She couldn't be late, not today. She had already missed a week of classes. Lexa ran around her room searching for a hair tie, her books, laptop, backpack and every item she was supposed to have on her first day on her new college. Of course she probably should've prepared her stuff the night before, only she had been fooling around with a pretty brunette and one thing had led to another. When she woke up to an apologetic note in her pillow, her mind tried to catch up but when she turned to check the time, she rushed out of bed, leaving her night activities for some other time when she wasn't running late.
She left her dorm, slamming the door, which caused a few annoyed looks from people who seemed to hate being awake at 7 am. The girl paid them no attention, her mind going through the schedule she had last check on her phone, two days before. She knew her first class was at seven, in building C, the number was blurry in her mind but she figured it would come up, eventually, once she got there. She ran through campus, earning a few more grumbles and snarky comments, particularly when she crashed into someone. Too late to apologize, Lexa kept running as fast as she could. When she finally reached her destination, a smile crept upon her features, her classroom was room 408, and she even recall what subject it was, econ 101. She stopped in her tracks, wondering why the hell she was taking an economics class while majoring in History or something along those lines.
"Anya, you're so fucking dead," she cursed under her breath, remembering it had been her sister who had arranged her schedule. Being too busy during her vacation, Lexa had trusted her older sis to come up with some classes she should take, in order to get some sort of degree. She already had a few credits under her belt, being a transfer student but her major still wasn't completely settled, it sure as hell didn't point anywhere near the economics department. Her idea was going to Law School afterwards, so taking a few law classes couldn't hurt. She knew pre-law students usually didn't get into the big leagues, so she thought of combing some other subjects and by the end of the four years, counting her credits to see what degree she could get. It wasn't an ideal plan but it was all she had, for now.
Taking a big breath before sneaking in, she thanked for the auditorium like concept. She easily snuck into the back row with few people noticing her tardiness; the curious ones received her best kill stare, which promptly made them go back to the lesson. She relaxed into her seat and closed her eyes, the professor's words lulling her to sleep. What seemed to be hours later, a poking in her arm brought her back to reality. People where moving around leaving the classroom. She looked at the source of her waking. Before being able to lash out at the person who had dared to wake her, Lexa's eyes stumbled into a deep blue sea. The girl in front of her had a questioning look on her face, which soon turned into a stunning smiling face. Much, much better than the girl from the night before, which she had now forgotten all about.
"Is it over?" she asked while rubbing her eyes and stretching.
"You mean class? Yeah, I think so. You're in my seat," the girl stated. Lexa raised her eyebrows, looking around, still caught in the haze of her early nap. She finally turned to the girl, who she noticed was carrying some sort of art materials along with her backpack.
"You're not in my econ class."
The blonde girl shook her head with amusement. "Nope, but you should go before professor Jaha gets here. He gets pissed off easily."
"Is that so?" The classroom was already half full, on what she assumed where art students, all chirpy and loud, which she soon found annoying. "On that note, I'm off." She stood up and walk towards the door, she turned just as the girl was placing her stuff, neatly organized in her place. "Thanks for the wakeup call, Clarke," she added smiling widely and leaving a very confused girl behind.
/
Lexa wasn't sure how she managed to survive the rest of her day. At some point, she just started following people around and getting into classes she thought were hers. It was her first day and Anya had set her up with at least 6 classes, many she had already decided she was going to drop by the end of the day. Around 5 o'clock, she checked her schedule only to realize she still had two more lessons. She grabbed her phone and dialed her sister.
"The fuck is your problem?" She asked before allowing the woman to salute her properly.
"Hi, is nice to hear your voice too." As rude as the initial greeting had been, Anya sounded rather amused by her sister's annoyance. "I'm guessing you're calling to thank me for an awesome schedule?"
Lexa rolled her eyes despite Anya not being able to see her. "You wish, bitch. I can't believe you enrolled me into something call Ethics and Theology, really? And you have some nerve with Life Choices and Housing, the fuck is that?"
Laughter erupted on the speaker, only causing Lexa to hate her sister a bit more. "I'm hanging up."
"No, wait!" When Anya finally managed to catch her breath, she decided to end her torture. "I may have something to tell you."
"Anya." The warning tone prepared her for an angry person once she told the truth.
"Lex, don't get mad."
"Anya, just tell me," she sighed, waiting for yet another surprise from her loving sister.
"Well… I may or may have not given you a fake schedule."
The lack of sound through the phone, hinted that Lexa was still processing the information. "You did WHAT?" And there it was the inevitable scream. Anya couldn't help it and broke into a fit of laughter, yet again. "Anya, I swear... if you don't tell me what you did, I'm coming over to…"
"Okay, okay." The laughter stopped but Lexa could tell her sister was having trouble keeping herself together. "Always the dramatic, since you decided to abandon me for three months and go to Mexico by yourself, leaving me with the daunting task of creating a class schedule. I, your favourite sibling, decided to make you suffer. Your betrayal earned an interesting and hellish first day, in the form of some cringe worthy lessons. You can thank me properly next time we see each other. I'll send you the real one, the minute this phone call is over."
Lexa heard Anya's explanation; somehow the dedication to prank her appeased some of her rage. "You've got to be kidding me. I knew I should've asked Lincoln. You couldn't come, you had work and I bought you a t-shirt!"
"Exactly! Three month vacation and all you can get the woman who paid your expenses is a goddamn t-shirt. Be thankful I actually got 'round to enrolling you in college kid."
The playful banter between sisters had been a common feature in their relationship. At times Lexa would get seriously frustrated with Anya's antics but getting back at her, was definitely fun. She considered her options and decided on waiting to strike back. In the meantime, she had to get her college life in order.
"Alright Anya, you win. I have to go, if you could kindly forward me my actual schedule I will be forever grateful." She made sure the sarcasm in her tone reached her loving sister.
"Don't overdo it little sis. I love you." The line was dead before Lexa could reply anything. Then again, she wasn't much of a sentimentalist so Anya wouldn't have gotten the reply she wanted.
Lexa looked around her. From her spot under the shade of an oak tree, there was a nice view of campus. People walked around with their friends, chatting happily. Others had their headphones plugged and were oblivious of the world. Ever since she was little, Lexa would love to stare at people and their behaviour. There was something fascinating at imagining what people were thinking or yearning.
A couple of minutes later, her phone buzzed.
Anya (4:55 pm): A thank you gift will be much appreciated.
Attached to the message was the timetable for her actual lessons. Lexa shoved the phone in her pocket, got up and made her way to the fields. The only thing that had mildly interested her was a rugby practice poster that had caught her eye in between running around campus. If there was a place she could possibly let go of all her frustration, it had to be where she could hit other people and not get in trouble for it.
While walking there, she spotted a familiar wavy blonde hair. The girl was standing next to a guy, who had his arm around her shoulders. She felt a pang of something in her stomach which caused her mixed feelings, when realization hit her. She was not going to see the girl on a regular basis, looking at the scene in front of her, it might be for the best, she thought.
/
Her body ached in place she didn't even know it could hurt. Apparently, the best way of introducing you to rugby was, by giving you as many tackles you could fit in 2 hours. She certainly was going back, but as of right now, she really needed to get her shit together.
The water in the shower stopped running. A young woman came out of the bathroom, clasp in just a towel. Lexa turned to give the girl her privacy but the shift caught the girl's eye.
"Oh, you're awake." Lexa grunted in response, not feeling like engaging in any sort of conversation this early in the morning. "Right, sorry. I'll let you go back to sleep." The girl grabbed some clothes and turned to leave, before shutting the door, her head appeared on the doorframe. "I'm Raven, by the way." She wasn't sure if the other girl had heard her.
The two of them developed a routine over the course of the next weeks. Raven had an early class so she would shower first and leave before Lexa even got up from bed. Fortunately, the brunette's day started until 10am, which she saw as a sign of Anya's apology for her first day nightmare. Once her roommate was long gone, she would get ready and wouldn't come back until late at night, spending most of her time in the library, rugby practice or hanging around on campus. She often went to a nearby café to do homework, plugged in her headphones and disconnect from the world.
Being a shy person, Lexa hadn't really attempted to make any friends. She got along fine with Raven, who she often found engaged in the weirdest projects. Sometimes, upon arriving at their dorm, the girl would ask for her help and Lexa would do whatever she asked. Except on the rare occasion, she was behind her assignments or practice had worn her out completely. In that case, she would fall into her bed without uttering a single world. When that happened, she would wake up to a paracetamol and some water in her nightstand.
She also got along fine with the rugby team. Not to the point to consider them as close friends, but she would return their smiles in the halls and around campus. She particularly enjoyed Octavia's sarcasm and general demeanor towards people. The woman had a unique approach to rejecting guys which often came out as rude. Lexa, on the other hand, thought the girl's bluntness was simple and effective.
"Alright bitches, party tonight, mandatory attendance." She turned to stare directly at Lexa, who was putting on her shoes; she felt the girls looking at her and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah okay."
There was a roar of cheers and slamming locker doors. "We're gonna show that soccer team, who runs this campus!" Octavia yelled, everyone cheered and laughed. Lexa only shook her head with a smile playing on her lips. She finished getting dressed and exited the locker room. A hand grabbed her by the arm, stalling her departure.
"Not so fast, Commander," Lexa stopped in her tracks, looking down at the hand resting in her arm, she raised her eyebrows. Octavia let go immediately but didn't budge, "you're going to the party. I'm picking you up at 10 in your dorm. I'll drag you out if I have to, so you better be dressed and ready by the time I get there. I won't let you get out of your pajamas otherwise."
Lexa weighted her options; she could try and argue herself out of the party like she had done the last three times, only she knew Octavia wasn't taking a no for an answer, or she could just go. She simply nodded and brushed past the girl. The captain sighed; she still had to get through the woman's stoic persona. Ever since the first party they had attended as a team, Octavia had tried to convince Lexa to come. The girl seemed to have an infinite amount of solid excuses so it she had made it her mission to make her come at least once. If she was being honest, she was fond of the girl, not only because she was an amazing pillar but something about her intrigued her. Maybe some alcohol would help loosen up the girl a little.
/
The loud banging on her door indicated Octavia's arrival; she didn't wait for her to open before barging into her dorm. "I swear Lexa if you…" She stopped in her tracks, when she saw the brunette standing in front of her wearing a dress that fitted her curves perfectly, high heels and light make up, bringing up her green eyes, making them look more alive. "Well, if I were gay I would totally be hitting on that all night. Girl, you're gonna be turning heads tonight."
Lexa blushed at Octavia's honesty. Truth to be told, she wasn't very self confident with her looks. She knew she wasn't horrible looking but she had trouble with people complimenting her appearance. "Is it too much? I should change," she said nervously looking down at her outfit. Octavia prevented her from going back into the bathroom.
"Oh, hell no!" she said while dragging them both out into the hallway "You look fine, and we're already late. You're hot Lexa, deal with it." Lexa laughed and resigned herself, already regretting her decision on going.
Lexa had managed to stay clear from Octavia's constant shot attacks, she had done a couple rounds with the time but had switch to beer, the minute Octavia decided to rule the dance floor. So far she was enjoying herself more than she thought it was possible, but had ran away into the kitchen to avoid being pushed in the middle of the dance floor. There still wasn't enough liquid courage in her body to go there, yet. She grabbed another beer and went to the counter to open it.
"You dropped out of Econ." A voice said behind her back. Lexa turned to find Clarke standing by the kitchen entrance, holding a red cup and looking absolutely stunning in a blue dress, making very difficult for Lexa not to roam over the girl's body. She smiled at Clarke trying to hide how nervous she really was.
"Yes, there is so much economics a girl needs in her life." Clarke blurted a genuine laugh, making Lexa smile and relax a bit. She could totally grow accustomed to the sound of the girl's laughter.
"One class, that's all you need?" The irony in her voice was mixed with some playful banter, which Lexa was more than willing to comply to.
"I read a book once." She meant to sound funny but the look of bewilderment in Clarke's features, hinted she needed to work on her humour. "It's a joke Clarke." It was partially true, but Lexa wasn't going to go into the details of her economic knowledge. The girl smiled unsure; suddenly remember she had wanted to ask the girl something since their first encounter.
"How do you know my name?" She had reproduced their first encounter in her mind, countless of times trying to figure out how the brunette had known her name. Lexa smiled mischievously.
"Claaarke! There you are." A currently inebriated Raven Reyes came through the door, crashing directly into Clarke's body. Lexa raised her eyebrows, amused at the current state of her roommate. "Finn's looking for you." The new information caused Lexa's face to change into a frown. She didn't know who Finn was but if she had to guess, he was probably the guy, she had seen with Clarke around campus.
"Lexa! You came. You and parties… that's a no, no, no," she laughed at her own joke, stumbling with the counter when she tried to reach for a bottle of vodka. Clarke looked at the two of them.
"You guys know each other?"
"Yeaaaah, Clarke, Clarke, this is Lexa; the roommate." Raven made a military salute before bursting into a fit of giggles. Not sure whether she was being mocked, Lexa stand in the corner awkwardly. Her defenses came back up and her brain began searching for excuses to leave.
"Raven, have you found her?" A voice's called, soon after it materialized into your typical jock. Lexa was sure she had just gotten her cue to leave. "Oh hey, finally! I've been looking for you for ages. You said you were getting a beer."
"Actually, it seems you sent the drunkest girl to look for me, Finn," she retorted while trying to balance Raven and guiding her towards a chair.
"I'm sorry babe. I had to show the boys how it's done." He hugged her by the shoulders, kissing her on the temple. Clarke was too focused on Raven to care about her boyfriend's ego.
"Okay Raven, we should take you back to your dorm. Lexa do you think…" She turned to look at the girl but she was no longer there. Clarke sighed tiredly. "Finn, do you think we can drive Raven back to her room?"
Finn touched the back of his neck nervously. "Uhmm… babe, I promised the boys I would go to a bar with them. That's why I was looking for you, we're heading out."
Clarke wasn't really in the mood to argue. "Fine, I'll ask O."
"You're the best! I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can do lunch or something."
"Sounds great," Clarke answered with zero excitement in her voice. Finn pecked her quickly in the lips before running out of the kitchen, shouting to his friends. A snore warned Clarke that the tasked ahead would be more complicated than planned. She left searching for Octavia, confident that Raven wouldn't turn out to be a missing person in the next minutes in her current state.
/
Lexa made it out of the kitchen, avoiding having to face nauseating displays of affection. She wasn't against them, only being a third wheel, and given Raven state she would've become one, was one of the most uncomfortable feelings ever. She made her way in the sea of drunken people, pushing and elbowing her way out towards the door, when she was halted by a petit brunette, she vaguely remembered.
"Hey" Was all she could muster, doing everything in her power to remember the girl's name. The girl was about to speak when a roar and a mass of bodies began running to the entrance. A guy collapsed against Lexa's shoulder, making her yelp. "Hey watch where you're going, asshole!"
Her sudden outburst changed the concerned look on her one night stand into a wide smile. In that moment she decided to be Octavia, or at least apply some of Octavia's bluntness. "Look, I don't remember your name but I'm sure I could be yelling it by the end of the night." The girl's eyebrows shot to the sky, completely taken aback with what Lexa had just said. She quickly found her composure and replied. "Let's get out of here." She headed to the door, holding Lexa's hand. "I'm Costia, by the way."
/
After half carrying, half dragging Raven to her building, Octavia and Clarke had finally made it to her room with only one minor fall. Clarke reached into Raven's pocket, digging for her keys while supporting her with her body.
"Please tell me, we can at least make her sleep on the tub," Octavia asked hopefully, she was really displeased when Clarke had found her and proceeded to interrupt her shots war with the girls from the soccer team. When she heard of Raven's current situation, she nodded annoyed and followed Clarke, promising the girls she would get her revenge.
"No." Clarke responded, finally opening the door and pushing it open with her shoulder. If she was being honest, she expected to find Lexa sleeping in there but the girl was nowhere to be found. "Come on Octavia, a little help here."
When they finally managed to settle Raven in the bed, she turned dangerously towards the edge, both girls exchange annoyed looks. They went back to the sleeping drunkard and managed to tuck her in, safely between the sheets.
"See, the tub was a better idea. No risk on her falling."
"May I remind you, last time you were this drunk, Raven drove you all the way back to you parents house and sneaked you in through the window, while I distracted your idiot brother," Clarke retorted.
"Hey, I'm the only one allowed to curse Bellamy," Octavia said punching Clarke on the arm. "But you have a point. We should leave before she decides to wake up and forces us to hold her hair while she vomits. Or Lexa comes back and demands to take her back."
"You know Lexa?" Clarke asked surprised.
"Yeah, yeah," Octavia said dismissively, "she's part of the team. I forced her to go to the party. She's not back so maybe she is finally enjoying herself, for once. How do you know her?"
"I… I don't. Not really… we sorta met a few weeks ago, but up until tonight I didn't even knew her name."
The other girl was looking at her curiously. "Clarke Griffin, do you have a crush on Lexa?"
"What? No!" she denied it a little too fast. Octavia shook her head but decided she was too tired to push on the matter. She made a mental note to invite Clarke to their rugby practice and see her reaction to Lexa's fit body, running around in short and displaying a pair of great legs.
They left closing the door softly.
/
The next day, Raven woke up with a pounding headache that felt as if someone was drilling into her brain. Opening her eyes, she found the familiar surrounding that were her room, looking towards her left side she expected to see Lexa sleeping soundly in her bed, only to realize it looked as if it hadn't been slept on. She turned to her clock noticing it was only eight in the morning. Deciding she would worry about her roommate in a couple of hours, when the pain had lessened a bit. She rolled over and went back to sleep.
Three hours later, the shutting of the door woke her. Raven sat upright in her bed, a little too fast for her brain's liking. She stared at Lexa who seemed like a deer caught in the headlights, her eyes bright and wide. "Alexandra Mara, are you doing the walk of shame?" Lexa's perplexed face told her everything she needed to know. Raven burst into laughter, this was the first time she had seen the brunette with her guard completely down.
It took a couple more seconds for Lexa to gain back her bearings. "I don't know what you're talking about," she stated, walking across the room, heading for the bathroom with as much dignity as she could muster. This only resulted in another explosion of laughter from her roommate.
"Hey, don't feel bad. I'm happy for you. Everyone needs some light entertainment, every now and then. Or was it rough?" Lexa's astonished face resulted in even more laughter. A flashback of the night before popped into Raven's head, halting her mirth. "Wait, it wasn't Clarke you were with, right?"
Her roommate stopped searching in her closet for a clean outfit. That was an odd question, she was sure Clarke hadn't come up in any of their conversations, apart from the quick introduction the night before. The mild interest she could've had for the blonde was definitely not something she had told anyone, yet. "Why would you say that?" she answered with a strange look on her face, going back to deciding what to wear.
"Well, I just remember that before I passed out, I was looking for Clarke and I found her, with you," she said with an accusatory tone and a pointing finger.
"Yeah, we were talking but that was the second time I've seen her." This wasn't entirely true but revealing about the anxiety she felt when she saw Clarke or how she always walked the other way, to avoid the blonde, would definitely be more awkward than her current situation.
"So no, it wasn't her." She caught a glimpse of the time on Raven's clock. "Shit, is that the time. Fuck, Lincoln is gonna kill me." Without giving any more information of her nocturnal activities, she went into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
Raven dropped back into her mattress considering going back to sleep once again. There was a gentle knock on the door. Getting up and stretching her limbs, she went to see who had prevented her from going back to sleep, yet again.
"Good morning sunshine!" A paper bag was shoved into her hands before Octavia and Clarke barged into the room without an invitation. Clarke placed two cups of coffee on her desk, before sitting on Raven's bed. She glanced around the room, noticing Raven's messy side and Lexa's tidy, organized space, as well as, the unslept bed.
"Uhmm… Raven, did Lexa come home last night?" The engineer was currently shoving into her mouth the breakfast her friends had brought. That didn't stop her from answering Clarke, mid-bite. "Nuh… Lexa just came back a couple minutes ago. Why'd you care?"
"No reason," Clarke replied nonchalantly, masking her true feelings. Last night she had expected to find Lexa in her dorm so she could finally get an answer as to why she knew her name. She had been a little disappointed when they got there and the aforementioned girl wasn't in the room. Today, the jealousy feeling hit her out of nowhere, leaving her confused as to why she cared about what the girl, she had spoken to, twice, did.
Octavia was about to make a comment when the door of the bathroom opened. Emerging fresh from her shower, with wet hair and casual clothes was Lexa. Drying her hair with a towel, she looked up surprised by the unannounced visits. Her eyes fell onto Clarke, who was absolutely enthralled with her and managed to turn the other way, just in time before Lexa became suspicious. Lexa, on her part, was too captivated by Clarke but her brain caught up with the situation. She blurted a couple of hellos and goodbyes and bolted out of the room, grabbing her phone on her way out.
Octavia laughed at her teammate's reaction. "Well that was subtle," she said ironically, "Did she say anything as to where she was?"
"Nope, only that she wasn't with Clarke," Raven replied, going back to devouring her breakfast, as if it was her last meal on Earth.
"Why would she be with me?" The blonde asked a bit offended to the implication of her cheating on her boyfriend.
This time, Raven swallowed before answering the question. She pointed at Lexa's forgotten coffee, silently asking if she could drink it too. Clarke nodded and waited. "The last thing I remember is that you were talking to her, hence I jumped to conclusions, which Lexa promptly denied. Don't worry Clarke, you're still a prude."
Clarke didn't know which statement offended her the most. The fact that Lexa had probably considered the idea of them as laughable or being called a prude. "Hey, I'm not a prude."
Octavia scoffed. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess. Anyways, Reyes you better get ready now. If we want to get to my parents house by one, we need to get going."
/
Lexa managed to get to the café only 10 minutes late. Lincoln was already there, sitting on the corner and drinking some colourful beverage. Lexa cracked a smile at this; it was typical of Lincoln to order the weirdest thing on the menu. The look on his face showed that he was actually enjoying it.
"Do I even wanna know what you're having?" she kissed him lightly on the cheek. She pulled the chair in front of his and took a seat. The man smiled widely at her, taking a few moments to examine Lexa.
"You had a late night," he stated, calling the realization he had by just looking at Lexa. The girl instantly blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted, noticeably embarrassed. Lincoln cackled genuinely and shook his head.
"If that is the case, you're forgiven for being late." Lexa grinned shyly, remaining silent. "You look good, Lex."
"Thanks, you too." A waitress approached the table, interrupting whatever Lexa was going to say next.
"Can I get you anything?" Lexa smiled sweetly at the girl, watching her a little longer than she was supposed to. The girl stared at her patiently. She scanned the menu quickly not sure on what to order.
"She'll have one of these." The man sitting across the table intervened, pointing at his drink. Lexa stared at him incredulously, turning to the waitress and nodding in agreement. The girl grinned at her. "Coming right up."
When she was gone, Lexa shot a furious look at Lincoln. "What?" he said, shrugging his shoulders, "you would've gotten something worse with how distracted you were."
The constant teasing from Anya and Lincoln was one of the things she missed the most. Not seeing them on a daily basis was really scary at first. It took her a while but she got used to the idea of being on her own. Still, she was grateful both of them were only a phone call away and weekly e-mails were still exchanged between the trio. So, Lexa was grateful for the current teasing, despite making her extremely uncomfortable.
"You're worse than Anya."
"You love me."
"You bug me."
"Here you go, one Everyday Rainbow with a touch of coconut and lemon." Lexa looked baffled at her drink. She grabbed the glass and smelled its content, it could be worse, she thought.
"I could get you something else, if you'd like." The waitress chipped in, noticing the obvious chagrin of the girl towards the beverage.
"No, she's good," Lincoln jumped in, preventing Lexa from ordering something else. "You could give her your number though." As soon as the words left his mouth, he winced in pain from the kicked he received on his shin.
"Uhmm… if you guys need anything else, I'll be over there." She pointed to the counter, retreating hurriedly unsure whether it was a joke or not.
"So how's school? Make any friends yet?" he asked as if nothing had happened, clasping his hand on the table.
"School is school. I get along with my roommate. She's a bit crazy and could blow us up, any day now." Lincoln frowned. "No worries, is more likely I get hurt during a rugby match than from Raven's experiments."
"Lexa." It always amazed how Lincoln could pull off the concerned dad so easily.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," she raised her hands as a sign of surrender, "Octavia would first murder every girl on the other team before letting anyone hurt us unfairly."
"Octavia?"
"Team captain, she's cool. A bit intense, but once you get to know her you can tell she's also a bit of a softy."
They talked for an hour or so, catching up on the past few months. Right now, Lincoln was telling her all about his new job as a mechanic in a friend's garage.
"… so you go straight, then turn at the Ark and about 30 meters ahead…"
"Wait, what? The Ark, the same Ark that is downtown?" Realization hitting her, like a storm. "You live here?" Lincoln grinned at Lexa's excitement.
"What about Anya?" she asked, slightly concerned for the older woman.
"Lexa, Anya is a grown-ass woman that is completely capable of taking care of herself. Besides, we were getting on each other's nerves, these past few months. Apparently, you were the referee of peace in that household. And, she was glad one of us would be close by. I mean, we were a phone call away but still, we preferred if one of us is in the same city as you. I hope you don't think we're prying into your college life. I know it seems overprotective of us but you're the youngest and…"
Lexa placed one hand softly over Lincoln's, stopping his rambling. Her eyes were filled with tears, threatening to spill. She took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. After all these years, she still got emotional whenever Anya and Lincoln acted as if they were family. In a way, they were. There was no blood relation but Lexa had learned a long time ago that family was a lot more than just nature. And having two people care for her, as much as the two of them did, continue to amaze her. She always wondered what she had done to deserve them.
"Thank you." Those words spoke for more than just now and he knew it. Lincoln looked directly into her eyes, sincere and vulnerable. He leaned over and embraced her tightly.
"Hey, I got you kid," he said softly, kissing the top of her head. Lexa melted into his arms feeling safe.
A couple of minutes passed with neither one saying much. It was a comfortable silence only interrupted by Lincoln's phone buzzing. He picked it up, checking the text he had just received.
"As much as I want to hear all about your latest conquest, I have to go to work." He asked for the check. Lexa rolled her eyes. The waitress placed the bill on the table, winking at Lexa before going back behind the counter. Lincoln picked it up and snorted at the paper. He grabbed some money, putting it on the table before handing Lexa the bill.
"You're welcome. Don't be a stranger. And please call Anya; I don't think I can handle another discussion on tampons." He hugged her goodbye. Lexa smiled, watching him leave. She looked down at the paper, noticing the scribbles on it, it read the name Laura and a phone number underneath. She averted her eyes to the waitress, who was tending some customers and smiled at her.
/
They boys were already there. Monty, Jasper and Bellamy were hanging by the pool, getting the grill ready and goofing around. It was autumn so the pool was covered, to avoid having to remove the leaves once spring came. Either way, the Blake's was the perfect place for the all to have some fun, cook a barbecue and maybe get a bit drunk. Their parents had gone on a little holiday, asking the siblings to check on the house. Which to them meant having a little get together with their friends.
Despite being October, the weather was kind to them. The sun was shining with a couple clouds painting the sky. Clarke loved days like these. Mornings warm enough to stay outside and chilly afternoons with some wind blowing. Not cold enough to freeze your nose and ears.
"Finally, these two are about to kill each other." Bellamy pointed to Jasper and Monty, who were smacking each other. Monty was holding what looked like a remote over his head and Jasper was jumping and pushing him, trying to reach it.
Raven walked the short distance towards the two of them. She took Monty's distraction as an opportunity and snatched it quickly out his hand. "I'm in charge of the music." The boys looked at her perplexed but didn't argue. Everyone else smiled at her antics.
"There, problem solved." Octavia went inside the house, leaving Clarke with Bellamy.
"You came," he stated looking sideways at her. He continued to move around the coal to get a decent fire for the meat and vegetables. Clarke came closer and began taking the food from the bags she was carrying; placing it in the table next to the grill.
"Why wouldn't I?" she asked surprised at his statement. She liked Bellamy, much like his sister, he didn't beat around the bush. He called it as he saw it, and Clarke was grateful for how straightforward he was. Having to guess what people were thinking, wasn't something she cared too much on doing. Most of the time, she just thought of those kinds of people as presumptuous.
"Le boyfriend," he answered in his best French accent. Clarke laughed at his dreadful attempt.
"He's coming over later."
"Oooh!" He mockingly bowed, earning a punch in the arm and food thrown at his head.
"Hey! We're eating that!" Octavia yelled. She was carrying plates and glasses in a tray, as well as, more food that she set on the outside table. Clarke threw one more grape at Bellamy.
"Hey O! I thought you were inviting a girl from your team." Both Monty and Jasper stopped chasing each other around, when they heard the possibility of one of Octavia's fit teammates coming.
"Yeah, Lexa. She's also Raven's roommate but left before I could even ask. Next time." The guys slouched disappointed and resumed chasing each other around Raven. The girl was doing her best to ignore them, while setting up the music. Octavia was not so patient.
"Okay, both of you. Knock it off," she grabbed one ear each, effectively separating them. She handed Jasper a spatula and pushed Monty towards the table. "Help."
"But mum!" They said in unison, high fiving at their synchrony. A big commotion made everyone shift their attention towards the backyard door, which suddenly opened revealing some guys, among which was Finn. Just like the day before, they entered yelling and jumping. Clarke wondered if they were still a bit drunk. They also were carrying six packs and bags, which by the sound of the clinking, contained more bottles.
"Hey baby!" Finn approached them, stumbling on his feet. His eyes were a little out of focus. Clarke groaned internally. Finn usually got a bit handsy whenever he was tipsy. He tried to kiss her lips but only caught her cheek, he frowned disappointed.
"Bellamy, my man!"
"How you doin' Finn?" Bellamy saluted Finn, nodding with his head.
"Did you drive here?" The sight of her boyfriend's friend in a similar state to his, concerning her a bit.
"No, no," he slurred, dismissing her with his hand, "Wick, drove us." He pointed at a guy who was just coming in, looking slightly disoriented at his surroundings. He waved his hand shyly, putting it down awkwardly.
"Hi. I hope I'm not intruding or anything. Finn said it was okay if I came." Were his first words once he reached the grill.
"It's fine buddy! Right, Blake?" Finn dismissed his friend's concern. Bellamy nodded his head. He cleaned his hand with a towel and extended to shake the newcomer's hand.
"I'm Bellamy. Please to meet you." He smiled genuinely and the guy relaxed a bit.
"Wick," he turned to Clarke and extended his hand, "You must be Clarke, right?" She nodded with a tight smile. "I'm sorry about him, I didn't know they were coming here, otherwise I wouldn't have cut them short earlier. Anyways, I offer to drive them but I don't want to overstay my welcome."
"No, you should stay. Eat something, is the least we can do for driving them safely."
"So, are we eating or what? I'm starving!" Raven had managed to rid herself from Finn's friends, who were in a similar state of intoxication. She smiled at the guy, standing awkwardly next to Clarke.
"Hi, I'm Raven." He was completely dumbfounded by the girl's beauty. Clarke came quickly at his rescue.
"Raven, this is Wick." Raven looked at him curiously not sure what to make of the new guy.
"Are you drunk?"
He denied with his head, not trusting his brain into formulating a coherent phrase or even words for that matter. The latina had definitely caused an impression.
"Do you speak?" Was her next question. She tilted her head a little, still trying to figure out what was his deal. He cleared his throat.
"Sometimes," he mentally smacked himself. Raven looked at him amused. She winked before going over to Octavia, with a little bounce in her step. The other girl was currently instructing Monty on how to set the table.
Jasper arrived moments later holding his spatula. He greeted Wick and awaited Bellamy's instructions. Every time Bellamy told him to do something, he would barge Yes, chef accompanied with a military salute before doing what he was told.
A half an hour later, they had a decent amount of cooked food and were ready to devour all of it.
/
"Finn, they could walk in any minute," Clarke scolded her boyfriend who was currently trying to remove her shirt. They were in the living room while everyone else was outside preparing a bonfire. Finn had somehow managed to get her alone. He hadn't stopped drinking throughout the day and was currently acting on pure sexual instinct. Clarke attempted to remove his hands yet again but the boy didn't relented.
"Oh come on Clarke. No one is here. I missed you," he said, kissing her neck sloppily. She rolled her eyes at his advances. "I just want to show you how much." He pressed his crutch against her jeans, as if making a point on how horny he was.
"Look you're drunk and I'm really not in the mood." She got off his lap and straightened her clothes. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her to him. "Don't be such a bitch." Up until this moment, she had controlled her temper even tolerated his drunkenness. She could feel the rage rising in her chest. Taking a breath to control her anger, she clenched her jaw before speaking.
"Ever since you arrived I've been patient with you. I would've liked for you to stop drinking but I didn't say anything because I'm not your babysitter. If you want to drink that's fine, I won't prohibit you. But I expect you do the same for me."
"I'm sorry babe." He began kissing her stomach, once again. Clarke took a step back completely baffled. "I'm serious Finn. No."
"Why do always have to be such an uptight? I know you enjoy sex with me." Of course he believed that, nowhere in his male ego could he actually think that Clarke thought sex with him was ok, not even close to great. She didn't mind sex, whenever he wasn't drunk or in a place where anyone could come in any minute.
"Maybe, when you're actually capable of lasting more than two minutes." She didn't mean to sound so harsh but Finn had a way of pushing her buttons.
"Fuck you, Clarke." He got off the sofa, bumping against her shoulder on his way out. Clarke sighed.
Truth to be told, when they first started dating, Finn was everything she could ask in a boyfriend. He was sweet, gentlemanly, and maybe a little too eager to get in her pants but she allowed it because there was some physical attraction as well. When he started hanging out with Murphy and some other boys, he began partying more, drinking more and even gambling. She thought it would eventually blow over and he would realize they were the wrong crowd. Now, she wasn't so sure the problem would go away by itself. She wanted to help him. She just didn't know how or whether Finn wanted her help. Whenever she brought up the topic, he would either ignore her or stumble out in a rage, shouting about trust and her not being his mother.
When she finally went out, she noticed the shift in the mood in the air and Finn sitting on the far end, sulking. Raven and Octavia, both turned to her asking silently if everything was ok. She mouthed a later and forced a grin on her face.
/
"So, when are you gonna break up with him?"
Clarke remained looking straight ahead, focusing on the road. It was late, they were heading back to the city and she was the designated driver since she had almost nothing to drink. Octavia poked her arm, encouraging her to answer. Raven stared at her anxiously from the backseat.
"I… it's not that simple. He needs help." She wanted to call it quits. She had long known their relationship was doomed but she couldn't make herself do it. Not while seeing him falling apart before her eyes. Octavia grabbed her hand reassuringly.
"He doesn't want your help. You've tried. You can't let him drag you down as well."
"It won't go that far."
"It will, honey," she said tightening softly the hold in her hand. Clarke smiled sadly with watering eyes. Raven pressed a reassuring hand in her shoulder.