A Whole New World | Octavia Blake [1]

Chapter 8

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Octavia situated in front of Monty, having volunteered to have her wristband pried off first, Addison by her side. Like the previous night in the woods, she hated the way Octavia's flirty comment made her feel warm inside.

"Ready?" asked Monty, prepared to work the piece of metal under Blake's wristband. Octavia nodded, confident yet nervous, and extended her arm to him. He took her hand in his left and got to work while Addison closely watched. "I gotta ask: what station are you from?"

No one responded, so she looked up. "Oh, Factory," the brunette dumbly responded. "Why?"

Monty's movements paused, a look a surprise written on his round face. "You're from Factory Station?" He didn't look convinced.

"Hey, that's where I'm from," Octavia stated, with a small smile.

"No way. How does someone from Factory think of this?" Monty lifted a brow.

Addison gave her shoulders a little shrug. "I don't know. I just came up with it on a whim."

"Well you—" he pointed to her with the tool, "—obviously have a mechanical mind."

"Maybe, but I never took any of those classes. Believe me, electricity and I aren't friends. One bad experience was enough." One time, Liam and her tried to bring life back into an old, hundred-year-old Earth battery Liam had snagged from god-knows-where. Their experiment didn't end well. The jolt of warmth from the electricity they produced coursing through her body in a few seconds was enough to make her never wanna do stuff like that again. She had felt weird for a couple hours before the odd tingling in her body wore off —Liam thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

Monty smiled, "Then you're a natural, which is even better." Addison returned his smile, and he got back to it.

  She stewed on his words: 'well you obviously have a mechanical mind'. Before her mother Jane moved to Factory Station with her father William, Jane resided in Mecha —born and raised— but found a job in Factory. William knew nothing of mechanics —he's a doctor with Clarke's mother. And Jane had never shown Addison anything remotely close to mechanics.

"You know, I've been thinking . . ." Monty trailed quietly.

"Just say it, Monty," urged Addison.

"I thought you were from Mecha because I've seen you there a few times. The first time I saw you stealing my families herbs, I wondered: how is she getting here if she lives all the way in Mecha? But now I know you're not from there. I didn't get you arrested, that's all," he finished, quietly.

  A ghost of a smile appeared on Addison's lips as she subconsciously ran her nails along the seam of her pants, "I know. Kane would've told me what I was arrested for when he did, but he never did. Was your crime announced?"

"No, but Jasper and I—" Monty quickly cut himself off, a wave of sadness and worry washing his features.

"Is he your best friend?" Like Lee is mine?, Addison genuinely wondered.

"More like a brother. He may not be my real brother," Monty grunted, as he continued to work the knife under Octavia's wristband, "but he's always been there. Every memory I have, there's Jasper." Addison smiled at that. Monty then looked at the two girls, "I should be out there."

  Octavia raised both of her dark, arched brows, "You're not gonna cry, are you?"

  A little smile formed on the Farm Station boy's lips, "Shut up."

  "Sarcasm's my thing." Addison playfully smacked Octavia's leg, "Find another hobby." The trio erupted into light laughter.

  When it died, Monty's expression turned serious when he looked at Octavia. "You sure about this? Your brother won't approve of you helping us contact the Ark."

  Addison couldn't help but snort. "Her brother doesn't approve of anything she does." Monty and the youngest Blake looked at the brunette; their was no remorse in Addison's brown eyes. "I'm not apologizing."

  "I didn't think you would, but you're right," agreed Octavia. "He's not my keeper." She repositioned herself and wiggled her fingers. "Let's just do this. Let's do it."

  As Monty tossed the thin piece of metal on the table, he sighed softly, grabbing a bigger, thicker piece. Addison skeptically eyed it with widened brown eyes. "I hope you know what you're doing."

  "I hope so too," he responded, and slid the makeshift-pry bar under Octavia's wristband, beginning to attempt its removal. She grunted, face scrunching in discomfort.

  "Aah!" she hissed. Monty wedged it further underneath the band and with one final downward push, it opened. "OW! Son of a—"

  "Sorry," muttered Monty, as he held it open.

  Octavia cradled her wrist. Addison lifted a brow, "You okay?"

  The raven-haired girl and replied through gritted with a nod, "Yeah." They both moved next to Monty.

Addison was the last to kneel as she inspected the wristband; Sox tiny spikes stuck out, all glowing bright blue before it hummed down, similar to the dropship hum after landing.

"Dead," muttered Monty. "Damn it."

  Scoffing, Octavia leaned back against the dropship, examining her wrist, "If we can't even take it off, how do you expect to turn it into a radio?"

The hatch-door was opened, revealing Atom. He glanced between the trio before he slowly climbed down. Monty smiled softly when Octavia looked at him. He said, "Go on. I'll be fine. Work to do," he gestured to the wristbands.

Octavia stood with a smile then ruffled his dark, straight locks before glancing down at Addison, "You coming or what?"

"No. I'm gonna stay up here and try to help," chuckled Addison, and looked at Monty. "This was my idea, after all."

Octavia tapped Addison's nose, mimicking the brunette's actions from the previous night. Addison's nose instinctively scrunched. "Suit yourself, Addie."

  A little smile appeared on Addison's lips as she watched Octavia walk to the ladder. She stopped at it, looking at them, "Hey, Monty? Jasper would understand why you stayed."

  Monty was silent a moment before he said, "How is someone raised beneath the floor not a total basket case?"

  Octavia scoffed softly with a mischievous little smirk, "Who says I'm not?" She then met Addison's brown eyes, "Liam would understand too."

  A little tickle in the brunette's stomach stirred. Addison returned the raven-haired teen's assuring smile with a faint one, and watched as Octavia disappeared down the hatch-hole. Sighing, Addison turned her attention to the wristband in Monty's hands.

  "I know that look."

  Addison's forehead creased, and she met his eyes. "What look?"

  "The look of conflict-ion." He nodded to the hatch-door, "Go."

  The short-tempered delinquent plastered a look of fake hurt on her facial features, "I'm hurt, Monty Green. You don't enjoy my company?"

  Monty released a little chuckle, then gestured to the hatch-door again. "Go on, Addison. I know you want to."

  "How 'bout this .  .  . I stay up here and 'help' as much as I can, if I can, then I'll go. Deal?"

and 'help' you for a little while, then I'll go. Deal?"

  "Deal."

_____________________________