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‘No fucking way.’
‘Yes.’
‘No.’
‘Yes yes yes’
‘No no no no.’
‘Ha!’
‘Fuck off. No. Stop.’
‘Oh yes.’
‘Clarke.’
‘Suck it.’
‘No.’
‘Blue SHELL motherfucker.’
‘Clarke no don’t do this to me.’
‘Sorry Raven, but victory must have sacrifices.’
‘Fuck you Griffin.’
‘Aaannnnddddd….’
‘No.’
‘FIRST. Sorry Raven, but I kicked your ass,’ gloated Clarke, turning to face Raven who sat next to her on the couch head hung in shame.
‘Fucking hell.’
‘And who’s the undisputed champion,’ asked Clarke, turning behind her to face the group behind her.
They were at a party and someone had made the grave mistake of mentioning Mario Kart. Next thing anyone knew they were all metaphorically dead on the ground as Clarke wiped the floor with them all one at a time.
Raven was their last hope and she had failed.
Octavia ground her teeth as Bellamy gently patted Raven on the shoulder in commiseration.
‘You fought well,’ he soothed.
‘Goddamn it not even Monty could beat her. She doesn’t even play video games how the hell has this happened.’
‘I do play I just don’t play often. And I like Mario Kart.’
‘Because you win all the time yeah,’ muttered Octavia.
Clarke flashed her a grin.
‘Damn straight.’
Jasper and Monty chose then to return, dodging through the crowd arms full of drinks.
‘Who won?’ asked Jasper eagerly.
‘Clarke,’ the group responded in dejected unison whilst Clarke’s grin diminished not one bit.
‘Fuck.’
Jasper handed out the drinks as the others muttered about Clarke’s stupid victory.
‘So anyone else wanna play?’
‘No.’
‘No fucking way.’
‘Nope.’
‘I’m done.’
‘Oh come on guys it’s fun!’
‘For you maybe you keep winning while we keep sliding on banana skins.’
‘I’ll go easy on you. Please. I’m bored guys come on: someone play!’
‘I will.’
Clarke turned her attention to the source of the mysterious voice coming from behind her.
‘Uh…’
The girl walked forward. Confident but quiet eyes firmly on Clarke’s. Clarke for her part couldn’t look away. I mean she looked good. Skinny jeans suited the girl. A lot.
The girl stood towering over Clarke where she sat; the others all had their eyes firmly on the exchange.
The girl raised an eyebrow.
‘So. Can I play?’
Clarke looked her up and down before grinning.
‘Sure. Raven: scoot.’
Raven stood up.
‘Good luck, she’s a beast.’
‘I’m sure,’ replied the girl and while her face remained blank Clarke could’ve sworn she saw her eyes glint with mirth.
‘So what’s your name challenger, for when I beat you of course.’
The girl turned to face Clarke, studying her with those eyes. Eyes Clarke couldn’t look away from. Annoyingly.
‘Lexa. And you are?’
‘Clarke. Clarke Griffin.’
‘Nice to meet you Clarke Griffin; shall we?’
‘Lets.’
They returned attention to the screen as Clarke set up a new game.
‘Okay you get to chose which track.’
‘Rainbow Road.’
‘Dude,’ whistled Monty from behind, ‘talk about hardcore.’
‘Fine,’ said Clarke, accepting the challenge, ‘but I’m Yoshi.’
Lexa narrowed her eyes slightly.
‘Fine.’
The competitive air was becoming more apparent as the to focused all attention on the screen
‘5 dollars bets Lexa wins,’ muttered Octavia to Raven.
‘I take those odds and raised you 10 dollars.’
‘Deal.’
The game signaled race start and both began at a pretty even match, ignoring the CPU units around them. Clarke had the slight lead granted from being in poll position.
The competitors were mostly silent.
They ran through the first mystery box.
‘Fucking banana skins,’ moaned Clarke.
Lexa shot off a well-aimed green shell sending Clarke spinning and dangerously close to the edge.
‘Fucker!”
Lexa smirked as she took the lead, Clarke relegated to 5th.
Clarke’s frown lightened up as she went through the next mystery box.
‘Fuck yeah Red Shells.’
She took out those in front of her skillfully still trailing behind Lexa.
Unfortunately she was close enough behind to enter Lexa’s slipstream and soon Clarke had the speed advantage she needed to overtake.
‘Ha.’
Lexa watched as the ominous blue shell came flying over and quickly backed off: no way in hell was she getting caught in that blast.
Too preoccupied Clarke didn’t notice until too late and let of a stream of curses as she was not only blown up, but also blown off the track. She resumed the race in 12th.
‘Are you fucking kidding me? Fuck this.’
‘Sore loser Clarke?’
‘Fuck off Lexa I’m gonna end you.’
‘Have fun doing that from all the way at the back.’
Clarke went through another box: Bullet Bill was hers.
She smirked.
‘Last. My. Ass.’
She fired off as Bullet Bill, plowing through the CPU’s and finding herself now 7th.
Lexa felt no threat.
Clarke frowned gripping the wheel tighter as she willed Yoshi to go a little fucking faster.
A CPU came behind her imbued with the power of invincibility and knocked her off the track. Again.
‘ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?’
Lexa was full blown grinning.
‘She might actually win this,’ encouraged Bellamy.
‘You fucking wish,’ gritted out Clarke.
Back in twelfth.
‘Right. Shit’s getting serious.’
‘I’m fine here up in first. Just thought you’d want to know.’
‘Shut up rookie.’
‘Getting vicious?’
Clarke gritted her teeth.
‘I am NOT losing.’
‘But you are.’
The race was growing intense. Clarke had managed to work her way up to third by the middle of the final lap whilst Lexa kept herself comfortably in first though hadn’t quite shaken off the CPU Mario that tailed her.
‘Running out of time Griffin.’
‘Shut up.’
‘You’re not going to win.’
‘Shut up.’
Clarke was in full beast mode, leaning forward brow furrowed in absolute concentration.
Clarke got three green shells and fired them off with deadly accuracy, swiftly removing the holder of second place.
‘I’m right behind you.’
Lexa shrugged nonchalantly, grinning all the while.
‘So how you gonna get first?’
‘I’m working on it.’
‘Work on it till I reach the finish line okay?’
‘Don’t worry Lexa you won’t feel a thing.’
Lexa chuckled. The group behind the two competitors was deadly silent because my god this Lexa chick might actually beat Clarke and then they could all go home with the world righted once again.
‘No no no no no NO NO NO NO NO.’
Clarke stood up yelling at the screen, pressing buttons frantically on the controller willing her kart to get dragged up from the edge of the track faster but it was no use. 4th, 5th, 6th. 7th… by the time Clarke was back she was well and truly 10th.
Lexa was full blown cackling as she slowly glided her way to victory, player on the screen spinning around the course in jubilation.
A banana skin. A banana skin had ended Clarke’s reign of terror and now Lexa was the undisputed champion of all things Mario Kart.
‘I believe I win Clarke.’
Clarke glared at the girl.
‘I’m actually humiliated.’
‘We know Clarke we know,’ soothed Raven grinning at Clarke’s dejected face.
‘I hate you all.’
‘I’m hurt.’
‘I don’t even know you!’ accused Clarke.
While she attempted to remain angry her frown was not so dreadful as to dissuade Lexa from teasing her, nor enjoying her victory.
‘One might almost say you’re a sore loser Clarke.’
‘She is!’ yelled Octavia, on the way to get more drinks with Bellamy and Raven. Jasper and Monty had diverted attention from the game with Lexa’s victory and paid the girls no mind.
‘I lost. I’m so mad,’ she proclaimed with little anger as she launched herself back onto the couch next to Lexa.
Lexa watched, humour in her eyes.
‘It was a good match.’
‘Fun totally. But I did lose.’
‘Are you ever going to get over that?’
‘Probably not. I’ll be 70 and still crying.’
‘She’s not joking she can hold a grudge like no other,’ interrupted Monty, before turning back to Jasper.
Lexa raised an eyebrow.
‘Should I be scared? Am I your mortal enemy now?’
‘Yes. Yes you are! And I shall defeat you in this life and the next!’ Clarke paused, ‘but after I get another drink.’
The two girls grinned, Clarke’s full and bright, Lexa still reserved but enjoying herself in the near stranger’s company.
‘Well I didn’t quite expect to gain myself a mortal enemy this evening.’
‘Better be on the look out for an attack.’
‘So I should be worried then? Cling film on the toilet?’
‘Absolutely. And mayonnaise in your toothpaste.’
‘You don’t mess about do you?’
‘Of course not. This is a serious matter. I must be avenged.’
‘By yourself? You’re going to avenge yourself?’
‘Something wrong with that?’
‘No.’
Clarke looked at her skeptically, mouth struggling against a grin.
‘It’s almost noble,’ affirmed Lexa in mock-seriousness.
‘Yes I fancy myself as noble. A knight perhaps…’
‘A princess,’ corrected Lexa, eyes firmly on Clarke’s and the intensity made Clarke give a genuine smile just a little, almost shyly at the perhaps unintended praise.
‘A princess then,’ agreed Clarke, a little softer than before.
‘Yo! You two need a rematch! Best of three Clarke!’
Octavia came bounding up with drinks in hand, passing one to each of the girls as Raven and Bellamy came up behind.
Clarke and Lexa regarded one another.
Lexa raised an eyebrow.
‘Rematch?’
‘You’re on.’