~~On the Outside, Always Looking In``

[Hadley Edwards]

Hadley sat back in his chair in the classroom watching as his students finished up with a test. It was a math test, something the kids had been struggling with for the last few weeks. He knew they were ready, but he still feared for a few of them. Math was certainly a difficult subject for many. He was lucky that he had a father educated in the maths and sciences, therefore this came easy to him. But some of these kids came from broken families or just weren't as educated as he was at their age. So that's where he came in. He wanted to make a difference in their lives even if it was just what they learned in school.

One by one, each student came up to hand in their test and then they left for the day, off to their homes to see mom and dad. He smiled at each child and took their tests, assuring them that they did fine. He had no idea until he looked over the tests themselves, but he knew these kids had studied hard. They had worked with Hadley for weeks before this and he knew they were ready. Smiles kept coming to his face with each "Bye, Mr. Hadley! Thanks Mr. Hadley! Have a great weekend Mr. Hadley!" He loved these kids and would do anything for them. And to know they liked him too, it made all the difference.


As the last child left, Hadley sighed and smiled again. He was so proud of these kids regardless of what these test grades were. Picking up the pile, he started to thumb through them putting them in alphabetical order so that grading would be easier. Starting from the top, he pulled out a red pen and started to go through the tests, grading them one by one.

At some point he looked up at the clock and saw that it had gotten relatively late past the school day. Almost 6. But he didn't want to stop until all the tests were graded. Suddenly he heard a noise in the hallway and he knew that he wasn't alone anymore. He thought perhaps it was one of his students coming back. That had happened....a student would come by to ask him questions or just to have someone to talk to.

"Hello?" He said from his seat, hoping whoever was outside in the hall would not be afraid to come and speak to him.


Tag: Faye Bates

[Faye Bates]

Part of Faye wished she could be as naive as the others. She wished she could believe the mountain people wanted nothing but to help them. But that's not what she believed. She thought they wanted something. Why be so nice to a group of people? It was about survival down here and it wasn't like they had unlimited supplies. Her only source of comfort had been her best friend, Clarke. Clarke and Faye had both found the mountain men to be suspicious. Neither girls trusted them. So Faye had been more than upset when she found out that Clarke had escaped without her. The two had been trying to think of a way to get their people out, but nothing solid had been formed. Faye knew that Clarke would never leave her behind on purpose. She knew that she had probably seen a chance and taken it. In her mind, she tried to calm herself down, telling herself that Clarke would come back, but that didn't stop her from feeling a little hurt.

She took the wandering the halls. She got lost in her own thoughts but didn't try looking for a way out. They were being watched closer than ever, so she didn't even bother. She must have made her way down to the school area, as she soon saw pieces of art on the walls. The art looked like it had been done by very young children and she took a moment to stare at one of the pictures. It wasn't good. It looked like a little kid had done it. Faye had never been able to understand how parents could act like they loved these pictures. She supposed it came down to the love they had for their children. Faye had never felt the need to become a mother so she couldn't really understand, but that's what she had always been told.

Someone called out and she turned her head in the direction of the room it had come from. Faye could either ignore the voice and keep walking, or go inside and talk to the person. She knew it would be a mountain man and while she held a distaste for them, she did see the benefits of befriending one. Perhaps they could help her escape. So, Faye made her way into the classroom and offered a forced smile. "Sorry. I was just looking at the pictures out here," she explained.

Tag: Hadley Edwards

[Hadley Edwards]

tag: Faye Bates

Hadley looked up as as a girl walked into his classroom. He returned her smile though he could tell hers was much more forced than his own. His status as a Mountain Man was certainly not missed by her he was sure of it. "Hi there...can I help you?" He asked kindly, putting his pen down as to give the girl his full attention. He didn't want to seem rude and make it as if he were ignoring her. At her mention of the pictures, he smiled. "My students pride themselves on their artwork, something they do to pass the time during class. A lot of them don't get to play at home, so art here is what keeps them happy." He pointed around the room. "It's everywhere." he chuckled. 


His students did artwork nearly every day. He even had some hung up in his apartment. Many of his students often gave him pictures they had drawn for his birthday or other holidays. It was very sweet but eventually he was going to run out of room. He wasn't so sure who this young woman was. She was certainly not from the Mountain as he would have recognized her. She had to be from the Ark; from the sky. 


Since these people had come down he had become increasingly more interested in them. What they were like, who they were, what their genetic make up was. How was it they could walk freely outside the walls of the Mountain. How had they survived outside for so long with all the dangers that lurked there. There was so much he wanted to know but honestly none of the Arkers really wanted anything to do with him or his people. The Mountain was merely a stopping ground for them to recoup and gather supplies. They didn't see it as a home like he and his people did. 

[Faye Bates]

Sure. He could help her get the hell out of there. But she knew that wasn't going to happen and if she wanted to eventually see if he would help her, she had to come at this from a different angle. Faye shook her head at his question. "I was just looking around," she explained. See? She wasn't being overly suspicious. She could be curious like the other delinquents, even if she technically wasn't a delinquent. She wasn't sure if being a little older than the rest made the mountain men overly cautious of her. Well, at least the Wallace's didn't seem overly trusting of her. They knew how close she was to Clarke and they knew Clarke had successfully escaped. If they were smart enough, which seemed like they were, then they knew that Faye was itching to get out just as much as her blonde counterpart.

"You look a little young to be a teacher," she mused, walking into his classroom, her eyes glancing around the room. "What do you teach?" Faye asked. Her eyes looked at the walls and saw more drawings done by little kids. There were some other pictures, likely having to do with what they were learning about. Faye didn't know how they handled the whole school thing down here. On the Ark, their classes were separated by subject. They could also just be one large class where one teacher covered all of the subjects, but that's not what they had on the Ark. "You seem like you have questions about my people," Faye said lightly. She couldn't help a small smile that played on her lips. "You can ask me anything, if you'd like," Faye offered. "If I can ask you some things in return." And there was the catch. Faye wasn't going to ask things about security, but just questions she had in general. Questions that others might not want to answer.

Tag: Hadley Edwards

[Hadley Edwards]

tag: Faye Bates

Hadley chuckled at her question of his age. "I'm 23 and I teach 7 to 10 year olds." He smiled. "I got the job right out of my studies. I had always loved kids so it was really a no brainer that I'd work as a teacher." He looked around the room again, smiling at the thought of all his kids being back in the classroom again. "I teach them everything really. Math, science, history, english. They all love to learn as much as they can which is quite unheard of with kids...makes my job that much easier." He laughed again. 


At her mention of questions, he brought his eyes back to her. Ah, so there was a catch. He smirked sweetly. "I can't say I am that interested in you and your people." He let his smirk turn into a smile before he chuckled once more. "What I can say is I have an interest when beautiful young women walk into my classroom unannounced just 'looking at the paintings' outside my room." He smirked again. He knew she had to have been snooping. Her people were outsiders here. Her people were different. Just as he and his people were different to her. He wasn't quite sure where that surge of confidence came from, but he was going to go with it. 


He did have lots of questions for her. But she was more interested in his people. He could tell. "What is it you want to know?" He asked, sitting back in his chair, leaning against the blackboard watching her. He was an open book as long as he wouldn't get her or himself in trouble. The school day was done, but he could still educate someone else. 

[Faye Bates]

Faye nodded. She didn't see the appeal in spending time with little kids all day, but if that's what he enjoyed then that was great. Faye had never really been maternal, except maybe towards Clarke once in awhile. So it was difficult for her to understand how someone could genuinely enjoy spending all that time with kids. But Faye knew she simply didn't have that desire, just like how some people didn't have the desire to get married or question the unknown. "We had separate teachers for each subject," Faye explained in a normal tone. Her eyes were still scanning the classroom. It wasn't until he spoke again that she turned her gaze to him.

The mention of not really caring about her or her people was enough to grab her attention, but she was even more intrigued when he tried making a comment about beautiful women wandering into his classroom. Faye couldn't help but to raise a brow and chuckle at his comment. "I was looking around," she confirmed. Faye honestly wanted to find a way out but knew it wasn't likely. She knew the one exit was the one Clarke had probably taken. "I'd like to leave," Faye answered truthfully. "My friends are out there." Sure, they tried saying that Clarke was in the infirmary and being locked up for her own safety, but Faye didn't believe that. She knew her best friend has escaped.

What did she want to know? Well, that certainly was a loaded question. She wanted to know what was wrong with these people that they could drain grounders just so they could survive. "How much does everyone know about the grounders that your people hang upside down and drain?" Faye asked, walking further into his classroom and sitting on one of the tables in front of his desk. "And if your people were so intent on helping us survive, why wait as long as you did to come out to find us?" It wasn't like they were difficult to find. Granted, Faye knew that Hadley might not know most of these answers, but he said she could ask, so she did.

Tag: Hadley Edwards

[Hadley Edwards]

tag: Faye Bates

Hadley was a little taken aback at her response. Granted he was a little taken aback at his own words. He wasn't usually one to flirt, but it just came out of him. He couldn't take it back now. But it wasn't like she really went for it anyways. Her words about getting out made him chuckle again. "Wouldn't we all..." He looked towards the door. He wished he even knew what the real outside looked like. He had seen pictures, drawings, paintings. But never the real thing. At least she had seen it all. She had no idea how lucky she was. "I really can't help you leave....I'm not quite sure myself of how to get out. I just know some have done it. But my people...not so much. We wouldn't survive out there...not long." He looked over at her. 


Her next words only proved that she already knew what his people were doing. He wasn't proud of it. He himself had not agreed to the treatments no matter how badly he wanted to be outside. But he knew about it. His father was employed with the medical bay. But his father didn't participate in the blood draining. He refused. Granted he couldn't refuse his job completely, so he took care of patients post treatments. But he wouldn't subject himself to the actual torture.


When she sat in front of him, he leaned his arms on the desk and leaned on them gently. "Some people know. I know..." He said quietly and let his eyes meet hers. "I'm not proud to know and the only reason I do is because my father works as a doctor in medical." He rubbed his eyes gently. "He takes care of people post treatment. Refuses to help do the actual procedure." He opened his eyes again. "He refuses to undergo the treatment himself, as do I. I won't risk hurting others just so I can escape. No matter how badly I want to go outside" He said keeping his eyes on hers. She had to know that he wasn't one of those Mountain Men intent on hurting others despite what she may think. 


Her next question he wasn't so positive on an answer. "That I am unsure of. We knew we weren't alone. We've known about the Grounders....but I'm not really sure why our leaders took so long to 'find' you. Honestly I'm glad we did....people in here can get kind of boring after a while." He smirked at her. He had friends, sure, but he knew all there was to know about them. He knew their quirks and their ticks. He liked to get to know new people, interesting people. This girl was one of those people.

[Faye Bates]

The softness of his words made her pause. He couldn't leave. He was as much of a prisoner as she was. This may have been his home his entire life, but he couldn't leave. He couldn't see the world. In a way, she knew how he felt. Up on the Ark, they only had the Ark. It wasn't like they could go out into space and just look for something else. The Ark was the only thing that kept them alive in space, just like the mountain was the only thing that kept these people alive on Earth. "Maybe someday the radiation levels will go down far enough where you can," she offered with a soft smile. It was uncharacteristic of her to be nice to someone she didn't know. Faye wasn't a particularly mean person but when her guard was up, she didn't think about sparing the feelings of others. 

Faye was a little surprised to hear that he refused the treatment. She didn't know that some people could simply refuse the grounders' blood. But knowing that made her think he could be different. Not everyone had to be the same in here, just like how not everyone was the same on the Ark. Faye thought about how they were draining the grounders of their blood and using that to go outside, even if for a minute. What was the point of doing all of this if they were only making enemies? Didn't they see that even if they did manage to stay outside, they would constantly be hunted by grounders who were seeking revenge for the loss of their loved ones. 

"No group of people is perfect," Faye confessed with a sigh. "We had rules on the Ark and sometimes they were broken. But the punishment was death. People were floated for stealing some food to feed their children. It just . . . wasn't right," Faye said. It all started coming out so quickly. "My father was floated. My best friend, Clarke, her father was floated because he figured out the oxygen supply on the Ark was getting low and there was no fixing it." Faye looked up at him for a moment and chuckled lightly at his words. She knew what it was like to be stuck with the same people day in and day out. "I bet," she mused. 

Tag: Hadley Edwards

[Hadley Edwards]

tag: Faye Bates

Hadley sighed at her words. He wanted her to be right. He wanted to be able to go outside and breath in air that wouldn't kill him. But he knew that that could never happen. "I wish that were true...but I think we are far from that." He gave her a sad smile. He wanted nothing more than to know what it was like to step onto the grass and feel fresh flowing water pass by his fingers. But nothing would ever make him take that treatment. It wasn't worth hurting others to get it. 


As she explained the Ark's way of punishment his eyes widened in awe and fear. "Floated? Like into space? Oh that's awful...I'm so sorry...I can't even imagine what that's like...or what it must be like to watch a loved one go through it." He thought he had it bad...but being let out into space? That's awful. This girl was something different and he could tell based on how she spoke to him. She came in here defensive and reserved...but now she was starting to open up. As was he. That was big for him. 


When she agreed about being with the same people, he chuckled. "It's just...I don't know...some people here are so boring. I try to hang out with people but they're either like talking to a wall or all pro treatment and I feel weird not participating in the conversation." He shrugged. "But you're obviously not pro treatment...and you're certainly not boring.." He smirked again. "I'm Hadley by the way..." He said softly bringing his eyes back to hers again. It was about time they knew who each other was. 

[Faye Bates]

She knew there was no magic cure for the radiation. She knew that his people couldn't go outside because they became better overnight. It had taken their people almost one hundred years to adapt to the radiation in space and it had allowed them to live on Earth. Faye didn't know if the radiation in space was worse than how it was on Earth, but she knew that some of her smarter friends would probably know. It would have been a great question for Raven and she realized that she actually missed the sassy mechanic. Faye didn't even know if she was alive and the thought made her upset. 

Pursing her lips, she nodded his head. It was exactly like getting sucked into space. "They would make them go into an airlock and then open it up. It would literally rip the person out into space." She cleared her throat before smirking at him. "So if you ever hear someone tell you to go float yourself, you'll know what they mean," Faye explained. He spoke of how boring people were or how much some of them preached about the treatment. She could understand how awkward that might make him feel, especially if he was particularly against it. But she knew where he was coming from. She knew how some people could be near impossible to converse with. "I've had no one but kids to talk to for the past few weeks," Faye explained. "Trust me. I feel your pain." Bellamy was the only one close to her age but the two of them weren't exactly best friends.

Hadley. It certainly was an interesting name and not one she had heard of up on the Ark. Then again, she was certain they had some names that weren't common down here. "I'm Faye," she introduced herself. This certainly had not been what she was expecting. She hadn't expected to come exploring and stumble upon someone she could genuinely talk to. She felt like her guard was going down but she couldn't let it down all the way. She felt like Hadley was a genuine person but she also knew how people could be deceitful when they wanted something bad enough.

Tag: Hadley Edwards

[Hadley Edwards]

tag: Faye Bates

Hadley was shocked about her answer regarding the airlock. How could people do that to other people? He would never know the answer. Hurting people was never his idea of a good time, but torturing? That was even worse. And what she described sounded just like that. He chuckled softly however at her mention of floating oneself. He would be sure to try and not upset anyone enough to get told that. 


He laughed again when she said she had spoken to kids for the past few weeks. "Welcome to my daily life..." He smirked. "I talk to kids all day everyday five days a week." He loved it though. He couldn't imagine another job that he would enjoy more. But he agreed that it could get boring only having children to talk to after a while. "But you can talk to me...I promise I can be more entertaining than kids." He laughed again. 


At the sound of her name, he smiled. "Faye...I like that." He didn't know anyone by that name and it fit her personality...and her beauty that was for sure. "Well Faye...what do you say we get out of here...that way you don't have to look at the daily reminder of my students." He chuckled softly. "I don't quite know where we could go...but I am ready to get out of my classroom." He smiled. "What do you say?" He awaited her answer.

[Faye Bates]

"You couldn't pay me enough to do that," Faye said with a light laugh. A genuine laugh, which sounded strange to her. When was the last time she had actually laughed? Her mind thought of Unity Day with Clarke and her other friends. The alcohol had been a nice touch that night, so she knew that was the last time she had really laughed. Faye didn't say anything to his offer about being able to talk to him. Normally she would talk to Clarke, but her best friend was gone. She had never really opened up to anyone other than her blonde counterpart, but that had always been because people she cared about died. And for all she knew, Clarke could very well be dead right now.

He suggested not having to look at the daily reminders of his students and she laughed again. He must have known that she couldn't find the beauty in the art of these kids. Faye knew that her drawings looked like that when she had been their age, but it didn't make much of a difference to her. She still found them to be unattractive. "Sure," she agreed after a moment of thinking. He very well could be leading her off to die for all she knew. No doubt Cage wanted her gone, knowing that she was trouble just like Clarke. Faye shrugged, not really sure where they could go. "You know this place better than I do," Faye pointed out.

Tag: Hadley Edwards

[Hadley Edwards]

tag: Faye Bates

Hadley smiled when she agreed to go with him. He wasn't really sure where he could take her, but at least she agreed to go with him. Standing up from his desk, he gathered his papers and books and filled his shoulder bag before slinging it onto his shoulder. He walked to the door waiting for her to follow before he turned off the lights and locked the door. 


"So since I caught you snooping down here...where else have you explored?" He asked smirking. He could tell she was one to want to find out about her new surroundings. She already questioned hm and clearly wanted to know more. And he was happy to talk to her. She was kind....intriguing....beautiful....there wasn't anything about her that made him not want to talk to her.

"There's the art storage...that place is pretty cool. Usually guarded...but not on a Friday evening. That is unless you've already broken into there too..." He chuckled softly. "I mean it's pretty cool if you have an interest in art.." He looked around the halls where all of his kids art was displayed. "Art that isn't done by 7 year olds." He laughed again. 


He got to the elevator and opened it, letting her step in. Pressing a button to bring them away from the education floors, he leaned against the wall and looked over at her. "What else do you want to know?" He asked softly. He wanted her to know more....if he knew the answers. He knew  a  lot..but not everything.

[Faye Bates]

Faye got off the table and followed him out of the classroom. She chuckled when he mentioned that he caught her snooping. She wasn't necessarily snooping because she wasn't sure what she was looking for. "I prefer the term exploring, thanks," Faye teased lightly. She just felt better when she knew her surroundings. Faye had spent time getting to know the area around camp when she first came down and being in a new environment only made her feel uncomfortable about not knowing the area. She knew that she would slowly learn the mountain but she also hoped she wasn't there long enough to memorize it. She wanted to leave. She wanted to find Clarke and the rest of her people. "Not much," she confessed. "The floor that the dorm is on and then the floor with the dining room on it. But that's it." There hadn't been much on either of those floors.

Hadley mentioned the art room and she frowned. Faye wasn't someone that liked art but she knew Clarke did. Her best friend loved to draw and Faye always liked watching her draw, even if it had made Clarke uncomfortable at times. "Art isn't really my thing," Faye said after a moment of silence. She knew it could be beautiful but she just didn't appreciate it the way that others did. She felt a little bad turning down his offer to see the art storage, but she knew it would just make her think of Clarke. She followed him into the elevator and leaned against the wall opposite him. "I'm not sure," Faye confessed. He didn't seem like he knew a lot of important stuff, but he at least had the main insider knowledge. "I can't help but to feel like we aren't safe here. Like, we're only here because we serve a purpose."

Tag: Hadley Edwards

[Hadley Edwards]

tag: Faye Bates

Hadley chuckled. "Exploring it is." He had no problem calling it that. He knew she was just interested in learning more about his people. That was totally okay with him if it meant she could spend time with her. The elevator stopped and he stepped out, waiting for her. He was thinking of where he could take her. There were only so many places worth seeing. "There's the library? Do you like books?" He asked laughing softly. "There are only so many interesting places to show you."


When she mentioned not being safe, he felt his smile falter. "Look Faye...I'm not promising you that this is the safest place you and your people can possibly be right now." He looked at the ground as they walked to an unknown destination. "But I can promise you that I don't intend to harm you...or hurt you...And I don't have a ton of pull with many people here...but I do have pull with my father being in medical...and I'll do whatever I can to make sure that your people can't get hurt...I don't know what I can do...but I can try." He looked over at her again. He was powerless...but he could talk to people. And try to do anything he could to prevent her and her people from being tortured for no good reason.


Hadley looked around as they landed on Level 5. The mess hall and her residence were on this floor as well as the library. He would go wherever she wanted. His home was a couple of floors lower, but there really was nothing else worth looking at besides that. He didn't want her to be bored. But he also didn't want to just leave her here. He wanted to keep getting to know her...outside of just an outsider or an Arker.