Chapter 1: A Fresh Start?
- Clarke -
Clarke stared up at the dorm hall as she took a box from her back seat and sighed. Why did she have to be on the third floor? Life would be so much easier on the first floor. Less stairs. Shorter commute. Then again, less crazies on the third floor. Less likely to have a rock thrown through the window. Not that she was worried about that.
Okay, maybe she was a little paranoid.
She had talked on the phone with her new roommate a few minutes earlier and she was running late. She had a good feeling about her. Octavia seems like a fun girl, who can be serious when the situation calls for it. And she was a freshman. Wouldn't be in with that crowd yet.
Clarke was looking forward to having more girlfriends. Majority of her friends are guys and, while guys are awesome, she needs some girl time now and then.
And she needs a fresh start after last year.
She painfully remember the situation that caused her to lose her best friend. What happened with Wells was a harsh ending to a long and good friendship. He hadn't been able to adjust to college life as well as her. He wasn't ready for the independence and the pressures placed upon him. And she hadn't seen it. So when he had taken his own life, it had crushed her for not seeing the signs. Because of that, she switched her major from Pre Med to social justice. To help people.
After moving all her boxes from her car to room 309, Clarke decided to take a minute before unpacking. She sat down on the edge of her bed and scrolled through her unanswered texts.
Jasper – "We're sophomores! Hell yes!"
Raven – "We need to hang out, you me"
Finn – "I need to talk to you"
Jasper – "Hey, Clarke, a bunch of us are heading to Grounders tonight. You in?"
Finn – "Please, we really need to talk."
Finn – "I love you, please answer."
She clicked her phone off and threw it onto her pillow. Maybe she'd take Jasper up on his offer. She hadn't seen him since May. Finn, on the other hand. All she wanted to do was forget that awful night ever happened. It wasn't her fault. She was drunk. She was grieving. Her parents wouldn't talk to her. So she reached out to someone who would. Someone who would make her feel less alone.
What a mistake that had been.
Knock knock
The door opened and a young woman walked carrying a box with what appeared to be very old books. She looked around and spotted Clarke.
"You must be Clarke. I'm Octavia." She set the box down on her own bed as Clarke stood up to greet her. Clarke reached out for a handshake as Octavia went in for a hug. Both girls laughed and Clarke conceded for the hug.
"Nice to finally meet you, Octavia." She said, still laughing softly, "I hope you don't mind that I haven't unpacked yet. I just got done lugging all of it up from my car."
"Oh, I don't care. I'm making my brother do that for me." She said offhandedly. "It's the only thing they're good for, ya know? Hard labor." Both girls laughed again.
Clarke had a brief moment to wonder about this brother before the devil himself walked through the door.
"Hey, O. Where you want these?" Bellamy Blake. Bellamy. Fucking. Blake.
Now, here's the thing about Bellamy Blake. He's tall. (So freaking tall). And hot. (So freaking hot). But he's a jackass. He has this chip on his shoulder from a hard childhood. Doesn't like anyone who came from money, which means he doesn't like Clarke.
The two had had a class together last semester. Psych 101. They never got on. The one time they were paired together for a project ended in disaster. Screaming in public places. Coffee poured on some of his more… sensitive extremities. Some tears, some punches.
Let's just say they both failed that project.
And they've hated each other ever since. Something he and his friends never let her forget. With their constant and seemingly endless stream of comments and muttered insults, they never left an opportunity to put her down go to waste. Then again, she had quite a lengthy list of comebacks on hand at any moment.
"Princess."
She turned to glare at him before closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Blake. I should have noticed your last name." God. Why did she have to be put together with the little sister of him! Ugh! "How could I be so oblivious?"
"Am I missing something here?" Clarke opened her eyes to see Octavia standing awkwardly by her bed looking between Bellamy and Clarke, obviously extremely confused.
"You see, O, Princess here isn't exactly what I would call a nice person." Bellamy said in a nasty voice. "She thinks she's on top of the world and that no one is good enough for her and her high standards of living." He sets the two boxes he's been holding down on the desks and leaves the room without another look.
The comeback Clarke comes up with gets stuck in her mouth when she sees Octavia's concerned face.
"So you're her." Octavia look up at Clarke with wide eyes. "You're the girl my brother has been complaining about all summer but won't tell us why."
"So he complained about me." Clarke groaned. Perfect. Now her roommate is going to have preset ideas about her.
"Just little things. Most of the time it was under his breath, or when he didn't think anyone could hear him. 'Princess Bitch thinks this…' 'Princess thinks that…' We never understood who or what he was talking about. The one time I asked, he shot me down so fast and fierce, I thought he was going to spew chunk or something." Octavia laughed. "My mom and I spent the entire summer debating on whether you were the girl who broke finally broke his cold heart or if you scratched his truck." That got a chuckle out of Clarke.
"None of the above." She said with a small smile.
Octavia was serious for a moment. "Clarke. The fact that Bellamy doesn't like you is actually a positive in my book. Most of the girls who hang with Bell are idiots, whores, drama queens or all of the above. I don't get that vibe from you." Octavia gave her a sly smile. "And besides I love doing things my brother hates."
"I get the feeling you and I are going to be great friends, Octavia." Octavia just laughed.
"If that's the case, call me O. Everyone else does."
Octavia was definitely easy to get along with. The two of them unpacked their boxes, both ignoring Bellamy as he brought box after box up from his truck. They made jokes, laughed when they both pulled out old and worn out, yet dearly loved, blankets at the exact same time, and talked about their plans for the year.
"Perfect." Clarke said, clapping her hands together and surveying their work after they had finished unpacking.
Octavia nodded. She was about to say something when Bellamy interrupted from behind the pair.
"I'm off," he said, kissing his sister on the head. "Anything you need?" She laughed and swatted him away. Clarke pretended to be busy with her books when he turned towards her. "I would say don't corrupt her, but seen as how the worst thing you can do is study, I'm not too worried." He practically sneered.
"Don't worry, she's safe in my hands." Clarke shot back. "Just because you always get in trouble doesn't mean we all do."
Bellamy looked like he was going to say something, but thought better of it and turned back to his sister. "See you around, O."
"Bye, Bell!" Octavia said to his retreating back. As soon as he was out the door she turned to Clarke. "We are going to do something fun, aren't we? I need some fun. All this unpacking has left me with a craving for some adventure." She had a slightly worried look on her face.
"Don't worry. I have the perfect plan." She said, thinking back on her earlier text messages. "I think you need to meet my friend Jasper." She smirked, knowing exactly how their first interaction would go.
"Jasper?" Octavia didn't sound so convinced.
Clarke laughed, "Don't worry. He might even let you have some of his homemade moonshine." Octavia's head shot up at the mention of alcohol. "I thought you might like that idea." Clarke grabbed her purse and phone and headed for the door, Octavia not far behind.
"First question. Is he single? If not, does he have any single friends?" Clarke's only response was laughter.
As Clarke and Octavia walked into Grounders, a coffee shop just off campus the group regulars before their late night adventures, they noticed a loud group in the back corner.
"Oh come on, Monty. You know that it'd totally be Amber!" Jasper was holding breadstick threateningly out at Monty. "She'd totally be able to kick Jango's ass! Her dual-wielding swords can kick through any defenses!" He demonstrated said dual-wielding abilities with his breadsticks.
"Hell no!" Monty shot back. "You must have been dropped as a child to think that Jango could be beat so easily! He isn't some elven tramp whose only ability is big breasts!" This got the whole table in an uproar.
Octavia looked skeptically at Clarke. "Is that the table we're headed for?"
"Of course! We have a reputation to protect! If the whole campus knew how awesome we were, they'd be hanging around trying to join in on the action." Octavia laughed. "We only have so much booze, O. Gotta save it for the ones who matter." Clarke defended with a sly grin. Suddenly a loud burst of laughter erupted from the back table and Clarke quickly maneuvered over, apologizing when she knocked over a guys jacket.
"Guys, calm your tits. You're going to get us kicked out!"
"Come on, Miller!" Jasper slapped him on the back. "Live a little! Or did you forget how to have fun over the summer?"
"Go easy on Miller, Jas." Clarke said as she walked up to the table. "He never knew how to have fun." The whole table erupted into laughter again as Miller glared at Clarke.
"Clarke!" Jasper jumped out of the booth to hug her. "So glad you could make it." He seemed to notice Octavia for the first time. "Who is this lovely lady? Where have you been hiding her, Clarke?" He bowed extravagantly, making Octavia blush.
"Everyone, this is my roommate, Octavia." Clarke presented her to the table. "O, this is Jasper, Miller, Harper, Monty and Roma." Clarke pointed out each member individually.
"Hi guys." Octavia looked nervous for the first time since Clarke had met her.
"Dude. You should totally try the breadsticks." Harper interjected, with half of one in her mouth. "They're to die for." The group made room for Clarke and Octavia and before long, the boys were back to their previous argument about god knows what while the girls listened on with only slight interest.
"Jas, you got any of your special stuff, tonight?" Roma asked Jasper as he was in the middle of explaining something about 'the beauty of chemistry' to Miller.
"Of course!" He said with a wink at Octavia. "I never leave home without it." The entire group laughed. "And besides, it's the first night back! We need to do something."
"Skating?"
"Pranks on newbies?"
"Rage Quit!"
"Guys, I'm really feeling the rage quit tonight." Monty agreed with Harper's idea, quickly.
"But who would we rage quit?" Roma asked. "Like Jas said, it's the first night back, we don't have any enemies yet." Octavia looked over at Clarke with a confused look and mouthed 'rage quit?'
Clarke leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I'll explain later."
"We could always rage quit someone from last year." Harper suggested.
"But we don't know where any of their rooms are." Miller pointed out.
"I know where Finn's room is." Everyone turned to Clarke, eyes wide at her suggestion. "And I mean, if there is anyone who should have a surprise rage quit on the first night, it's Finn."
"You're still not over that?" Roma asked, surprised.
"You expect her to be over the fact that her roommate's boyfriend took advantage of her as she was drunk and grieving her best friend." Jasper shot out.
"Point taken."
"Guys, I didn't mean to kill the mood." Clarke put out. "I just thought it would be fun."
"Oh, it'll be fun alright." Monty turned to Jasper. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"If you're thinking a homemade stink bomb to warn his entire building what a shit he is, then yes." Jasper's smile was so terrifying it could probably curdle dairy.
"That's not what I was thinking. But I like that idea much better." They high fived and the entire group just laughed.
"Is now the right time to ask what rage quit is?" Octavia asked, still laughing as they left the coffee shop. The girl had obviously become comfortable with the group in the short time she had been in the coffee shop, Clarke observed as the group began the trek back towards campus. She was slightly jealous of her ability to feel at ease in any environment, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from being her friend. It's easier, she thought, being the less outgoing one. It makes her less likely to be hurt, which is always a good thing.
Jasper threw an arm around Octavia's shoulders, oblivious to Clarke's thoughts. "That, my dear, is a good question." He laughed. "And something which is better shown, than explained." He suddenly stopped and smacked himself on the forehead. "Shit, we need a game plan." He beckons everyone closer.
"So, if we're gonna stink this place to kingdom come, we need an epic game plan." He said as soon as everyone was close enough.
"Roma, Miller – you'll be on lookout. Monty – you're on stink bomb duty. Make this your best yet. Harper – you are Monty's assistant. Octavia, Clarke – you're going to deliver said stink bomb." He put his fist up, as if for a team cheer. "Everyone down?"
"What about you?" Harper asked.
"I'm going to give the best damn monolog this school has ever seen." He said with a sly smile. "Team on three! 1 – 2 – 3!"
"Team!"
"Break!"
"Let's do this shit."
As the groups moved off to complete their assigned tasks, Clarke and Octavia walked around campus, with Clarke pointing out buildings and shortcuts Octavia would need to know. "So, rage quit?"
Clarke laughed at her bluntness. "Rage quit started last year and has become something of a tradition for us." She chuckled softly at the memory. "It originated when Roma's boyfriend cheated on her and we needed a way to get him back. We ended up getting drunk and stealing what felt like a million sticky notes from a faculty storage room. On them, we drew dicks, wrote insults and told all of his secrets to the world. We put them all over campus, but mostly on his car. In the morning when we were all recovering from a horrible hangover, someone, I don't even remember who it was, said 'Damn girl, you rage quit him real fast.'" Both girls laughed. "And thus, rage quit was born." They walked in comfortable silence for a while.
"Now, don't take this the wrong way. I'm the type of girl who makes her own opinions and doesn't judge a person at first glance, but I have to say it. When we first talked, I didn't expect you to be like this." Octavia admitted.
Now it was Clarke's turn to be confused. She stopped and asked. "What did you expect?"
"A goody two shoes. A know it all." Octavia looked down at her feet. "Someone boring."
Clarke looked up at the sky and said. "And what am I like?"
Octavia looked up and stared Clarke directly in the eye and said. "Cool. Fun. Awesome. Outgoing. Crazy. Adventurous." She laughed. "I didn't think you'd be a more subdued version of me."
Clarke laughed. "See, now I know you're lying." Soon both girls were laughing so hard they had fallen to the ground and were getting some odd looks from some of the other students walking around.
After an hour of simple talking, getting to know one another, a loud shout was heard. "CLARKE!" Monty was waving frantically from just inside one of the science buildings, just off the campus green.
"I guess that's our queue," Clarke stood up and offered a hand to Octavia, who was still wiping her eyes from laughing so hard.
"I suppose so," Octavia agreed.
The pair walked towards the building where Monty was and suddenly found the rest of the group was already there, hovered around a sheet of paper. The group was muttering things like, "Yeah man, great!" "Displeasure sounds so much better than distaste." "Best speech ever!" Clarke just laughed and asked Jasper where the stink bomb was.
"Mi'ladies" Jasper bowed to Clarke and Octavia. "Your weapon." He was holding a jar half filled with white paste. Clarke was not impressed.
"It doesn't look like the ones from last year." She said, cautiously, "are you sure it'll work?"
"I've been working on a new formula all summer. It'll work, I promise." Monty smiled. This was the smile of a maniac who had just perfected his already perfect formula.
"Alright, I trust you," Clarke laughed. "Even if you are a dense little scientist." The whole group laughed before setting up the final game plan. Before they knew it, it was show time.
Clarke and Octavia walked through Ammon Hall, the stink bomb hidden safely in a bag meant for bottles of wine and fine liquor. Octavia smiled demurely at any boys who even looked like they found it odd for two girls to be walking down the hall of a boy's dorm at 11:30 at night. Right on time, Jasper starts walking down the hall, coming from the other direction, brandishing a golf club for reasons unknown. He probably thinks its cool, Clarke thought to herself and chuckled slightly. Octavia gave her a concerned glance, but she waved her off.
Too late to turn back now.
"Gentlemen of Ammon Hall, 5th floor. This is your unlucky year." Jasper started reciting during his walk down the hallway. "You see, you've been saddled with not only some of the oldest and shittiest dorms on campus. No AC must really suck. But you've also been saddled with some of the shittiest people to live with." Jasper has now passes Octavia and Clarke, but is still talking. "It is my extreme displeasure to introduce you to Finn Collins, room 512. Now, at first glance, Finn seems like a nice guy. He's fun, he's caring and he's dependable to a fault. Unless you're a girl. Because if you're a girl, Finn treats you like property and as such has no respect for you. So, none of you gentlemen have anything to worry about." Jasper smiled, because at that moment Finn stepped out of his room and into the hallway, glaring at Jasper. "Unless, of course, you have a girlfriend."
"You fucking shit. You have no idea what you're talking about!" Finn made the huge mistake of leaving his door open while he turned on Jasper, giving Clarke the perfect opportunity.
"It's been fun, asshole." Clarke laughed as she threw the stink bomb into his dorm and turned to sprint out of the hall. While Octavia ran around anyone in the way, Clarke merely jumped over them in a split jump. The pair didn't stop running until they met up with the rest of the group a few blocks away. They fell over from exhaustion and laughter.
"So that's rage quit" Octavia got out through heavy breaths, her head turned slightly towards Clarke in question.
"Yep. Welcome to the team."
A/N: Hi, y'all, I'm Brittany. Thanks for taking the time to read chapter 1 of my story. It'll be a fun adventure, and I hope y'all will join me.