Chapter 2: Milkshakes and PDA


They stay for another two hours, playing song after song, until the light from the small window begins to grow orange and fade. Clarke packs up her acoustic guitar, promising to bring her electric the next time they play. They set up a time to meet next weekend, and Clarke, Raven, and Octavia leave down the driveway and back onto the street.

"Wow, Octavia, when you said you were good on the drums you weren't lying," Raven said as they ambled down the block. "Where'd you learn to play like that?"

Octavia shrugged. "YouTube, mostly. I took lessons for a while, but my teacher was an asshole so I quit."

Raven nodded and Clarke grimaced in empathy.

They continued to the end of block in comfortable silence, the only sounds the faint squeak from Raven's brace and the thump of Clarke's guitar bumping between her shoulder blades.

When they got to the intersection, Raven stopped and leaned over, massaging the top of her left thigh. "Hey, either of you drive here? My leg's killing me."

"Sorry, no, I took the bus." Clarke told her.

"Me neither, Bells just dropped me off earlier today," said Octavia. She frowned until an idea struck her. "Hey, I can call Lincoln to come pick us up if you want. We were gonna hang out tonight anyway."

Raven immediately hobbled over to the curb and plopped down. "That'd be awesome." She let her head flop backward, her bad leg stretched out with the other folded under it. "Standing for such a long time usually isn't good for this sucker," she said, patting her thigh above the brace.

Clarke settled down beside her as Octavia walked a couple feet away to call Lincoln. Raven rolled her eyes at Octavia's sappy greeting of "Hey, babe."

Clarke gave her a gentle push. "Stop it. I know you think they're cute."

"Sure, if by 'cute' you mean 'sickening to even be around.'" Raven said, sticking out her tongue.

Clarke just shook her head with a smile. Pulling her guitar around to her front, she settled her it in her lap and started to softly play "Wake Me Up When September Ends."

After a short conversation with Lincoln and an equally sappy goodbye, Octavia came back over and joined them on the curb. She tapped the body of Clarke's guitar with her fingernail, interrupting the notes with a hollow knocking sound.

"You're the kind of douche who would pick up the acoustic in the dorm lounge and just start playing, aren't you?" she teased.

Clarke snorted. "Yeah totally." She lowered her voice, making herself sound like a stoner dude. "Anyway, here's 'Wonderwall.'"

Both other girls laughed, prompting Clarke to start strumming the beginning of the song.

Octavia immediately pushed her while Raven swatted her fingers away from the frets.

"God, no, don't actually play it!" Octavia exclaimed, causing Clarke to laugh loudly, her head thrown back. "You asshole."

"Anyway," said Raven, pushing Clarke's face away with her hand, "how's lover boy?" She leaned around Clarke to make kissy noises at Octavia.

Octavia stuck her tongue out at Raven while Clarke shook her hand from her face and pushed her back. "He's on his way, he'll be here in like five minutes."

"Cool."

All three lapsed back into silence, Clarke going back to playing "Wake Me Up." Soon enough they heard the sound of an engine, and an old forest-green sedan pulled up in front of them.

"Lincoln!" Octavia bounced up immediately, going over to where the driver had already rolled down his window.

"Hey, babe," he said, leaning out the widow a bit to meet her for a kiss.

Clarke slung her guitar over her back and climbed to her feet, holding out her hand to help Raven up. As soon as she was up, Raven called out "Shotgun!" and galloped around the front of the car.

"Hey no fair," Octavia protested, straightening up with her hands on her hips. "It's my boyfriend driving, I should get shotgun."

Raven smirked. "Too late, I already called dibs."

Octavia huffed in indignation, and both girls turned to Clarke.

Clarke threw her hands up in surrender. "Hey, don't look a me." She looked at Lincoln. "Lincoln? It is your car."

He shrugged apologetically, but couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Sorry, what the lady says, goes."

Octavia leaned down to give him another peck. "Thanks, babe, you're the best."

Raven grumbled as she continued to the rear door and slumped into the seat, her arms crossed over her chest.

Clarke climbed in the other side and rolled hers eyes good-naturedly. "Shush. Look, now you can sit sideways and put your foot up in my lap."

Raven did so, but not without a parting jab at Octavia. "Your boyfriend sucks balls."

Without even turning around, Octavia replied, "Not since we've been together."

Lincoln made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. "Octavia."

Clarke's eyebrows shot up her forehead. Raven let out a loud guffaw.

"Damn!" she said gleefully. "All right, dude, just put this clunker in drive and let's get going."

Lincoln immediately followed her order, fumbling a bit with the gearshift in his haste. There were a few moments of awkward silence, then he cleared his throat.

"So, do you want me to take you guys home, or do you want to come with Octavia and I to That Milkshake Place?"

"Which milkshake place?" Clarke asked.

"No, that's the name," Octavia explained. "That Milkshake Place. It's on the outskirts of town."

"I've never heard of it." Clarke thought for a second. "Yeah, sure, why not? I have a few hours to kill."

"Raven, that cool with you?" Octavia looked at her in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, who am I to pass up an opportunity for milkshakes?" She crossed her hands behind her head and grinned.

As they pulled up to the restaurant, Clarke saw that it was built like an old 50s diner, complete with chrome and garish colors. "That Milkshake Place" was spelled out in tall, loopy neon letters atop the roof.

Lincoln parked as close as he could in the crowded parking lot, and the group piled out of the car and started walking towards the building.

"Inside or out, babe?" Lincoln asked Octavia, his arm resting around her shoulder.

Octavia peered through the window into the diner, where the counter was lined with customers and every booth was full. "Outside," she said. "Plus it's so nice out, I want to enjoy it a little longer."

They all walked over to the red and white picnic tables off to the side of the building and took a seat.

"This place serves the best milkshakes you'll ever taste." Octavia said, her voice drowning out the faint sound of the Beach Boys coming from the speakers on the roof. "Once you have one you'll be addicted."

"The menu's over there," Lincoln pointed. A large menu board was bolted to the side of the building, filled with different flavors.

Clarke thought there had to be at least fifty different options. A few she recognized as standard flavors, but most had crazy names that she could only guess the ingredients of. She decided she should stick with something she knew.

As she was puzzling over some of the odder names – Grounder Pounder? The Veil? – a waitress in a vintage dress uniform and matching little hat glided over on roller skates.

"Octavia, Lincoln, nice to see ya!" she greeted cheerily. "You havin' your usual tonight?"

Octavia nodded happily while Lincoln said, "Yes, thank you."

She scribbled something down on her pad and turned to Clarke and Raven. "And for you ladies?"

"I'll have the Peanut Butter Chocolate shake, please," Clarke said.

"Lame," Raven ribbed her. To the waitress, she said, "I'll take the Crash Landing."

After writing their orders down, the waitress gave a mock salute with her pen. "Comin' right up," she said, and skated away.

"Do you even know what's in the… whatever you ordered?" Clarke asked Raven.

Raven smirked. "Nope."

Clarke shook her head and went back to studying the menu.

Raven turned to where Lincoln and Octavia were swapping chaste kisses. She cleared her throat loudly, getting them to pull away slowly. "They even have roller-skating waitresses? This place is sweet."

"Isn't it?" Lincoln smiled down at Octavia. "We love coming here."

Raven snorted. "I can tell. You have a 'usual.'"

Octavia shrugged. "It's like I said, you get addicted. Plus they're cheap, so it's a good date place."

Lincoln kissed her on the temple and Raven turned away with a gagging sound.

There was a moment of silence and then Lincoln spoke again. "So Octavia tells me you're forming a band."

Clarke tuned back into the conversation. "Really, Octavia? We just came up with the idea three days ago. We weren't even sure Anya would join until today!"

"Oh, she said yes?" Lincoln asked, sounding surprised.

Octavia beamed. "Yep! She totally wowed these two."

"It's true," Raven agreed. "She rocks."

"That's great," Lincoln congratulated them, squeezing Octavia in a side hug. "Have you come up with a band name yet?"

"Oh!" Octavia said, "We didn't even think about that."

"Can I make a suggestion?" he asked.

"Go for it," Raven encouraged at the same time Octavia said, "Of course, babe."

"How about Trikru?"

"Trikru?" Clarke questioned.

"In Trigedasleng it means 'tree people,'" he explained. "I thought it would be fitting since the only thing around here is forest."

Clarke looked to where she could see trees creeping up behind the diner. "That's true."

Raven laughed. "I like it!"

Lincoln smiled, the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

Octavia beamed proudly at him. Then she pulled out her cell phone as she though of something. "Before we decide, though, we should ask Anya if she likes it."

Clarke nodded. "Right, of course."

"Good idea," Lincoln agreed. "Most of the townies speak Trigedasleng, so she knows what it means."

Octavia opened the video call app on her cell phone, holding it out so Anya would be able to see all four of them.

After a few rings, Anya picked up, her disgruntled face filling the screen.

"Hey Anya," she greeted. Everyone else waved a little. Anya just scowled.

"What is it? Didn't you all just spend the entire afternoon at my house?" she grumbled.

"Yeah, but we had something important to ask you," Octavia told her. "We were talking about band names and we think we figured something out. You ready?"

Anya huffed. "What is it?"

"Trikru."

There was a moment of silence. "'Tree people'? Seriously? No way, that's fucking lame." Lincoln's face fell. "If we use Trigedasleng, it has to be something more intimidating. I say Gonakru."

"Warriors?" Lincoln translated questioningly.

"Oh my god yes," Raven said, leaning towards the phone.

"I have to admit, that's pretty awesome," Clarke agreed.

Anya looked to Octavia. "So?"

Octavia grimaced at Lincoln. "Sorry, babe, I'm gonna have to go with the others on this one."

On the phone screen, Anya gave a curt nod. "Then it's settled. I'm going to hang up." The screen went blank.

Clarke reached over and touched Lincoln's hand where it rested on the table. "Sorry, Lincoln. Your idea was good, too."

"Yeah," said Raven, "Anya's was just more badass."

Clarke smacked her arm with the back of her hand.

"No, no, it's fine," Lincoln said with a small smile on his face. "I agree with Raven. I'm glad you could come up with something you all like."

Octavia smiled at him. "You're too sweet, baby. That's why I love you so much."

"Ai hod yu in, too."

Throwing her arms around his neck, Octavia drew Lincoln in for a deep kiss that started to last too long.

"Oh god, they're doing it again," Raven groaned.

Thankfully, before Raven could find anything to throw at them like she usually did, their waitress skated over holding a tray.

"Order up!" she said with a grin. She handed the frosty glasses to their owners as she listed off the orders. "Here's a Peanut Butter Chocolate for you, a Crash Landing for you, and a double Smack Down for the…" she set the cup down gingerly in front of where Octavia and Lincoln were still making out, "lovely couple."

Raven immediately took one of the offered straws, ripping off all but the end of the wrapper and blowing it at Octavia's face. It hit her in the ear and she jumped away from Lincoln with a wet pop.

Clarke shook her head in exasperation as Octavia grabbed her own straw to retaliate. She turned back to the waitress to thank her. "Thanks…" she checked the girl's nametag, "Angie."

"No problem, sweetheart," Angie replied with a flirty wink. Then she turned and glided back into the diner.

"Did you guys –?" Clarke turned back to the table, but Raven and Octavia were still bickering obliviously, and Lincoln was busy trying not to get hit in the eye with any spitballs.

As Clarke opened her own straw and took a sip of the rich, thick milkshake, she muttered to herself, "Still got it."