A/N #1: Sorry for the short delay in posting...I actually had to adult this week. For all of those waiting for answers from Chapter 7 here they are! Enjoy guys!
Chapter Nine – The Aftermath
Clarke
"Now dump her."
"WHAT?!" It was a collective response. One voiced by Clarke, the rest of the pledges, Ontari, and over half of the other sisters around the room. Clarke instantly felt completely solid the only thing giving away her life was the slamming of her heart against her ribs. The whole night ran through her head at high speed and it started to blur as her eyes started to sting at the edges. Her body had become a rock, her vision blurred by both memories and tears, her mouth more than likely hanging open and as dry as the Sahara, the only thing keeping her grounded were the sounds of the sisters protesting and shouting around her.
"You can't actually do that!"
"Seriously what is wrong with you?"
"You know people have rights now right?
Once that was spoken everyone erupted again talking all at once. Clarke was finally completely numb. She couldn't hear, she couldn't see, she couldn't speak, she couldn't move, and she thought she couldn't feel anything but she was wrong. Octavia had finally moved to comfort her, placing both her hands on Clarke's respective shoulders, and gently shook her. "Clarke? Clarke! Clarke, are you okay?" She came to in that moment, everything flooding her at once. She noted how each eye had turned on her, how tight Octavia's grip was, and how desperately she needed to breathe. She did. Once she had calmed down, and finally nodded at Octavia, the grip released on her shoulders. Then Nia finally spoke again.
"It's tradition. The pledge with the best date breaks up with their date." She spoke plainly with a straight face.
"You know that isn't true Nia!" Ontari was standing tall taking on her cousin's authority. "That has never been part of the tradition!"
"Well neither has allowing lesbian dates!" Nia challenged. Clarke had finally had enough, she could stand up for herself.
"Well first off, I'm not a lesbian. I'm bisexual." Octavia instantly scooted over away from Clarke. She had heard this tone before and it wasn't going to end well. "Second, you don't get to tell me who I can and can't date! I'm also pretty sure you can't kick me out of the sorority for that either because I do have rights! And lastly I would rather be with Lexa than be a Sigma any day!" The room went silent and Nia's face dropped open.
"We have never had someone do this before." One of the sisters added. "What are we supposed to do?" Everyone waited for an answer with baited breath.
"Do we kick her out?" Another voice asked.
"If you kick her out for that reason then you better kick me out too!" Niylah stood from the couch and added staring her sister down. Every eye turned to her curiously. "Nia you know, I only went out with that guy because I knew you were scared about what your precious 'sisters' would think of your LESBIAN little sister pledging!" There was another collective gasp before she continued. "You willingly let in someone who you knew dated girls but saved you the embarrassment of your friends finding out. I wish I had enough courage to do what Clarke did! You and Ontari have known I was gay for almost three years now! If you are going to kick Clarke out because she had the best date I have ever seen and it just so happened to be with a girl then I'm out too!"
"Me too!" Octavia stood from her position on the couch next to Clarke, closely followed by Monroe and Harper.
"And how will that look for you Nia?" Ontari started at her cousin again. "Your legacy as president will end without a pledge class! There is nothing in the charter against same sex dates! You can't keep people from loving who they want! If you want to kick them all out then I will follow too because I don't want to be a part of something that discriminates people based on their sexual orientation, or their religion, their race, or where they come from! That is not what this sorority is or has ever been about!" More of the sisters were now backing Ontari and Nia was greatly out numbered. Clarke was honestly in shock of how many people were actually on her side of things right now, she had never seen this happen before.
"Does anyone else think we should enact the code?" A small girl from amidst the crowd gathered around Clarke and the pledges asked almost too quietly.
"I do." A sophomore by the name of Emori walked up to stand next to Ontari. She had olive skin and her hair was as black as night, if it hadn't been for her multiple tattoos and piercings Clarke would have sworn she was Pocahontas. "Too much of the house is against her right now Ontari, we really don't have much of a choice here."
Clarke was still confused. She looked across the room to the other group of sisters, they had all basically been split in two groups, one on one side of the room and the other on the other side. There were about ten people behind Nia backing her choices. Clarke took in all of the others on their side of the room, there were about thirty of them, this could not end well for Nia.
"She is right," Ontari sighed. "It is time to enact the code and take it to a vote, pledges will be exempt due to their status." There were sounds of approval and nodding around the room. "All in favor of removing Nia as acting president of Sigma Zeta Psi to have her return to the status of secretary raise your hand." Every hand on their side of the room shot in the air, the pledges just sat and watched letting the information they had just learned sink in. Then a few hands behind Nia rose as well and she looked appalled as she saw them. Only Nia and about three others did not raise their hands.
"Well that settles it." Emori spoke again. "Nia is no longer president. Ontari rises to president status as she is acting vice president. I will become VP and Kylee will be treasurer." Most of the girls let things drop at this point, though Nia stormed off upstairs angry as can be.
"Now that all of that is over with, congratulations again Clarke you really did look like you had a great time!" Ontari then turned to address the rest of the pledge class. "Your next tasks will be much more home based from here on out. Mainly doing things with your sisters and as a pledge class together, but this has been enough for one night. We will discuss the next meeting as a house and let you girls know when to come back. Go home and get some rest." They all recited the SZP chant and went their separate ways.
Clarke and the rest of the pledges walked back to campus together toward their respective dorms. Clarke was still jarred from the way Nia had treated her date with Lexa and she couldn't seem to shake the feeling. "Clarke? Are you going to be okay?" She knew O was just trying to help but the last thing she wanted to do was talk about it. Just then her phone buzzed from the pocket of her jacket…scratch that…Lexa's jacket. She pulled it out to see a text from said girl herself.
Lexa Woods: Just letting you know I'm back at my dorm. I had a really great time tonight better than ever before. But I think you still have my jacket? Want to maybe hang out Friday night and I can try to remember to get it back? ;)
Clarke Griffin: Thanks for letting me know. I had a great time too! Yes let's hang out Friday night but I don't think you are getting this jacket back any time soon!
"Yeah O, I'm gonna be okay." She believed it too, the smile on her face from the text sent by Lexa was enough to convince Octavia too. Clarke did end up spending the night with Octavia and Raven though, it partly had to do with the fact that they wanted more information about her and O's dates, and partly because she really didn't want to be alone after that feeling having taken over her body. It scared her too feel that way. Then her phone buzzed again.
Lexa Woods: Like I said it looks better on you anyway.
Attached to the text was a picture of Clarke from earlier in the night that she hadn't known was taken. Clarke stood amongst the fair rides with the lights from them blurred in the background as she stood still in the center. She looked strong, happy, carefree, and downright stunning! Lexa seemed to have a way of making it hard for Clarke to breathe because here she was straining to gain oxygen again. She knew Lexa was special when she first saw her but now she knew she was important too. Yeah, I'm gonna be okay!
Beca
You can't exactly call what Beca did last night sleeping. It was basically images of her night with Chloe only there was a lot more touching and a hell of a lot more kissing. Yet every time they got close to kissing longer than their actual one had lasted…she woke up. It was irritating! After the last time, which may have been them up in Chloe's tower, she reluctantly rolled over to see Lexa still sound asleep on her bed. She checked the time on her phone, 8:00 am, why the fuck couldn't she shake this?
Beca had never had issues brushing off a person after they kissed her, honestly she had never really had a good kiss, Chloe's was probably the best. Where the fuck did that thought come from? Okay she really needed to get this out of her head. So they kissed, big deal! Only for some reason it was a big deal to Beca, she liked it, like really really liked it. She desperately wanted to do it again! No one had ever gotten this sort of reaction from Beca and though it scared her something deep in the back of her mind told her that it was supposed to feel this way. That same something pulled a string that made her heart jump when she thought about it, the jump from her heart sent her stomach into loops, and the loops in her stomach made her skin crawl with anticipation in the form of goosebumps. She NEEDED to kiss Chloe again.
But what if Chloe doesn't want to kiss me again? What if she ran off because she regretted making that choice? Why did she make that choice? Beca stopped her own rambling thoughts and, deciding she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep, ran to the bathroom without waking Lexa and came back to sit at her desk and mix her thoughts away. Only it didn't exactly drive them away, it just put them down in music form because she couldn't STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!
She got so lost in her mix, which sounded totally awesome if she did say so herself, that she almost missed Lexa moving herself onto the bed to face Beca as she worked. They locked eyes and Lexa motioned for Beca to take of her headphones, she responded by holding up one finger to save her progress before doing so. "'Sup dude?" Beca asked eyeing the smirk on her sister's face.
"Did you realize you were singing?"
"What?" Beca thought back. "No- I wasn't- I didn't-"
"Chill Bex," Lexa laughed. "It's cool. So are you going to let her listen to it when it's done?" What the hell was she talking about?
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"The mix you made for Chloe?" Lexa stated as though it was that the sun rose from the East. "Are you going to let her listen to it?"
"I didn't make a mix-" Beca was cut off by Lexa pointing to the saved title on the top of her mix screen, it read Chloe.1. "Shit! I didn't even know I did that!"
"You didn't know you were singing either, I take it this girl has gone to your head?"
"Not just my head." The truth was out before Beca could lock her lips together. Lexa just nodded in response to her slip up.
"Can I listen?" Lexa gestured to the headphones Beca still had hanging around her neck. She nodded taking them off and handing them over to her sister, literally the only other person she ever trusted with them and she still had to be watching when Lexa wore them. Once she was ready Beca pressed play and drew her knees up to her chin trying to hide as much of her face as she could.
Somehow, and she still can't quite figure out how she got it to work but she did, she had expertly combined Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" and "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)" from Hercules into an upbeat tempo with flowing lyrics. It didn't quite work with the separate voices at the moment and Beca planned to lay her own vocals over the track to perfect it. Yes, Beca will admit to knowing the song from the children's movie. She liked movies as a child but as she got older and smarter she could pick up the similarities in each one and started to note that those scenes were not how life really was.
She watched her sister's face with bated breath trying to catch any glimmer of emotion in her telling green eyes. There was nothing, sometimes Beca hated that Lexa could school her emotions in times like this, when she knew Beca would be looking for her reaction. Once the song ended Lexa took off the headphones and instantly handed them back to Beca as she always did. There was a heavy pause before Lexa made any comment.
"You need to talk to her." Really that was all she was getting here? "Obviously you feel more than you are actually letting yourself, and I know it is because you don't want to get hurt again. Bex I have never seen you like this. You honestly don't see how happy you are right now!" She didn't respond she just let her sister rant because that something in her head started to speak again telling her to take everything Lexa said to heart. "Let me take a guess here. You did not sit down this morning planning on making a mix for and about Chloe am I right?"
"You are right." Beca's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Then you need to go do something about it! You need to ask her what she wants before you do get hurt. Take care of yourself Beca, I can see that you want this and that you are guarded, and you have a right to be. Right now though you need to figure out what Chloe is thinking so you don't end up driving yourself mad with questions that I know are flying through your head!"
"You're right. I'm gonna see if she can meet up, I want this to be something, I'm ready for something." Lexa instantly shot over to hug her and for the first time neither of them stiffened at the contact.
Lexa then ran off to get ready for her pre-game practice in a couple of hours leaving Beca alone with her thoughts again. Only this time she decided to get the answers to her questions.
Bec: Where are you?
She retyped the message like seven times, every other time it had come out 'we need to talk' and she didn't want Chloe getting the wrong impression so she wnt with the one thing she needed…Chloe's location so they could do this face to face.
Chloe Beale: Well hello to you too! I'm home at the Bellas' house. Why?
Bec: Is Aubrey there?
Chloe Beale: No she goes to the gym on Sundays
Bec: I'm on my way.
She changed and left in less than ten minutes not wanting to lose any time before Aubrey would be back. Once she was at the house she raised her hand to knock and remembered that Chloe told all the girls to just let themselves in if they knew either her or Aubrey were there. She opened the door checking the living room before heading up the stairs to Chloe's room. This time the door was closed so she did knock. Chloe opened it with a huge grin on her face and threw herself through it to wrap her arms around Beca's neck nearly knocking them both to the ground. After she removed herself from the smaller girl she pulled her into the room and over to the bed nestled in the corner.
"So I take it you want to talk about last night?" Well she didn't waste any time in that did she? Beca thought before letting out a tiny laugh and speaking.
"Dude like what the fuck did you do that for?" Beca winced at her own words slightly though Chloe didn't seem to be fazed at all.
"Well I just really wanted to kiss you…I have since like the moment I saw you but whatever…so I just did." Chloe gave a little shrug and a small grin then it fell as the corners of her mouth turned down slightly. "Was that a problem?"
"Well umm- I mean- I guess I just-" Beca started falling over her words and Chloe's smile came back as she collected herself. "No it wasn't- it's not- but like maybe…you could have like…I don't know, like stayed a second to like- shit I don't know- say something or some shit?"
"Well if it were you, would you have said something or would you have just kissed me again like I would have done to you?"
"You would have done what now?" Beca was a little shocked at Chloe's answer and also she felt something stir deep within her gut at the tone Chloe used.
"I would have kissed you again," She paused and looked like she was thinking, Beca was no longer thinking she was just watching and listening. Okay mostly just watching the way Chloe's mouth made the words coming out of it. "Only you know like better and defiantly longer and probably with more…"
She was cut off by Beca pressing their lips together. Beca stole the opportunity when Chloe gasped to explore her mouth a little further. She felt Chloe sigh into her and instantly kiss back with as much ferocity as Beca had started. After a moment they pulled apart. "Maybe something like that?" Beca smirked again as their foreheads came to rest together.
"Yeah." Chloe sighed pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. Beca didn't know what overtook her but she went with it and for the first time in she couldn't remember how long she felt free.
"No," She pulled Chloe's lip out with her thumb. "Let me do that." Chloe smiled like the devil himself and they launched back in at each other. After a few more intense kisses they slowed down a bit really trying to learn each other, and drinking in the excellent kisser the other was, then they heard the door open downstairs. Chloe shot away from her with a slightly panicked look.
"We can't tell Bree about this. Actually we can't really tell any of the girls because Bree can't find out! She will honestly kill you and skin me alive." Beca just gave her a look.
"Do I look like I care?" Then Beca though how now they were going to have to dance around Aubrey but she really didn't mind, so she just thought of a way to get Chloe away with her. "Any interest in coming to Lexa's lacrosse game with me tonight?"
"I'd love too!" She bounced a little. "That gives me a way to get Bree to shut up once she sees you are here. She honestly doesn't like you and I really can't see why." Chloe kissed her again fast.
"Chloe?" Mother fuck! Beca thought as there were foot falls on the steps. Beca pulled away first this time instantly checking Chloe over to see if there were any signs as to what they had been up to, there weren't they really were reserved this round. "Chlo, are you up here?"
"Yeah sorry Bree." Chloe stood motioning for Beca to follow her out into the hall. "We were just talking."
"What the hell?" The look on Aubrey's face made Beca swell with pride for some reason. Her captain had appeared to be close to exploding at the sight of the "hobbit". Beca started to laugh but stifled it at the look Chloe gave her.
"Beca came over to invite me to her sister's lacrosse game tonight and we got talking about what was next up for the Bellas performance wise. So I was getting ready to explain the riff off when you came in." Chloe spoke as she had every time Beca had heard her before, like it was the honest truth and nothing more, though this really kind of was the honest truth. Except for that last part.
"What the hell is a riff off?"
Chloe
Beca came back a few hours later in the jeep to pick Chloe up for the game. Chloe had been waiting at the window for any sign of her arrival and once she did she ran out the door. Beca hardly had a chance to put the jeep in park before Chloe was in the front seat. "Someone's eager aren't they?" Beca eyed her with a small smirk.
"I am actually pretty excited to go to the game, I've never been to a lacrosse game before! Oh and I ran out here because Bree is home and I'm pretty sure you wanted to avoid that again." Chloe let out a small giggle at the sight of Beca's shock.
"Yeah okay let's get out of here." Beca threw the jeep in reverse and they were gone in a flash. Chloe looked around the jeep again noting there was a slight age to the jeep but it was very well taken care of and kept up. Then she remembered that it was actually Lexa's.
"So why did you bring Lexa's jeep?" Chloe asked. "Don't you have your own car?"
"No actually I don't." Beca explained firmly keeping her eyes on the road. "This was actually my Uncle's jeep, Lexa's dad, she inherited it when they died. She has always loved this jeep, there are a lot of memories associated with it for both of us. Since she was only fourteen when it became hers it sat for a while before it was driven again, she took a lot of time finding a mechanic to fix it up before, since we were living together and were the same age we both learned to drive the jeep and just basically rode everywhere together." Beca glanced around the vehicle as she spoke looking as though she was viewing a memory everywhere she looked. "I'm the only person she trusts to drive it. Plus she told me to bring it because, and I quote, 'we are all going out after the game for food'. So I hope you are hungry or at least will be later." Chloe beamed.
"So I get to meet her properly then?" Chloe gave her a fake stunned look. Beca just laughed and nodded. Chloe thought a little harder. "Umm…who is we?"
"Honestly I don't know exactly but you are coming because I know that she will be bringing the girl she is talking to." That was all Chloe got in answer because they pulled into a parking space and Beca shut the jeep off and jumped out. Chloe followed her toward the field where she could see a group of girls in green uniforms.
"Which one is Lexa?" Chloe asked when they all came into view. She noted that the few faces she could see had some form of black paint around their eyes in different forms. "And what is with the paint?" Beca just laughed.
"Lexa is number twelve." Chloe instantly remembered that from hood night.
"I really should have remembered that."
"The war paint was from their first game but they played so well that night that they kept it. Once they started their undefeated streak they figured they better not change anything to jinx it so it stuck." Beca shrugged as she leaned on the short fence around the field. "I guess it works since they are like six and oh at this point." Chloe watched as Beca placed her thumb and middle finger together forming a circle into her mouth and whistling a tune that sounded vaguely familiar to Chloe. There was a two note whistle in answer as she looked to the field to see Lexa doing the same thing as Beca.
Chloe bounced back and forth looking between the two, they really did look super close. After getting a nod from another player Lexa was headed their way. "Hey Bex." They hugged over the fence for a moment.
"Lex this is Chloe…Beale…from the Bellas." Beca gestured to her. Chloe took in Lexa quickly, she really was stunning and she could see subtle hints of their similar genes coming through. As Lexa reached toward her to introduce herself Beca interjected again. "Careful dude, she's a hugger." Lexa laughed and reached to hug her.
"Bex and Lex…I kinda like that." Chloe stated as she pulled out of the hug.
"Don't even think about it!" Lexa laughed out. "That is our thing until we deem someone worthy of the nicknames as well." Chloe nodded thinking it was nice that the sisters had something that was just theirs. "I'd also like to state that I'm sorry for scaring the shit out of you the first time we ran into each other." Chloe laughed it off and Lexa was called back to the field by a player marked with the number three.
Beca had to answer a lot of Chloe's questions during the game because she had no clue what was actually happening. It was great fun though to watch the girls work so well together, she hoped the Bellas would be like that soon, and it was as entertaining to watch Lexa play as it was to watch Beca watch her play. After another win for the Knights Lexa changed and met them on the field again followed by one of her teammates, a blonde girl came running from near the stands and threw a hug around Lexa's neck. Chloe learned her name was Clarke, and Beca whispered to her that she was the girl Lexa was talking to, she was followed by a couple of other people. The two guys she was with she recognized from SBT and they unfortunately recognized her and Beca from the awful performance.
Beca, Chloe, Lexa and Clarke piled into the jeep (with Lexa driving) and headed out to a pizza place not far off campus. They were joined by Clarke's friends and Lexa's other teammate. Chloe ran names and faces through her head trying to remember everything she was being told, there was a lot to remember. Three of them had been best friends for years, there was a set of siblings, a brand new couple, and yet Beca and her were kept in every aspect of the conversation without difficulty. Once their dinner was over Lexa drove back to the dorms to drop Clarke off and hopped out herself telling Beca she would walk back to their dorm after. Beca took Chloe back to the house parking along the street as Chloe had instructed her to do, 'Bree won't be able to see us from here' was all she said before launching herself across the console to kiss Beca soundly.
It had been a week since she last got to hang out with Beca…okay so they had hung out. It had been a week since she last got to kiss Beca. It was Friday night, the night of the riff off, and Chloe was itching to get her fix of Beca. She was able to distract Beca from the actual workings of the riff off wanting it to be a surprise, plus none of the others knew how it worked because Aubrey refused to work on anything other than their set list at practice.
Chloe and Aubrey were waiting outside of the drained pool waiting for the new Bellas to arrive. Most of the girls were there already along with all the Treble's, the Harmonics, and a select few High Notes. The edges of the poll were already starting to line with students, spot lights, and drinks. Chloe caught sight of Beca coming down the steps followed by Lexa and Clarke. "Hey Bec!" She bounded over to them, not so subtly checking Beca out in the process. She made a mental note to burn any jeans that Beca had that weren't skinny jeans because she never wanted to see her in anything else. Does this make me an ass man? She asked herself smiling at the thought. "Hey Lexa, Clarke nice to see you guys again. Come to cheer Beca on?"
"Well she almost got away without telling me this was happening but she let it slip. So we thought we'd check it out." Lexa added as she threaded her fingers through Clarke's and headed back the way they came. "Break a leg guys, we will be up top." Then they climbed out of the pool and made their way toward the deep end to hang their legs over the edge. The rest of the Bellas had arrived right after Beca and had joined Aubrey and the others. Beca turned to her as they made their way over.
"So are you going to tell me how this works?" Just then the Harmonics sounded the alarm and the riff off was set to begin.
Their first category was perfect for their group only Aubrey didn't make it to the center before Bumper and the Trebles. The girls picked up well once Aubrey did get them in to sing their song. They worked well together and after Aubrey's show of how things were done it became much easier for their little group. After getting the High Notes cut off, and their shocking category change to songs about sex, the new girls really ran with it, especially Stacey and Cynthia Rose. Chloe took the opportunity to check out Beca again…okay she took the opportunity to check out her ass again, skinny jeans would be the death of her. Chloe vowed to herself not to start a song for fear of hurting her voice so she stuck to background vocals and beats.
When she heard Stacey get cut off from her song rather fast she looked up to see a Treblemaker, who she remembered being named Jesse from auditions, singing and pointing at Beca…like he was singing to her. Something white hot shot through the center of her chest, she instantly started racking her brain to come up with something to sing just so he would shut up. Though she didn't have to think long because then Beca was running to stand in front of him to sing…no not sing…RAP a new song.
Chloe's jaw hit the floor as words flew from Beca's lips fast yet with clear diction and enunciation. That white hot rage she felt a second ago for Jesse singing to Beca slid down her body to pool deep in her gut. There was absolute silence as Beca finished the verse, then there was a voice (Lexa), shouting. "Get it Beca!" Then she continued, closely followed by Fat Amy who had now picked up which song she was singing. All of the others picked it up at that point too, well not Aubrey but she didn't know rap music, adding in the beat to the song. As they kept going soon the whole pool was filled with voices adding in the background vocals and everyone was swaying and singing along. Chloe basked in the glory their group was getting at that moment.
Though it was short lived when they got cut off on a technicality and Aubrey was instantly furious and slipped right back into General mode. Beca stood up for them and the great job they did, Chloe really didn't hear what she said she was still too busy trying to collect herself from listening to Beca Mitchell rap! Then Lexa was there with Clarke telling them how awesome they all were. She and Clarke gave both Beca and Chloe hugs before heading out. Aubrey had already stormed off, as usual, and most of the other Bellas were spread out around the spectators and aca-enthusiasts. Chloe grabbed Beca by the arm and drug her out of the pool toward the closest building.
"Chloe are you okay?" Beca asked as she continued to be pulled behind the building, Chloe glanced around the area to make sure they were alone. Then she slammed the freshman's back against the wall and attached their mouths. Beca was shocked at first but soon softened into Chloe's kisses. Chloe had been waiting awhile to do this and she honestly had no conscious control over what her body was doing. She pressed herself flush against Beca pinning her to the wall as they continued their make out session that was getting far too hot in their coats. They broke apart for air but Chloe continued down the side of Beca's jaw toward her neck. "So umm…shit Chloe! So are we- are we like- Okay dude stop for a second this is kinda serious." Chloe removed her lips from the oh-so-soft skin that was currently under them to try and listen to what Beca was saying. "So are we like together now? I mean I know we can't tell Aubrey and the others but like…" She shrugged and looked a little hopeful. Chloe didn't waste time.
"Well I hope so because there is now way I'm going to be okay with anyone else kissing you." She captured her lips again. "You," She kissed her again only pulling back far enough to get the words out. "Are," kissing her again. "MINE!"
Lexa
"Thanks for going to the riff off with me tonight." Lexa started as they walked across campus toward Marshal Hall. "I know it may have not been what you had in mind for tonight but it's something Bex and I do." Clarke looked at her questioningly. "She always comes to my games and I always go to whatever she has going on. That's why I was so upset Sunday after the game, finding out Beca performed and didn't even bother telling me, it felt like I had betrayed that trust we had. We have only had each other to count on for a while now and I we always supported what each other was doing. Beca's dad was never too keen on her music."
"It's okay Lexa." Clarke replied squeezing her fingers slightly. "I get it and it was super fun to go and watch, honestly I never knew acapella was like that!" They laughed as they made their way through the side door and up the stairs in Clarke's building. They stopped just outside door 248 and Clarke turned to face her. "You really didn't have to walk me all the way up here you know?"
Lexa did know that but after giving Beca that pep-talk about telling and asking Chloe how she felt about them, Lexa knew she needed to do the same thing with Clarke. They were constantly talking now-a-days, whether it be through text or in their notebook or even in person, and she loved it. They had started sitting closer together in classes and studying at the library before every test. All that was really missing from this was the label…and Lexa wanted that label. "I wanted to ask you something important and well this was where I asked the last important thing so I thought it would be fitting." Clarke giggled at her and that sound gave her the last bit of confidence she needed to ask. "Clarke will you…"
"GRIFFIN!" Lexa turned to see Octavia and Raven coming out the door down the hall toward them. Dammit, I really didn't want an audience for this. Lexa thought, she also figured her chance was shot for tonight. "Hey Lexa, we are glad we caught you both." Octavia continued.
"I think it is time that I got to know Lexa in the way both of you have." Raven stated crossing her arms to stand her ground. "Now come one we are not taking no for an answer." Raven grabbed ahold of Clarke and started toward the door they came out of. Octavia just jerked her head toward the door for Lexa to follow.
"Should I be scared right now?" Lexa whispered to Octavia as they followed Raven and Clarke.
"Honestly only a little." Octavia laughed. Great! Lexa thought. They all sat down once they were in the shared room. Clarke and Lexa were on O's bed while Raven and O were on Raven's. There were the basic get-to-know-you questions between the two unfamiliar girls. Lexa learned that Raven was a Mechanical Engineering major with a minor in Automotive Construction, she worked at a local garage as a mechanic, and she basically learned everything from her father who now lived in Maryland with her mom who was a senator. There were stories told about the three best friends adventures, only in return for some about Beca and Lexa as well, then the heavy set in.
"I'm just going to say this now so I don't have to later." Raven began. "And I'm positive that O will agree with me on all of this." Lexa gulped, this was the part she had mentally prepared for but didn't think it would be happening this soon. "If you do anything to hurt Clarke in any way, I will make your life hell."
"Stop it Rea!" Clarke defended while looping her arm with Lexa's
"No Clarke," Lexa gave her a pointed look. "I knew this was coming." She looked back across the room at the two people who she knew Clarke trusted the most and told them the honest truth. "I would never intentionally do anything to hurt Clarke. I truly care about her," She felt a hand slide into hers as she continued. "And if I ever do manage to do anything to hurt her, I would expect nothing less than what I'm sure will be ample punishment from the both of you." Lexa knew in her heart, no in her soul, that all of what she said was the truth. She cared for Clarke and wanted to protect her, she wanted to be with her. That was what she had been trying to make happen when they were interrupted in the hallway.
"I will hold you too that because we have been burned before." Octavia stated with an exaggerated eye roll.
"Octavia, don't even go there." Clarke seemed to recoil at whatever Octavia had hinted at but Lexa didn't know what.
"No Clarke, she does need to go there." Raven cut in quietly, "Lexa needs to know, it will explain a lot to her." There was a long pause where Lexa bounced her eyes between the other three trying to find a hint of what they were talking about. Eventually Clarke let out a sigh and nodded.
"We need to tell you about Finn." Clarke had locked her eyes to Lexa's as she spoke, Lexa could see them slightly flare with anger and then glisten in the corners. Lexa just nodded giving her full attention to Clarke. "Finn is my ex-boyfriend."
"And mine." Raven added from across the room. Lexa's eyes shot back and forth between them with a confused look on her face. "He was dating both of us at the same time." Lexa had tried to keep the look of shock off her face but she knew she failed.
"He started with Raven before me but he told both of us that we couldn't tell anyone about our relationship because he wasn't ready to be public with everything." Clarke explained.
"How long were you together?" Lexa asked, her voice cracking slightly in the beginning.
"I was with him for eight months, Clarke was with him for six." Raven answered. "I never understood why he was waiting so long to go public with us as a couple. Yet I was so into him that I let it go, he acted like he cared, he treated me how I wanted to be treated. He did the same act with Clarke, then one day he slipped up." Octavia had remained quiet through this whole ordeal, only now she was clenching her fists and jaw tightly.
"He invited us both to a party saying not to invite our friends. He instantly pulled me into a bedroom when I got there, he was already plastered drunk, and tried to get me to sleep with him." Clarke was staring at her hands that she was now wringing together having taken her hand back from Lexa long ago. Lexa followed her sight line and instantly pulled Clarke's hand back into hers. Then sky blues were back taking her in, Lexa knew the question in her brain was written all over her face. "He eventually took no for an answer and I left the room to try and drink away my feelings before heading home. I ran into Raven on the steps outside the bedroom, that was when Finn followed me out."
"He called after her saying 'I want to because I love you'. Then he saw me and dropped the beer he was holding. There was a lot of yelling then about who he was with and then Clarke left saying she never wanted to see him again." Raven continued their story. "He then tried to get me to sleep with him that night too. I broke up with him too, I hate cheaters, and I went downstairs to try and find Clarke to hopefully save our friendship. I found her under a beer funnel with half a bottle of rum in her hand."
"They called me to come and pick them up, well Raven called and Clarke tried to refuse to get in the car with her there too." Octavia finally came in at this point. "I told her she didn't have a choice this time and took them both home. Clarke didn't speak to Raven for three weeks, I finally got the whole story between the two of them and was trying to play mediator."
"The only thing that got me to turn around was the shared hatred for him. He faked the whole thing, he only wanted one thing from both of us, Octavia and Bellamy finally beat the truth out of him one day. He wanted us both and apparently Raven was taking too long to put out so he started trying to get me there, but he was still going to wait for Raven as well." Clarke finished out. "Bellamy gave him a pretty good shiner for that one." They all three laughed at the memory.
Lexa was trying to soak in everything she just learned. She understood why both of them were angry at Finn but she didn't quite get everything. "Why were you so mad at Raven? She didn't know about you two."
"No she didn't, but she did know about the major crush I had on him and how much I actually did want to date him. I felt betrayed that she had been with him knowing how I felt." Clarke answered her.
"It took me a long time to regain her trust after that." Raven spoke from the other bed again. "She can't stand liars or cheaters either." Now things made sense to Lexa though she could tell both girls never really got closure from this guy.
"Did you ever get him back for what he did to you?" Lexa asked with a mysterious smirk, already forming a plan in her head.
"Other than Bell punching him a few times? No they didn't." Octavia spoke with a hint of knowing in her eyes. "But I can tell you are thinking of something good."
"Oh I am, I'm pretty good at revenge plots and pranks."
"I'm totally in!" Raven moved to perch on the edge of her bed leaning across ready to hear Lexa's plan.
"O? Clarke? You guys want to have some fun making that douchebag look like a complete fool?" Lexa asked trying to read Clarke's expression.
"What did you have in mind?" Clarke did a very good impression of Joker with her smile at that point.
Lexa finally got to walk Clarke back to her door after carefully explaining her plan to the trio and setting a date to get together to finalize things. She still had Clarke's hand in hers as they came to a stop again. "I'm glad I got to know Raven without a big group of people around, and I'm glad you guys were able to work things out with each other." Clarke pulled her closer then and draped her arms around her neck pulling them into a hug.
"Thanks for doing this for me." Clarke whispered in her ear sending chills down her spine and making heat rise in her stomach.
"You mean help you with a master plot to humiliate your ex? I honestly can't wait!" Lexa pulled back then to look Clarke in the eyes, she saw sincerity and hope and she knew she needed to ask this question now. "I had been trying to ask you something before."
"That's right," Clarke moved her hands to rest on Lexa's strong shoulders. "What was it?" Lexa took a deep breath and just let the words fly out.
"Clarke, will you be my girlfriend?"
A/N #2: I really love hearing what you guys have to say. I do read all the comments even if I don't reply. Let me know how you like this so far and if there is anything you would like to see happen. I will try to incorporate as much as I can! You all make this possible even if all you do is read it!
S.C.