DISCORDIA

[ 23 ] scarlet heart

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   THE SKY WAS SEARED with jets of orange against a backdrop that was awash with a golden pink, like the epicentre of a budding flower. Jinny sat by the edge of the stream, dipping her toes in the cool current with Octavia beside her. She couldn't help smirking to herself as the younger girl tried every tactic possible to get her to talk about her sudden feud with Clarke. Apparently, that was all anyone was talking about back in camp.

   "Please don't tell me there's a love triangle involving my brother," Octavia said as she washed her clothes.

   "I swear you delinquents are worse than the gossiping housewives back in Phoenix," Jinny commented. "Who's going to debut next, what dress is she going to wear, peacocks or swans?"

   "Yeah, I bet you know all about that, huh?" Octavia nudged her and wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

   "I've never had the pleasure of tasting a peacock or a swan yet," Jinny replied. "But if I do, you'll be the first to know."

   "Is food all you ever think about?" The girl shook her head, wringing her shirt between her hands to remove the excess water from the thin clothing.

   "I'm so hungry," Jinny whined like a hurt puppy as she clutched her stomach. "I only ate a squirrel yesterday and some berries this morning. I really miss chicken broth, even if it was fake chicken."

   "Ugh, don't talk to me about chicken broth!" Octavia cried out loud. "And fluffy bread from Anderson."

   "No, shut up! We must never talk about Anderson's fluffy bread!" Jinny splashed some water onto the girl.

   She laughed, tossing her freshly cleaned clothes in a pile on top of a canvas sheet. "Hey Jin," she started. "Do you miss the Ark?"

   Jinny inhaled deeply through her nose and sighed. "I miss some of it. Running electricity and water, for one. The cold. It's way too humid here."

   "That's it?" Octavia looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

   "And computers to mess around with." Jinny shrugged. "Other than that, I hated everything about it. Especially the Council and the entire system. I love space, but I didn't love the Ark."

   "I think I know what you mean." The girl fiddled with a lock of her brown hair. "I never knew the Ark, I never existed up there. Earth accepted me, and it's the first place I can really call home. Where I can be free."

   "I'm glad you're free now." Jinny smiled at her.

   "I'm glad you don't hate Bell anymore!" The girl patted the dirt from her pants before turning to Jinny slyly.

   The older woman scowled darkly. "What are you talking about? I still hate his guts."

   "Mhmm. Miller told me that the entire time during their training yesterday, the both of you kept making heart eyes at each other."

   Jinny made a mental note to kill Miller that night.

   "I think you need to get checked by Clarke because you must have hit your head worse than we thought when you fell in that ravine the other day."

   "Deny all you like," Octavia smirked as she made to stand and picked up her bundle of wet clothes. "But everyone in camp knows that the both of you are meant to be."

   Jinny scoffed in disbelief as she watched Octavia sashay away into the forest towards the direction of the dropship. Did the girl eat some bad nuts or something? She was clearly not in her right mind.