Chapter Text
San Francisco. California.
A pretty blonde was slowly moving through an endless traffic jam in her old car. The day was amazing, the bright April sun was shining. The only thing that spoiled this wonderful morning was that today was the last day to deposit money on a loan for her small business. There was enough money that
managed to scrape together, but after that had to work seven days a week to save up for the next installment.
Clarke has dreamed of something of her own all her life, be it a small store or a cafe.
The Griffin family was small but very strong. After the death of her father, she and her mother could not get out of the prolonged depression for a long time, but after several years, supporting each other and substituting their backs in the most difficult moments, the mother and daughter managed to return to their usual life.
It's been ten years since Jack Griffin's death. The blonde always tried to do everything so that her father was proud of her.
The cars in the traffic jam were moving like snails, and Clarke's patience was already running out. The blonde's furious conclusions were interrupted by the mobile call.
- "Hey baby, are you busy? Because if you're busy, I'll call you back, but trust me, I have a great offer you can't refuse!" the voice of a friend chirped into the phone at the speed of a machine gun, not allowing the blonde to insert at least a word.
- “Stop Raven, I didn't understand half of what you said. What's the offer? Don't tell me this is your next crazy idea. Your offer for the sale of marijuana pies in my coffee shop was enough for me,” the blonde feigned indignation.
Clarke has been friends with Reyes for as long as she can remember. The girls went to elementary school together, found their first love together, and survived the loss in the Griffin family together. Reyes was an incredible optimist, and even when the situation was worse than ever, Raven always had something to say in support of her friend. Recently, Raven had an obsession, namely, to help the blonde to improve her financial condition.
- "Noooo, Clarke! Now everything is serious! Trust me, come to me tonight.” Ray on the other side of the line was pretty convincing. In general, the girl knew how to convince if she really needed something.
- "Ray, I've been going to the bank for two hours, these traffic jams are crazy! I need to go to the bank to pay for the coffee shop. Moreover, my mother is on duty today, I need to pick up Kyle from kindergarten, so I did not go to work. You know that I have everything scheduled every minute!" out of despair, the blonde hit the steering wheel with force, from the signal sounded, the drivers from the neighboring cars began to look at her.
At twenty-one, Clarke Griffin became pregnant. This is not to say that it was planned, and that the child was desired, but when the boy was born, the blonde realized that she would never forgive herself if she got rid of the child.
Little Kyle was an outlet for everyone. Clarke began to realize from high school that she was more attracted to girls, but did her best to deny her belonging to the community. Having entered college, the girl found a guy pretty quickly, but with each new date, the blonde realized that she had turned completely in the wrong place. When Clarke realized that she was pregnant, she had to drop out of college and go home to raise her child next to her loved ones and relatives.
- "Damn, Griffin, well, bring Kyle with you, I haven't seen my godson for a long time. Trust me, you will not regret it, especially since tomorrow is a day off," Raven did not think to lag behind.
- “Ray, you know I don’t have days off, but I’ll think of something. Wait for us," noticing that the cork is beginning to dissolve, the blonde hastened to end the conversation.
In the evening of the same day, the silence of a small apartment on the outskirts of the city was dispelled by a timid knock on the door. Raven, who had been waiting for her friend's visit all day, ran to open the door, the girl knew that if there was a knock on the door, then a little guest had come with Clarke, who had not yet reached the bell. Raven adored her godson, and with every visit she tried to make him a pleasant surprise. Today the girl has prepared a large set of Lego, which her little friend loved so much.
- "Who is so big here came to visit Aunt Ray?!" Raven exclaimed, throwing the door wide open.
Clarke, obviously tired after a long day, stood on the threshold and held the hand of a cheerful kid, who, it seemed, was not tired at all during the day and was ready to perform his new little feats.
- "Hi Lay!" the boy has not yet pronounced the letter «R» and last month Griffin was able to pay for a good speech therapist, with the help of friends and family.
Raven grabbed Kyle in her arms and finally launched the exhausted Clarke into the apartment.
- “God, Ray, I really hope you come up with something worthwhile, because I have a feeling that I'm going to go crazy soon!" Exhaustedly said the blonde and landed on a soft sofa in the living room.
- "Wait, friend, now it's not up to you! Come on, boy, look what I have prepared for you! Mom said you lost another tooth?!" Raven, smiling radiantly, squatted down next to the baby and hid something behind her back.
- "Yes! Here look! I already have new ones!" the boy glowed with happiness, and with might and main demonstrated his new teeth.
- "You know, Kyle, the tooth fairy flew to my neighbor, the same baby as you, and she had a lot of things to do!" Still smiling, Raven began the story.
- "As much lot as at mom?" The boy asked, looking sadly at his mother.
- "Yes, baby, just like mom's," catching a sad look on her friend, the girl continued: - "and so, the fairy was very busy, but she gave you a gift, and was very sorry that she could not fly in and gift everything personally."
Pulling the designer out of her back, Raven happily watched Kyle's reaction, who, with delight, neatly unpacked the gift box.
- "Thank you Lay! Thank you! I am not offended by the fairy, mom is also busy, I am not offended," seeing the gift, the baby jumped with delight, he was impatient to start playing: - "Mom, can I?"
- "Of course, dear, play, while your aunt and I will discuss our affairs!" the blonde could not get enough of it when she saw her son in such a happy mood. Unfortunately, she did not often manage to please the boy herself.
Sitting on a soft carpet, the boy wholly and completely joined in the game and did not notice the girls' conversations.
- "Thank you, Raven, you are inimitable as always," taking her friend by the hand, the blonde thanked.
- “You know that I’m happy,” Raven answered without taking her eyes off the boy.
- "So what did you want to talk about? We will not be long, tomorrow at work, you know, things are not going very well, I do not have enough revenue to recruit the required number of personnel, so I have to work myself."
- "Yes, princess, I know, and I also know that you deserve a normal life, and your boy deserves it too! And now, I know how you will take my proposal, but at least listen and do not start to be indignant!" Raven remembered that her friend was very wary of all her ideas, and began from afar.
- “Okay, let's see what you decided to offer me this time,” Griffin nodded softly.
- "Excellent, and so, tadaaaam!" Approaching the laptop and turning the screen on the blonde, Raven spread her arms in an admirable gesture.
- “Ummm, Ray, I also want to be happy, but the monitor is black, and if your computer breaks down and you want me to fix it, that's not the best option,” Clarke chuckled.
- “Oh shit, you ruined the whole moment!" Clicking with the mouse Raven again drew the attention of the blonde to the monitor: - "Read, and do not say that this is not ideal!"
- "Raven, are you completely crazy? How do you imagine it? I have a child, and in general this is bullshit!"
- "I didn’t tell you to reason and think, I said read!" Ray was persistent.
- “Ok, but that doesn't mean that I agree, and what there we have «Twelve boys and twelve girls will compete for the love of a single bisexual model in a new TV show on MTV. If you are from twenty-one to thirty years old, you are good-looking, you want to make good money and you just dream of meeting the love of your life, we are waiting for your application, and perhaps it is you who will have true love at the end of the show. Become a participant in the show For love with Lexa Green,»" with every word she read, the blonde’s eyes widened more and more: -"Raven, are you completely fucking nuts?! Don't even think to suggest it to me! I'm not some ..."
- “Clarke, wait, take your time. The application can be sent free of charge, do not worry, listen, I found out everything, for every week that you hold out in this show they will pay too much, according to my calculations, if you stay there for twelve weeks and reach the final, by this time you will pay off the loan for a coffee shop, and there will still be money!" the friend did not give up.
- "Raven, I already said no," Clarke breathed wearily.
- "Wait, plus everything, you will appear on the youth channel, and you will have a huge number of visitors in your cafe just to look at you! Revenues will grow!" the girl dispersed and was already turning circles around the small room, trying not to knock down Kyle, who was playing on the floor.
- "Ray, this is unreal, I have a child, who will be with him all this time?"
- "Octavia and I will help when your mom is on duty! We can handle it! And Clarke, just look at this girl! Have you seen her? She's shooting for the covers of fashion magazines, an aspiring and up-and-coming actress! She's a fucking dream!"
The girl on the poster was really beautiful. A slender figure, long legs and beautiful breasts, gorgeous dark brown hair reached the middle of the back, noble facial features and huge green eyes that looked from the photo with challenge and desire.
- “Damn, Ray, you’re not going to lag behind, are you? Come on, I'll think about it, but you promise not to do anything without my consent! Okey?!" With suspicion looking at the smiling friend, the blonde specified.
- "As you please, my princess!" Overjoyed, the brunette hugged Griffin.
- "Raven, I didn't say yes!"
- “But you didn't say no!"
*****
In a large photo studio, the shooting of an advertising poster for the already sensational show with the participation of Lexa Green ended.
The girl was the daughter of rich parents, and, among other things, the only heiress. In life, Green has never been refused. The father, who doted on his treasure, did everything to make Lexa happy with her life, and provided everything she could only dream of. Thanks to the unreal beauty, initially just a rich playwright, as it is fashionable to say, a socialite, gradually became a popular model, and later famous directors began to invite the girl to the shooting. When an offer came to shoot a reality show with Lexa in the title role, the girl agreed, without thinking, which rather ruined her parents' nerves.
Two months ago:
- "Alexa, baby, can you at least sometimes think with your head before signing such papers?! Do you have any idea what this show is? My daughter will be hug all over the country with a huge number of people! What is this, fashion? We know you are attracted to both women and men, but my God! Do this on the sidelines of clubs and social events, but not on the federal channel!" Father Gustus Green clutched his head, sitting at his desk in the office.
- "Dad, this is a big plus for me, black PR, so to speak, my name should be constantly heard! If you haven't noticed, for the last year I have not asked you for money and I live on what I earned myself! Let me decide for myself how I will build my career!" the girl on the contrary looked irresistible, the black short dress emphasized all the advantages of her figure, and, to be honest, there were simply no minuses in the girl.
- "Alexandra, father and I do not really support your undertakings! Our partners will not understand us. The consequences of your last novel are still being discussed in the press, but we asked you to be more careful in your connections, or at least in those places where there are reporters. Baby, we are not the last people in the United States, and at twenty-five you are our only heir. We want grandchildren!" Next to her father was Lexa's mother, Niylah Green. At one time, the woman also shone on the covers of magazines, but now, together with husband, she was engaged in the development of their huge company.
- "Mom, what I had with Costia was not just an affair, we lived together for a year, and you know very well about it. The fact that this somehow leaked to the press is not my fault, but more a coincidence. But in everything you need to look for your advantages, now, I don't need to make a public statement and admit to everyone in my orientation," the brunette smiled tightly.
- "Yes, honey, of course, you'd better do a reality show in which you will look for your love for the whole world," Gustus laughed nervously.
- "Lexa, if you have already decided everything, please, think with your head, try to be more careful when making next decisions. We love you." Trying to soften the atmosphere, Niylah went up to her daughter and hugged the brunette by the fragile shoulders.
Our days
- "Lexa, the pictures are just a bomb, you are hot as ever!" the cute photographer ran after the model, who made her way to the dressing room.
- "Thank you, Jasper, it's not about me, but that you are an excellent photographer and mega professional. After you will show the final result," winking at a friend, the brunette disappeared behind the door.
Tired, Lexa dropped into a chair, lighting a thin cigarette. A huge number of thoughts swarmed in her head, and the girl just wanted to relax and sleep, but apparently fate thought differently, so less than five minutes passed and there was a lively knock on the door.
Putting out her cigarette and wrapping her robe, the brunette opened the door. On the threshold of the dressing room was Anya, Lexa's manager and best friend in combination.
- "Anya, I do not care what you have there, I want to sleep and rest, yesterday was a wild flight, today is filming, I want to sleep!" the brunette was famous for not a very simple character, and her friend, knowing her perfectly well, was still smiling while standing in the doorway.
- "Lex, I don't care! Your show got a doher of applications! There are almost a damn one hundred thousand of them! One hundred thousand people want to touch your thin ass with at least one finger! And everyone considers themselves to be simply unreal handsome's! Therefore, you will choose them yourself, and I don't care what you want there, sleep, eat, fuck or all at the same time!" almost in one breath the friend gave out to the order of the stunned Lexa.
- "Fuck! This is really fucking a lot! I'm not ready to choose, let your assistants decide for themselves, I don't give a shit about the fact, you know, this is just PR and nothing more, in the contract with MTV there are no obligations about sincerity and there is also something about something, only a show, and I am an actress not bad. Let them find cute faces, and no more," the brunette's eyes were already closing, she wanted to sleep unbearably, and not think about people who would come to the casting.
- "Okay, Lexa, a hundred people will come to the casting, we will only choose twenty-four. You really don't want to participate in the selection?" Anya was surprised to watch her friend, who was trying to get comfortable on a small sofa.
- “I’m sure you don’t allow any freaks or imbeciles to be in the show, everything is in your hands,” Green clarified, yawning.
*****
Two weeks later.
San Francisco. California.
Coffee shop «Vanilla coffee»
For several hours the blonde had been trying to leave for a lunch break, but as soon as she left the bar counter, a visitor who had no one else to make coffee or serve dessert was sure to come in. Clarke was working alone today and her hands were not enough. She was distracted from work by an insistent call, which did not fit into the service of several clients at once. After finishing serving coffee and checking her mobile, the blonde found several missed numbers from an unknown number. Literally in a second, the display will again show the incoming from the same number.
- "Yes, Griffin is listening," the blonde picked up the phone immediately, without waiting for a second call.
- "Good afternoon, Miss Griffin, you are worried about your application, which you sent to participate in the show on MTV," the young guy chattered into the receiver and the blonde did not understand at all what was going on.
- "Wait, I didn't send any applications ..." Clarke was confused, but gradually it began to dawn on her.
- "Miss Griffin, I advise you to decide whether you applied or not, because you have passed to the final selection and we are waiting for you to the casting. If your answer is no, please report it to the highlighted number within 24 hours. If you still applied, please arrive at the address indicated on the website by ten in the morning on the first of May. All the best.” After finishing, the guy dropped the call, leaving Clarke in furious confusion.
- "Your mother, Raven! I'll kill you!" Griffin boiled as she dialed her friend's number.