Chapter 1:
Clarke is not a smoker.
Yet, her delicate ivory fingers guided the filter to her balm-stained lips as if she truly needed that Marlboro Red to satisfy a non-existent craving. The sounds of her steady choking prompted her friend to let out a series of giggles. Clarke handed the stick back to Octavia Blake and grimaced, "I still don't see the lure in doing this." It was Octavia' turn to frown—something signature and dedicated only to Clarke as if she disapproved everything her best friend ever said. In a way, Octavia most certainly disapproved of Clarke's prudish behavior but she was working on altering Clarke's misconceptions of what was and what wasn't a good time.
Their body language told a story of two girls who'd known each other since the day they were born. The real story started a month ago when Clarke moved from her hometown, Arkadia—shortened to Ark by the townies—and transferred to Mount Weather High. It was almost an instant connection because they were both considered the "new girls." See, Octavia was homeschooled her entire life and didn't have many friends and Clarke was the transfer student from a prestigious private school. Their stories were different, wildly so, but they connected on a level—high school survival. Of course, Clarke later found out that Octavia had nothing to worry about. There wasn't a damn person that would utter her name in a negative way that wouldn't see the fist of the rumored elder Blake. Clarke hadn't met him, and she had no desire to do so.
But Clarke had different concerns. She was too smart—way, way too smart for her own good. She was already being transferred out of her junior classes because she surpassed the curriculum. Starting Monday, she was going to be in senior classes with all the obnoxious, popular kids. She thanked god every day that she met Octavia in an elective class rather than a core class because she wouldn't know what to do with herself without her new best friend. Octavia used the term first, claiming Clarke was her only real friend. That made Clarke feel warm, like there was hope in life after her parent's quite sudden divorce.
"It'll help you relax. I can tell you're nervous." Octavia claimed as she took a long drag and released a cloud into the air. "Stop looking at me like that, I'm not going to die." Clarke snorted in response, watching her friend rub the end of the cigarette across the concrete block before dropping it on the ground. "Did you get your new schedule yet?"
They were trespassing technically although, Clarke didn't consider it trespassing if there weren't any signs and no one owned the land. There were about a thousand rumors concerning the haunted woods and how ghosts roamed around the area, killing campers and other creative versions of every scary movie ever written. Both of the girls debunked the theory every evening after school. Most of the time they would sit and study, other times they decided to be slightly reckless and do things such as smoke cheap cigarettes. Clarke called this "time away from mom" and Octavia called it "time away from suffocating family"—either way, it was their hide out.
Clarke shrugged, "Yeah…I really don't want to talk about school. Do you want to stay the night tonight?"
"My mom doesn't think you're real especially after the whole kissing-Jasper-Jordan situation. Like, what the hell were me and Jasper going to do? He's my fr—never mind, you've heard this argument a thousand times…so, she thinks you should stay the night at our house." Octavia finished, looking down at her feet. "If you want…" She added after a second of hesitation.
"Um, sure yeah. I'll ask my mom." Clarke furrowed her eyebrows.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just, I've never stayed at someone's house before. My only friend was Wells and he was a guy so my parents weren't having that…I don't know, I guess I've found something else to be nervous about now." Clarke admitted, "Takes my mind right off the school thing."
"Good. You're going to be fine, by the way. This isn't the end of the world. You'll find someone to talk to in these classes… hey, you might even have a class with Jasper or Monty. God, I hope you pray you don't have a class with my brother. His discipline record says that he is quite disruptive." Octavia leaned against a tree, "You're finally going to meet him if he comes home tonight. It's Friday so all bets are off."
She couldn't care either way. Her brother, whatever the hell his name happened to be—Clarke couldn't remember for the life of her—seemed like a major dick. Clarke detested the type of people who assumed they could get by with their oh-so-charming smiles and good looks. Naturally, Octavia explained a lot about her brother especially his stupid smirk that made O want to punch him in the face. Clarke heard this complaint a lot. She also heard how attractive he was—but not from Octavia. She'd heard that comment from a girl in their class when Octavia launched into a rant about his disrespectful behavior. "He is just sex on a stick…" the girl fanned herself dramatically and Octavia nearly threw up at the mere comment.
Clarke rolled her eyes, "Yeah, really looking forward to it."
"Maybe you'll fall in love and become my sister-in-law. Then, we can move anywhere in the world and leave this hell hole town." Clarke seriously doubted Octavia's logic but the brunette continued, "We could take off and go to Spain. Spain, Clarke…or France…"
"How would marrying your brother do this for us?"
Octavia sighed as if it were obvious, "I don't know, it just will. That's it, I'm setting you two up."
"No you're not."
"But I am, Clarke. I am setting you two up."
