Chapter Text
“You’re w-w-what???” Clarke stuttered as she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“We’re getting rid of the girl’s soccer team here at Arkadia U. We don’t have enough funding anymore to support it.” Chancellor Jaha said from behind Coach Kane, who was sitting with his head in his hands at his desk.
“But what’ll happen to the team? I’m the captain of this team and I care about what happens to my teammates. Most of us are here on scholarship! We want to be playing soccer in college. We’re supposed to be Sky Crew until we graduate.” Clarke’s voice grew louder and louder with each word until she was screaming at the chancellor.
Kane looked up speaking in an effort to calm down Clarke and decrease the tension growing in his office. “I know. We understand and we called the collegiate athletics board to discuss the circumstances and the scholarship players have a few options. You can stay at Arkadia U and not play soccer anymore. However, you would lose the athletics scholarship you have and would have an academic scholarship you would have to maintain through your gpa. Or you can transfer to Triku U and you would be welcomed to the Grounders soccer team there. You would be eligible to play this season as well. It’s up to each of you individually but coach Indra over at grounders has said that she would welcome any scholarship players who wanted to transfer.”
Without speaking, Clarke turned around and slammed the door to her coach’s office, tears silently running down her face as she made her way to her teammates.
“We heard everything.” Octavia barely could get her words out. “So what are we going to do? Do we stay here? I want to keep playing but if Triku is our only choice I don’t know if I want to take it.” The Grounders were the complete rival for Arkadia. They were big, mean, and played dirty. But they were good. They were the only team worth competing against for Arkadia. The only team who gave them a run for their money as the top in the nation.
By this time Clarke’s tears had disappeared and her blue eyes turned to steel. “Well, I want to play. I hate the Grounders and everything Triku U but I know I gotta play if I want to go pro after college. So I’m gonna transfer. Is anyone going to join me?”
“I’m in.” Octavia, Raven, Harper, and Monroe said at the same time.
“Hey, if you guys are transferring count us in too. Arkadia is nothing without you guys.” Bellamy, Octavia’s older brother spoke up, motioning to Jasper, Monty, Murphy, and Miller. They all nodded in agreement. Clarke smiled. She wasn’t surprised Bellamy offered to transfer with them, Octavia and him were close even though they fought a lot and Bellamy had become one of her best friends in the two years they knew each other. They had become the unofficial leaders of their friend group, coming up with all the plans, hosting all the parties and get togethers, and dealing with everyone’s problems and hard times they went through. Bellamy had become her rock and she was happy he was coming with them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indra blew the whistle, gathering the grounders together. “Alright ladies, we’re welcoming five new transfers from Arkadia’s women’s team to our team. They’re new so show them the ropes and make them feel at home.” The entire grounders team groaned and rolled their eyes looking over at the new players. “Alright, that’s enough. We’ll call practice for the day but get to know your new teammates.”
Indra walked off leaving Clarke, Raven, Octavia, Monroe, and Harper standing in front of their new teammates feeling lost and awkward. Finally, one of their players stood up, her green eyes piercing through each of the new players as Raven, Octavia, Monroe, and Harper sat down with the rest of the team and began to get to know them. Clarke started walking off the field until green eyes stopped her halfway to the exit.
“So you’re the one who took out three of my players last year in our semi-final match?” She stared through Clarke’s blue eyes as she tried to intimidate her.
“You’re the one who sent them to injure us first.” Clarke spat back.
“I see you have some spunk. My name’s Woods. Lexa Woods. I’m the captain of the grounders team. Indra may look like she’s in charge but I’m the one who runs the show around here. And I want to let you know that your teammates and you will be riding the bench if I have anything to say about it. Us grounders don’t need help.” As Lexa ended that sentence their eyes met and the stare down began. Green saw blue and refused to look away. Fuck this girl is cute. I can’t stand where she came from but I have to admit she was a great captain at Arkadia. Two national titles in her first two years at the university? That was something to admire even if she is my enemy on the field. Lexa couldn’t believe what she was thinking as she stared at Clarke but she couldn’t lose this stare down either.
Clarke finally broke it off, seething and saying “We’ll play alright. Need I remind you of how the past few seasons have ended for you? We’re national champs two years running. If anything you need us. We don’t need you.” And with that she stormed off the field, glad to know her first practice as a grounder was over.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Clarke, what happened back there?” O looked over at Clarke who was sprawled across the sofa in their new apartment.
“I don’t know, O. We got there and I just felt like I couldn’t do it. I don’t think I can play for them. I hate them so much. Especially that Lexa girl. I don’t get it. She’s a total bitch and she thinks she can boss us around? Hell no. I’m not dealing with that the next two years.”
“Well, she is the captain. Did you know they call her the commander?
“Because she doesn’t like to have fun and hates everyone on the team?”
“No, because she works the team hard but will do anything for any one of them. I talked to a girl named Niylah and she said they’re all a little scared of her on the field but she always has her teammates backs and they all respect her for it. She sounds pretty cool to me.”
“I don’t care what she sounds like. That bitch had the audacity to call me out for when three of their players got hurt last season like she didn’t send them to hurt us first.” Clarke’s eyes narrowed as the anger flowed through her once again.
“Okay, calm down Clarke. You don’t have to like her. But you do have to get along with her. At least for one season. Then maybe you can transfer to a different school.” Octavia tried to smile at Clarke to offer her support. “Maybe you should call your mom and talk to her about it?”
“Yeah O, like my mom would even pick up. She hates me.” Clarke snorted and rolled her eyes at the mere concept of that. Abby Griffin was the head of surgery at the local hospital. Clarke thought that the only thing worse than transferring to Triku U was that she would have to be near her mom again. Her mom had transferred to the hospital near Triku after her dad had died two years earlier. Her mom blamed Clarke for his death. She knew it. That’s why Clarke refused to visit her on breaks after she transferred. Instead, she opted to go home with O and Bellamy whenever possible.
“Clarke you know it’s not true. Maybe you can call Finn and talk to him?” Finn was Clarkes boyfriend. They met her first year at Arkadia and went through a rough patch when he found out Raven, his ex, was on Clarke’s team. But they moved past that and we’re going as strong as ever.
“Finn won’t answer, he’s always busy now.” Clarke tried to hide the pain she still felt about Finn not coming with her to Triku, but she also understood it. “Besides, he doesn’t want to hear about my problems since I transferred. I think he feels like I chose soccer over him.”
“Clarke you know Finn loves you too much to ever- hold up- I just got a text from Niylah. There’s a team party tomorrow night and she said we’re invited. She said the commander insists that we come and bring our ‘sky crew’ friends too. You want to go?”
Clarke smirked as she said “you bet your sweet ass we’re going.”