"I'm cold," Octavia whined, wrapping her arms around her in a fierce over exaggeration. Bellamy snorted.
"You should've worn a coat then, not that skimpy little thing," He grumbled as he looked over his sister's outfit, another highly revealing combination and something that irritated him to no end. The protective older brother in him hated it when she wore outfits like that, for everywhere she went boys eyes would cling to her in ways that made Bellamy's skin crawl and his fists itch to punch them right between the eyes.
"Actually, she's right," Clarke piped up from the other side of Octavia and Bellamy frowned.
"You too, both of you have hardly any clothes on," He muttered avoiding looking at either of them. Both of their outfits were ridiculous, though there was a part of him that highly approved of Clarke's. That part was suppressed though when two boys across the street whistled loudly. Bellamy's fists clenched at his sides but he ignored them.
"Yeah, why'd you have to park so far away Bell?" Octavia continued her protests in her best moaning voice.
"Because that was the only space, Jesus you could've walked the entire way for all I care," He retorted, but a smile crept to his lips and he shared it with the girls. "We're here now anyway, so stop complaining, it's a party,"
Finn's house was a lot larger than his, and a good thing too for the number of people he had invited. Music thrummed from inside the building and the windows cast golden squares of light onto the pavement. Bellamy reached the door at the same time as the two boys who had whistled and he inhaled deeply to refrain from hitting them, forcing politeness and letting them through the door first. Or maybe he just didn't want them staring at his sister's arse. Or Clarke's. Damn, with the way they both looked, he was going to have trouble not getting into any fights.
Inside, the house was packed, which was saying something about the number of guests, considering the size of Finn's home. The three entered the living room and stood awkwardly by the wall until Octavia threw up her arms and ran straight to a boy whose whole body was covered in green paint. Under closer inspection, Bellamy realised it was Jasper.
He was wearing a torn up top and jeans and all his visible skin was painted green with seams drawn on at his joints. Beside him Monty was wearing a large white lab coat. When Jasper had disentangled himself from Octavia he turned to Bellamy and Clarke with a huge grin on his pea-coloured face.
"Get it?" He beamed, "I'm Frankenstein! And Monty's the mad scientist who made me!"
"Very clever," Clarke laughed beside him.
"What are you supposed to be Bellamy?" Monty frowned at him and Bellamy rolled his eyes.
"Dressing up isn't really my thing," He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He had decided to opt out of wearing a costume, instead donning a pair of black jeans and a plain t-shirt.
"Well that's boring," Jasper made a face, causing Clarke to snort. Bellamy nudged her lightly with feigned annoyance on his face. "So, you're a nurse Clarke?" Jasper continued and Clarke blushed, Bellamy had sensed that she wasn't entirely comfortable in her outfit, though she looked sensational in it. It was a classic sexy nurse costume, the kind they sold in fancy-dress shops, made of a white PVC fabric that clung to her waist and hips with a low neckline and a collar with red piping. There was a white cross in a red circle over her heart. She was wearing her hair piled on top of her head in a bun with only a few tendrils to frame her face.
"A doctor," Clarke smiled, "Women can be doctor's too, not just nurses," Bellamy bit his lip to keep from grinning, the girl was brilliant. Jasper nodded and Monty offered her a high five.
Octavia was dressed as a devil, of course she was; wearing a red dress as revealing as Clarke's with the addition of a pin on tail and devil horns. Her attire didn't please Bellamy as much as Clarke's did, though Jasper seemed to like it enough. Bellamy bridled and looked away from the couple. They weren't doing anything more intimate than holding hands, but he could practically feel the love radiating off them. Sometimes it was sweet, at other times it was just sickening.
He caught Clarke and Monty exchanging a look and a surge of jealousy raced through him. Don't be stupid, he told himself, they're friends. He cracked open a beer.
"Hey," A soft voice and a hand on his hip made him start. Clarke was looking up at him through her dark eyelashes, a sweet smile on her lips and her fingers splayed out across his hip. "Aren't you going to offer me a drink?" She grinned at him. God, she's beautiful, he scratched the back of his neck and coughed.
"What do I get in return?" He licked his lips with the tip of his tongue.
"What do you get in return?" Clarke spluttered, "My thanks, and count yourself lucky," She took the drink from his hand and squeezed his hip lightly before she stepped away from him. Shit. He was supposed to be one making her blush, not the other way round. Though Bellamy had to admit, he liked the fierce, taking no-nonsense side of her.
"Bell!" Finn's cheerful greeting pulled Bellamy's eyes from Clarke and he turned to see his best friend opening his arms to envelope him in a bone-crushing hug. Finn was a hugger. Bellamy wasn't too keen, but he kept his mouth shut about it.
"Hey Finn," He smiled when he was released.
"Glad you could make it, mate. Where's your costume?" The boy looked genuinely concerned about Bellamy's choice of clothing. He was wearing a ravaged top and jeans, similar to Jasper's, except he had painted dark circles beneath his eyes and wounds up his arms.
"I didn't have one," Bellamy said lamely.
"That's shit," Finn frowned, "I'll get Raven to put some makeup on you and you can be a zombie with me,"
"Nah, that's alright, thanks," He shook his head with laughter and Finn shrugged with a mutter of 'suit yourself'.
"Anyway, Lincoln and Miller are outside, come join. If you can drag yourself away from the lovely Clarke that is," Finn peered round Bellamy's shoulders to offer her a greeting. "Raven will keep her company."
Bellamy turned back to Clarke, placing one hand on her waist and the other beneath her chin so that he could kiss her, an action that seemed to take her by surprise.
"I'll see you in a bit," He told her, before following Finn through the mass of people and into the garden.
Clarke watched him go with her hand pressed to her lips, shocked that he had kissed her in public. She hadn't realised they were like that, that they were, she daren't say it, official. Not that she minded, she just hadn't expected Bellamy to be the committed type, or at least not for him to publicly commit so soon. Or maybe it wasn't a commitment; maybe she was getting ahead of herself. Yes, he must have kissed loads of girls at parties before. She gnawed on her bottom lip nervously, over thinking it all.
"Hey, don't worry about him, it's a party, you're supposed to have fun," A low female voice came from behind her and Clarke turned around, surprised, to see a tall girl with tan skin and dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. On her head was a pair of black cat ears to match the tail that was pinned to her shorts.
"I'm Raven," She grinned, extending a hand which Clarke took awkwardly, "Finn's girlfriend,"
"Clarke," Clarke replied but Raven merely laughed.
"I know who you are," Her eyes were dark and pretty and she smiled like she knew a secret. "Finn told me about you, you're Bellamy's girl,"
"Bellamy's girl," Clarke made a face, "Why can't he be Clarke's man?" Raven laughed once more at that.
"I like you, Clarke," She smiled, "Come on, let's go get smashed,"
The two girls made their way through to the kitchen, leaving the rest of Clarke's friends to themselves. Clarke didn't think they minded, hell, they didn't even notice. She'd catch up with them later. Raven picked up a brightly coloured bottle from the granite counter and gave it a sniff before she began to pour two tiny thimblefuls of the liquid into shot glasses.
"Drink up," She held out a glass to Clarke, but Clarke's attention had been drawn by the two people who had just entered the room looking thoroughly out of place. The girl had long blonde hair tied into a braid and pale pouting lips, the boy had dark eyes searching the room that widened when they landed on Clarke. Clarke's breathing became faster and she narrowed her own blue eyes in annoyance.
"Clarke?" Raven frowned and followed Clarke's gaze. "Wait, aren't they the people who you tried to fight at college?"
"What are they doing here?" Clarke bristled as she stalked her way through the kitchen to where Wells and Glass were stood. Wells swallowed a lump in his throat and smiled at her awkwardly.
"Clarke, nice to see you," He looked at her sheepishly.
"What are you doing here?" She snapped, folding her arms, her mind whirling with anger.
"We were invited," Glass cut in, in her prim voice that drove Clarke mad with irritation. Even when they had been friends, Clarke had always found the girl annoying, what with her cookie-cutter good looks and the way she hung onto Wells's arm wherever he went or went on and on about her amazing older boyfriend. She had blamed Clarke when she and Wells broke up and sided with him despite his evident betrayal.
"By Finn?" Clarke fumed at the girl who towered over her even when Clarke was wearing her highest heels. Clarke still remembered the time they were all stopped at the shopping centre so Glass could be asked to join a modelling agency. At least Clarke had real goals, intelligent goals, important goals. She wanted to spend her life saving others, not ruining people's self esteem and wearing pretty clothes. Not that Clarke hadn't envied her terribly of course. Glass even looked a little like Clarke, only prettier, and though Clarke couldn't admit it, it rubbed her the wrong way.
"Yeah, he said the more the better so," Wells scratched his arm as he spoke and Raven shook her head sadly.
"Ah Finn, too nice for his own good, I told him he should be more selective about the guest list. Guess he didn't listen," Raven was smaller than Glass but her loud persona seemed to make up for what she lacked in height and the blonde girl stepped back with a frown.
"And who are you? I didn't realise Clarke had a bodyguard now," She spat cruelly. Raven had to put her arm around Clarke's shoulders to prevent her from doing anything stupid.
"Not a bodyguard, just a friend. Friends don't let mean little girls ruin their friend's nights," Her voice had cooled and Clarke had to admire her nerve.
"I don't need to hear this," Glass tossed her golden braid over her shoulder. "Come on Wells, we can find better company than these sluts," She whispered under her breath but it was loud enough to hear. Clarke was sure she had done it on purpose. Raven ripped her arm away from Clarke and stepped forward, her hands on her hips.
"Do you want to take this outside blondie? I've had my fair share of cat fights and I always win," The older girl ground her teeth.
"Raven, don't," Clarke gripped her by the elbow.
"Clarke, it doesn't have to be like this, us arguing every time we see each other," Wells interrupted the staring match between the women with a pleading look in his eyes. Clarke bit her lip in worry, a sudden rush of sadness filling her and tears threatening to push past her lashes. She blinked them back furiously.
"Yes it does, I tried forgiving you, and you ruined it. I don't want you to ruin this night as well," She forced herself to nod politely. "Have a good night, Wells, just have it far away from me," she turned without a second glance, dragging Raven with her.
"Thanks for that, I'm sorry I just," Clarke stammered to explain but Raven waved a hand at her.
"Don't worry, what are friends for, right?" She winked and Clarke blinked back tears and smiled.
A/N Yay managed to get a chapter up before I go away. Part one of the party! I really hope people enjoyed it. On another note, I've decided I want to write a Hunger Games/100 crossover with the 100 characters in the games. I'm sure it's been done before but I'm really excited by the idea, would any of you guys be interested in reading it if I did? Please leave me a review and thanks once more for all the support so far! - J x