Chapter Text
June 25, 2023.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Lexa muttered to herself while standing out 'ARKADIA' theme park. She couldn't believe she had to spend the rest of her summer working in this shithole. Slowly she made her way through the slightly rusty gates and towards the main office.
"Ah, Lexa you're here finally." Ms. Griffin, the owner of Arkadia, exclaims as soon as Lexa stepped into the small room. She handed the brunette three red shirts, which all had the word 'ARKADIA' printed on the front and the word 'GAMES' printed on the back—both in bold white. "You'll be given three shirts and if you lose any of them, a replacement is $15. You're in charge of the 'Milk Bottle Game' … Don't worry darling, it's incredibly easy. You just have to get the money, give them the two balls and hope they don't knock down the three bottles." The older lady chuckled heartily before walking out of the office.
Lexa throws one of the shirts over her black tank top and stuffs the other two in her backpack before running after Ms. Griffin. "Good, you've changed, okay so, this is your booth over here and it's under your care I trust now." She smiles at Lexa once more and Lexa tries her best to return it. "We open gates in about thirty minutes so you still have time to settle in here. Also don't forget to write how many and what prizes you give out, and make sure you guard the cash box. Other than that, welcome to the Arkadia family, Lexa!" Ms. Griffin gives Lexa a warm hug and receives an awkward pat on the back.
"Thank you, Ms. Griffin." They exchange smiles again before she leaves back to the front office. Lexa throws her backpack on top of one of the tables and looks around at everything with slight disgust on her face. "Eww." She says to herself looking at the rigged milk bottles, the scratched up balls that were much lighter than they looked, the stuffed pink unicorns and horses and other cheap bullshit that hung from the ceiling of the booth. "This sucks, I fucking hate it here already."
"Sup new meat." A girl around Lexa's age in a blue Arkadia shirt with 'RIDES' printed on the front approached her booth giving her an up and down look before an unnecessary scowl. "The name's Ontari and this is my theme park, got it?"
"Sure, because you totally look like you can afford to own a place like this. I wouldn't be surprised if you spent your nights sleeping here if mommy and daddy kicked you out." Lexa shot back like a cannon and cracked her knuckles. She wasn't intimidated in the slightest by this girl.
"What the fuck did you say?" Ontari grabbed Lexa by the collar of her shirt and shoved her against the counter of her booth. "I dare you to repeat that again. I dare you."
"I strongly suggest you let go of me. Wouldn't want to send you to the front office with a bloody nose." Lexa remained calm and kept her hands against the counter for leverage.
"You little bitch." Ontari raised her fist back to have it freeze in place when another strange voice shouted over at them.
"Ontari, what are you doing!? Leave her alone right now and go back to your ride. Now." A beautiful blonde girl barks out at her. Lexa barely had time to look over at her, shoving Ontari back and fixing up her wrinkled shirt while Ontari mutters an obscenity and walks away. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm perfectly fine. I didn't need your help." Lexa responds to the mysterious blonde. "I can handle myself and I could've handled her if you gave me five more seconds…"
"Really now? Ontari is a self defense specialist or whatever she brags about." The stranger states a bit skeptically. "What's your name, new girl? I'm Clarke."
Lexa rolls her eyes and proceeds back into her booth to get things ready now that she was put a little behind. "Does it matter what my name is?" She deadpans.
"Hmm. Has anyone ever told you that you're not really that friendly?" Clarke says amusingly with a tone of her own but curled her lips into a smile.
"If I answer yes, will you leave me alone?"
"Probably not. I like you, you're funny." She chuckles and flashes Lexa a smile with her perfect white teeth. Suddenly Clarke's phone buzzes in her pocket and Lexa watches her carefully, staring perhaps a bit too long at the blonde beauty before her, even if she was annoying her a little. "Shoot, I need to go. I'll see you around." Clarke turns to leave and shows off her blue 'RIDES' shirt from the back.
Lexa couldn't help but to check her ass out as she did before sighing gently. "Lexa." Somehow she could tell Clarke was smiling before she turned around. "My name is Lexa." She received a double thumbs up from Clarke and watched as she walked away. No one that day won a main prize from the Milk Bottle Game.
The end of the evening came to be and Lexa shut down her booth, slinging her backpack over her shoulders and keeping the cash box close to her as she returned it to the main office. She avoided conversation with Ms. Griffin who was talking with a few other members of the park, both rides and games. She pulled out her phone to check her social media accounts to browse.
"Hey you." Just then, Clarke appeared beside her and walked a little too close for Lexa's liking. Then again, it wasn't as if Lexa hadn't imagined their bodies pressed up against each other already but that was beside the point. "Are you leaving for the night? Thought maybe you'd like to eat and I could show you a few places around here." Lexa kept her face in her phone and kept walking as if Clarke wasn't there. "You do eat, don't you?"
"Yes Barbie, I fucking eat." Lexa burst out and took a deep relaxing breath. "I just want to go home I'm exhausted." Lexa felt her foot kick someone's left behind trash on the ground which didn't help her mood one bit.
"Are you walking home? It isn't safe for you to do that. Let me drive you." Clarke offered. "It's the least you can let me do since you were looking at my ass before." The blonde smirked while Lexa's cheeks flushed a shade of pink. But it didn't falter Lexa, nothing really did much anymore.
"It was better than looking at anything else in that place." Lexa brought up her cousin's name in her phone and debated on texting her for a ride. Hopefully Anya wasn't busy and could get her right away before anyone else in the theme park could get on her next nerve.
"Please?"
Lexa groaned out and closed her phone screen. This wasn't defeat, this was not getting stabbed by some asshole in the dead of the night. And possibly a free meal. "Where can you get a decent cheeseburger around here?"
Clarke's face lit up and jingled her car keys in her hand. "I know just the place. Are you lactose? They have the BEST chocolate milkshakes too. My treat for your first successful day at Arkadia."
Lexa rolled her eyes. Lactose? Give her a fucking break. She was close to lift up her tank top to show this blonde her abs she kept hidden away unless it was gym day. But Lexa wasn't an asshole at least not in that sort of way in her mind.
"I won't keep you out too late, I promise." Clarke unlocked her car and quickly cleared space out for Lexa in front seat. Lexa tried not to judge but also didn't want to pry at the handful of sketchbooks and paint supplies this bitch was holding hostage in her blue beaten up Skyline.
"Who do you owe this ten second car to?" Lexa propped her book bag in her lap with a devilish smirk on her face. It quickly faded when Clarke didn't respond right away with something bubbly and positive. "Okay you're forcing me to walk home instead if you don't get that reference." Who the fuck doesn't know The Fast and the Furious? Lexa was offended.
"Granny shifting not double clutching like you should." Clarke returned the faded smirk as her car started up not nearly as impressive as in the movies. At least Lexa didn't think she was a total loser for not knowing her favorite movie. "Seatbelt, please." Clarke refused to go anywhere without everyone buckled in. Lexa obliged and pulled out her phone to text her aunt that she had a ride home for the night, receiving one back right away for how nice it was for Lexa to be making friends already. As fucking if, she thought.
After what she was promised to have a decent cheeseburger and chocolate milkshake, Lexa no longer protested. In fact she was actually mad she's never been to this particular burger joint before. Her double cheeseburger was definitely on par, but the milkshake was everything Clarke gushed about and then some.
"See? Told ya. Best chocolate milkshake around. Good luck not getting addicted to them." Lexa rolled her eyes but still no protest as she was too busy sipping away at her frozen chocolate treat. She really only spoke to give Clarke directions to her Aunt Indra's house where she was living for the time being. Clarke knew this town like the back of her hand and didn't even bother pulling out GPS. Lexa wanted to bother to see if Costia had updated anything on her status quickly and saw she was happily at a party. Another one. All she ever did was party. Does. Whatever. Like it mattered to her anymore anyway.
Clarke pulled up the to curb and shifted her car into park. A happy sigh left her lips and her eyes moved over to Lexa. "Thank you for letting me buy you dinner and drive you home safely. My mind can rest easy tonight." Lexa nodded her head and unbuckled her seatbelt but couldn't get away as quickly as she'd like to. "Do you need a ride into work tomorrow? I saw you were working the same morning shift tomorrow as me."
"Maybe." Lex shrugged her shoulders and opened the door to step out.
"Maybe a yes?" Clarke pushed further. "What if you take my number and you can text me in the morning if you need a ride." Yeah right, Lexa huffed. The blonde was already pushing her luck the moment she stopped her from breaking Ontari's face. If she had Lexa's number she'd be doomed.
"Yes you can take me to work tomorrow." Lexa said softly. It would help Indra not have to drive all over town tomorrow to get to work herself. "Goodnight Clarke. Drive safe." Lexa paused and sighed again. "And thanks." And yet Clarke couldn't help but to flash those perfect white teeth again in her smile.
"Goodnight Lexa. I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well tonight!" Lexa chuckled and shut her door to walk up her aunt's driveway to the door. Clarke waited to make sure she was safe before honking twice as she drove off. What a fucking dork. And yet it took awhile for Lexa to get Clarke off of her mind that night. Indra was already in bed so Lexa just grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and laid on her soft bed. Her feet fucking hurt from standing all day. Ugh, not worth the fifty dollars she thought.
Lexa scrolled through her socials and became a bit homesick seeing all of her friends enjoying themselves on their summer vacation. Fuck did she miss the beach, especially with the heat she dealt with today standing in that disgusting booth all day long. She was about to get off of her phone and call it a night when she received a message on one of her apps.
"Oh fuck off dude..." Lexa muttered out. It was Costia.
PoshLikeCostia: Hey you :)
Lexa waited a few minutes to answer back, going back and forth on whether or not she wanted her time wasted for the rest of the night.
Lexasaurus_Woods: What do you want? I'm trying to sleep.
PoshLikeCostia: To talk, silly. You blocked me everywhere and won't return any of my texts or calls. How are you?
Lexasaurus_Woods: And for good reason too. I'm tired and I'm sweaty and I'm not in the mood for conversation.
PoshLikeCostia: Okay. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I love and miss you, Lex. I know you're mad at me but I have lots of hope that'll we'll be together again soon :)
"What the fuck?" Lexa gritted through her teeth and pulled up Costia's number and furiously hit the call button on it. And of course she picked it up instantly.
"Lexa?"
"What the fuck do you want from me, Costia?"
"Just to talk, Lex. Honestly..."
"No, Costia." Lexa quickly interrupted her. "You can't say things like that to me. You're not allowed to talk to me like that ever again." She was getting heated very quickly and sipped down some of her water to help ease some of her anger.
"You're my best friend, Lexa Woods...how do you want me to talk to you? And where did you run off to? Disappearing out of nowhere doesn't really help the situation we're in, we have things we need to talk about."
"I need to stay away from you." Lexa said harshly.
There's a long pause in between Lexa's last words and she thinks about hanging up the phone so she can go to sleep. Then Costia speaks again, this time in a much softer tone with sadness in her voice.
"Lexa, I'm really really fucking sorry for what happened...and I really messed up and never told you..I'm just...I'm not ready yet and I know that's no excuse for what I did but I'm so sorry, Lexa. I'm so sorry..."
Lexa could hear Costia's voice break as the other girl had tears forcing their way out. Lexa couldn't see it but she knew because the same thing was beginning to happen to her.
"Making out with some random asshole right after what we talked about will clearly get you stuck in this fucking situation that you created, Costia." Lexa was beyond close throwing her phone at the wall and never talking to her again. "I have to go. This is bullshit."
"Wait, wait." Lexa heard Costia sniffle away from her tears. "I'll let you go. I want you to know that I miss you so much and even if you don't believe me, I love you Lexa. Whenever you come home we can find a solution together, I promise."
"Whatever. Bye, Costia." Before she could get another word in, Lexa hung up the call and immediately blocked her number for the rest of the night so she could focus on wiping the tears from her eyes. Great, there goes a good night's sleep. No, she thought. She wasn't going to play this game again. Lexa took a deep breath and wiped her eyes one last time. Lexa promised herself that she would stop crying over her.
Not again, never again.