Chapter Five: Soccer is Love, Soccer is Life or America Runs on Dunkin
The Delinquents were going to win tonight—Octavia could feel it in her bones.
There was no way she was going to let the stuck up kids over from Mecha Prep beat them in a game that was West Ark's strongest sport. Even the football team didn't have the same respect that the soccer team did, and Octavia Beatrice Blake was determined to keep it that way.
Every practice that week had been in preparation for their first big home game. Sure, they had already played a few games with some of the neighboring districts, but the Mecha Phoenix's were coming all the way from Atlantic City and Octavia knew it would boost alot of school spirit if the Delinquents were to win. It wouldn't be as good as crushing Mount Weather or Trikru Union, but it would still be satisfying.
"You seem jittery," Monty muttered, nodding slightly towards Octavia's leg bouncing in rhythmic spurts. She released a breath, forcing her leg to stop moving. "Not that it's a bad thing," he amended quickly. "You have a right to be nervous."
"I'm not nervous," she responded. "I'm excited."
"Well, that's probably a better mindset."
Octavia looked up at the board and immediately wished that she hadn't. Numbers and symbols swirled around in her brain as she stared ahead at the examples. Math was never her forte, so how she managed to wiggle her way into accelerated math courses was beyond her. In retrospect, it was a horrible idea to daydream while she was supposed to have been taking notes.
"Monty?" She tapped him on the wrist with the end of her pencil and he glanced up at her. "Yeah, what are we working on right now?"
Octavia saw the ghost of a grin playing out on Monty's face. Setting his pencil down, he said, "You weren't paying attention at all, were you?"
"I know that we're dealing with triangles."
"Do you know that because you were paying attention or because there's six triangles drawn on the board?"
"Touché." Octavia glanced down at her lined piece of paper, devoid of anything save a few lazy doodles. "So are you going to help me out or not?"
Monty rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless as he slide his paper across the desktop to her. "I won't leave you hanging."
Octavia felt a weight taken off of her shoulders. If Bellamy knew she had failed another math unit, he'd be furious. "Monty, you're a lifesaver."
"I try." He picked his pencil back up only to realize he didn't have notes to go off of, so he set it back down. "So," he started casually, "big soccer game tonight, huh?"
A new wave of excitement flowed through her veins, temporarily making her forget about her work again. "I know! I'm really excited. We're gonna crush them into next season."
"Jasper's been telling me the same thing all week," he laughed, propping his head up on his palm.
"You two are still coming to hang out after the game, aren't you?" Monty hesitated, opening his mouth a fraction and then closing it again. Octavia felt her lips fold into a slight frown. "It won't be the same without you guys."
"I know Jasper is going to do anything in his power to be there," he promised. "I plan on being there." Monty shrugged. "Hopefully everything works out."
"That's all you can really do, ya know? Hope for the best." She turned her attention back down to the notes she was copying down and scowled. "Guess we better hope for the best when I fail that test on Monday. Bellamy is gonna kill me."
…
The high amount of anticipation that Octavia had for the upcoming game left her feeling antsy; all she wanted to do was get down on the field and take a few last minute practice shots to calm her adrenaline rush. She was so wound up in fact, she wasn't sure if she would have a random spaz attack and break something.
The pure desire Octavia had to get to the field also influenced her decision to bring her soccer bag and all of her books to her final period so she could skip going to her locker all-together. Even though she didn't sprint down to the locker rooms at top speeds like she had planned too, it did work out that she didn't have to go to her locker because Octavia tagged along with Monty instead.
"So you and Jasper have been friends for a long time then, huh," she commented as they walked, hauling her duffel bag behind her.
Monty's eyebrows raised slightly. "We've known each other since kindergarten but we didn't really start hanging out until second grade." He darted through a wave of kids flowing down the hall, forcing Octavia to keep up after him until he stopped in front of a locker.
His locker, she presumed.
"That's really cool," Octavia murmured. She had been home-schooled by her mother up until the sixth grade when her work schedule was changed, so she hadn't gotten to know her peers as long as everyone else.
She didn't mean too, but Octavia always envied her brother for being able to go to school with kids his age and make friends while she was forced to do so at home, by herself. Not that she didn't like spending time at home with her mom and sleeping in was way nicer than getting up at six in the morning, but having a childhood friend was something she'd never get to experience.
"No, that's fine," a familiar voice—Jasper's voice—said behind her.
Octavia looked toward the origin of his voice as subtly as he could and sure enough, there was Jasper talking with Clarke as she exchanged books in her locker.
At first, Octavia wasn't sure if she should eavesdrop, but then she saw that Monty had paused to listen in too so she figured it was okay.
"Are you sure?" Clarke was saying, her eyebrows knit in concern as she shoved a book in her locker. "I know that this game is a pretty big deal for you."
Jasper waved it off like it wasn't of importance, when in reality, it was. Octavia couldn't imagine why he wouldn't want Clarke to watch him in the game. "I know how important this project is for you."
Clarke raised her eyebrows. "I bet Finn would understand if I had to reschedule to tomorrow."
Octavia recalled Bellamy complaining about a project for school a few days earlier.
Jasper ran a hand through his mop of curls and his words rushed together, almost as if he were nervous about something. "Probably, but I know you've had it planned for a week." He relaxed for what looked like the first time since Octavia started watching them. "Besides, it's not like we're playing the Mountain Men or Grounders. Now that I wouldn't forgive you for if you didn't show up."
He sounded kind of cocky about it, making Octavia grin. Apparently Clarke found it amusing too because she smiled as she rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't miss you guys whooping the Mountain Men's asses," she laughed softly.
The blonde looked up at a clock on the wall in Octavia's general direction and she and Monty redirected their attention for a second before turning back to finish their eavesdropping.
"Well I should probably get going so I can meet up with Finn on time." Suddenly the smile fell from her face and she assumed a weary facade. "Will you need a ride after? Because I can come and get you."
"Monty will take me home later."
"Okay. I'll see you at home then." She ruffled his hair good naturedly, then hurried off toward the main stairwell.
Octavia turned back to Monty. "She's pretty protective, huh?"
Monty shrugged, motioning for her to walk with him and she tagged along at his side. She noted that they were heading toward Jasper, making the smallest of smiles find its way to her face. "She kind of volunteered herself as Jasper's personal babysitter after their parents got married," Monty explained. "The phase hasn't seemed to pass."
"I can relate," she replied and nothing about the statement was a lie. Even though she appreciated Bellamy's concern for her, most of the time she viewed his constant hovering as smothering.
Jasper had just finished packing up his stuff when they reached him. "Oh, hey guys," he greeted, closing his locker. His cheeks took on a pink hue when his eyes met with Octavia's and she couldn't help but find it endearing.
"Everything cool with Clarke?" Monty asked.
Octavia watched as Jasper's eyes flashed dangerously at Monty before he resumed a forced, yet casual expression. "Yeah, she's just bummed that she can't go to the game."
"Why?" She figured it would blow their secret if she hadn't acted at least a little curious.
"She has to work on a project with some guy."
"Ah."
"You guys ready to hit the field?" Jasper knelt down to grab his duffel bag.
"I've literally been waiting all day to hear someone say that," Octavia grinned. "Let's go."
…
The calming atmosphere of the coffee shop was enough to lower Clarke's heart rate.
It wasn't that she was nervous or scared about working with Finn, she just would have prefered working on it separately. She had even proposed the idea to him the day they were partnered together, but he had insisted that they should meet up at least once to work on it together.
Maybe that's why she was so concerned about meeting him tonight; she wasn't used to someone being so adamant about spending time with her, other than maybe Jasper. And Wells when he was still a part of her life.
She found a spot in the corner near the window, giving her a full vantage point over the rest of the restaurant as well as to the outside world. Every once in awhile, she'd look up from her laptop screen to see if Finn had made his way into the restaurant but each time Clarke was met with emptiness.
When she looked around for Finn for what had to be at least the tenth time, a new feeling settled into her stomach; disappointment.
Clarke didn't realize how much she had been looking forward to spending time with him until now.
Maybe she should just get herself a coffee and head to the game instead. She still had time to catch the majority of the game if she were to leave right now.
Just as Clarke resolved to packing up, Finn slid into the chair across from her. She blinked at him as he pushed a steaming paper cup across the table to her. "I'm surprised you showed up," she said, wincing at how bitter the words sounded leaving her mouth.
"Why do you say that?" He dropped his bag on the floor near his chair and pulled out a laptop as well as a few sheets of loose-leaf paper with notes scribbled on them.
"Well I've been waiting for you ever since school ended," she said. "That's almost forty minutes, if that tells you anything."
Finn's mouth creased into a thin line, then quirked into a small smile. "You're right and I'm sorry." Clarke struggled to keep her mouth from hanging ajar in mild surprise. "I forgot my notes at home like the idiot I am and then went to Dunkin Donuts for coffee in an attempt to make up for being late. Guess I should've skipped out on the coffee though because the line was crazy and ended up with me being even later than I would have been."
Now that...that is not the excuse she had been expecting. Something ridiculous about his car breaking down or his mom making him do chores seemed more on hand since Finn looked like a guy who would revel in the classics.
She would have even called him out on it being a decent lie except that she had a Dunkin Donuts cup in her hand and she knew from experience that it did get busy there at this time of day. Especially on game days since it was in walking distance of the school.
She couldn't even try to call him out on his notes because he had even told her that day in class that he was going to have to go home for them.
"I'm surprised you even made it here then," she mumbled, smiling slightly as she grabbed the coffee in front of her. It was warm in her palm but not overly so, giving her the go ahead on taking a sip. "The parking lot is usually crammed after school."
Finn ran his fingers through his hair as he laughed. The crinkles by his eyes made her wonder who could have been able to make him laugh so much for there to be permanent evidence. "I learned that the hard way."
"How much was it?" Clarke rummaged around in her bag, knowing that she at least a five floating somewhere around in there.
"Don't worry about it," Finn said as Clarke pulled out the bill she had been looking for.
"Are you sure?" She knit her eyebrows in concern, searching her brain for a reason as to why he was being overly civil. It wasn't like they had known each other before that Monday.
"Consider it a gift. I hope that it's a good enough peace offering because I don't think I'll be able to do it again because that line was crazy. Unless I'm late again, but I'm not about that life."
Clarke wasn't sure if he was being serious or not because they were literally sitting in a restaurant known for it's coffee. "You know, we could always get coffee here."
"I guess," he responded in a drawl, as if he had already considered the possibility. "But does anyone really beat Dunkin Donuts?"
Clarke raised a brow challengingly, a smirk tugging at the edge of her lips. "I take it you've never had a coffee from here then."
Finn shrugged. "I'm a man who's dedicated to Dunkin. It's a lifestyle really." He leaned forward as if too share a secret, making Clarke acutely aware that he was close enough for her to make out his individual eyelashes. "America runs on Dunkin."
Clarke slid back in her seat, huffing incredulously as her back settled against the chair. Yet, she couldn't help but find it funny. "That's a touch childish, don't you think?" she grinned.
"It got you to laugh, didn't it?"
The response made Clarke stop short, unsure about the situation. So he was trying to win her attention, which wasn't something she found completely out of the ordinary, but what was she doing enjoying the attention?
Now that her relationship was over, she was supposed to be untouchable—like a priceless diamond that everyone coveted but could never touch thanks to the protective glass separating such a treasure from the greedy, outside world. Clarke was priceless and she wasn't about to let some random guy that she barely knew put a crack in that glass.
Grade-A, high quality, bulletproof glass ( because Clarke wouldn't settle for anything less.)
But that damned smile that Finn had was almost too cute for his own good and Clarke had to make sure to keep her feelings in check and her priorities on top. Grades, Jasper, her dad, and herself all came before some guy who happened to smell nice and bring her coffee….
Clarke cleared her throat and turned her attention back to her laptop screen. "I guess I'll have to be the ambassador then," she said, hoping that she sounded bitter as she pretended to read a passage from her screen. "I'll have to introduce you to a new lifestyle."
She heard Finn giggle, but she stubbornly kept her eyes fixated on her screen even if she was fully aware that she was only scrolling through the page and not really reading anything. He didn't have to have the satisfaction of knowing that she didn't find him as repulsive as before.
"Sounds like a plan. I'm buying."
"You're getting ahead of yourself."
"There's not a problem in preparing for the future."
Clarke cocked her head to the side, finally looking up from her screen to find Finn scribbling down notes in the margins of his notebook. "No," she conceded softly, "I guess not."
…
Monty cheered, making sure to keep his distance from Wells who was also standing on the fence.
There was only five minutes left in the game, but every second felt like an eternity. Just standing in the same vicinity as Wells riled Monty up, and he couldn't wait to get out of there.
Pressing his forearms against the bar, he desperately tried to focus on Jasper who had finally managed to get possession of the ball for the first time since the season started, but Wells' longing look was too distracting.
Obviously he was longing for the list that Jasper had said he was going to give him. The look of shock and betrayal that Wells was going to have when he realized Jasper wasn't going to help him was enough to make Monty grin.
Monty wasn't the type of person to wish pain on others or to hold grudges, but he hated Wells. Over the years, Clarke had become like a sister to Monty; even before she became his best friend's sister, Monty had always held Clarke in high esteem.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that she stood up for everyone when Murphy would go on power trips when they were kids or how she used to have the best birthday parties. At any rate, Clarke had already assumed a high rank in Monty's mind, but her and Jasper becoming stepsiblings had only solidified those feelings when he managed to get to know her on a personal basis.
As Clarke's best friend besides Jasper and Harper, Monty was royally pissed when he received a phone call from Jasper saying to get over to their house ASAP. He walked in to find Clarke holed away inside her room with the door locked, audible sobs of misery on the other side, while Jasper, Marcus, and Abby tried convincing her to open the door to let them in.
She didn't come out for three days, living on week old pizza from one of their last hangout sessions and water from the bathroom faucet. It wasn't until Jake Griffin knocked on the door asking if she wanted to build a snowman did she open it a crack to let him in.
Never had Monty seen Clarke in such disrepair.
And it was all Wells's fault.
The game ended 1-0, Delinquents winning in the last two minutes thanks to Octavia and Sterling's quick pass and block strategy. The team picked up Octavia and Sterling, holding them up on their shoulders in triumph as the Phoenixes slumped off of the field. One of them, a girl with long blonde hair, kicked a ball so hard in rage that her shoe flung off into the visitor stands.
Subconsciously, Monty hoped she got her shoe back.
As people filtered away, Monty found himself alone with Wells. Either Wells didn't notice him or he didn't recognize him because the older boy made no attempt in conversation. Instead, they watched the team pack up their bags. It wasn't until Jasper and Octavia started jogging in his direction did Monty's grimace soften.
"Jasper!" Wells waved when they were in shouting distance.
Jasper whispered something to Octavia and she made a face. Something told Monty that he made a jab at Wells, making him crack a slight grin.
"Hi, Wells," Jasper said coolly, gliding up to the fence. Octavia hung back and off to the side.
"Do you have the thing?" Wells asked, his voice small as he glanced around, as if searching for hidden cameras or something in the bushes. Or someone in the bushes. Maybe he was scared Clarke was going to jump from the bushes to give him a piece of her mind.
Jasper stared at him, unblinking. "Sorry, Wells. Turns out I can't help you."
Wells's face slackened. "What?"
"I can't help you." He slapped him on the shoulder as if they were good pals. "Sorry about your luck, buddy."
Jasper nodded his head, a signal for Monty and Octavia to follow him out, but Wells caught him by the shoulder of his jersey. "Hold it. What do you mean you can't help me?"
"I mean," Jasper snorted, ripping out of Wells's grasp, "that I can't give you that list."
"Why? I promise that she won't find out it was you. Last thing I want is for you guys to be on bad terms."
"Oh," Monty stepped forward and Wells's eyes widened in surprise like this was the first time he had noticed Monty was even there. "Then you will be able to respect his choice then, right? We obviously don't want to put a strain on our relation with Clarke so that list is out of the question."
"But Jasper sai—"
"I know what I said," Jasper relented. "But then I remembered how long Clarke holds a grudge. And even though that sucks for you, I'm not willing to risk it. If she decides to forgive you, then I will too. So I'll see you around. Don't ask me for help again."
This time Octavia took the initiative and slung an arm around Jasper and Monty's shoulders and led them off the field and away from Wells. When they were out of earshot, she asked, "Okay, I'm not trying to be nosy buuuut what the hell was that all about? What list? Clarke—"
"Extra curricular activities," Jasper answered, still wearing a frown. "I was almost stupid enough to give him one, too."
"Why would he need that?" Octavia came to a rough stop and eyeballed them.
"Wells got her dad fired so they broke up and—"
"They broke up?" Octavia interrupted Monty, shock in her eyes and her mouth agape. "But they were like, OTP."
"O-T-what?" Monty asked.
Octavia shook her head. "Not important. Wait, so he got her dad fired? That's what that big scandal was last May?"
"Yeah," Jasper shifted his bag on his shoulder as they started walking again, "Jake was going through some files and found out how some people in high positions in the district were pulling strings to like, make their school get the highest SAT and ACT rankings in the country. He told Clarke about it and he said he was going to go public."
I remember because it was a Friday night. Wells was over and the three of us were playing Ps4 in my room when Clarke said she needed to tell us something. She made us promise not to say anything to anyone, which we did. I guess Wells either forgot he promised or thought he was justified in ratting out Jake, because the next morning we got a phone call saying that Jake had gotten arrested."
Octavia's mouth dropped farther. "They arrested him?"
Monty saw Jasper's jaw lock. "Wells told his dad, the damn superintendent, about the thing, and had him arrested, yes. But since what Jake found was illegal anyway, they had to drop the charges."
"Well, if what he found was illegal, then why did he get fired still?"
"Because he was poking around in files that he wasn't supposed to be," Monty scowled. "Not fair in my opinion because he totally uncovered a knee deep scam that could've gotten Jaha fired if it had gone unnoticed much longer."
Octavia frowned. And then there they were, the three of them standing on the edge of the parking lot with frowns on their faces. If it weren't for their distinct colored jerseys, people passing by might have mistaken them for members of the losing team.
"That's not fair," Octavia grumbled, breaking the silence at last.
"Yeah well, a lot of things aren't fair." Jasper phrased it like he was trying to put a positive spin on it, but Monty picked up on the bitterness in his tone. He was still mad, like the rest of them were.
They stood in silence for a few minutes when Octavia broke it again for the second time, "Did you guys want a ride? To the Dairy Queen, I mean?"
Monty glanced over at Jasper who was already trying to look nonchalant but deep down was probably squealing in delight. "Yeah. That'd be great, Octavia," Monty responded when he realized Jasper wasn't going to.
Octavia beamed. "Great. Bellamy should be here—"
"Bellamy?" Jasper gulped.
Monty's stomach dropped as a dark blue car skidded to a stop beside them. Octavia hopped down off the curb and flung the passenger's side door open and pushed the front seat forward. "Get in," she said to no one in particular.
Monty nodded for Jasper to go first. He was the one with a crush on Octavia and he was the one who would have to deal with Bellamy as a brother-in-law if everything worked out according to Jasper's plans. He could go first.
"Octavia?" Bellamy's voice came from the driver's seat. "What are you—" He stopped, eyes landing on Jasper. "Isn't that Clarke's brother? O, what is going—"
Octavia snorted, shooting another look and Monty didn't have to be told twice and climbed into the backseat. Jasper shuffled in behind him, and then Octavia pushed the seat into place and climbed in herself.
Monty and Jasper were trapped in the backseat of Bellamy Blake's car.
...
thank you for all the lovely reviews! they keep me going :) I was thinking about maybe starting an AU collection of 100 oneshots. good idea or nah?
episode one of season three was pretty badass too, huh? i miss my cinnamon roll Jasper, guys.
1/25/16
