Chapter Text
Lex let herself fall down on her bed face forward, it was way too hot and she felt sweaty and tired. She had only one more box to go, but she just didn’t want to head down the stairs and back to her truck again.
She had turned around, looking up at her ceiling, thinking of nothing in particular, just postponing the inevitable moment that she had to get up, when her phone rang.
“Why haven’t you called me yet, I’ve been worrying. Is everything okay?”
Lexa rolled her eyes as she heard her mom’s worried voice on the phone. She loved her mom, but she was a little overprotective sometimes. “Mom, I’m fine, we agreed I would call sometime today, remember? I’m not even done unloading all my stuff yet.”
“Are you sure? Any baby raccoons around?”
At this Lexa couldn’t help, but laugh. “Seriously? You’re doing a kidnap check, right now? No baby raccoons around, I literally left for school about 5 hours ago.”
“It’s not just for kidnapping,” her mom scolded her, “it’s just to see if you’re okay, but maybe you can’t or don’t want to talk about it and need us. And it’s not a laughing matter, I just want to make sure my baby is okay, is that so wrong?”
“No of course not,” Lexa sighed, “is dad around? Can I speak to him for a bit?”
“Of course,” Lexa pulled her ear away from the phone when her mom called out to her dad on the top of her lungs. “Gus! Gus, it’s Lexa on the phone for you!”
Lexa waited for a few seconds before she heard a gruff mumbling, her dad saying something to her mom.
She grinned widely as soon as she heard his voice, “hey, little heda.”
Lexa groaned, “Dad, please.” She was never quite sure how she felt about the nickname her father called her. When she was little she loved it, most when her dad called her that, having her father, the biggest, strongest, bravest person she knew calling her commander made her feel like a giant. When she was a teenager it angered her to no end, taking it as mockery, which of course meant that her dad and siblings would say it even more.
“Come on, Lex, let your old man think back to that tiny commander bossing everyone around.” Her dad said with such obvious fondness in his voice that she couldn’t even imagine asking him not to.
“Al right fine, I’ll make you a deal, you can call me heda, but you’ll have to make mom stick to the schedule of calling once a week.”
“You drive a hard bargain, and I’ll do my best, but you and I both know that if your mom gets the feeling something is wrong nothing can stop her.”
Lexa could hear her mom argue in the background, and she laughed. “I do, tell mom and the twins I love them, I’ll see you in a few weeks I have that wedding to go to.”
“Of course, I’ll put it on the calendar. And is Raven coming with you?”
“Already done, and Raven won’t be coming with me, why?”
Her dad laughed nervously, “I don’t know, she could have been your plus one.”
“Dad, you know Raven and I are just friends, right?” Lexa rolled her eyes, her parents somehow always refused to believe that she hadn’t been seeing anyone. “I am not looking for a relationship, I…”
“Need to focus on school,” her dad finished with her, “we know, honey, your mom and I just thought that Raven was such a lovely girl, and you two sneaking out at night.”
“We are best friends, that’s it, but I am sure Raven will be delighted to hear this.” Lexa laughed, “Okay, dad, I really have to go now. I still have to get one box and I have to put everything away.”
“Alright, take care, and tell Raven lots of love from me and your mom, and for you too of course.”
Lexa got up walked to her truck, picking up the last box from the back, before heading back to her dorm. She grinned to herself when she saw her best friend lie on the couch. There were definite advantages of being a junior, and being able to request your best friend as your roommate was definitely a big one.
“How and when did you sneak in?” Lexa demanded with a wide smile plastered on her face.
“I noticed you have already confiscated the biggest bedroom.” Raven grunted, not deeming the question worth answering apparently, before getting up and throwing her arms around Lexa.
Lexa groaned, “Rae, carrying a heavy box filed with books here. Let me set it down so I can hug you properly.” Raven stepped back a bit with a grin on her face. Lexa put down the box, wrapped her arms around her best friend and hugged her tight. “I missed you.”
“Impossible!” Raven exclaimed, returning the hug, “I only left your parents’ 3 weeks ago.”
Lexa shrugged, “it felt a lot longer. Oh and I had to give you a lot of love from my parents. I think you might be their new favourite child. My dad was hoping we were dating.”
“Well in that case, any chance I get the big bedroom?” Raven grinned, “only seems fair that the favourite child has the best bedroom.”
Lexa laughed and shook her head, “definitely not, we agreed first come first served, remember? Plus, I need more room than you because I have more books.”
Raven sighed, “well I can’t argue with facts.” She bent down and grabbed Lexa’s box and put it in her room.
Lexa stared at the other girl, wondering why she did that only to find out seconds later. “Since I helped you with your stuff, you’ll help me with mine, right?”
“What? Raven!” Lexa let out a whine, “I already did all my stuff, I want to put my stuff away.”
“Come on, Lex, the sooner I have all my stuff inside the sooner we can go out to Grounders.”
“Fine, but you’re buying.”
***
Lexa and her friends were sitting at their table at Grounders; technically it wasn’t really their table, but it’s where they would always sit, everyone knew that. Kane always joked that they were part as much a part of this place as the furniture; Lexa’s friends because they spent all their spare time here drinking and having fun, Lexa herself mostly working, though that was fun too most of the time. She really hoped she’d be able to get her job back for this year; the extra money was more than welcome, especially with her plans for volunteering in Africa next summer.
For now, she was catching up with her friends though; listening in amusement about the shenanigans her friends had been up to. When Echo had started telling about how the all-inclusive vacation her and her friend from back home had booked turned out to be for seniors, they all burst out laughing.
But that hadn’t been all, Lexa had just taken a sip of her beer when Echo started telling how they had gone all out, they’d been at the bar non-stop drinking cocktails for days, participating in bingo, playing cards and participating in aqua jogging with the old people. And apparently the old people had loved them for it, some even joined. Lexa had choked on her beer when she heard it, the mental picture of Echo, drunk, in her bathing suit with a bunch of seventy-year-old men and pool noodles was too much. When Echo showed the pictures on her phone tears were streaming down her eyes.
When they had all caught their breath again Raven clapped Echo on her back, “great story, Echo, but wait until you hear what my summer has been like.”
Lexa raised a brow in question, she had spent most of the summer with Raven, or Raven had spent most of her summer with Lexa, since they had spent it at her parents’. She didn’t remember anything particular funny or crazy that had happened really, but Raven seemed to disagree because she started talking animatedly.
“Please notice how I say summer instead of vacation or holiday because I can’t remember I have ever worked this hard in my entire life, I swear. We had to get up at 5 am and work all day. And let me tell you, baby animals are very sweet to look at, but they are a horror to take care of. You don’t want to know how many head-butts those baby goats have given me, or how many hooves have crushed my poor toes.”
Lexa was watching her friend with amusement; the way Raven told it she had had it hard, but Lexa knew better. Raven had had the time of her life on the farm, she had loved the animals, the work and her family. Lexa suspected that her family had been a large part of why Raven had stayed so much longer than she originally had planned to.
Raven had gotten along perfectly with her siblings, both having a love for motor cross and mountain biking, plus the fact that Raven was basically a mechanic that had helped them make their bikes so much better only strengthened their excitement to have Raven around.
And both her parents had doted on her best friend, of course they knew Raven from meeting her a few times on campus, and Lexa’s stories, but Raven Reyes was someone who could only be fully appreciated in real life. And her parents had pretty much made Raven a part of the family, she hadn’t been treated like a guest at all, she had to help on the farm, and was part of the cooking and doing the dishes schedule.
That had meant so much to Raven, not that Lexa would have ever known if it hadn’t been for the nights that they had spent drinking and staring up at the stars. Raven had gotten all teary-eyed one night, confessing that she had never really known how much she had missed having a family until she had experienced what it could be like this summer.
Lexa, who knew some of Raven’s story, about how her dad had left before she had been born and her mom was an alcoholic, could think of nothing to do but hug her best friend tight; telling her she would always have a place in this family. And that was the truth, Raven was definitely a part of Lexa’s family, Lexa had no idea how she would have survived these two years of college without Raven; scratch that she had no idea how she would have survived her first day without Raven.
Lexa had felt so lonely, she hadn’t met a single nice person all day, everyone was making friends except for her, at least that was what it felt like. She kept trying to tell herself that it didn’t matter, she was here to study, to become a doctor, not to make friends; but even in that moment she had known that was something she told herself, which made her feel even more sorry for herself.
She had just been on her second plate of fries at Grounders, trying to stop herself from calling her parents to beg them to come get her when Raven slid in the seat next to her, taking some of her fries. And just like that they had become best friends. They were an odd couple, Lexa knew that, she was focussed on school, always studying or working. And Raven, how would she describe Raven? Raven was best described as one of those crazy inventors, she was always working on one project or another, her room filled with schematics of complicated machines. Despite that though, Raven was one of the most popular people of the entire university, she was easy-going, everybody knew her and almost everybody liked her; she was at every party and was almost always the last to leave. Lexa had no idea how she did it, where she got the time, because her grades were incredible too; Lexa had stopped trying to figure it out a long time ago though, just accepting that Raven was a genius.
Lexa was pulled from her pondering by Echo, who demanded that Lexa tell them that Raven was lying when she told the story about how she convinced her siblings that they could jump over the lake with this ramp they built, only to have them only come half way, much to Raven’s hilarity. Lexa snorted, when she remembered both Anya and Lincoln swimming back to shore absolutely shocked that it hadn’t worked.
“Sorry to disappoint, Echo, it’s 100% true?” Lexa laughed as she saw the stunned amazement on Echo’s face. “You wouldn’t be this surprised if you actually knew Anya and Lincoln, they have done crazier stuff than that even this summer.” Lexa turned to Raven. “Remember when they dared you to ride that bull?”
Raven roared in laughter, “I totally forgot about that. Oh and Echo, before I forget,” she pushed her shot to Echo, “drink up, Bitch!” Raven threw her arms up in victory.
Everyone laughed and then they turned to Lexa, “Lexa, what have you been up to this summer? Besides watching Raven be crazy?” One of her friends asked.
Lexa smiled and started a monologue about how she had helped on the farm, but mostly had been planning her volunteer work next year, and preparing for school. Which had all her friends groaning within seconds.
“Every time you are being far too responsible and boring to be a college senior, you are going to have to drink a shot.” Raven decided, to which all her friends nodded.
Lexa laughed, but shook her head, “I really shouldn’t, I want to get up early tomorrow to make sure I can enrol in all the classes I want.” Which was the exact moment all her friends started chanting “shot shot shot.”
Raven had already jumped up, heading to a bunch of guys a few tables over. She grabbed the round of shots that was lined up at their table, and when they protested Raven just kissed one. Lexa was equal parts amazed and appalled when she heard Raven say “that kiss was worth probably 20 shots, but you’re in luck, I’m feeling generous today.”
Raven swaggered back, handing two shots to Lexa. “Why are you giving me two shots, I only did one thing.” Lexa frowned.
“The second shot is for your face when I kissed that guy,” Raven smirked. Lexa sighed, but accepted both shots, this was going to be a long night.
She had just finished her second shot when Kane came by with a round of drinks. “Hey, Lexa, a round of beers for you and your friends on the house.”
“Oh, thanks Kane,” Lexa smiled, wondering if she should ask about her job now, or if that would seem too pushy. She was saved the trouble though.
“Is your financial situation still the same this year, Lexa?” Kane asked, as he cleared their table of empty glasses. Lexa was fairly sure the round of free drinks was only pretence so he could ask her this question, which definitely made her smile.
“Definitely,” she confirmed.
“So do you want back on the roster?”
“Definitely, when do I start?”
“Can you start tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow evening, sure. Tomorrow in the afternoon I can’t, I need to get my classes sorted out and stuff.”
“Sure, tomorrow evening is fine,” Kane clearly wasn’t listening anymore, he was watching Raven taking one of their free beers to the guys from earlier, planting herself on one of the guys’ laps and feeding him the beer. “And make sure your friends are a little more appreciative of free drinks next time.” He winked at Lexa.
Clarke had her arms wrapped around some pretty blonde as they moved together on the music, their lips locked. The beat was fast, and she could feel her clothes sticking to her skin slightly from a combination of dancing and just the heat produced by all people together on the dancefloor. She was having a great time, the alcohol flowing through her veins made her feel light as air, add that to the sinful way the blonde was grinding against her and Clarke was fairly sure she was on her way to having the night of her life.
“Clarke? Clarke, come on, we have to go.”
Clarke felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, she moved her lips away from the blonde, keeping her arms wrapped around her as she turned to look at her friend. “Bellamy!” She exclaimed, “meet the new love of my life, uh…” she stared at the girl awkwardly, realising she really couldn’t remember the girl’s name, it had been something with an S she was sure of it, Shannon or Sara or something.
Bellamy was laughing, “clearly you two are soulmates.”
The girl looked vaguely affronted, but when she noticed Clarke was looking at her, she smiled brightly, extending her hand to Bellamy, “I’m Sharon, and-”
“Right, Sharon of course,” Clarke interrupted Sharon, turning back to Bellamy, “now why do you insist we have to go, can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?” She gestured towards the girl with her eyes, which caused Bellamy to roll his.
“Clarke, Indra is close to actually barging in and dragging you out, either that or straight up murder me, so please.” He made his face contort into this ridiculous pouty expression, which somehow always worked on Clarke.
“Alright alright, calm down, I would never let you get murdered, babe.” She pulled one arm from the girl, pulling Bellamy closer and pressing a smacking kiss to his lips, before turning back to the girl. “Sorry Shannon, seems like we’ll have to cut this evening short.” She pulled the girl closer for a bit, kissing her hungrily for one last time before turning around, leaving the girl slightly dazed for a second.
When she was already ten metres away, her hand laces with Bellamy’s, she heard the girl shout, “the name is Sharon, not Shannon!” Which caused Clarke to let out a chuckle.
At the sound Bellamy turned around, his eyes slightly narrowed, “you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
Clarke shrugged, unable to suppress a grin, “what if I did?”
Bellamy shook his head, tugging on Clarke’s hand as they weaved through the mass of people. “That’s just mean, Clarke.”
Clarke shrugged again, not really caring. Why should she be nice to people who were only interested in her because of what she was instead of who? She’d been around long enough to recognise those people; and if they wanted to use her, she’d just use them right back. “Care to wager? Wanna bet that she’ll come running after me anyway?” Clarke wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
At that Bellamy laughed, “Clarke, there is no way you’re right, not after not even knowing her name and then ‘forgetting’ it within the span of a two minute conversation.”
“Then why no take the bet?” She extended her hand with a sly grin, but Bellamy shook his head.
“I cannot lose any more money to you, my parents will go crazy. I’m pretty sure I owe you about half my trust fund already.”
At this Clarke rolled her eyes, “money, I’ve got, Bell. I have something better in mind.”
“And what’s that?” Bellamy was looking a little cautious now; he knew that look in Clarke’s eyes, it had led to some of the best nights of his life, but also some of the worst.
“The loser has to kiss your sister.” Clarke grinned smugly, “it’s a win-win, either I win the bet of I get to make out with Octavia.”
“Gross, Clarke! That’s my sister you’re talking about.”
“What?” Clarke said with faux innocence, “scared you’ll like it?”
Bellamy shook his head in amusement, “you have one twisted mind, Griff.”
She grinned, “that wasn’t a no, so… the bet is on.”
“Clarke, no!” Bellamy groaned.
“Clarke, yes!” Clarke called out loudly. They had arrived at the exit of the club, and Bellamy was looking around for the car, while Clarke was focussing on Bellamy. She tugged on his hand, forcing him to face her. She fluttered her lashes, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pulling him so his face was level with hers.
“Clarke, don’t,” Bellamy warned, causing Clarke to pout. They were nose to nose now, trying to stare each other down. Clarke knew she shouldn’t be doing this, she really did, but alcohol made her impulse control even worse than it already was. And it made her horny too; so why not release some of that sexual frustration on Bellamy? It’s not like they haven’t done it before, and with him she at least knew that it wouldn’t be in the tabloids the next day.
“Come on, Bel,” she breathed, “you know you want to, I’m hot as fuck, right?”
“You’re drunk,” Bellamy tried to deadpan, but Clarke wasn’t fooled, she was sure he was considering it, she just needed to sweeten the deal a little.
“So drunk,” she husked, “and you know that means I’m in for all that kinky shit you wish you could try, but are afraid of telling anyone.”
Before Clarke could say anything else she heard the annoyed voice of Octavia beside her, “for god sake, Clarke, can’t you keep it in your pants for one night?”
Clarke turned around immediately, throwing her arms in the air, squealing excitedly, “Octavia!” She wrapped her arms around Octavia, nuzzling into the side of her neck.
“Oh boy,” Octavia laughed, “you just trade one Blake for another, don’t you, Griff?”
“You’re my favourite though,” Clarke murmured, as Octavia was dragging her with her.
“Hey!” She heard Bellamy let out a huff as he nudged her.
“Don’t worry, Bell, you’re my favourite too, you are both my favourite,” She wrapped one of her arms around Bellamy, keeping the other around Octavia. She knew she was really lucky to have such good friends as the Blakes, they always took care of her, they had her back. And Clarke knew how valuable that was, she had learned that the hard way.
She thought back to her first year of college, how she had thought she could just be a normal college kid, away from her family and their reputation, away from people calling her your highness. She had thought her roommate had been her friend, they had partied together, laughed together, skipped classes together, even shared a kiss together. Only to have Clarke outed as bi in the papers, pictures included, within days of said kiss. Her roommate just shrugged, they’d offered her money and it wasn’t like people wouldn’t have found out sooner or later.
That had been the moment Clarke had decided that she wouldn’t care anymore about what other people thought. Which was of course the biggest lie, but as long as she acted like she didn’t she would actually believe that she didn’t care at all, sometimes. She had learned to distract herself with parties and every crazy thing she could think of. Sometimes she would even try to get on the front-page doing something scandalous, just to prove to herself that the media didn’t care about her, they just wanted to make money, who cared if it ruined her?
She knew she should stop her self-destructing behaviour, her parents had told her that, her advisor, Indra, even Bellamy and Octavia had, but Clarke herself knew too. This could only end in two ways, and one was very bad. But she didn’t want to think about the future. Actually stopping and getting serious was something that scared her too much to even seriously consider.
Clarke rolled her eyes at herself, she was angsting again, she definitely needed a distraction. Before she could look around however, she felt someone wrap their hand around her elbow, pinching quite hard, she knew only one person who would. “Ow, Indra,” she whined, “you’re hurting me.”
“I am? My sincere apologies, your royal highness.”
It was clear to Clarke that Indra wasn’t sorry at all; Clarke had to smile at that; for all her formality Indra at least treated her like a normal person, like an annoying person, like a nail on her coffin sure, but Clarke liked it that way.
“Please get in the car, your highness,” Indra opened the door for Clarke, looking around carefully, probably assessing if there were any threats; which Clarke found ridiculous, who would want to harass her out here, everyone here was just out to have a good time. But at the same time she was so used to it, that she hardly took any notice.
She slid in the backseat, Octavia and Bellamy sliding in from the other side, because apparently princess do not scoot over. Clarke could remember her mother scolding her about this like it was yesterday, instead of 18 years ago, when she moved over so Octavia could get on her chair with her.
All this thinking had put a serious damper on her mood, but then she remembered she had been thinking of a distraction, and Bellamy provided one.
“Clarke, I am collecting on that bet you and I made earlier.” Bellamy grinned, and Clarke could only grin back.
“It would be my pleasure.”
Octavia who was looking suspiciously between the two of them. “I don’t like the look on either of your faces.”
“Oh trust me,” Clarke grinned, leaning in, “you’re going to be glad I lost instead of Bellamy.”
Only to be interrupted by a tap on her window, they hadn’t been moving yet, since Indra had been arguing with the driver on where they were headed since Clarke had told the driver a different address than Indra was now saying them.
Before Clarke could roll down the window Indra had already jumped out, about to grip the knocker in some kind of death grip when Clarke managed to roll down the window, smiling her most winning smile when she saw it was in fact Sharon. She leaned out of the window, making sure she talked loud enough for the other occupants of the backseat to hear.
“Well, well, Sharon, fancy seeing you here.” She grinned wider when she heard Bellamy curse inside.
“You know this girl, your highness?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say knowing exactly, but you can let her go Indra. Finish fighting with the driver while I’ll see how I can help my loyal subject here.” She lifted her chin to indicate Sharon, who promptly let out a nervous giggle.
“So Sharon, tell me, how I can I be of service.”
“You know my name,” Clarke inclined her head in agreement, already wondering why she had been kissing this girl in the first place, her smile seemed simpering now in the street light, and she was clearly more interested in if people saw her talking with Clarke than talking to Clarke herself.
“I just wanted to give you my number,” she stepped closer, yanking Clarke’s arm out of the car and writing her number on Clarke’s arm with red lipstick. Okay, Clarke had to admit she liked the girl’s bravado, and since people had probably already seen the exchange and had formed their opinions already why not reward the girl. She leaned further out of the window, wrapping her lipstick covered arm around Sharon’s neck and pulling her close, kissing her fiercely for a second, before pulling back and sitting down, telling the driver to go.
“Bye Sara!” Clarke called as they started driving away, only to start laughing when she heard Sharon call out that her name was Sharon, and replied with a loud, “whatever you say!” As she waved her hand out of the window one last time before closing it.
Leaning back in her seat she turned to look at both Blakes with a grin, “what?” she asked innocently.
Octavia just rolls her eyes, “she was cute.”
“You think?” Clarke shrugged, “you can have her number if you want.” She extended her arm towards Octavia.
Octavia shook her head, “no thanks, I don’t need your sloppy seconds.”
“Speaking of sloppy seconds,” Clarke looked at Bellamy with a suggestive grin.
“Seriously, you use that as your segway?” Bellamy looked both affronted and a little sick. “Fine!” He quickly pecked Octavia on the cheek.
“What the fuck, Bellamy?” Octavia laughed as she whipped her cheek, “what was that for?”
“We had a bet that the loser had to kiss you,” Clarke explained, “but that was not the kind of kiss we were talking about.” Clarke glared at Bellamy, who looked back stony-faced.
“We never specified,” he simply shrugged.
“Ugh, you two are such assholes,” Octavia groaned, but she also couldn’t help but laugh as she punched both Bellamy and Clarke in the shoulder.
***
“Your highness, I have your mother on the line,” Indra called over just as Clarke was putting on her sunglasses, leaning against her bike.
“Tell her I’m indisposed at the moment.”
Clarke sighed loudly when she heard Indra reply, “she says it had better have been because you actually were at the ambassador’s house for that garden party like you were supposed to and that she would talk to you tonight.”
“Oh joy,” Clarke muttered under her breath, maybe she could convince Octavia and Bellamy to let her crash with them for another night.
“What’s up?” Octavia said as she walked up to her, “if you were a cartoon character you’d have a thundercloud floating above you right now.”
“Queen b-“
“Your highness!”
Clarke heard the indignation in Indra’s voice and it amused her to no end.
“Yes, Indra?” She asked with an innocent smile. At that Indra said nothing, because what could she say, really? “Don’t worry, I was going to call my mother a bitch, I was going to say queen bee. So the fact that you thought that says more about how you see my mother than me.” She sent Indra a sickly sweet smile before turning back to Octavia.
“Like I said, queen bee called, she demands a chat.”
Octavia moved so she was next to Clarke, leaning against her bike, enjoying the sun. “You think it’s about not coming home last night?”
“Probably, and the photos I’m guessing.”
“Photo’s,”
“Photo’s,” Clarke confirmed, “someone posted a picture of me leaning out of the window kissing that girl and one of me and Bellamy talking, but apparently it looks like we’re about to kiss.” Clarke said dryly.
“For fuck sake, do people have no sense of propriety?” Octavia glowered, “and you,” she smacked Clarke’s shoulder, “why are you so blasé about this? You never even seem to care.”
“What do you want me to do, Octavia?” Clarke shrugged, “people will think what they will no matter what I do. They think I get wasted and hook up with someone different every day no matter what I do. So why not just give the people what they want and have a little fun in the process?”
“But maybe if you tried-“
“Stop,” Clarke turned to face Octavia, her voice far sharper than before, “I have tried, and you know that. After my roommate, I did everything those stupid media advisors told me to do, but I only had to laugh with someone or I was dating someone new, being princess Casanova, and if I dared to yawn I apparently could barely keep my eyes open in class and stank of the party I had been to the night before. So don’t tell me I should try, don’t you dare.”
Clarke turned around, grabbing her helmet and putting it on. She had just swung her leg over her bike when she felt Octavia’s hand on her arm. “Clarke, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”
Clarke shook Octavia’s hand from her shoulder, “I know exactly what you meant.” She wasn’t being fair to Octavia, she knew that, but she couldn’t help it. Octavia’s words were just too close to what her mother would tell her over and over again, with much harsher sentiment.”
Octavia moved in front of Clarke’s bike, her hands on her hips, “Clarke, stop, I know you have tried, can’t we talk about this, I really didn’t mean it like that.”
It was Octavia’s face more than her words that softened Clarke up, “I know, O, I just, I need to blow off some steam, I’ll just take a short drive and then I’ll come by tonight. We’ll have a girl’s night, stay in, watch a movie, that kind of stuff, okay?”
Octavia nodded as she moved towards the side so she could hug Clarke, “I know you’re just trying to avoid Abby, but I am still glad you’re coming, I’ll get your favourite ice cream. Please be careful.”
Clarke smiled, feeling her heart warm with the care Octavia seemed to have for her; never one to really express that kind of thing though, she laughed. “I can’t deny that not seeing my mother is part of the motivation, but the biggest factor is that you’ll make your famous noodles, right?”
Octavia laughed, shaking her head “are you actually making demands after inviting yourself over?”
“Hey,” Clarke teased back, “serving dinner to royalty is a privilege.”
“Well excuse me, your highness,” Octavia mocked as she curtsied, “but you’re a royal pain in my ass.”
Clarke gasped, clutching her heart. “You could get arrested for that in some countries, you know.”
“I can see the headlines no: ‘Party princess has best friend arrested for telling the truth.’ Abby and Jake would love that.” Octavia smiled, tapping softly on Clarke’s helmet. “Now go and ride, and get back in one piece please.”
“Alright, doll.” Clarke grinned as she revved her engine, “see ya!”
Racing off, Clarke laughed to herself as she heard Indra slam her car door shut, imagining the woman cursing her as she got the motor of the car running.