from the ashes (she will rise) ➸ octaven

chapter 6

Octavia really hates school.

It's not that she doesn't like learning, because she does. But she hates feeling like an outsider around her peers. Something's put a wedge between her and most of them unconsciously, as if she just can't find any way to connect with these people. Her situation seems so different from theirs.

With a deep breath, she keeps her head down and ducks around the back of the courtyard. After Friday night, she doesn't dare go near anyone else. So instead, she's the first to the brick wall, where Lexa usually sits.

When Raven slips outside, the first person she notices is Octavia, sitting awkwardly by Lexa's usual spot. She feels equal parts happy and guilty. Making her way over to the girl, she offers Octavia a sad smile and hops up to sit on the wall beside her.

"How's Monday treating you?" Raven laughs softly, digging a brown paper bag out of her backpack.

"Average," Octavia shrugs. Raven holds a half of her sandwich up, raising an eyebrow at Octavia, who takes it gently. "Thanks."

"Hi," another voice appears. Lexa pops up from behind them and climbs over the wall, sitting cross legged. She offers them both a small smile before stealing a drink from Raven's water bottle.

"You're unusually cheerful for a Monday," Raven comments. Lexa just shrugs.

"Today's not so bad," she mumbles, a mouthful of food. "No one's said anything to me."

"That's a good thing?" Octavia speaks up. Lexa nods contently.

"She gets a lot of shit from some people," Raven tosses a grape in Lexa's direction. "Some more than others," she adds quietly, nudging Octavia and then pointing across the courtyard to a table full of guys.

Octavia just nods softly, but Raven pauses when she notices something different. A dark back eye on one of the students she'd motioned to. She couldn't miss it if she tried. Raven turns to look back at Octavia, but the other girl quickly looks away.

Once they throw away their trash and Lexa disappears in search of her next class, Raven grabs ahold of Octavia before she has a chance to slip away. Pulling her aside, she raises an eyebrow at the younger girl. "What did you do?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Octavia quips back, a little too quickly.

Raven just grabs Octavia's non-bandaged hand and turns it over. Of course, there's tell-tale bruises on her knuckles. Octavia yanks her hand away.

"And what would have happened if you broke that hand too?" Raven tilts her head to the side.

"I didn't," Octavia mutters, shaking her head. "I didn't aim for the nose."

"I can tell," Raven laughs, glancing over her shoulder. "Seems like his eye took most of the beating."

"I have to go to class," Octavia tries to hurry away, but Raven's too quick for her. The girl grabs her backpack and pulls her back, coming face to face once more with a now-annoyed Octavia.

"Why'd you do it?"

"He deserved it," Octavia huffs and shrugs her backpack out of Raven's grip. "He doesn't know anything..." she mutters under her breath. "Not a damn thing."

"Did he say something?" Raven crosses her arms. Octavia just sighs.

"He started saying shit about this girl in his math class. And then I realized it was Lexa," Octavia rolls her eyes. "He got what was coming to him, okay?"

"So you defended Lexa."

"I defended myself," Octavia shakes her head. "We all come from the same place."