Chapter Text
Clarke Griffin wasn’t stupid. She passed every class she took, tried her hardest even when she was struggling, signed up for every AP she could manage and balanced it all with art electives. Her report cards always consisted of A’s. She had nothing to complain about, because she wasn’t stupid.
Only, Lexa Woods was better. Lexa was in every AP class, same as Clarke. Lexa seemed to achieve high A’s with ease. Lexa took music electives, art electives, science electives. Lexa was the president of every club, was the captain of the (championship) tennis team and the (championship) girl’s basketball team. When it came to choosing who was their senior class’ valedictorian, the choice was between Clarke and Lexa. The school chose Lexa.
Clarke couldn’t even pretend like it didn’t bother her. Every time Lexa’s name came up in conversation between her friends, Clarke would begin her usual rant about the girl’s over-achievements. By the end of senior year, Octavia Blake, Bellamy Blake, Raven Reyes, Jasper Jordan, and Monty Green could recite it.
“I can’t believe her!” Clarke cried. “I worked my ass off for four years! I did everything I was supposed to, and I still didn’t get any credit!”
“Clarke,” Raven mused, stifling a fake yawn. Octavia rolled her eyes. “You need to chill out. It doesn’t matter that she’s valedictorian. You got into your top school, you won a ton of art contests, and you’re going places.”
“Really, you need to stop worrying about her,” Bellamy said, pushing his shaggy black hair out of his face.
“But, I—”
“Deserved it,” Jasper finished, “we know, Clarke. High school is over now, and you don’t ever have to think about her again.”
“She’s not that bad,” Monty supplied quietly. Clarke glared at him and huffed, and he shrunk away from her gaze.
“Let’s just think about how we’re all going to go to this party, we’re going to get hammered, have fun, maybe get some,” Raven laughed, elbowing Bellamy. Even in the dark, the blush covering his face could be seen.
“I don’t know if Gina is going, Ray,” he muttered.
“And then,” Octavia continued loudly, “we peace out on Monday and head to the beach house.” Cheers rang throughout the group, and soon Clarke’s spirits were lifted. She took a deep breath. The city air was as clogged as ever, and she thought about how she wouldn’t miss it when she went to college.
They finally reached the party, which was in the penthouse that belonged to one of Bellamy’s friends. The space was dark, save for lamps placed in the corners of each room. Upbeat music blared from all sides. Clarke took it in, the hundreds of graduated students crammed into the large penthouse, the smells of alcohol and weed and sweat. She could already spot a couple making out by a potted plant. Strange kids that Clarke had (somehow) never met approached them, greeting Bellamy and Jasper. Already, Clarke was feeling out of place, and the only thing that could settle her stomach was alcohol.
“Let’s go get a drink,” she said in Raven’s ear, and the girl nodded before tapping Octavia and motioning for her to follow. They found their way into the kitchen, miraculously without incident, and Clarke surveyed the selection of alcohol set on the counter. Deciding on vodka and orange juice, she pulled the carton out of the refrigerator and filled a red cup. Raven watched as Clarke then filled the cup with just a little more vodka than was needed.
“Hey,” Raven whispered, “are you okay?” Clarke only nodded, taking as large a sip as she could handle. Raven eyed her again, but shrugged. “If your anxiety starts acting up, just come find me.” With that, Raven went out into the party, and Clarke was left with Octavia.
“Come on, Clarke,” Octavia said. “We need to find some boys.”
After searching for twenty minutes, Octavia had gone off with Lincoln, the star receiver of their football team, and Clarke had found no one. She looked to her right, noticing a slender frame adorned with wavy brown hair. The girl had long, tanned legs that ended in a pair of black converse. And her hands, so delicate as they held a red cup. The girl shifted, and Clarke was hoping to get a glimpse of her face until—Oh, no, no, no.
Lexa Woods had a slight smile on her face as she nodded to something Monty was saying. Clarke wasn’t sure what she was more perturbed about—the fact that Monty was unabashedly talking to Lexa, or that she was unabashedly checking Lexa out. Her stomach roiled, and she took another sip of her (second) drink. Soon, her mind relaxed, but she couldn’t shake the strange feeling that had come over her.
“Hey, Clarke,” a voice said behind her. She turned, only to find Wells Jaha smiling at her. Clarke tried to hide her grimace, but she knew she had failed.
“What’s up, Wells?” she asked, painting on a smile.
“Not much is going on, really. Just a lot of preparing for college, work, getting my life together, you know, the usual thing.” Clarke was already bored with Wells and his overly complicated answers and his talk of all things business. It wasn’t fair to think that, she knew, but the sight of Lexa had ruined her mood. “So, where are you going to college?”
“Duke University,” she replied. Wells nodded excitedly.
“North Carolina, that’s cool. What made you want to go there?” Wells inquired. He took a small sip of his drink, the one he carried for show, no doubt.
“I’m not sure. I’ve only visited it a few times, but I think it’s really beautiful.” Clarke let her gaze wander, and Wells went on to talk about how he couldn’t decide between Princeton and Stanford, and somehow he ended up choosing Yale. Clarke was perfectly content with never speaking to Wells again, no matter which Ivy League school he attended.
Clarke thought about Lexa, wondered which Ivy League school the girl must have gotten in to. Lexa probably had to choose between all of them. What school wouldn’t want miss perfect? Miss president-of-every-club, miss captain-of-every-team, miss valedictorian, miss delicate-fingers-and-beautiful-hair…
“Clarke.” Some time around three and a half drinks, Clarke had made her way over to the black leather couch. She thought she had made out with a guy from her AP history class, but she wasn’t sure. “Clarke,” Jasper said, and Clarke spotted him through the haze of her mind. “We’re leaving Clarke. Come on.” Jasper hoisted her off the couch, and he caught her before she fell over.
“I’m so tired, Jasp,” Clarke slurred in her friend’s ear. “Why don’t we stay out all night?”
“Because,” he answered simply. Clarke seemed content with his reply and leaned on him as they left the penthouse and met with their group. Octavia’s lipstick was a bit smudged, and Raven’s shirt was draped loosely over her frame, but they all seemed better than Clarke. Gina was even accompanying them. It looked like they’d had a much better night than the blonde.
“Let’s go,” Raven whispered, helping Jasper with Clarke. They called two cabs and piled in, setting course for Monty’s apartment. Clarke fell asleep on the way, and she didn’t wake up until noon the next day.
“Clarke! You’re going to make your friends late!” Abby Griffin called from the kitchen. Clarke was in her room making last minute additions to her suitcase.
“I’ll be right there,” she half-yelled. With her two big rollaways and her backpack in tow, she left her room and spotted Bellamy and Jasper, grins on their faces.
“Did you bring your entire wardrobe?” Bellamy asked.
“Did you bring your entire life?” Jasper joked. Clarke glared at the two and strode past them, letting the boys handle her things.
“I’ll see you in two months, Mom,” Clarke said, kissing her mother’s cheek.
“I love you, honey,” Abby whispered. Slinging the straps of the backpack over her shoulders, Clarke followed Jasper and Bellamy into the elevator. They rode it to the bottom floor and exited the building, finding two large SUVs.
“One is for the luggage, and one is for us,” Bellamy explained. Clarke nodded and climbed into the first one, where she could already see Raven, Octavia, and Monty. She angled herself into the seat next to Monty and swiveled so that she could face all three of them.
“Who is ready to party at the beach?” she exclaimed. Raven and Octavia threw up their hands, cheering, and Monty smiled. Bellamy and Jasper took up their places in the front seats, and Bellamy put the key in the ignition. They drove off, working their way through the city streets. The traffic was low, as it was five in the morning. Their trip would take seven hours, so they chose to leave early and get to the Blake’s beach house at a reasonable time, even if that meant waking up at an ungodly hour. Clarke checked her watch and grimaced.
“I can’t wait to swim, tan, party,” Raven said. The girl’s excitement was too much for five-thirty in the morning, but it made Clarke smile.
“This is really going to be great,” Clarke said, “just the six of us, living life in luxury and peace.” The car fell silent, as if all the air had been sucked from the interior. Clarke looked around at stoic faces, and her heart dropped. “What?”
“Well,” Octavia drawled, “it won’t be just the six of us.” Clarke narrowed her eyes, and Monty shrunk away just a bit.
“Lexa’s coming,” Jasper said quietly.
“Are you kidding me? Please, please tell me you’re kidding.” Clarke’s eyes were panicked as she searched her friends’ faces. They were dead serious, emphasis on the dead if Clarke had her way. Clarke zeroed in on Monty, and the boy cowered even more.
“It wasn’t just my idea, okay?” he said, putting his hands up defensively. “They all wanted her to come, too.”
“I can’t believe you guys are doing this to me,” Clarke grumbled.
“Do you want to go back home?” Bellamy asked.
“No,” the blonde sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Maybe you won’t hate her by the end of summer,” Bellamy suggested. Clarke only rolled her eyes.
“Hate does turn to love,” Octavia cooed. A mischievous smirk grew on the girl’s lips, and Clarke stuck up her middle finger. But, the word love brought back some interesting, albeit hazy, memories of the party. Visions of Lexa with her long legs and hair flashed before Clarke’s eyes, and she took an unsteady breath, feeling an odd flutter in her stomach. She looked out the window, hoping for a reprieve, but it only made things worse. Lexa stood on a street corner outside of a red brick building, bags at her side. She was wearing light wash cutoff jean shorts that made her legs look extra tan, and a white t-shirt that fit her just right. A light blue flannel was tied around her waist. Clarke’s mouth was agape at the sight of her enemy looking absolutely stunning.
“Close your mouth, Clarke,” Raven snickered. Clarke was shaken out of her trance just as the door opened, and Lexa climbed inside.
“Hey guys,” Lexa greeted, a small smile on her lips. The others greeted her warmly, but Clarke only nodded. Raven not-so-subtly flicked her in the back of the head.
“Are you staying with us the whole time?” Clarke asked, trying her best to keep the hope out of her voice.
“That’s the plan,” Lexa replied cooly. Clarke forced a smile as best she could and turned back to the window. By then, they had begun their drive. The city streets were beginning to fill with traffic. Clarke fished for her iPod and headphones in her backpack, pulled them out, and plugged herself in. If she was going to suffer sixty days of Lexa, she was going to have seven final hours of peace.
Clarke had fallen asleep around six, and she had only woken up to go to the bathroom at the second rest-stop.
“Clarke is not a morning person,” she heard Octavia whisper to Lexa, probably trying to excuse Clarke’s rude behavior. Clarke still ignored all of them until they were fifteen minutes away from the beach house. Tall grasses began to line to road, and seagulls flew above them.
“Are we almost there?” Clarke asked. Her legs were cramped, her ass was numb, and she was more than happy to be out of the car.
“We’ll be at the boat pretty soon,” Bellamy answered, flicking his gaze to Clarke through the rearview mirror.
“Boat?” Lexa asked, turning from her spot on the other side of Monty to look at Octavia.
“Yeah, the house is on this little island. We own one of the three houses there.”
“Damn,” Jasper exhaled. “This is so exciting.”
“There aren’t any stores on the island, and getting the boat on a whim is a pain, so I hope you guys brought everything you need,” Bellamy said. “We had the caretaker make sure that the alcohol is stocked up, and we brought some in case we needed it.” With that, Bellamy turned off the main road and into a marina. He parked in the closest spot to the gangway, and Clarke saw a sign in front of the spot that read ‘Blake’. The spot next to it had the same sign, and that was where the caretaker parked the luggage car.
As soon as she could, Clarke jumped out of the SUV. She was beginning to feel suffocated, and Lexa’s presence only made it worse. The girl was absolutely perfect. Her smile, her laugh, her almost regal presence, it all reminded Clarke that she just wasn’t good enough. Thankfully, she didn’t have to be in close proximity to Lexa for a while.
The caretaker loaded all of their bags into the little motor boat at the end of the gangway, handed Bellamy the keys to the house, and then returned to the car. They all piled into the boat, squealing excitedly about their vacation and the boat ride. The driver started the engine, and they coasted off to sea. Clarke took a deep breath of salty air, thankful to be away from the confines of the city. Clarke liked space; space to run, space to breathe, just space. That’s why she found herself drawing landscapes of fields or forests, or beaches at sunset. She always liked the open.
“What’s first on the to-do list?” Raven asked, her brown eyes shining.
“A bonfire, of course,” Octavia said. “We’ll lay out beneath the stars and sing songs, eat s’mores. Monty, did you bring your guitar?”
“Of course I did,” Monty replied.
“I didn’t know you played,” Lexa said, running a hand through her natural waves. Clarke (totally) didn’t notice the way the girl’s thin arm flexed with the action.
“I don’t, really. Just for these guys,” Monty answered, a slight blush tingeing his cheeks.
“Well, then, I’m honored that I’ll be able to hear you play.” Lexa smiled. Clarke groaned internally.
Clarke watched the horizon, where she could see a patch of trees growing in size the closer they got to it. A large house sat on the edge of a cliff, and a dock extended out into the sea. The wall of the house that faced the beach was covered in windows, and each of the two stories had a balcony that stretched around the house, to where Clarke couldn’t see. The house’s light blue color stood out against the dark green of the lush palm trees that surrounded it.
“Here we are,” Bellamy said as they pulled up to the dock, “Blake’s Beach Resort and Spa.”
“This is sick, Bell,” Jasper gasped.
“Thanks.” Bellamy jumped off the boat and onto the dock as soon as they reached the side. As the driver tied the vessel to the dock, Bellamy helped all the girls off with a strong grip before enlisting Jasper and Monty to get the luggage. Raven and Octavia led the way up the path to the house, chattering away. Lexa hung back with Clarke, who was taking in her surroundings with awe etched on her face. Clarke looked anywhere but at Lexa, and when she finally glanced at the girl, she found soft green eyes, eyes that she had despised for the last four years of her life.
“Hey, I’m really sorry about the valedictorian thing. You definitely deserved to give that speech,” Lexa said. Clarke waited a beat, finding it really hard to hate Lexa in that moment.
Clarke nodded. “Thanks.” Her heart hurt saying the word. She was still bitter about Lexa being chosen, still angry that her friends had brought her enemy on their vacation, even if the girl was going to be so nice. Clarke straightened the backpack on her shoulders and picked up her pace.
They reached the back door of the house, and Bellamy tossed Octavia the keys. With a click, the door was unlocked and opened, and they raced inside. They were first greeted by a kitchen, all light wood and white ceramic countertops. The breakfast nook was positioned in front of the windows, where french doors opened onto the balcony.
“Bellamy and I have our rooms already, so the fight begins for you guys,” Octavia said with a sly grin.
“I call the biggest one!” Raven shouted before taking off. Lexa and Monty chased after her, with Jasper falling behind. Sighing, Clarke took a moment to catch her breath.
“Better hurry before they take the best room,” Bellamy mumbled, nudging Clarke with his elbow.
“I don’t care what the room is like, as long as it’s far away from her.”
“She’s really not that bad, Clarke,” Bellamy insisted. “I know you’ve always thought of her as a rival, but do you think she feels the same way about you?”
“I don’t really care, Bell,” Clarke sighed. Bellamy threw up his hands in defeat.
“Just try to get to know her. Please. It will make this vacation a little more bearable for both of you,” the boy said. He brushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes as he usually did, then turned and started rummaging through the cabinets. Clarke shifted her weight from foot to foot before deciding to pick her room. The expansive living room held a blue sofa, white plush chairs, and a flat screen. Floor to ceiling windows covered the wall that looked out to the sea. The stairs to the second floor were built from there, and Clarke could see all of the rooms from the entrance to the living room. She started up the stairs just as Raven was coming down the open hallway.
“I saved you a pretty big room. It has lots of windows, great lighting, all that stuff. For your art,” Raven called. “End of the hallway on the right.” Clarke nodded and followed Raven’s directions, finding a white door slightly ajar. Inside, a wooden bed covered in a gray duvet sat against a wall, and a wicker table and chair were set beside the great windows, overlooking the ocean. The room was otherwise bare, and Clarke found some comfort in this. It held a sense of calm, something that Clarke rarely found in life. With a deep breath, she set her backpack on the floor and fell, face first, into the bed. For a few minutes, she just lay there, as the setting sun warmed her back through the glass window. She could hear the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. She was exactly where she wanted to be.
“Clarke!” Octavia called. “Put your bathing suit on! Its bonfire time!”
It was growing dark by the time Clarke, Raven, and Octavia dragged themselves out of the sea. The sun had officially gone below the green horizon, and deep orange sky hung above them. Lexa and the boys were sitting around a large fire they built on top of the sand, and Monty played his guitar freely. As she approached, Clarke heard Lexa singing to Monty’s tune, and she thought she had never heard a sound more beautiful.
“What’s for dinner, Bell?” Raven asked, searching for food.
“I made some sandwiches. They’re in the basket,” he answered, motioning to a large picnic basket. Jasper reached inside and pulled out sandwiches for everyone, along with bottles of beer. Clarke lay back on a towel with her head on Jasper’s leg, munching on her sandwich. She took a swig of beer once Lexa began singing again, trying to calm the strange feeling in her stomach.
“So, is this the part where we all share secrets?” Raven joked, and Octavia snorted.
“Only if you go first,” Bellamy said. “Tell us, who did you sleep with at the party the other night?” Raven’s cheeks turned pink, and she swatted at Bellamy.
“Why don’t you ask your sister? I saw her running off with Lincoln Holmes that night.”
“Raven!” Octavia screeched as a dark look passed over Bellamy’s gaze.
“I hooked up with Maya Vie,” Jasper said.
“Did not,” Clarke laughed. “I did see Monty and Miller at some point. I think.” Monty tried to fight a smile, but failed. He stayed silent, though, as they all oohed at his crush.
“I didn’t know you were into Miller,” Lexa said. “He was in my AP chemistry class. He’s a nice guy.”
“He’s great,” Monty replied simply. Clarke smiled at the bashfulness of her friend. Sometimes, Monty was just so adorable.
“What about you, Lexa?” Octavia asked. “How was your party experience?”
“It was okay. Pretty sad, actually, saying goodbye to everyone, but otherwise, uneventful.”
“Really?” Jasper inquired. “No guys? No girls?” Lexa stiffened a bit, but shook her head.
“He’s just kidding. You don’t have to tell us,” Bellamy said. He stood and grunted, pulling a bag of marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate out of the basket. “Who’s ready for s’mores?”