Cadet Clarke

"This is ridiculous." Clarke huffed from her spot in the back of the car, "Why do I even have to go to this stupid school?"

"It's the only one in the area, we've been over this Clarke." Abby sighed

"That doesn't explain why we're moving from New York, where I happen to go to one of the best art schools in the country on a full scholarship, to bumfuck nowhere with one dumbass school." Clarke grumbled

"Language, Clarke." Abby glanced at her daughter through the rear view mirror, "I understand that you're upset, Clarke, but I couldn't miss this opportunity. I will be head of the orthopaedic surgery department."

"And I'll be stuck learning military strategy. No doubt that's going to help me be an artist." Clarke rolled her eyes

"I promise we'll drive into the city every weekend you're allowed to visit." Abby promised

"I'm allowed to what?"

"Oh, the school is semi-boarding. You sleep there through the week and come home on the weekends."

"Are you seri- You know what? Fuck that. I may as well stay there on the weekend as well. At least I'll be away from you." Clarke jammed her headphones into her ears and glared out the window

"Everything is so… Nude." Clarke said, looking around the dorm

"Our rooms get checked every weekend and one or twice throughout the week on unscheduled days to make sure we're keeping everything regulation." Her roommate said, laying on her bed "I'm Octavia, by the way, Octavia Blake."

"Clarke Griffin." Clarke said, setting up a few canvases on her side of the dorm

"Wouldn't do that if I were you." Octavia said, "It's not regulation and Bellamy can be a real dick sometimes."

"Who?"

"Bellamy. He's my brother and our Captain." Octavia rolled her eyes, "He takes this shit real seriously so call him Captain Blake."

"Aten Hut." A deep voice called through the door before it banged open just after Octavia jumped to her feet with her back ram rod straight

Bellamy looked at his sister, a slight smile forming on his lips at her before he forced his face straight to look at her roommate who was currently rearranging canvases. Bellamy walked up behind her quietly, took one of the canvases off of the stand and put his knee through it

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I accidently put a hole in your crappy canvas?" Bellamy asked

"In my experience when someone puts their knee through something, it's rarely an accident and it wasn't crappy." Clarke huffed, putting her hands on her hips

"Well, it is now." Bellamy said, "Keep it out of my dorms."

"Why would you do something like that?" Clarke asked angrily, ignoring the look she was getting from Octavia

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings, Princess?" Bellamy asked with a fake pout, "Get that crap out of here. You're on my list, Princess."

"Well you'd be on mine if I had one." Clarke replied, smiling when she heard Octavia laugh

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Bellamy said, turning on his heel and leaving the dorm

"You're right, he is a dick." Clarke said to Octavia, "He needs to get laid."

"While that's gross because he's my brother, it is also very true." Octavia agreed, "Just don't piss him off, okay? Everyone on this floor will get punished."

"What do you mean?"

"Each floor is a different squadron, team, whatever. One person gets in trouble, we all do. Something about seeing friends get punished for your fault makes you not do it again or some shit. Basically, each floor has a different Captain who is in charge and we compete against each other in academics and in physical activities. We're Skaikru."

"So this is serious?" Clarke laughed, "That's so lame."

"Yeah, I know. Bell's a hardass because our floor never wins so he thinks if he's stricter we'll win."

"Can I move floors?" Clarke joked

"I wish." Octavia said, "Anyway, I'm meant to give you your schedule."

"What is all this shit? Are they aware that a day only has twenty-four hours, not fucking six hundred?"

"Oh my god," Octavia laughed, "Are you serious? Princess, Oh-Six-Hundred is six am."

"Our classes start at six am?"

"Technically, no. Bell makes us run drills from Oh-six-hundred to Oh-eight-hundred and our classes are at Oh-nine-hundred until Oh-sixteen-hundred. Then we have another hours' worth of drills and then dinner, showers and then down time in our dorms." Octavia explained, "You get used to it after a few weeks."

"Fucking hell." Clarke groaned, flopping down on her bed

"Might want to go to bed early tonight, we have the welcome back dance tomorrow and it is compulsory. Unless you get special permission from your Captain or whatever."

"Do we have to wear uniform?"

"Nah, you get to wear whatever you want."

"What the hell are you wearing?" Octavia laughed, looking Clarke up and down "We're running drills, not the fucking run way."

"These are my most sporty clothes." Clarke said

"You can borrow some of mine until you get your own." Octavia threw a pair of shorts and a singlet at her

"Yeah, because your clothes will fit." Clarke rolled her eyes but stripped down nonetheless

"Your ass would be grass if Bell knew you thought about wearing that get up." Octavia shrugged, "You don't look to bad. Kind of sexy, actually."

"I'm one inch away from having a muffin top." Clarke said with a raise eyebrow, "I'm surprised the singlet hasn't torn open at the chest."

"So it's a little tight," Octavia rolled her eyes, "You look good. Now let's go, we'll be late."

"Let's go, let's go, let's go." Bellamy shouted in her ear, making her grimace "You will run this course until you get it right."

"I can barely walk." Clarke complained

"But you can, so let's go." Bellamy shoved her forward and watched as Clarke stumbled over the tired, "Oh my god. You've managed to get even worse since this morning's drills."

"Because I'm fucking exhausted." Clarke's voice rose with her agitation, "I'm not a fucking slave."

"O." Bellamy shouted, waving Octavia over "You will stay with Princess until she gets the course right."

"Bell, that isn't fair." Octavia said, "I'm going to the dance with Lincoln tonight."

"Better hope she gets it right soon then." Bellamy said, "If she can't do it by tomorrow morning, weekend drills for the entire squadron."

"You're such a dick." Octavia huffed, "Okay, Princess. Come on."

"This is ridiculous." Clarke groaned

"Look, it isn't about speed or whatever. Not yet anyway. It's about technique, go slowly and breathe. If you do it once and properly in the two hours that we have it's better doing it a dozen times with shitty technique." Octavia explained and walked over to the tires, "Get your knees up as high as you can for these."

"You don't."

"Because I've been doing shit like this before I could talk." Octavia replied, "Just watch."

"You're really good at this." Clarke commented when Octavia finished the course

"Who knows, maybe your nickname will upgrade to Warrior Princess if you get half way to being decent. Just run the course, remember it's about technique not time."

"That was half way to being decent." Octavia said after Clarke's run, "One more time. Remember high knees, use your legs for strength not your arms and keep low."

"I hate you." Clarke puffed before hyping herself up for the last run

"That was decent." Octavia complimented, "We'll make a soldier after you yet, Griff."

"I'm going to have a shower." Clarke said, "Do we really have to go to the dance?"

"Nah, think of Bell making us do this as our permission not to go. I'm going to go see my boyfriend, go shower stinky ass. I'll see you later."

Clarke was humming a tune to herself as she walked into the dorm showers, not watching where she was going when she slammed into a hard body and was flung to the ground

"Ow, what the fuck?" Clarke groaned to herself, "Since when the fuck is there a wall there?"

"Not a wall." A soft voice said from above her

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Clarke jumped to her feet clumsily, "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"It felt like a fly hit me." The girl said with a slight smirk

"You kn-"Clarke cut herself off when her eyes met piercing green with smudged eyeliner around them before trailing over high cheek bones and a sharp jawline, "Wow."

"What was that, Cadet?" The girl asked

"I'm, uh, I'm sorry." Clarke mumbled

"Are you okay?" The girl asked

"The only thing hurt is my pride." Clarke joked, "I'm Clarke."

"Nice to meet you, Clarke." The girl brushed passed Clarke with a smirk

"I didn't get your name." Clarke called after her

"I didn't give it." The girl called over her shoulder

"Octavia, you won't believ- Oh shit, sorry." Clarke turned on her heel and slammed the door, nearly dropping her towel in the process when she seen Octavia's lips locked with a particularly big guy with tattoos over his arms

"Fuck off, Princess." Octavia's voice sounded through the door

Clarke ruffled through her bag to try to find some clean clothes, only finding a second pair of Octavia's workout clothes she quickly changed in the hallway before walking back out of the building. Trying to think of somewhere to go Clarke shrugged and headed to running track to sit on the bleachers

"Knocking me down twice in one night, I might think you're just trying to get me on my back." Clarke joked, jumping up from the grass to face the girl from the shower

The girl slowly trailed her eyes down Clarke with a slight smirk on her face before sitting on the ground without saying a word

"So… Do you like it here?" Clarke asked, sitting down next to her

"I suppose."

"How long have you been here?" Clarke tried again

"A while."

"What's your name?"

"You can call me Heda."

"I'm sorry, what?" Clarke asked, not quite understanding the word

"It's my rank."

"I've never heard of the rank Heda before."

"It's in my native tongue."

"Which is?"

"Trigedasleng."

"You sure do talk a lot." Clarke joked

"You sure do fall a lot."

"Only for pretty girls."

"What squadron are you in?" The girl asked, changing the topic

"Skaikru or whatever the hell it's called."

"Would you be the reason why Captain Branwada is in such a foul mood?"

"I don't know what a branwada is but I'm assuming it's Blake so, probably." Clarke grinned, "I'm not very good at the drills."

"Hm." The girl hummed

"Why are you out so late?" Clarke asked

"Why are you?"

"My roomies having sex and I don't want to be there for that." Clarke admitted truthfully

"I come here when I want to be alone."

"Oh. Oh, okay, um I'll just…" Clarke trailed off and climbed to her feet, she walked five metres before hearing a soft voice behind her

"Lexa."

"Sorry?"

"My name. Lexa." The girl said, "You can stay. If you want."

"I think I'd like that, Lexa." Clarke smiled and sat down next to her again

"I'll walk you back to your dorm." Lexa said rather than offered when it got too cold to stay on the track field

"Let me text Octavia first, so I know it's safe." Clarke said, pulling her phone out and sending a quick text

11:42pm
C: Can I come back yet?

11:59pm
O: Not unless you want to see Lincolns bare ass. Sorry, princess.

"Are there any like, spare dorms, or whatever around?" Clarke asked, shoving her phone back into her pocket

"Follow me." Lexa said

"My dorms actually down one and it's not safe, remember?" Clarke said

"I know and I remember. This is my dorm." Lexa held the door open for Clarke

"Where's your roomie?" Clarke asked

"Anya is at her girlfriend's house for the long weekend." Lexa replied

"Girlfriend?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Lexa asked with a raised eyebrow

"Course not. That's fine. Love is love, you know? I'm into girls. Guys as well. I'm into hot people." Clarke rambled, "No problem at all."

"You're rambling Klark Kom Skaikru." Lexa smiled

"Sorry?"

"Klark Kom Skaikru means Clarke of the Sky People." Lexa replied

"I like that language." Clarke smiled, "Do you."

"Ai Laik Leksa Kom Trikru." Lexa smiled, "I am Lexa of the Tree People."

"Leksa." Clarke murmured, missing the shiver that went down Lexa's back, "I like it."

"Carry these." Lexa said, handing Clarke an arm full of blankets "We have a theatre room for recreational use and I happen to have permission to use it whenever I want."

"How do you say goodnight in Trigedasleng?" Clarke asked midway through the movie that Lexa put on, curled up in Lexa's blankets on a recliner chair next to Lexa who was on a two-person couch

"Reshop."

"Reshop, Leksa."

"Goodnight, Clarke."