would always just agree with Elizabeth. It's probably easier for him to survive if he just stays quiet. Something he undoubtedly learned after 25 years of marriage to the dreadful blonde woman.

The honest truth was, Alexandra knew all about one Clarke Griffin. Clarke free-spirited athletic artistic beautiful Griffin. Clarke wasn't Catholic in any sense of the word. She was one of many students that attended a private catholic high school simply because it provided a better education than most other public schools in the Los Angeles area. She's popular AND smart AND beautiful AND nice to absolutely everyone she comes into contact with. Her two best friends, Raven and Octavia, are much of the same. Athletic geniuses open to any kind of friendship with anyone. The trio had been seen many times hanging around the resident computer nerd, Monty Green as well as the resident general geek, Jasper Jordan. Octavia even had a thing with Jasper once upon a time.

Clarke treats everyone like a human being. Something Alexandra would love to experience, but fear of her mother forces her to keep herself closed off from the rest of the world. Well, all but her boyfriend, Nate and best friend, Anya. Two people her parents approve of thankfully.

"When is Clarke due to arrive?" Elizabeth asked.

"Around 5 tomorrow evening. She has track and field practice after school and she'll come over after she showers."

"Track and field? Don't they wear those really tight spandex shorts that show...well everything?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not all the time." Alexandra replied. Her mother could be so critical over everything all the time and it was beyond annoying after dealing with it for 17 years. Growing up with strict parents was driving Alexandra mad and she wanted more than anything to have a chance to just relax and figure out who she was without influence of said parents.

...

Clarke was sitting at the island in her kitchen snacking on grapes and attempting to get some of her calculus homework done when her mom walked in.

"Hey, Sweetie." Abby greeted as she kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"Hey, Mom. Where's dad?"

"Working. He'll be home for dinner."

"Cool...Oh. Speaking of dinner. I won't be here for it tomorrow night."

"Why not?"

"I got partnered up with Alexandra Woods for a chemistry project. I'm going to her house after track practice to work on it."

"Woods...isn't that the really uptight family?" Abby replied.

"Yes." Clarke groaned. "I swear Alexandra is like a robot. She speaks like we're in pre-colonial Britain, but without the accent. It's like I'm Pocahontas and she's Governor Radcliffe. Okay maybe not that extreme. She's not rude or anything, it's just difficult to hold a conversation with her."

Abby smiled at Clarke's mini rant.

"Try and get to know her. Maybe she isn't as bad as she seems."

"Well she is on the soccer team and she has a boyfriend. So maybe Alexandra is at least semi social."

"That's the spirit. This project doesn't have to be a nightmare, Clarke."

"You're right." Clarke surrendered. "So, does this mean you're going to try and get to know her parents?"

"Elizabeth and Joseph? Of goodness no. I heard enough about them from Raven's mother to know that it's too late for them to be interesting at all. I mean have you seen those two interact with other humans? They're like robots."

"I don't know, mom. They are married to each other and they bring orange slices to the soccer games for the catholic kids so maybe living on the same planet as them doesn't have to be a nightmare." Clarke poked her tongue out at her mother.

"Don't throw my words back in my face!"

Clarke laughed out loud. "Can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen!"