Chapter 1

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When Addison was a little girl, she often dreamt of the ground like anyone else; how mud felt between her toes, how tall grass felt if she were to skim her palms over the tops like people did in the old films; if the air and dirt truly had a scent like the films also depicted.

In her dreams, Earth had a sweet herbal smell. One day she hoped her generation would be the generation the Ark finally went home—the mere thought excited her.

When she was able to comprehend and dream, she believed the Ark would find a way to freeze most, if not all, of the population until the day Earth was radiation-free. But now as a juvenile 16-year-old, the childish belief vanished into a bitter, laugh-worthy memory.

As a prisoner, the delinquent had nothing but excruciatingly slow time to think about anything and everything all at once. Sometimes it upset her enough to hit or kick the wall, or even destroy her cell, littering it with the blankets and pillow before she eventually exhausted herself and slept on the cold risen-concrete her bed was supposed be.

Presently, she leaned against the bed on the cold floor, bouncing a worn tennis ball off the opposite wall as she switched from humming-to-whistling a tune, a deep frown wrinkling her forehead. Breakfast portions were two-person rations. The Ark never spared an extra ration to the Chancellor let alone a prisoner.

She jumped, startled by the loud alarm that rang throughout the cell. The tennis ball came off the wall and hit her knee. Bright fluorescent lights flickered on overhead when the heavy metal door was unlocked. She snatched the tennis ball and pocketed it.

She then squinted her burning eyes. Two guardsmen walked in. The first one had a metal case tucked under his arm; he was fairly tall and lean, with trimmed-to-the-scalp red hair and a natural olive complexion. The second had a stout build with swept back blonde hair and a cold stare, shock-baton in hand, his fist clenching and unclenching around it, itching to jolt Addison if need-be.

She hated him. "Prisoner 4-2-1, face the wall," the red-headed guardsman instructed.

"Is it finally shower day? I've lost count," she said, but nonetheless obeyed, standing on wobbly legs. She put her left-hand in her jacket pocket, gripping the tennis ball, catching the other guardsman's watchful eye. The hand around the shock-baton clenched, the knuckles turning white.

He studied her movements, hoping, waiting for the chance to turn it on. Addison's palms grew sweaty as she crossed the cell to the opposite wall. The red-headed one set the case on her bed and opened it, revealing four shiny, thick metal wristbands.

Latest fashion?, Addison thought as she faced the wall. Her heart pumped rapidly against her ribs.

"Hold out your right-arm," ordered the same guardsman. He removed a wristband from the case.

She glanced at him when he came to her side. A buzz of electricity sounded when it was opened, revealing tiny spikes along the inside, ready to puncture her dainty wrist. She froze, staring at the needles wide-eyed, arm glued to her side.

The guardsman yanked her arm up and clasped the wristband around the designated spot. Addison didn't have time to process his sudden movements.

She did, however, jolt when the needles dug into her skin and sent a small current of electricity throughout her body. She tried to yank her arm free, in hopes to rub the soreness away, but the guardsman pulled her out of her well-acquainted cell. Addison looked around the Sky Box—she wasn't the only one with a new accessory and guardsmen.

A pit built in her stomach as she's escorted out of the Sky Box. The number of guardsmen had doubled if not tripled from the usual few that patrolled while some even sprinted through the corridor with members of the Council. They were in a hurry, Addison observed, like they were running out of time to meet a quota.

She gave it the benefit of the doubt—who knows what's happened since she's been locked up. Or perhaps she isn't the only prisoner out-and-about surrounded by guardsmen and the occasional council member; or maybe the Council is trying a new judicial system.

Instead of continuing down the corridor to her station, the stout guardsman shoved her to the right at the intersection, in the direction of the old dropship—Addison knew this for a fact. She snuck around Mecha several times near the old Earth tech that collected dust and removed hidden from the public, like true relics.

The pit in her stomach deepened and a knot formed. Her heart sped up, pounding harder and harder with each step. And the closer she drew near, the more commotion filled the corridor.

They couldn't be flyable. No after a hundred years. Addison doubted the Chancellor took extra precautions to insure one was safe enough for troubled kids .  .  . if by some miracle the mechanics fixed one.

"Keep moving." The red-headed guardsman yanked her forward by her bicep.

Addison recognized the corner up ahead, and when she turned it, her heartbeat moved to her ears. She's stopped behind a boy.

The delinquent turned his head and eyed her with brown eyes that matched his shaggy hair. He was average height and lean .  .  . "Stand here," ordered the guardsman with the shock-baton. Addison was soon watching both of her escorts turn back and retrace their steps, passing a kid that filed in line behind her.

She looked back at the brown-headed boy, meeting his soft, puppy-like eyes. The last time she saw him she was arrested and dragged away.

"You okay, Addie?" he whispered, so no guards could hear.

"I'm fine. I could ask the same of you. Someone stopped conditioning himself."

She subtly nodded, "I'm okay, Liam."

Before he faced forward, Liam had smiled softly after hearing Addison's familiar accented voice. Addison quietly sighed, and began to play with her fingers out of nervous habit while she waited. She no longer cared about the dropship at the end of the corridor. Too many questions clouded her mind. Like, how did Liam end up here? His father's one of two Commanders on the Ark. Commander Montgomery has more authority than Commander Shumway. There's no way he'd allow Liam to willingly get on this one-hundred-year-old rust bucket, and if by chance Liam did get arrested, what did he do?

Addison wondered if he allowed himself because, as the old Earth saying went, monkey-see monkey-do. Or Liam slipped up and finally got caught. But that made less sense; he was a great theif. More questions surfaced, and the ones she had for Liam don't compare to the unanswered ones she'll likely never get about her mother.

Quick footsteps caught Addison's, and every other delinquent's, attention. She's brought from her thoughts as she snapped her head behind her. Two guardsmen rush toward the dropship, a blonde-haired girl carried on a stretcher between them as an older woman ran beside them. Addison immediately recognized the dirty-blonde-haired woman; Dr. Abigail Griffin. Judging by the way she's reacting to the teen on the stretcher, Addison assumed she's Dr. Griffin's daughter, Clarke.

"Nothing like patiently waiting for your death," Addison mumbled under her breath, as the Griffins and two guardsmen ran pass her inside the dropship. She hadn't realized how close she and Liam were until now.

"If I had something to drink, I'd drink to that," said Liam.

Addison's lips twitched into a smile. At least his humour hasn't changed, she said to herself, and her smile widened. Liam faced forward, and Addison found herself staring up between his shoulders. Liam's always been quite the eye-catcher. From his looks, down to his protective and laid back nature, and not to mention, his humour and voice that every girl went crazy over—Addison could never understand that. But none of that mattered anymore, considering their chances of surviving pass today was highly unlikely.

If radiation doesn't kill them, landing in an hundred-year-old rust bucket will. No happy or positive thoughts of maybe surviving long enough to enjoy the ground came to mind; not like they would've a year ago. Only the possibility of crash landing came to mind, but it scared her more than she'd admit, especially aloud.

A few minutes ticked by and Addison can finally see the entrance of where the dropship was. A guardsman stood by the entrance, handing every entering delinquent a jacket. Other people from the council stood opposite from the guardsaman, conversing amongst each other as they watched every delinquent enter one-by-one.

Soon Liam was next. He's handed a large black jacket before he entered. Liam met Addison's gaze over his shoulder, worry filled up in his brown eyes. She nodded, telling him she's okay. He returned the nod and reluctantly, turned back around, disappearing from her view as he climbed up the ladder. Addison stepped where Liam stood moments ago. The guardsman eyed her a second longer than he did Liam then handed her a much smaller, dark blue zip-up jacket. She mumbled a quiet 'thank you' and climbed up the same ladder. Immediately she searched for Liam.

With no success, Addison scanned for any available seat, but the level is completely full. Now she scanned for the ladder. She quickly found it and easily navigated toward the back of the level it's stationed.

Many eyes she caught before approaching and climbing the thin metal ladder. Arriving in the upper level, she frowned. Most seats are full. Addison took the chance and walked deeper. She passed Clarke, who's still asleep and slumped next to . . . the Chancellor's son?

Addison tilted her head to the side and knitted her dark brows in confusion. Whatever he did must've really pissed his father off enough to include him in a suicide misson, she said to herself. She shook her head and continued walking until she caught the eyes she'd been searching for. She scanned the area around Liam for an available seat, but once again, all are taken.

Sighing sadly, Addison averted her gaze to another part of the ship and by luck, found an empty one. It's stationed directly in the stony gaze of a very pretty raven-haired girl, on the other side of the level; she stared staight into the empty seat, sharp jaw clenched. Addison took a deep, and nervous, breath before she strode over, weaving between the crowded rows. Nearly to her destination, she bumped into someone's leg.

Snapping her head up, she met a stoic boy's gaze. He sat beginning of the three-seated row the raven-haired girl's in. "Sorry . . ." Addison apologetically mumbled. Embarrassed, her cheeks flushed, and she continued toward the vacant seat. "Is this spot taken?" she stopped by it, gestured, and looked down at the girl, whose eyes were already on Addison.

The raven-haired's lips part in confusion at Addison's accent before she shook her head, "N-No. Go ahead."

Is this what it feels like to be all those girls that hear Lee speak for the first time? Addison smiled gratefully. That voice is far better than any voice or anything she's ever heard, and that said a lot. Her favourite sound was her mother and father's singing. As a child, they sung her to sleep, and her father strummed an anicent guitar. It was his family's heirloom.

Feeling as though she's been quiet for too long, Addison felt her pale cheeks flare. She nodded and shyly tucked a strand of straight brown hair behind her ear as she took a seat. While Addison clasped the buckle together, she avoided the other girl's gaze until she looked up and met it. Addison's heart quickened. She's never seen eyes like this girl's. Beautiful blue almost green in colour, a colour she's never even seen, now that she thought about.

Addison awkwardly smiled, and the girl returned the smile, only hers wasn't awkward. A jolt sent them to the side that broke their smiles and long eye-contact. The dropship rattled and made all sorts of crashing sounds while the lights flickered and nearly consummed them all in darkness before the lights flickered back to normal.

She gripped the red straps hard enough to turn her knuckles bright white, and her eyes snapped closed as she tried to steadied her breathing the best she could. Placing her head back against the headrest, Addison exhaled one long breath before opening her doe eyes and staring up at the metal dome above her head.

"It's okay." Addison tilted her head enough to met the eyes whose voice it belonged to. "We're okay," the blue-eyed stranger assured.

Addison allowed uneven breaths to flow between her lips, and she nodded, reciting the girl's words in her head. She absentmindedly darted her eyes across the shaking dropship, frantically searching for Liam. At first, she couldn't find him, but then his head lifted and their eyes met. Relieved, she mouthed 'are you okay?'. Liam nodded and asked the same, to which Addison nodded back to. She turned her head forward again and met the raven-haired's eyes, and recitied the words again. We're okay, we're okay, we're okay . . .

There's a moment of silence where no one screams and no dropship rattles: until bright lights flicker on and screens near the roof flicker on in sync with the lights. Chancellor Jaha appeared on screen, no remorse on his facial features for sending kids plummeting to a radiation soaked planet three years too early.

"Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now. You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this not as a chance for us, but for all of us, indeed for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others,Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you . . . expendable."

Dick, Addison commented bitterly in her head. "Your dad's a dick, Wells!" some boy shouted, causing most of the upper level to errupt in fits of laughter. The kid wasn't wrong.

"Those crimes will be forgiven, your records wiped clean."

The dropship rattled and threw Addison's body to the side. She stared up at the screen. How can a crime she didn't commit be wiped clean? She is clean. She never found out why she was locked up. All Addison knew is that her supposed 'crime' was some kind of cover up, to cover what she had done a couple of years ago. She wished she could forget, but it's not that simple. It haunted her day and night.

Addison had no idea how the Ark found out. She was quiet about it. Yet someone supposedly 'covered it up'. Someone knew. Her guardsman friend, Samuel, told Addison about her mother's passing and the 'cover up' story.

"The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the Last War, Mount Weather was a Military Base built within a mountain. It was to be stocked with enough nonperishables to sustain 300 people for up to two years."

"Spacewalk Bandit strikes again," the same boy that tainted Wells said. Addison cranes her neck to see some brunette-headed boy, not strapped in, floating around the level, and did flips toward Clarke.

The raven-haired girl across Addison excitedly watched and grinned, pumping her fist in the air. She laughed and shouted, "WOO!"

Another girl shouted, "GO, FINN!"

Addison took another deep inhale and shifted her gaze to an empty spot to the blue-eyed girl's right. "You should strap in—" Addison shifted her gaze to Finn, "—before the parachutes deploy," Wells tried again, only for more laughter to follow. More specifically, the raven-haired girl.

Addison's heart sped even more. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Now is not the time.

"Hey, you two. Stay put if you want to live!" Clarke shouted. Addison's heart rate seemed to come back to being as normal as one's heart can be from plunging through space.

Both boys on the end of her and the raven-hired girl's row unbuckled themselves. "She's right," Addison agreed and shifted her gaze between the two boys,. "You need to stay seated!" she yelled over the rattling. Both boys laughed, including the girl across Addison. Addison rolled her eyes in annoyance and scoffed. Your funeral.

"STAY IN YOUR SEATS!" Clarke yelled louder. The shaking grew more aggressive. Addison flickered her gaze back to the two boys that started floating out of their seats.

No sooner than the words rolled off Clarke's tongue, the dropship jumped. The two boys flew into some pipes in the back of the level, 'Finn' joining. Addison's eyes widened in horror. She didn't mean it when she said 'your funeral'.

Her heart rate increased again. Steam bursted from the pipes, and sparks flew around while the lights flickered. Addison ducked her head to avoid any sparks while the dropship rocked her from side-to-side, up and down, and repeated the motion like an old song stuck on replay.

Addison swallowed the dryness in her throat and closed her eyes. "We're totally screwed .  .  ." her voice wavered and shock, from fear and the shaking of the dropship. Releasing an annoyed and heavy breath, she shouted, "Stupid one-hundred-year-old spacecraft!"

On cue, the retrorockets kicked in and sent her head flying against the headrest. She groaned and squeezed her eyes tighter from the sharp pain that erupted on the right side of her head. Addison placed as gently a hand as she could while the dropship shook. It jolted, and her head slammed directly into the spot that hurt most. She sharply hissed and groaned, and retracted her hand, doe eyes wide.

"Hey!" Addison moved her gaze to the raven-haired girl, "You okay?!"

The dropship shook harder, and the sipped of the flickering lights slowly, keeping them consumed in the dark longer and making the sparks more visible. Finally Addison answered, "Yes—AHH!"

The dropship slammed her forward against the red straps that kept her in place, knocking the wind out of her. Addison gasped and sat back, coughing from the rough impact as she tried to fill her lungs with air once again.

"Listen," some boy across the level instructed. Addison in a painful cough and listened. "No machine hum," he informed quietly. She listened more intently for any type of noise, but the boy was right. It's absolutely quiet.

Another boy breathed out, "Whoa .  .  . that's a first."

In no time, buckles being unclipped filled the level. Everyone rushed to see the ground. The breath Addison held escaped her lips in coughs. Once her breath is caught up enough to allow her to unbuckle herself, she did. But the buckle wouldn't budge. She guessed the force from her body weight into the straps jammed the buckle.

Addison pulled and tugged in every direction possible, grunting as she did so. "Ughhh .  .  . come on!" Nothing. She sighed heavily and attempted again, but pulled and yanked harder. Still, it wouldn't budge.

Her hands and body tremble from the rough landing, causing her hands to be unsteady, and the sharp pain in her head didn't help either. Frustrated, she groaned and threw her hands up.

"Seriously?!" Addison huffed. She leaned back in the seat and glared childishly at the buckle, "Is this karma for me calling you 'stupid' and 'hundred-year-old spacecraft'? This is so embarrassing .  .  ."

"Need some help?" Addison snapped her head up too quickly to the raven-haired girl. She stood by her own seat, an amused smile gracing her lips.

Sheepishly, Addison nodded and blushed, more embarrassed. The girl chuckled, walked toward Addison, and knelt in front if her seat. "Great first impression, huh? Can't even unbuckle myself," she said quietly, her voice laced in sarcasm as she searched the mysterious girl's face.

The blue-eyed girl grazed her fingers over the buckle, cracked a smile,and shifted her gaze to met Addison's. "It could've been worse."

What could be worse than this? Addison shrugged and smiled, "I suppose." The mysterious girl's gaze moved back to the buckle, and no more than a second afterwards, the buckle opened. Addison frowned, and stated dryly in one breath, "Of course you get it."

The girl, whose name Addison had yet to know, chuckled airily and playfully shoved Addison's shoulder, like they were old friends. "Don't worry. I'll probably be saving you again."

Addison shrugged the red straps off her shoulders and replied dryly in a playful manner, "My hero." She then tilted her head and scrunched her face, "Although I'm not sure that's a compliment."

No name girl  stood, "Well, if it means we see each other again .  .  ." she lifted a perfectly arched brow, smile widening as she extended for Addison, " .  .  . then yes."

Addison showed her teeth as she shyly averted her gaze to her boots and blushed, smiling. No name chuckled softly, and Addison looked up and took her hand. A wave of warmth she'd never felt before hit. Ignoring the feeling, Addison now stood with the girl's help.

Now that she's face-to-face with this mysterious girl, Addison could really get a good look; straight dark locks that are about mid-length, sharp jaw, and her eyes more green and playful than their first encounter. She's taller than Addison by four or so inches, but then again, everyone is taller than Addison. She wore an innocent, bright smile that made the curiosity swirl in Addison.

She wondered what this girl did to get locked up and get lucky enough to accompany a dropship full of prisoners that were flown through space.

The seeming innocent girl smiled brightly and introduced softly, "I'm Octavia."

"Octavia," Addison repeated even softer, and Octavia nodded and held her smile. Like the contagious smile Octavia had, Addison couldn't help the grin that appeared, "Addison. I'd shake your hand, but we're already holding hands."

Octavia laughed and looked at their joined hands. She flipped Addison's hand to the back of it, dark brows furrowed. She brought Addison's hand closer to her widened green eyes and inspected it —more specifically the tips that are coated in red.

"Wait, is this blood?" Addison looked and slowly nodded. "From where?"

"My head. It's just a scratch. Nothing major," Addison shrugged nonchalantly.

Octavia began to protest. "It's your head. A scratch will always be major."

"I'm fine," Addison retracted her hand from Octavia's and sighed. She replied harsher than intended, "Let's just get to the lower level." She didn't mean to snap. It was instinct.

Addison took care of people, not the other way around. Someone that isn't Liam or her father caring was completely foreign.

Octavia sighed. She gave Addison a small nod and led the way to the lower level. Addison's hand felt colder than it's ever felt. She didn't understand why, considering she and Octavia just met, or why Octavia seemed so concerned when she barely knew Addison.

Addison, once again, gave the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she's just naturally a very friendly person and genuinely cares for the safety of the teens she came to Earth with? Addison shook her head. That sounded dumb. No one could be that friendly, in her opinion.

Sighing, she followed after Octavia and descended the ladder. Addison got halfway to through the lower level ladder when she heard Octavia call to someone. "Bellamy?" Jealously crept through Addison's veins. She couldn't stop the human body's stupid feelings, as much as she wanted to.

Of course she has a boyfriend. Why wouldn't she? She's gorgeous .  .  .

Addison continued the descent as she began to hear whispers. "It's the girl who hid under the floor," some boy said. Hid under the floor? Addison's never even heard of the rumour. Perhaps Octavia lived in another station, as did this boy, and that's why she didn't know of the rumour?

"My god, look how big you are," Bellamy, the boy Octavia called to who stood by the door, stated.

Bellamy's voice was so quiet Addison barely caught what he'd said. She jumped off the ladder and saw he and Octavia hugging one another, tightly. Addison's forehead creased. She couldn't possibly be putting their story together right. Could she? If that's the case, then Bellamy's statement made sense.

Addison pushed through the sea of delinquents while looking for Liam, but he's nowhere to be found. She sighed and broke through the front of the crowd, and came next to Clarke. She briefly met Clarke's gaze before she broke it and moved it to, what she's sure, is a brother-sister duo.

Octavia pulled away and grabbed Bellamy's jacket, "What the hell are you wearing? A guard's uniform?" she angrily questioned.

Bellamy followed Octavia's gaze, then looks back to her. "I borrowed it to get on the dropship," he smiled, "someone's gotta keep an eye on you."

Octavia hugged him again, and Addison smiled. Their reunion struck something she hadn't felt in a long time. Happiness. Bellamy chuckled softly, but Clarke had other ideas. "Where's your wristband?" she asked.

Octavia snapped her head around to her, an annoyed look plastered on her sharp features. "Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year."

"No one has a brother," the same boy from earlier piped. Octavia snapped her head in the direction of the voice, glaring.

From behind Addison, a girl informed, "That's Octavia Blake, the girl they found hidden in the floor." Addison turned toward the dirty-blonde-haired girl.

"Octavia. Octavia, no." Addison snapped her attention back to the Blake siblings. Octavia now faced and stared angrily into the crowd while Bellamy held his sister back from going after anyone. Instead of calming her, he tried another angle, "Let's give them something else to remember you by."

Disbelief covered her hard expression as she quickly turned to Bellamy. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years." Bellamy smiled, and Octavia grinned, excited.

A small smile crept its way onto Addison's lips. Seeing as Octavia's 'Girl Under the Floor' reputation angered her, Addison's glad to see Octavia be the first one on the ground. Addison couldn't imagine living her entire life under some cramped floor. It's not like the Ark's compartments are big. Now, Octavia'll be remembered as the first human to step on Earth soil in a hundred years.

Addison faced the door of the dropship. She was more than ready now. Bellamy pulled the lever, and the sight was breathtaking. Sun shined through the luscious green plants, and trees and bushes scattered all around them. All sorts of smells hit her nose; the trees, the soil, the plants, and the smell of fresh air was indescribable. After all the wondering, air really did have a smell.

Octavia walked to the end of the ramp, looked around, then paused before she jumped onto Earth soil. She looked around again, and not a moment later, she pumped both fists into the air, "WE'RE BACK, BITCHES!"

Addison laughed. The delinquents around her cheered and rushed into the trees. She took a few steps forward until she realized Clarke hadn't moved yet. She turned her body halfway and grinned, nodding in the direction of the outside would, "You coming or what?"

Clarke, shocked, met Addison's excited eyes. She wiped the shook from her face, grinned, and walked up to Addison.

Side-by-side, Addison and Clarke walked out of the dropship wearing smiles. Addison looked at the dirt before she lightly stepped on it, her smile widening even more. She placed both feet on top of the dirt and rocked her head back, surveying the branches, leaves and the blue sky above her head

All of the delinquents laughed and had fun, poking and touching everything their curious hearts desired. Addison's definitely guilty of touching every low hanging branch and plant she couldn't reach, all while showing her white teeth off to Earth for the first time. Welcome to Earth, Addison. You made it.

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