A/N: Eyyo' guys! So, here is the next update to this fic! I'm struggling putting it together and that's my excuse for short chapters. As I said before, I'm not used to writing anything other than Merlin fics xD While re-reading it a had to keep myself from cringing. You may be your own worst critic but I can usually resist putting myself down to an extent. However, while reading this I couldn't help but despise my work.
I hope you guys like it more than me! Please review, it would mean the world! I'll see you all next time!
*Flies away on dragon*
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Clarke continued walking, although a tad reluctantly, in the direction that the idiot boy told her to go. She thought that he was absolutely annoying, especially after giving her such a condescending nickname such as princess! What right did he have to call her that - the same thing that her own father had called her years ago - and treat her as if she were a child. Even so, she was trusting him, and stomped down the hall hoping to finally get somewhere all the while trying to get the crumbled piece of paper out of her pocket that had her dorm room number on it. When she reached the stairs that led up to another corridor, which had a plaque at it's entrance which read 'West Wing', Clarke was slightly surprised. For being as obnoxious as he was, that arguably handsome guy gave good directions.
She turned to the left where there were another set of stairs, ones that had a sign above them clearly stating the girls rooms were up their steps. Clarke struggled up them before heading down a separate corridor which was lined with dorms on both sides. Eighty-five, ninety, ninety-five, one-hundred! The room at the end of the hall, the number one-hundred resting upon its door, was apparently where she would be living during her time here. Seeing it sent a feeling through her stomach as though she were having second thoughts about everything. It wasn't too late to turn back, was it?
Clarke raised her right hand shakily and knocked lightly on the door. After a moment, with no response, she tried again with more force.
"Come in, it's unlocked!" Sounded a voice from inside.
Clarke slowly opened the door, shifting the box in her arms in order to do so with more ease, and entered her new, temporary home.
"Hello...?" Clarke said, walking through the entrance.
A dark skinned girl appeared around the corner, her hair put up into a neat ponytail. She smiled and held out her hand, before noticing the grease and oil upon her fingers, and wiped it on a rag tied to her belt before trying again.
"It's nice to meet you," the girl said, shaking Clarke's hand. "My name's Raven, and I'm guessing your our new roommate, Clark Griffin...?"
"That's me," Clarke said with a small smile. Raven seemed nice, so maybe this wouldn't be terrible. However, if her mother's boyfriends were anything to go by, you never truly know someone until you live with them.
"Sorry for the mess but we've been moving things around all morning, getting ready for you and everything. It's irregular to have someone start a week late, but I suppose your just a special case, huh.
Raven wasn't exaggerating either, the place was a mess. Books and furniture scattered about the place with no organization whatsoever. However, she was sure it wasn't nearly as bad as her houses usually were when her and her mother were packing or unpacking whenever they had to move. The dorm was nice, otherwise, with a fairly sized living room with a futon couch and a small television in the corner. The kitchen had all the appliances, but according to what the college website said about not providing them, Clarke assumed they were brought in by one of her new roommates.
"I hope you don't mind, but you'll be sharing a room with Octavia - the other roommate - as she does have the bunk-bed," Raven said as she led Clarke through the place. "As for a grand tour, there isn't much to it."
Some alternate rock suddenly blasted on the radio from down the hall somewhere and Raven had to speak up to talk.
"The kitchen is right there, and the living room is across from it," she said as she pointed first to the left of them and then to the right. "The half bath is right there," she pointed behind them, "and the main bathroom is just passed the kitchen. My room is behind that door you can see in the living room and your's is right down that short hallway past the bathroom."
Speaking of her room, Octavia - Clarke figured it was her - stepped out of it holding a box full of something or rather. When she caught sight of her, the girl smiled and set everything down to come introduce herself.
"You must be Clarke, the newbie. I'm Octavia!"
This girl was light skinned but had dark hair and eyes that seemed oddly familiar, but she couldn't place where she might have seen them before.
"It's a pleasure," Clarke said kindly, although she still had to speak up. "Is it always this noisy?"
Raven shook her head, looking annoyed.
"Not usually, but the three girls two dorms down like to crank their music to extremes. I'll go tell them to turn it down," Raven explained before leaving with a deep sigh. "Oh, and I'll finish fixing the desk when I get back, Octavia."
"She was in the process of getting an old desk to work properly before you arrived. Anyways, you want to check out our room?" Octavia asked.
"I would love to, thanks," Clarke responded. These two girls were far more enjoyable than the boys she had met earlier, she hoped they wouldn't turn into evil monsters after being there for a while. It was funny though, thinking of them turning into real monsters. Clarke could only imagine waking up one morning to find one had turned into a two-headed dear.
They walked into the room and the first word that came to Clarke's mind was cozy. It was cozy. The bunk bed was in the far corner next to the window in the middle of the wall, a string of white Christmas lights were strung across the left wall, and a bookshelf was sitting under them. A desk, with tools rested on the floor around it, was also pushed up against the left wall, what looked to be the closet next to it. A picture of an older woman sat on the night stand sitting next to the bottom bunk that had a heavy blanket which had a lovely picture of a blue butterfly on it.
"You'll have the top bunk, I hope you don't mind. I sort of claimed the bottom one as my own the minute I walked in. We'll also be sharing the closet, half and half. It's not so bad, really. Raven doesn't even have a closest."
"It's great," Clarke said with a grin. "I love it."
She looked around the room again, her smile growing just a bit.
"You can set your stuff down and I'll help you sort everything if you like. Once Raven finishes the desk you can use that too," Octavia told her.
"That'd be awesome, thank you," Clarke set her box and luggage down, sighing at the relief in brought to her arms, before noticing the single picture again. "So... I don't mean to pry, but who's that?"
"Oh, that's just my mother."
"She's beautiful."
"Thanks."
"What about your father?" Clarke asked.
"I never knew him, and my big brother and mom never talked about him," Octavia said with a small, sad smile.
"I'm sorry... I didn't -"
"No," Octavia interrupted. "It's fine, really! What about your family?"
"Well, I've got my mom and my uncle's and their sons - my cousins - Monty and Jasper. Jasper was adopted when he was little, and we fell in love with him immediately. They actually go to school here. That's about the only family I've got."
Octavia chuckled lightly at the realization.
"I actually know them. Monty and I kissed once last year after we both got drunk at a party. We're all pretty good friends now."
"Really," Clarke laughed, shocked. "Monty did that?"
"Hmhm... So... What about your dad?"
"He - uh - he died about seven years ago."
"I'm sorry."
Clarke was used to this, the look of guilt in someone's eyes after they find out her father's gone. It's so normal to her now. The first year after his death so many people had offered their apologies, even though the didn't do anything - couldn't possibly do anything - and it felt so surreal to hear those words 'I'm sorry' again. It had been so long since she had ever had a conversation like this with someone.
"It's fine," Clarke assured her, before giving her a smile.
Then, suddenly, Raven walked in with a screwdriver in hand, disrupting their heart to heart talk.
"I got them to shut off their music after threatening to come and dismantle it in the night. So, what do you say about getting this desk fixed?!" She exclaimed.
They all shared a laugh and, Clarke realized, she was happy. This might not have been so bad after all.
