Chapter 1
Octavia hated hospitals. The overwhelming sense of cleanliness, while at the same time being filled with sick people. The continuous streams of questions and the overpowering bright lights, it felt like an interrogation. She hadn’t even wanted to go to the Hospital in the first place, she had insisted that she was fine. But of course, the principal had called the ambulance. She hated it. Hated the fact she allowed her anger to get the better of her again. Hated that she had broken her hand, punching that damn wall. And most of all, she hated the asshole that drove her to do it, John Murphy. Murphy was a dick and everyone knew it. She shouldn’t have let him get to her and she wouldn’t have, had he not insulted her best friend. He was just lucky that said best friend had stopped her punching him square in the face. Octavia had known Raven Reyes for over three years now. Despite their age gap, they were best friends. They had met through Clarke, another of Octavia’s friends. She had known Clarke forever, their moms had been friends before they were even born. The pair had practically grown up together. Raven was the same age as Clarke, at eighteen and a year older than Octavia, who was only sixteen. Other people at school thought it was weird, a senior and junior, best of friends, inseparable even. But they didn’t care, they did everything together.
She was sitting on the bed, in the overly bright room, awaiting the confirmation that she could go home. The pain in her hand was dulling, due to the painkillers she had been given when she had first arrived. They had put her hand in a cast, which was blue and went almost half-way up her arm. The door swung open and in walked a nurse. The nurse approach Octavia’s bed. “You’re good to go.” She said with a pleasant smile on her face. Octavia rose to her feet, grateful to finally be able to leave; she had already spent enough time in this place. She grabbed her bag that was on the floor next to the bed and made her way towards the exit. She knew she had to deal with some paperwork, she just hoped it wouldn’t take long.
Once outside, Octavia realised she had no ride home. The hospital was good ten miles from her apartment she shared with her brother Bellamy, who was technically her legal guardian. She was tired, the day had mentally drained her. She pulled out her phone and dialled her brother’s number.
“O?” He answered. She was surprised he hadn’t already called her, being the overly protective brother he was. Principal Jaha had told her that he would call Bellamy to tell him what had happened. However, judging by the surprised tone in her brother’s voice he had not been able to contact him.
“Did Jaha not call you?”
“Shit.” Her brother cursed under his breath on the other end of the line. “I meant to call back, things have just been crazy you know.” Octavia sighed, her brother worked hard, they didn’t have much money and he tried his hardest to put food on the table. “Are you okay?”
“I broke my hand,” she said simply, as though it was no big deal.
“What!?” Bellamy almost shouted. “What the hell happened? Did you get in a fight again?” The concern in his voice was no surprise to Octavia, he was so overprotective of her.
Octavia rolled her eyes at his response. “Bell, I’m at the hospital, can you come get me?” She ignored all of his previous questions.
“O, I can’t right now.” He said with a hint of sadness in his voice. He hated not being able to help her when she needed him. Octavia understood, she did, but she couldn’t help the slight anger building up inside of her. She quickly swallowed it down though, knowing that everything he did, he did for her. She told him it was okay and that she would ask someone else.
“Are you okay?” Came the concerned voice on the other end of the line. Octavia had dialled Raven’s number next, praying that she didn’t have some kind of after school activity today.
“Yeah,” Octavia replied. “I just really need a ride.”
“You’re still at the hospital?”
“Yeah.”
“Say no more, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Octavia laughed a little at the enthusiasm in the other girl's voice. “I’m leaving now.”
“Thanks, Raven.”
Raven arrived around ten minutes after she’d cut the call. “Hey,” She greeted with a small smile, as she approached her. The older girl's eyes glanced down to look at Octavia’s cast. Her smile slowly turned into frown. “What were you thinking, Blake?” She suddenly said seriously.
Octavia shrugged and looked to her feet. “I guess I wasn’t,” She mumbled.
“I didn’t need you to do that,” The older girl told her, her voice firm. “I can fight my own battles.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Octavia whispered sadly.
Raven had clearly sensed the sadness in the younger girls tone and changed her serious expression into a wide grin. “It was kinda badass though.”
Octavia laughed at Raven’s sudden change. “Kinda?” She joked. Raven rolled her eyes. Laughing, she swung her arm around Octavia’s shoulders lazily and led her to the car.
It was friday, they were supposed to be going to a party later that night. The party was at Anya’s house, a friend of Raven’s. Her parents were out of town for the weekend. It was well know at Arkadia High that Anya was a party animal, she was always getting drunk and doing crazy shit. Octavia had met the girl a couple of times and she didn’t particularly like her.
“I’m not going,” Octavia had said on the way back to the apartment.
“Like hell you’re not,” Raven responded quickly. “You’re not seriously going to make me spend the night third wheeling Clarke and Lexa are you?” Lexa was Anya’s sister and Clarke’s ‘friend’. Everyone knew Clarke and Lexa had a thing for each other, they were just waiting for them to realise it themselves. “And it’s your birthday tomorrow,” Raven added. Octavia couldn’t say no to her.
“Okay, Okay I’ll go,” She said, giving in. Raven’s smile widened. “But if Murphy’s there-”
“Just ignore him, you don’t want to go breaking the other hand.”
“Easier said than done,” Octavia replied. “Murphy’s such a dick.”
Raven pulled up outside Octavia’s house and the younger girl had convinced her to go inside with her. The two girls went to sit on Octavia’s bed. Her and Bellamy didn’t have much money, therefore she shared her room with her brother. She didn’t really mind, but things quickly became awkward if her brother wanted to bring a girl home. She would have to go and sleep on the couch. Octavia wondered if he would do the same for her. Probably not, she thought, he was too overprotective of her and would probably never even let her have a boyfriend, let alone bring one home.
Raven scooted closer to the younger girl, noticing her sad smile, and put her arms around her. “Cheer up,” She said, gently running her hand through Octavia’s hair, as the girl leaned further into her embrace. They just stayed like that for a while, before Octavia sat up suddenly, green eyes bright with excitement and a wide grin painted on her face.
“I’ve been thinking,” she started.
“That’s never a good start,” Raven replied, without missing a beat and a smile forming on her face. This received a gentle punch in the arm from Octavia.
“Shut up,” she replied playfully. “Anyway, we have to get Clarke and Lexa together.”
“Maybe we should just let them figure it out for themselves,” Raven offered, but that just earned a frown from the other girl.
“Do you know how long that could take?” Octavia asked, feigning seriousness. “We could all be six feet under by then,”
Raven shook her head in disbelief. “O-”
Ignoring Raven’s attempt at speaking, Octavia continued. “We just need a plan.” They spent the next thirty minutes coming up with ideas or Octavia was coming up with the ideas, Raven was just sitting there commenting on how stupid the ideas were. The conversation ended with Raven suggesting she just spoke to Clarke. Octavia had said it was boring but could work.
“Shit,” Octavia exclaimed suddenly. Raven lifted her head to look at the girl questioningly. When Octavia didn’t elaborate, Raven laid back down on the bed. “Raven?”
“What?”
“Since I was a total badass today and that it’s my birthday tomorrow,” The younger girl looked at Raven, who sighed, clearly knowing where this was going. The seriousness of the situation that had taken place earlier that day had disappeared. “And because you’re a genius and I clearly suck at math..”
“Have you even attempted it?”
“No.” Octavia replied. Raven sighed and she knew that she would cave eventually.
“Maybe you should-”
“Please Rae,” Octavia interrupted, smiling hopefully at the girl.
Raven let out a deep breath, giving in. “Alright.” Octavia squealed and pulled her into a massive hug.
“You’re the best,” Octavia muttered to Raven’s shoulder.
“I know.”
Raven tapped her knuckles against the familiar front door of the Blake’s apartment. She felt the butterflies in her stomach at the anticipation of seeing the youngest Blake. Raven wasn’t sure when she starting seeing Octavia as more than a friend, but what she was sure of was that she had completely fallen for the younger girl. Unfortunately however, she also knew nothing would ever happen between them. She was pretty sure the other girl did not return the feelings and saw her as nothing more than a friend. It sucked, but she was dealing with it. Or at the very least that is what she told herself.
The door swung open and revealed the older Blake sibling standing there. “Octavia is still getting ready,” He told her, standing aside to let her in. Bellamy through himself down on the couch and flicked on the TV, surfing through the the channels.
“Raven?” Called Octavia from her room. Raven followed the voice and entered the bedroom. Octavia was standing there, still in her underwear, staring into her closet. Raven’s stomach did a backflip at the sight and her heart started beating out of her chest.
“You’re still not ready?” She asked, disbelievingly. Octavia turned to her and faked a frown before resuming staring into the cupboard. “Is it really that hard to-”
“Yes,” she responded with a little edge to her voice, cutting her off. Raven held her hands up in mock surrender. Raven took a seat on the other brunettes bed lazily, making herself at home. She looked up at Octavia, still half naked and still searching for something to wear. Finally she pulled a simple black dress. “Can you..?” Octavia asked, while gesturing to the back of her dress.
Raven rose to her feet and stepped over to Octavia. She could feel the heat radiating from the other girl. She reached up and brushed Octavia’s hair over her shoulder with her fingertips. She gripped the tiny zip between her fingers, which was halfway down Octavia’s back, and let her fingers linger for a moment. She pulled the zip upwards.
“Thanks,” The youngest girl smiled at her in the mirror, her green eyes meeting the brown of Raven’s. Raven returned the smile, trying to ignore the sudden thumping of her own heart and her urge to kiss the girl in front of her.