Chapter Text
13 Years Earlier
Octavia was bored. She lay on her bed, staring at her ceiling as if it would give her something to do. Today was supposed to be a fun day for her but they were snowed in, just her luck.
All of her friends were either busy or not answering the phone. Her mother and brother were occupied making dinner, catching up with each other. Bellamy was back home from university for the week since it was currently Winter Break for both of them. The three were planning on going to Bellamy's favorite hometown restaurant, Arkadia, but they were stuck at home and had to change plans.
The brunette suddenly remembered that when Raven—her best friend— was bored, she would find something to read. Her eyes automatically drifted to her brother's copy of "The Iliad" that he gave to her before he went off to college. Their mother would always read it to him when he was younger, it's partially the reason why he's the dorky, humanities major that he is today.
Stuff like that have never really interested Octavia, though. She only has that book because she knows how significant it is to her brother. She'll find something else to read.
"Octavia! Dinner's ready!" her mother's gentle, yet somehow still loud voice called her from the kitchen. Oh, well. At least she had something to do now.
She runs down the stairs and makes her way over to the kitchen. Their kitchen wasn't big, neither was their apartment really. But it was her home and she'd have it no other way. She took her usual seat at their dinner table and greeted her family. They fell into conversation quick and easily, they always did. The three of them could be talking about the most random thing and still have a good time, as long as they were together. They were a family of many words, you could say.
Bellamy was currently fawning over his new girlfriend, Gina. It's a new name for Aurora, but not to Octavia. He had called her three weeks prior, gushing over his new crush. She's just glad he finally made a move because she and Raven made a bet on if Bellamy would actually ask her out or not. Octavia thought he would, Raven thought he wouldn't. Octavia should be receiving twenty dollars pretty soon.
After dinner, Bellamy got up to take a nap and her mother went to watch TV. Octavia decided to join her mother on the couch and grabbed a magazine from the table. Octavia liked the cover because the beautiful woman had a black wedding dress on. It looked like something she'd like to wear if she got married.
"You know anyone who's getting married?" Octavia asked, facing her mother.
"Do you know your classmate Clarke?" Octavia nodded. She and Clarke butt heads a lot, but she was one of her closest friends regardless.
"Her mother's getting married to a Councilman named Marcus. She's asked me to help her find a dress but there's been no luck so far. That magazine's just one of the many. You can keep it if you want."
Octavia shrugged, at least she finally found something to read.
The following week, Bellamy had returned to uni and Octavia was back at school. She was there twenty minutes early, as usual, so she packed her belongings in her locker and went to her homeroom.
She immediately runs to hug her best friend, whom she hadn't seen all break. As soon as they pull apart, Octavia grabs her mother's magazine from inside her book bag.
Raven scoffed. "What, are you getting married?"
Octavia smiles to herself, handing the magazine to Raven. The two were best friends, but Raven never really showed any interest towards boys like Octavia had. She had one boyfriend last year, but it didn't turn out well for either parties.
"I am," Octavia declared in the strongest voice she could pull off.
"What?"
"Well, not now. Not today. But someday."
"Good for you then. I'm never getting married," Raven sits on top of her desk.
"Yes you are," Octavia frowns. "Everyone gets married."
"That's not true at all," Raven made a face. "You watch too many rom-coms. Are your parents married?"
Octavia bit her lip. The fact that she's never even met her dad answers Raven's question alone.
"Okay, fine. But you still should." Octavia recommends. "I'll be your maid of honor and you can be mine."
"If I had to marry anyone, it would be you."
A blush crept upon Octavia's cheeks. She wasn't even sure if she liked girls that way or not, but she'd marry Raven in a heartbeat. Clarke loved to talk about how the duo were already married. They did everything together, that was her best friend.
It wasn't her dream proposal, but they were only thirteen. She'd take what she could get. Octavia took the girls pinky and met her eyes before she began.
"If neither of us are married by the time we turn twenty-six, promise we'll marry each other?"
Pinky swear.
They never spoke of it again.