Chapter Text
Lexa stepped out of the car, hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders as her gaze drifted to the large high school building in front of her. Polis High School: Home of the Arkers. At least that’s what the sign at the end of the school’s street said. She sighed to herself as she shut the door to the black car. She waved to her adopted mother as she drove off before walking up the steps and into the school. She went straight to the school’s office.
“Good morning.” The woman at the front desk asked in an all too cheery voice. “How may I help you today.”
“Hi. I’m Lexa Woods.” Lexa said; raising her forearms onto the desk to lean on them.
“Oh. You’re the new student!” The blonde haired, obviously dyed, lady grinned. Her overly cheery act was making Lexa queasy. “I’m Ms.Gravens.” She said and handed Lexa her schedule. Lexa took her schedule and looked it over.
“First period: English. Mr.Levens.” She read out loud.
“That’s in the upstairs B hallway. Just take the stairs on the left and you’ll see the sign. Lexa nodded and mumbled a thanks before walking out of the office. She climbed up the stairs and glanced around. She located the B hallway and walked towards.
“Room 212.” She saw on her paper when she glanced down at it. Luckily it had been only the second door on her left. She took a deep breath before pushing open the door.
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“Damn. Damnit, damnit!” Clarke muttered to herself as she practically ran down the hallway towards Mr. Levens’ classroom. She had under a minute to get there before the bell rang. Right as she was in sight of the classroom the bell rang. The blonde cursed again to herself. Just her luck she was late. She walked into the class and went straight to her seat.
“Griffin. You’re late.” The teacher said as he marked her tardy.
“I’m sorry sir.” She said as she took her seat at the back of the class, near the window.
“Don’t let it happen again.” Mr. Levens said simply. “Alright class, get out last night’s homework please.” Clarke opened her bag and started going through.
“Fuck don’t tell me…” Clarke muttered and realized she had forgotten her homework. Probably left it on her bed after doing it last night.
“Clarke?” She looked up to Mr. Levens looking down at her.
“Sir...I think I left it at home.” She told him. He sighed and shook his head before continuing to the next student, collecting the papers.
“Not a good start today.” He said as he walked back to the front.
“You have no idea.” Clarke silently groaned before putting her head on her desk. Today was not her day, just like almost every other day. She had woken up late this morning, so she didn’t have time to grab breakfast. She had to change her clothes twice after spilling coffee on herself. And because she woke up late she had missed the bus to school so she had to run all the way there. Now being late and not having her homework. Clarke wanted to shrivel up and die.
“Hey Princess.” She heard a sneer in front of her. She squeezed her eyes, willing the person to go away. “You going to answer me or not.” The voice sneered again. She sighed and looked up at the boy known as Cage Wallace. The right of him sat Carl Emerson. They both were looking at her with sly grins.
“Why so late this time Princess?” Cage asked as he leaned on her desk. “Did mommy not wake you up in time?” Carl snickered at that. Clarke looked away, trying to ignore him. Everyone knew how Clarke’s mother was always too ‘busy’ for Clarke. After her father’s death Abby had immersed herself in her line of work. She barely had time to even say hi to Clarke anymore, let alone wake her up in the morning. Clarke couldn’t even remember the last decent conversation they had together.
“Carl. Cage. The desks are turned to the front for a reason.” The two bullies turned back around. Clarke opened her notebook to start taking notes. At first she was taking notes, but her mind soon drifted off and she started doodling. She was so caught up in her own mind that she didn’t hear the classroom door open until she heard her name being called. She snapped her head up and her breathe caught in her throat. There standing in the front of class was the most gorgeous girl she had ever seen. The brunette stood in ripped jeans, band shirt, combat boots and leather jacket. Her hair was up in many complicated braids and she looked like she could kill someone with a single look.
“Clarke.” Mr. Levens said, clearing her throat. Clarke realized she was staring and shook her head slightly before raising her hand slightly. “You can take the seat next to her, Lexa.” The girl, Lexa, nodded and sat next to the blonde. Clarke glanced at her as she sat down. Lexa gave the girl a small smile.
“Hi. I’m Lexa.” The brunette said softly. Clarke stiffened slightly before turning to her.
“Clarke.” Clarke muttered, looking away to hide her blush. Lexa frowned, wondering why this beautiful girl was turning away from her. It’s not like she had done anything wrong, she only met her three minutes ago.
On the other hand, Clarke was practically panicking in her head. She couldn’t for the life of her, wrap her head around the fact that this hot girl was attempting to talk to her. No one at school talked to her much anymore, much less girls as pretty as Lexa. It’s one reason why she didn’t attempt to keep the conversation going. She knew sooner or later Lexa would stop talking to her and move on to the more popular kids. The thought made her sad. She would have loved to get the know her...maybe even more than friends? Clarke shut that thought out of her head, knowing it wouldn’t happen.
For the rest of class Clarke tried to pay attention to Mr. Levens, but the brunette beside was making it almost impossible. The way Lexa looked when she was concentrating was adorable. Lexa knew the blonde was looking at her every now and then. She thought about trying to start another conversation, but thought against it. She would try again after class. She could ask Clarke for directions for her next class. Anything to spend just a bit more time with her; maybe even exchange schedules to see how many (if any more) classes they had together.
Lexa never got the chance though. Because just as the bell rang for the end of first period the blonde was already out of her seat and out the door.
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Clarke didn’t see Lexa again until lunch, which was right after fourth period. She walked into the cafeteria with her bag on her shoulders. Her stomach growled at the thought of food; she was pretty sure that because she hadn’t eaten breakfast that that’s why the school lunch actually looked good for once. As she started walking towards the lunch line she paused mid step as she saw Lexa. The brunette was looking around the cafeteria, more than likely looking for a place to sit. Before Clarke could dart away the other girl caught sight of her. Lexa gave Clarke a small smile and waved. Clarke froze once again; should she wave back or walk away?
The decision was made when someone stepped in front of her.
“Hey there Princess.” Cage grinned at her. Clarke unconsciously took a step back, her mouth suddenly dry. Carl stepped up next to them as well. Clarke glanced at them before glancing over their shoulders to where was watching them curiously. Which didn’t go unnoticed by Carl.
“Does little Clarkey have a crush on the new girl?” Carl sneered at her, crossing his arms.
“W-what!” Clarke stuttered, her face becoming bright red.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Cage laughed before getting in her face. “Don’t even try Griffin. You know kids like that don’t go for children like you.” He said menacingly. Tears sprung to her eyes. She looked away, willing them not to fall.
“Aw is Princess Clarke going to cry?” Carl asked.
“Why don’t you run back to daddy?” Clarke widened her eyes as he said this. “Oh wait you can’t.” That was the last straw. Clarke did what she was best at; she ran. Tears running down her face.
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Lexa was starting to get frustrated. She had only seen Clarke briefly again at lunch, before some other kids and cornered her. She assumed they were friends. Then she had seen the girl take off once more and it frustrated Lexa greatly. What was it about the blonde that interested her so much? She wanted to understand why the blonde felt the need to run from everything. After Clarke left, Lexa’s lunch wasn’t as great as it could have been. The two boys who she had seen talking to Clarke had approached her after she had gotten her lunch.
“Hey, Lexa, right?” The the taller boy said with a grin. “Cage Wallace.” He said and stuck his hand out to shake her’s. She just lifted an eyebrow at him. His confidence faltered for a moment before it came back at full force. “Well I just wanted to welcome you to our neighborhood.” Lexa nodded slightly and was about to turn to leave when the other boy spoke up.
“We wanted to know if you wanted to join our table.” He said, pointing at a table not to far away. Two girls were already sitting there. Lexa narrowed her eyes, thinking about it for a moment before shrugging. She had wanted to sit next to Clarke, but seeing at the girl wasn’t even in the cafeteria she might as well. “Awesome, let’s go. I’m Carl by the way.” Carl flashed her a pearly smile, which Lexa assumed he was trying to flirt. As they reached the table, Cage spoke up once again.
“Good even ladies. Lexa this is Lorelie Tsing and Mya.” He stated, not really bothering with too much introductions. She nodded her head at them before sitting down across from them. Cage and Carl started talking to them about some football game that was happening soon, apparently they were football players. Lexa drowned their voices out, her mind on a certain blonde.
“May I ask something?” Lexa asked after a little bit.
“Yeah sure.” Cage said, giving her a grin that she found all too creepy.
“What were talking to Clarke about?” She asked, watching their expressions. She was curious to what was said that made the girl run.
“Oh that.” Cage said. “It was nothing, trust me.” He said grinning again. “You should probably just stay away from her honestly.”
“Why..?” Lexa asked with a frown. Clarke had seemed...okay. Not rude per say, but perhaps shy?
“You’re new here so I’ll give you the basics of that girl.” Cage said and leaned closer. “Don’t trust her. She’ll backstab you in a heartbeat. Heard she did it to that Reyes girl.”
“Yeah, didn’t Clarke steal her boyfriend behind her back?” Tsing asked.
“Yeah, slept with him to.” Carl replied. “She’s a bitch and would probably open her legs for just about anyone.” Lexa felt her blood boil for some reason when she listened. It angered her that they were saying these things; but she had to wonder. Were these things true? She looked over at Mya and noticed she was quietly looking at the table, picking at her food. She narrowed her eyes at the quiet girl, wondering what she was thinking.
“I have to go.” Lexa muttered before walking away, not bothering on listening for their replies. She dumped her tray and walked out of the cafeteria. She hoped she had another class with the blonde. She really wished to get to know her better instead of hearing about her from rumors.
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Clarke sighed as she walked towards the gymnasium. Gym was her last class of the dya before she could go home. Thank god. She had found out that she and Lexa shared three classes so far, History and Geometry. Luckily they both sat at opposite sides of the room so she didn’t have to interact with the burnette. She knew Lexa kept trying to talk to her; she kept on avoiding her. So far it had worked out great, but her luck was about to chance. She walked into the girls locker room and stopped in her tracks, internally groaning. There standing in front of a locker was Lexa. The brunette was changing into some gym clothes their teacher had so graciously provided for her. She sighed and went over to a corner of the room to also change.
“Hey Clarke.” Lexa said when she saw Clarke start changing. She tried to keep her eyes on the lockers in front of her as the blonde changed, but that creamy skin was getting to her. Clarke didn’t reply for a few moments and Lexa thought she wasn’t going to reply at all but then she heard a quiet, “Hi..” from the blonde. They locked eyes, blue and green, for a moment and Lexa could have crumbled from the broken look these sky blue eyes had. Lexa blinked once and that was all it took for the other girl too rush out of the locker room. Lexa sighed as Clarke left, wondering what it was about her that made her run. She knew the blonde was avoiding her; but Lexa was stubborn. She wasn’t going to stop until Clarke stopped running.
She walked out of the locker room in her black shorts and white shirt. She glanced around for the blonde and noticed she was sitting on the bleachers. Before she could start walking over she heard the gym coach call her name.
“Woods.” Coach James walked up to her. “Just because it’s your first day here doesn’t make you an exception to the rules.” He said, crossing his arms. Lexa bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. “Each student has five minutes to get dressed. I’ll let it slide once but don’t make the same mistake twice.”
“Yes sir.” Lexa replied with a nod.
“Good. Now that that’s done;” He looked off to the side where Clarke was. “Griffin!” Clarke’s head popped up to look at them. “You spent a few extra minutes in there as well, and you definitely know the rules. I want a few extra laps from you.” He told her before walking off. “Everyone to the track field!”
The class shuffled out and Coach blew the whistle once everyone was on the track. As Lexa started a fast job she looked at her classmates and noticed Tsing and Cage in the class as well. The two of them were running besides each other, laughing and talking. Lexa rolled her eyes at them; it was just the first day and she was already tired of them.
After almost five laps in, Lexa noticed how Cage and Tsing were falling behind the rest a bit. They had stopped chit chatting a bit ago to save their breathe. Wise choice, Lexa thought. She looked to the side of her where Clarke was running. The girl had kept up with the more faster students, which surprised Lexa. Lexa couldn’t help but let a small smile greet her face when the other girl looked at her for a moment. The moment was ruined when they both heard Cage’s voice.
“Better run faster Griff!” He said, sounding out of breathe. “They’re going to get you! They’re still coming after you!” Lexa saw Clarke stumble slightly, before taking off at almost full speed, her head down. Lexa’s eyes widened at the girl before turning her head to glare at the other two. Whom weren’t even paying attention, to busy laughing at their inside joke. Lexa quickened her pace a bit, leaving the two in the dust, and before she knew it she was done with her two mile run. She put her arms over her head to breathe easier and looked back at the track. Clarke had finished her two miles already but Coach had made her do two extra laps. The girl was still practically running and she was finished in just a few short moments after Lexa.
“Nice job Griffin.” Coach said once she was finished. Clarke nodded stiffly before going to grab a drink from the fountain near by. Lexa watched her walk, wondering what she could do to cheer her up.
After everyone was finished, Coach made them do a few other exercises before deciding that they were done for the day. Lexa saw Tsing walk into the locker room, followed by Clarke.
“Woods.” She heard Coach call her once more before she could make it to the locker room. “Excellent job out there today. Just don’t be late tomorrow and you’ll be all set.” He said, giving her a small smile. She smiled back and made her way to the locker room. Tsing walked out fo the room, smiling at Lexa as she past. Lexa just nodded and continued on inside. Lexa frowned as she heard sniffles coming from the room. She walked in further and saw Clarke facing away from her, her shoulders shaking slightly.
“Clarke?” Lexa called out softly. She saw the blonde stiffen, then she moved her hands up to her face. Lexa presumed she was wiping tears. “Clarke? Are you okay?” She walked over and placed her hand on the smaller girls’ shoulders.
“Y-yeah. I’m fine.” Clarke said before grabbing her stuff. “Don’t worry about it.” She muttered.
“Hey, I will worry about if you’re crying.” Lexa told her. When Clarke turned around to face her her heart broke for the blonde. Green met broken blue eyes. Lexa could see so much pain and hurt in them. “What happened?” She asked. What happened next surprised her.
“It’s nothing. None of your business. Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” Clarke practically yelled before storming out. Lexa flinched at her tone and watched her leave. She stayed for a moment, frowning. She wasn’t mad at her, the girl was hurt by something and it was obvious she didn’t have many friends. She remembered when she was younger and she used to lash out at people; the same way Clarke was doing to her. Lexa had had no one for a long time, until Anya came along. Lexa was so lost and broken before Anya.
Lexa grabbed her stuff and walked out of the locker room just as the last bell rang. She walked to the parking lot with determination. She had made up her mind: she wouldn’t stop until she befriended Clarke.