Chapter Text
Lexa took a deep breath as she opened the mail that just ticked in. She had been waiting in two months for this. A few years ago, going to the university seemed like an impossible option.
It had been so stressful, with an abusive, alcoholic stepfather and a stressed out mother, who hadn’t had any mental energy to actually be a mother for Lexa. She learned things the hard way, dropped out of high school and went away from her hometown to start on a fresh. Her father lived far away so he wasn’t of much help. Besides, she didn’t want to worry him and as a result, he knew nothing about the circumstances at home.
The only one who knew about this, was Anya. She had met her at a gay club two years ago when Lexa was still living with her now-ex Costia and Anya quickly became like a sister for her. They had been living together the past few months and Anya had helped her with homework, applying for the university, sticking to a budget and other things that she didn’t learn at home.
Lexa gasped as she read the first words: “Congratulations! We are happy to inform that you’ve been admitted into Woods University! We look forward to meeting you next semester!” It was followed by a lot of general information and several links, but Lexa couldn’t concentrate on reading the rest. She got accepted!
She hugged her pillow and could feel how the fabric got wet underneath her chin from her blissful, relieved tears. Fucking finally.
----
Getting off the train, Lexa wasn’t quite sure where to go. This city was completely new territory for her and she always gets anxious whenever she’s trying something unfamiliar.
Anya had prepared her for this day during the last couple of weeks. It was not like she wasn’t able to speak with other people or anything. They've just been moving around a lot when she was a kid so every “first day at school” brings up some unpleasant memories and the feelings of gaining new friends just to lose them again a year after. She shook her head as if it could make the memories disappear again.
Back in the present she discovered a group of people around her age heading towards what seemed to be the city center. The semester introduction and “get-together”-breakfast should be close to downtown so she decided to follow them.
Luckily she was right and soon she was placed between two broad shouldered guys from her new semester. It was cold and raining but she tried to keep up a positive spirit and small talked with her new classmates between the occasional information they got over the speakers.
On their way to campus a brown-haired girl and a black haired boy almost pushed her over in an attempt to balance on a fountain placed in the middle of the city square.
“Oops! We’re so sorry! We didn’t see you there. “ The girl apologized to her.
“Haha, it’s okay. I know the feeling - sometimes you just have to climb a fountain, whatever it takes.” Lexa smiled at them. “I’m Lexa. What’s your name?” “Hi Lexa, nice to meet you! I’m Raven and this is Bellamy. We went to highschool together.” Bellamy held out his hand and Lexa took it and nodded at him. “Pleasure.” she said.
Lexa quickly learned that those two were full of surprises. They knew their way around campus since one of Bellamy’s best friends, John had been studying at the University the year before.
She thought that they were both fun to hang out with and especially Raven seemed like a potentially good friend-to-come.
Luckily her and Raven ended up being in the same tutor group and from the beginning they already discussed tactics in how to get to the coolest parties. “It’s important to socialize from the beginning or else you will become a total loser by the end of first semester” Raven had said. Lexa didn’t agree since this wasn’t her first rodeo but she didn’t say anything. If Raven cared so much about the social game, then so be it. She was just in it for the fun of it.
They got separated by lunch time since Lexa had to ask the kitchen staff for the vegetarian option. As she waited for the cook to be available, she noticed another girl waiting as well.
“Are you a vegetarian too?” Lexa asked her.
“Huh, what?” The girl confusedly replied, as she hadn’t noticed that Lexa was standing right next to her.
“Oh-Vegetarian. No unfortunately not but I often like the veggie option better. What about you? I’m Clarke by the way, and you are?”
“..Lexa. Nice to meet you and cool to meet another one who prefers it so I don’t stand here alone, with my special diet haha. Yeah I’ve been a vegetarian for about seven years or so.”
“Woah, seven years?” Clarke’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s a long time! And I mean, as far as I can see you aren’t dead or anything. Don’t you miss meat sometimes?”
Lexa laughed at her reaction. She seemed funny and they continued their talk for a bit before Clarke invited her to sit at her table for lunch. She looked around to see if Raven was anywhere nearby. Nah, she probably joined Bellamy’s group when they got separated. She guessed that she could find her again later on.
When eating with Clarke, Lexa quickly learned that she had been moving a lot as a kid as well. Coming from a place far away, and moved for the fifth time, Clarke knew a thing or two about “First Day of school”. They both groaned by the thought of endless team-building events and receiving the same questions over and over. Lunch time passed quickly and they said their goodbyes before returning to each of their tutors.
---
Anya had texted her throughout the day, asking if everything went okay. Lexa hadn’t had the time to answer her so she called her as soon as she got on the train back home.
“Hey my little sister-from-another-mister. I was worried about you! How was your day?” Anya teased when she picked up her phone.
“Sorry, I’ve just been super busy. I met these two really cool people, Raven and Bellamy, and Raven has already found a party for us to attend to tomorrow. I’m so excited! I also met this almost-vegetarian girl and we had a few things in common. It was great. So much better than I expected.” Lexa answered, voice eager of excitement and her head spinning from all the events that had happened already.
They talked for a bit, even though they both knew they were gonna see each other in a matter of minutes. It was an old habit from before they lived together and none of them didn’t really want it to stop. Having a sister like Anya meant the world to Lexa, since she rarely sees her own family because they’re all living in the other end of the country.
Tired but happy she collapsed on her bed as soon as she arrived home.
“I hope this year will be just as good as today promised it would be.” Lexa thought for herself, before giving in to a much needed sleep.
---
After lectures ended the day after, Lexa followed Raven and Bellamy home at Bellamy's apartment to relax a bit before the party later that night. She didn't quite knew who was attending it but Raven had promised that it was gonna be lit so naturally she had to go as well. Bellamy lived pretty close by the campus which was very convenient. They spent the afternoon playing Mario Carts on his TV and eating pizzas in the couch. Lexa could get used to this. She liked hanging out with the both of them. It was super relaxing and not at all like they had just met.
She didn't bring any alcohol with her though so she had to go down to the grocery store to get some before the part started. They agreed on meeting up later on as she went out to buy it.
Lexa had only walked a couple of hundred metres before she heard a familiar voice.
"But O! I am going in the left direction but I don't see any ocean? Are you sure that you're looking at the right place? I told you it was the old fabric in the East end of the city. What? No-no of course I appreciate your help but we've been doing this for half an hour now and I'm kind of losing my patience here." Clarke sounded frustrated as she was walking back and forth on the sidewalk nearby.
As she came closer to her, Clarke looked in her direction and her face turned into one big smile. "Wait O, hold on I just saw somebody from my school- Lexa!! You have no idea how happy I am to see a familiar face!" She greeted her and Lexa smiled back.
"Getting a bit lost aren't we?" she smirked at her.
"Haha yeah, hold on.. O, you're still there? Yeah I think Lexa knows where it is. No, you don't have to-Okay yeah. Thank you. Talk soon! Bye." She hung up on her friend. "As you probably heard I'm counting on you to lead the way from now. If you don't know it, well then we're pretty screwed."
Lexa laughed, suddenly getting a bit shy. "Lucky you found me then. I happen to know the way since my friends Raven and Bellamy showed me earlier. I didn't know that you were going to the party as well?"
As they bought alcohol and went to the party together, Clarke told Lexa about how she had been without internet data or WiFi so she had to call her friend Octavia, who lives in the other end of the country and then Octavia tried to lead her throughout the phone without having been in the city herself or whatsoever. She had been walking in circles for the past 30 minutes and was about to give up or punch somebody when Lexa showed up.
---
The party wasn't as 'lit' as Raven had promised and when Clarke and Lexa met up later, around 11pm, they found out that they were both living in the same city so they could hit the train back home together.
"When should we go?" Clarke asked.
"We could take the train in half an hour or we could wait until 3:30am, fingers crossed that this gets more energetic later." Lexa replied as she looked around in the room.
Most of the people had gone already or was just sitting around at the tables, not really talking much. Nobody really knew each other so it was essentially just a pool of awkwardness stuffed inside this small brick box of a building. The latter wasn't very likely to happen was her conclusion.
Clarke, probably reaching the same conclusion, said; "Okay. Then we should go. Now. No time for goodbyes to anyone."
---
They were running through the streets, Lexa leading the way yet again. It was almost midnight so they ran out in the middle of the road, giggling caused by the slight buzz they were both feeling in that moment.
“L-eexaa, ehr, are you sure this is the right way? We HAVE to catch that train, otherwise we will be stuck in this city all night!” Clarke asked and looked a bit worried.
“Yeah yeah, don’t worry. I got this.. But I should probably ask those guys over there just to be sure. Here, hold my beer please!” Lexa replied with confidence in her voice as she ran across the street to approach the strangers.
They didn’t know each other that well, so Lexa wanted to give a good impression. The guys she referred to was three boys, skating a couple of metres in front of them. Who even skates at midnight? Lexa wondered. She asked for directions and it turned out that they were already on the right path.
Lexa turned her head to face Clarke again. “See? Nothing to worry about.” She said with a small smirk.
“Pff, it never hurts to be sure. But I must admit, I’m quite impressed by your orientation skills. I suck at geographics! Thank God for Google Maps.” She gave her her beer back and Lexa took a sip, before deciding that she didn’t really want to drink more. Seemed unimportant in that moment.
---
They got on the train, minutes before it departed and found two seats in an empty section of the train. The coupé was accommodated with eight booths consisting of four seats, with a table in the middle, splitting them up in pairs.
Lexa chose a seat beside the window and Clarke took the seat in front of her. They were both tired, so they didn’t talk much. It didn’t seem awkward at all, though. Being quiet together. That’s unusual when you don’t know another person that well, she thought for herself, as she looked at Clarke. Damn, was that girl beautiful.
Blonde curls surrounding her round face, dimple chin, full lips and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. As she’s sitting there, Lexa couldn’t help but think how cute she was. Seemingly lost in thoughts she got a small frown over her face and was biting her lower lip.
While she was admiring her, she suddenly felt this urge to kiss her. A craving stronger than anything she had ever experienced before. Her mind completely wiped for any thoughts except the one where Clarke’s lips is pressed against hers.
This is stupid. She shouldn’t feel this way about a girl from her new college class, whom she barely knew. What are the chances that the hottest girl she had seen would be gay or bi? Of course she’s straight.
They always are, Lexa thought with the sad memories of all the straight girl crushes she had been through. No, not again. She will not let herself get hurt.
And okay, let’s pretend for a moment that Clarke is a not-straight-person. Why would she want to kiss her, anyway?
She could probably have anyone she wants. And how on earth could Lexa make a smooth move right there, in the train? There is a motherfucking table between them.
It’s not like she could just lean over and kiss her. The chances of rejection is 10 out of 10 and next thing Lexa would be known as the Creepy Lesbian who hits on all the girls. Nope, not a reputation she would want when she’s about to move to a new city.
Nah, it’s probably best to just let it go, Lexa finally concluded and looked out of the window, her mind drifting like the caravan passing the trees and fields outside. She felt her eyelids getting heavier and the sound of the train slowly fading, before everything turned black.
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