A Whole New World | Octavia Blake [1]

Chapter 33

~~~~~~~~unedited~~~~~~~~

A small group of delinquents crowded in front of a small section of blue tarp that covered the glitchy screen. Addison was among them toward the front beside Raven, hands shoved in the warm pockets of her thin, blue zip-up jacket as she shifted from one foot to the other, absentmindedly mimicking Raven's current stance.

Addison's brown eyes were blankly glued to the screen as Chancellor Jaha's speech crackled through.

Not once did the Chancellor's voice transmit to her —she was too invested in the memory of the moment she and Octavia had shared in the butterfly field. Two days . . . Two days since their lips locked. Two days since Addison stupidly sent Octavia on her way with Lincoln, much to the brunette's dismay, but somewhere deep inside, Addison felt it was the right thing to do.

If Octavia was happy, Addison was happy. To an extent.

  Of course she didn't tell anyone about Octavia and Lincoln's status. Even if he wasn't a Grounder and a member of the 100 instead, she still would keep her lips sealed —it wasn't her place, and she respected Octavia too much to do that to her.

Even if she got the okay from Octavia to tell Liam or even Raven, she wouldn't have been able to—she's been too absorbed in Bellamy's weapon training and watching the post Bellamy let her choose. During the day she trains with Bellamy; shooting round after round at their own contests, and dismantling the rifle before putting it back together. At night, she guards her post.

"You shut up, Miller. No one's forcing you to watch," Raven's voice snaps Addison back to reality.

She rapidly blinks the dryness in her eyes from them being open for so long and takes her hands out of her jacket pockets. Her right hand rests and re-adjusts the newly made strap on her shoulder she made for her rifle. A pistol's tucked in the waistband of her pants, it's handgrip acting as an armrest for her left arm. Shortly after her return from the small river she found to bathe in, that didn't have any large serpent snakes, Bellamy gave her a 9mm he had found in the bunker with the rifles for day-to-day safekeeping—like the knife Octavia made for her she keeps tucked in her left boot—since Addison only carries the rifle around when keeping watch or before a shift.

"For 97 years, we have eked out an existence hoping that someday our descendants would return to Earth..."

Addison sighs softly, tuning out Chancellor Jaha's speech again. Her eyes drift around camp; the delinquents that weren't gathered around the small screen are working, doing their assigned tasks.

A nudge brings her back to the screen, eyes snapping to the owner of the elbow that nudged her. "You good?"

Addison nods, "Yeah. The late nights are just kicking my ass," she responds to Raven with a tired smile.

She wasn't entirely lying, but she wasn't telling the truth, either. She can't get that stubborn strong-willed girl out of her head, and she ultimately curses herself for it.

"You sure?" Raven says softer, concern clear as day in her tone.

Addison sighs ever so softly, turning her gaze away from the screen and to her muddy boots. "I'm fine, Raven."

"You've been distant," Raven's persistence quickly fuels Addison, a scoff coming from the younger brunette.

"I've been busy." She snaps, clenching her jaw and knuckles turning white from the iron grip she has on the strap of her rifle. Her nails poke the palms of her hands through the strap, her tight grip loosening. "I've gotta go..." she whispers, ignoring Raven's calls.