"Pick up the pace Griffin!" Indra's no-nonsense voice filtered into Clarke's ears and she huffed in a ragged breath and tried to will her legs to go faster. "How can you ever expect to make the team when you cannot even run 5 miles?!" Indra's voice got louder as she came up alongside Clarke who was straggling towards the back of the line. They had gone through morning stretches without incident but about a mile into the run, Clarke had developed a stitch in her side and was starting to lag behind. Octavia shot Clarke an apologetic look over her shoulder and Clarke tried to smile but was sure it looked like a grimace.
Eight minutes later Clarke was sure she was going to give up. Indra was still jogging dutifully behind her but Clarke could tell her patience was growing thin. Taking a lung-rattling breath she pushed all of her remaining energy into her legs and caught up with the rest of the girls. Lexa was jogging in front, hair swinging from side to side and breathing even.
'She doesn't even look phased by this,' Clarke licked her lips only to repeat the action when they dried out thirty seconds later.
"How are you holding up?" Octavia slowed her pace to match Clarke and looked at her with a look of pity and understanding.
"Well- you know- super great," Clarke gasped out. Octavia turned forward and grabbed a leaf of a passing tree. The trail was well worn but foliage still reached out towards the path, causing the girls to occasionally duck out of the way in order to avoid getting smacked in the face.
Octavia threw the leaf to the side, "it's alright, when I first did the 5 mile I ended up having to sit down and take a break midway. Let's just say Indra was not at all pleased." Clarke smiled, appreciating the effort but her heart was pounding so hard she couldn't formulate a sentence.
….
The girls caught their breath as Indra set up the cones for the next exercise. Clarke's legs felt like jello but she was proud she had completed the run. Maybe it took her a few more minutes but she still felt accomplished. The day was cozy, almost still, and the grass hummed and waved as the breeze passed by. She was starting to breathe evenly again when Octavia approached and plopped down on the grass, rolling her socks partially down so she could move her shin guards and let the air filter through.
"Did you hear about the trip this weekend? Raven is setting it up." Clarke quirked a brow and shielded her eyes from the sun, picking a piece of grass with her other hand, she set it on Octavia's knee before picking another.
"What trip would that be?" Octavia watched Clarke before picking a blade of grass and placing it on the increasing pile.
Other girls were starting to shuffle around, some stretching, others laying in the grass. "The camping trip this weekend! It is a tradition, lots of weed, some alcohol, and general good-times. Last year," she leaned in conspiratorially, "last year Raven and Harper totally hooked up." Clarke blushed and continued to work on the steadily growing grass mound.
"That sounds fun?" Octavia swept the pile off of her knee, ignoring Clarke's protest and looked her evenly in the eyes, hair swishing around her face.
"You have absolutely no choice, it is the ultimate team bonding weekend and I will be dammed if I let you squander this opportunity!" Clarke tried to protest but Octavia held up a hand with a dark glare. "No excuses Griffin, if I have to drive my car through your front door to get you to go then make no mistake," she leaned in closely, "I will." Her expression held no room for an argument so Clarke reluctantly sighed and got up, stretching a hand out which Octavia accepted.
"Alright, alright, I will go, no need to destroy my house."
"Good!" With a smile Octavia bounced away and left a grumbling Clarke to follow her. The rest of the practice went by slowly and Clarke was beginning to realize that she did have a semblance of natural talent when it came to soccer. She was able to pass the ball effectively but her footwork needed some refinement.
….
"What to do, what to do," Clarke wandered lethargically around the house before deciding to lay in the grass for a while. Grabbing her ipod off of her nightstand and changing into some comfortable shorts and a new shirt, she made her way downstairs and outside but not before checking to make sure the wooden block was removed.
The yard glowed with the afternoon light and Clarke felt her tired muscles begin to relax as she gazed towards the sky and watched a small bird flitter through her vision. "Gooey" by Glass Animals filtered through her headphones, instantly putting her into a good mood. Ignoring the protests coming from her body, Clarke moved her shoulders up and down with the beat, allowing her head to bob back and forth and her arms to shuffle slightly. This continued for a few minutes before the hairs prickled on Clarke's arm.
Feeling that she was being watched Clarke opened one eye and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw eyes peeking over from the other side of the fence. Her left earbud flew out as she sat upright. Heart pounding and blood rushing to her cheeks, Clarke realized that Lexa had probably seen her awkward ground dancing.
'How long has she been standing there?' As if reading her mind Lexa lifted the corner of her mouth and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her.
"If you're wondering if I've been here long, the answer is no." Clarke let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "But," Lexa continued, "I have been here long enough to see you dancing." Clarke groaned and smacked her forehead with one hand. "I thought it was cute." Lexa's words were soft and Clarke had to strain her ears to catch them.
Her face was feeling flushed and she awkwardly stood as Lexa cleared her throat, dark hair falling over her shoulders in soft curls. Her eyes were dancing as she motioned to the ball Clarke had failed to notice sitting a few feet over.
"Right! Uhh," Clarke scampered over to the ball and picked it up. She twirled it in her hand for a second before taking a few steps closer to the fence. "You do realize we just got done with practice like thirty minutes ago right?" She tossed the ball and the Captain caught it easily with one hand.
"Practice is the only way to improve Clarke, if I am to be the best version of myself I can be, then I need to devote my free time to improvement." If she wasn't smiling slightly Clarke would have been nervous she had upset the girl. "Shouldn't you be practicing if you plan on making the team?" There was no malice in Lexa's tone, just curiosity.
"My body hurts so baldy right now, I don't think I could play even if I tried." Lexa smiled and Clarke felt an ache in her heart knowing that there was no way this beautiful girl in front of her would never belong to her.
Lexa placed two tones arms on the top of the fence, her face coming into full view. "I can understand that. Listen…" She looked contemplative for a second before resolution perked into her eyes. "If you ever needed help or wanted some extra practice, I'd be happy to train with you." Clarke was surprised and tried not to eagerly shout yes. 'Play it cool Clarke.'
"Yeah, that would actually be great, I want to make it to first string so I could use some expert advice." 'That sounded good,' Clarke smiled widely and Lexa's head bobbed up and down.
"Okay, just let me know when, I live close so it shouldn't be an issue," the teasing tone caused Clarke's smile to grow wider. "Also, I was wondering if you were going this weekend? We go camping every year and I think you would feel remorse if you were not to attend." Clarke watches as Lexa moved her hand up her arm, her discomfort obvious, but endearing.
"I am happy to inform you that I am going. Even though I am terrified of the dark." Clarke's hand flew to her mouth, not meaning to say the last part out loud. Lexa looked amused.
"Don't worry, I hear that there have only been a few deaths around the camp ground." 'Please be joking,' Lexa let out a small chuckle at Clarke's expression and removed her arms from the fence, only the top of her head visible. "I'll protect you Clarke," Clarke stood on the tips of her toes to see Lexa's retreating form. "See you tomorrow." Clarke let out a loud goodbye and sat back down on the grass thinking over Lexa's words.
Laying back down she popped in her headphones. 'She is so confusing!' Clarke clamped her eyes shut and tried to relax. She didn't particularly like camping but she had a good feeling about the trip and the mysterious brunette who had captured her thoughts. She stayed outside until the moon began to show and a star peeked out from behind a stray cloud. Closing her eyes she let the cool of the night soothe her sore muscles and calm her thoughts. 'Yeah,' she thought, ' I think this weekend is going to be amazing.'