Why I Won't Forget You

Chaos always follows

Friday night came faster than Clarke had anticipated, and before she knew it, she was standing outside Swen’s house, music already vibrating through the walls. Dany’s older cousin was known for throwing some of the best parties—wild but not too chaotic. There was always good food, good music, and just enough reckless behavior to make things interesting without getting completely out of hand.

Clarke adjusted the oversized leather jacket she had thrown over her outfit—a fitted black crop top and high-waisted jeans. She wasn’t necessarily dressed to impress, but she looked good, and she knew it.

"Ready for this?" Dany grinned, nudging her shoulder as they stepped inside.

Before Clarke could answer, a deafening cheer erupted.

“Party Princess is in the house!” someone shouted, and the room practically roared in response.

Clarke rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smirk tugging at her lips. She didn’t necessarily own the title, but at every party she attended, she was treated like royalty. People moved to greet her, clapped her on the back, pulled her into hugs, and handed her drinks like she was the guest of honor.

Lexa, standing at the far end of the room near the drink table, watched the whole thing unfold with her arms crossed. She had known Clarke was popular, sure, but this? This was a whole different level. She wasn’t just some cool girl at school—she was the it girl in these circles.

And for some reason, that realization made Lexa’s chest feel tight.

Clarke accepted a drink from some guy she barely knew and took a small sip before someone—probably Raven—grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. The music was loud, the bass thrumming through her body, and she let herself get lost in it. Dancing, laughing, spinning under the flashing lights—it was easy, effortless.

Lexa, meanwhile, stayed where she was, sipping her drink and watching Clarke move. She wasn’t the only one watching, though. Swen’s eyes never left her.

And Lexa didn’t like that.

Clarke had no idea how long she’d been dancing when suddenly, a strong grip yanked her off the floor.

"Hey!" she protested, twisting to see Bellamy dragging her away, his face set in a serious expression.

"Come with me," he muttered, leading her downstairs.

"Where are we going?" Clarke asked, slightly disoriented from the abrupt change.

"Games. The others are there."

When they reached the basement, Clarke found a circle already formed—Raven, Octavia, Emori, Murphy, the twins, Lexa, and a few others, including Swen, who smirked when he saw her.

"Finally," Swen said, leaning back on his hands. "Thought you’d be up there all night, Princess."

"Someone dragged me down here," Clarke teased, nudging Bellamy before flopping down on the floor next to Raven.

They played for a while—mostly card games, some dumb truth-or-dare variation, and a lot of drinking-related punishments. Clarke was having fun, but she could feel Swen inching closer, his knee barely brushing hers every now and then. She ignored it, chalking it up to coincidence.

Lexa, however, noticed.

She sat across from Clarke, her fingers tapping against her thigh. She wasn’t even sure why she was so irritated, but watching Swen slowly close the gap between him and Clarke was making her jaw clench.

Finally, after one particularly bold dare that sent the whole group into laughter, Swen leaned in toward Clarke.

"Hey, come with me for a sec?" His voice was smooth, confident.

Clarke hesitated, but before she could answer, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

Lexa stiffened.

Swen led Clarke toward a quieter corner of the basement, away from the group but still within sight.

"You having fun?" he asked, his tone casual but laced with something deeper.

"Yeah, it’s a good party," Clarke said, crossing her arms. She wasn’t oblivious to where this was going, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

Swen exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Clarke, I—"

"She’s not interested."

The voice came from behind them, sharp and unwavering.

Aron.

Swen turned, his expression shifting from confident to annoyed. "Dude, what?"

"You don’t like her," Aron said flatly, stepping forward.

Swen scoffed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You don’t like her," Aron repeated, his tone growing more heated. "You just like the idea of her. Clarke’s not some prize you can win at one of your parties, Swen."

Clarke blinked, caught off guard. "Aron—"

"I actually care about her," Aron continued, his voice rising. "Unlike you, who just wants to add her to your collection of conquests."

"Are you serious right now?" Swen stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "You don’t get to decide how I feel about her."

The tension crackled between them, and before Clarke could step in, Swen shoved Aron’s shoulder.

And that was all it took.

Aron lunged, slamming into Swen, and suddenly, they were fighting.

"Hey! Hey!" Clarke shouted, stepping back as fists flew.

Lincoln, Bellamy, Monty, and Jasper rushed in to break it up, prying the two apart. Swen’s lip was bleeding, and Aron’s knuckles were red, but they were still straining against the arms holding them back.

Lexa stood frozen for a second before she moved forward, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Enough."

Both boys stopped struggling, still breathing hard, glaring at each other.

Clarke, completely mortified, took a shaky breath before shaking her head. "I’m done. I’m going home."

"Clarke—" Dany started, but Clarke was already turning, grabbing her jacket, and heading for the door without another word.

Lexa watched her go, something in her chest twisting painfully.

She had never seen Clarke look that embarrassed before.

And for some reason, Lexa felt like she should’ve been the one following her out that door.

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Thanks for reading 📖 hope you enjoyed feel free to comment unless you have something negative to say tho your constrictive criticism is appreciated 😊.