Chapter 5

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Even with a fire to keep warm, the night air was still nippy. After the fiasco with the water snake-serpent, Clarke had made the executive decision to set up camp not far from the river.

Addison stared into the bright, oranger flames of the fire that Finn built, mesmerized by the multiple singular flames that danced and created much larger, brighter ones. The crackling of the wood soothed her, but it wasn't enough to lullaby her to sleep like what was left of the foraging party.

Finn had ran off to explore while Clarke had left only a short while ago too meet with Finn, Addison had guessed. Jasper and Monty were off to the left crashed out besides each other, snoring softly —she smiled a little at the best friends.

At one point in her life, that was her and Liam.

To the right was Octavia, who confused Addison in more ways than one. Addison's known her for less than 24 hours and already she's felt things she hadn't felt in ages —but it was different, foreign.

She averted her eyes to her own best friend. Liam was across the fire, leaned up against a tree with arms folded across his stomach, fast asleep. Addison had wished he would have talked instead of avoiding her like he'd been doing since she blindly saved Octavia, but the more she stewed on the subject, the more she believed she deserved the cold shoulder after she'd done the same.

Yet still, Addison had no clue what caused Liam's sudden snap since Octavia's rescue. She believed he had no reason to be as upset as he is. Could it have been her impulsive jump in the water?

As Addison shifted her legs up to her chest and placed her chin atop her knees, she sighed softly. She shifted her gaze back to the bright flames of the fire and listened to the wood crackle and fire pop.

"What are you thinking about?"

Surprised, Addison simultaneously jumped and gasped as she snapped her head to Octavia. Octavia was now up, the upper part of her body propped up by her hands as she eyed Addison with tired green eyes. Addison averted her gaze to the fire, avoiding the obvious. "I didn't know you were awake," she kept her voice quiet, careful not to wake the others.

While shifting, Octavia softly sighed. The brunette looked over as Octavia crawled next to her, (uncomfortably and awkwardly) crossed her legs underneath her bum, then looked at Addison, "You didn't answer my question."

Addison tightened her arms around her legs and placed her chin back atop her knees, and watched the flames dance around charred logs. "I can't sleep." When there was no response, Addison looked at the wild, carefree raven-haired girl.

She slowly nodded, and moved her hands to rest in her lap. "I'll stay up with you."

Addison shook her head with a small smile, "It's okay, Octavia, you don't have to; I'm a big girl." She nudged the taller girl with her bony elbow.

Octavia smiled, scooted closer, and leaned her head on the brunette's shoulder, "I'm not taking no for an answer."

Addison's sucked in a breath for a mere second before she released a huff, to cover it, like it never happened. "I'm not winning, am I?" She raised a brow, shifting her gaze down to girl whose head's on her shoulder. Octavia shook her head and mumbled a quiet "no"; Addison merely chuckled under her breath and placed her head atop Octavia's, and stared back into the fire. They sat in a comfortable silence, listening to the fire pop, until Octavia yawned. The corner of Addie's lips curled into a smile as she lifted her head off Octavia's, and craned her neck to look at her, "Okay, sleepyhead .  .  . It's definitely time for you to go to bed."

"No, I'm not ti—"

"Not tired, huh?" Addison's brow lifted, unconvinced.

Octavia removed her head from Addison's shoulder, a confident look plastered on her sharp features, "No, I'm—"

The brunette couldn't help the amused laugh that escaped her lips as Octavia continued to yawn. "I'm soo convinced."

Octavia rolled her head to the side, eyes narrowed, "Fine. But if I'm going to sleep, so are you." She jabbed her finger into Addison's shoulder.

She pressed her lips together as she slightly tilted her head, "That's not fair."

Both of Octavia's brows lifted, and she smiled, "Yes it is."

Addison heavily sighed, and looked at her for a moment before she gave in. She tossed her head back, staring up at the stars that perked through the trees, and groaned. "Ugghhh . . . fine."

As Octavia scooted back to where she was before, her smile grew into a grin. The brunette couldn't help the uncontrollable, rapid heart beats that pulsed caused by Octavia; she's sure that if the sun was out and the others were awake, they and Octavia could see how flushed she is from the raven-haired girl.

Addison couldn't help it. But as much as she wanted to like Octavia, she doesn't want to. It was nothing against her —Addison just wasn't ready for a relationship. Not after what's happened on the Ark. No matter how much she likes Octavia, she's convinced herself the entire day that it will never happen.

Even if by some miracle it did, Bellamy would never support it because he seemed to hate Addison for reasons unknown, which irritated her to no end. He doesn't even know me, Addison told herself. But Octavia doesn't know me either.

Addison didn't blame Bellamy; knowing the things she's done, she wouldn't let Octavia near her either.

While Octavia settled down on the ground, Addison looked around camp again. Monty and Jasper were still passed out, snoozing, and Liam looked to be asleep, but she couldn't tell for sure. She sighed sadly, and averted her gaze to Octavia, who had finished setting another spot that —Addison assumed—, was for herself.

She crawled backwards toward the spot beside Octavia, curled into a ball to keep warm, and closed her eyes as a shivered breath escaped her lips.

Seconds after, she felt a light weight of something on her that instantly warmed her. She relaxed, until her eyes immediately snapped opened. Octavia smiled, "You were shivering."

Addison looked at her in concern, "What about you?"

Octavia shook her head, a reassuring smile on her lips, "I'm not cold. Quite the opposite, actually," she defended.

"I, once again, don't believe you," the brunette confidently stated, and scooted closer to Octavia. She lifted taller girl's jacket and draped it back over her like a blanket. "Sooo much warmer . . ." Addison drawled, playfully, with a teasing smile. "Right?"

In response, Octavia reached over and punched her shoulder. "I was being nice."

"I appreciate the gesture, but I'd rather you not freeze to keep little ole me warm."

"And little you are," Octavia tapped her nose.

Addison scrunched her nose up as she covered it with a hand, and exclaimed, "Hey!"

"Ssssh . . . ." Octavia clasped a hand over the brunette's mouth as she quietly laughed.

Addison's eyes widened slightly, forgetting about the three boys that were asleep. "Oh. Right . . ." she whispered, sheepishly, looking around to make sure they're still asleep.

"Don't worry. They're still asleep," Octavia whispered back, and placed her blue jacket over Addison once again. "Sleep."

She shot Octavia a 'seriously?' look. "You're the one that needs sleep. Not me."

"If you say so. But I'll only sleep if you let my jacket keep you warm." Defeated, Addison drawled out a sigh. Her heart warmed at the gesture, which made it incredibly hard to ignore the things she's feeling; until then a light bulb flickered.

"How about we share it?" Octavia's brows knitted, confused. Addison elaborated, "I'll take mine off and add it to our 'jacket-blanket' thing we've got going on."

An arched brow of Octavia's lifted, amused, "I don't think two people can fit under my jacket, especially yours. Unless they're babies."

Addison shook her head with a small smile —that she tried to hide—, and shoved Octavia's shoulder with such a force that it sent her on her back, a quiet laugh escaping her lips. "You know I meant," Addison let a quick, much quieter chuckle slip through her lips as a Octavia re-situated herself to her previous position.

She draped their jackets over the both of them, trapping their body heat.

As Addison relaxed once more, an electric shock shit through her veins when she felt Octavia's body brush against hers. She exhaled a shaky breath —ignoring the way she felt about Octavia was going to be a lot harder than she anticipated.

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The seven of them stood on the exact ledge Octavia jumped from the previous day, while Finn and Jasper were above it on a higher ridge. Finn procrastinated as he held onto a thick vine that twisted, small leaves growing from it. He tugged it, Jasper on his left. Below them, Clarke was impatient as she waited for Finn to swing to the other side. Monty merely watched the his best friend and Spacewalker, along with Liam to his right.

Addison was to the left of Clarke beside Octavia as they made bets on Finn. "I bet he won't," bet Octavia, confidently, as she leaned on her left-leg, hands down at her sides, and glanced at the brunette.

Addison —from between her and Clarke—, hummed, crossing her arms as she did so, and bit the inside of her cheek. "I bet he will."

"You're on, Anderson."

She pressed her lips together and extended her right-hand, "Let's shake on it, Blake." Octavia met her eyes with a small smirk. They shook hands and made-up a random handshake.

"You wanted to go first. Now quit stalling," said Clarke, then chuckled, "Mount Weather awaits."

"Just hang on til the apogee and you'll be fine," Jasper told Finn, quietly.

Spacewalker chuckled, while an amused laugh came from Addison. He looked at Jasper, "The apogee like, the Indians, right?"

"Apogee, not Apache," Jasper corrected.

"He knows. Today, Finn .  .  ." Clarke drawled, just as eager as Addison and the others.

Finn looked down at Clarke, a playful smirk on his lips, and removed a hand from the vine. He saluted her with index and middle-finger, "Aye-Aye, captain." He turned to Jasper, "See you on the other side."

Jealousy stirred within Addison when Jasper looked at Octavia. Yet despite that, she nudged her new friend, "Someone's got a crush on you." Their eyes met, and she wiggled her brows.

With pressed lips, Octavia shoved the brunette into Clarke, who merely flickered her blue eyes to them. She stepped forward and looked at Finn.

As soon as Finn pulled on the vine to jump, Jasper stopped him. "Wait!"

Spacewalker looked at him, confused. "What?"

Jasper looked back down at Octavia, "Let me." Finn followed his line of sight, and Octavia smiled softly. "I can do it."

Addison shifted her gaze between Goggles and the raven-haired girl before she averted them elsewhere, the feeling of jealousy pooling. But she shouldn't, couldn't be . . . she barely knew her.

She quickly turned her attention to the boys on the ridge as they looked at one another, Finn smiling as he handed the vine to Jasper. "Knew there was a badass in there somewhere." Finn hit his back, and Goggles nervously smiled.

He grabbed onto the vine, flickering his eyes back down to Octavia before he studied the vine and the area across the river he was to land in. Jasper exhaled, nervous.

"Hey, it's okay to be afraid, Jasper. The trick is not fighting it," Finn softly told him.

Addison smiled and reached forward, hitting Clarke's shoulder in a playful manner with the back of her hand. "He's definitely a keeper." Clarke looked back at her with a small smile and pink cheeks.

The brunette chuckled softly, and glanced over her shoulder, feeling eyes on her. Addison's lips curled when she met Octavia's eyes, the raven-haired teen's own smile widening.

Addison then raised both brows in a playful manner, causing Octavia to laugh and shake her head as she turned her attention back to the boys, as did Addison.

With a confident grin, Jasper nodded and looked down at the five delinquents below. "See you on the other side."

He readied himself before jumping, tucking his legs to his chest and hanging onto the vine for dear life.

"WHOO! WHOO! WHOO! YEAH!" Addison hollered with the others with an excited grin that quickly turned in an agape mouth, brown eyes widening. The vine began to break. "Oh shi—"

He crashed into a pile of logs on the other side, the small group of six sprinting to the ledge. An excited smile spread across Addison's lips when Jasper stood, unscathed, and looked around with the biggest grin, pumping both fists into the air. "WE ARE APOGEE!"

"YEAH!" Clarke, Finn, Monty and Liam yelled first, Liam less excited. Addison and Octavia looked at one another with grins too, pumping their fists into the air like the others.

"YEAH! YEAH!"

Monty stomped his foot and hand down in unison with a proud smile. "YES!"

"WHOO!" Jasper leaned back and pumped his fists back into the air.

"YOU DID IT, JASPER!" Clarke yelled.

Goggles jumped up and did a goofy dance while laughing. "WHOOO!"

Addison was just as excited and ready for her turn. "WHOO, YEAH, JASPER! THAT WAS AWESOME!" She chuckled, and looked to her left, meeting Liam's gaze.

His brown eyes were just as excited as hers, and his smile just as wide. They smiled at one another some more before looking at Jasper once again.

"Let's go, princess," Finn told Clarke with a little smile. "You're up."

"COME ON, CLARKE! YOU GOT THIS! YEAH! APOGEE!" Jasper yelled encouragingly.

"Yeah, come on, Griffin," Clarke looked down at Addison with a small smile before looking at Finn with dreamy eyes. Addison chuckled at the blonde's reaction, moving her gaze back to Jasper as she folded her arms across her chest, holding her smile.

She squinted when Jasper wiped something on the forest floor. "WE DID IT!" He picked the large, rusty grey sign up that had holes in it, and held it above his head. "MOUNT WEATHER! WHOO! WHOO!"

"YES!" Monty shouted again. Addison looked at Octavia, feeling her eyes.

"YES! YEAH, JASPER!" Finn yelled.

"J-Jasper?!" Clarke's scared question broke Addie and Octavia's eyes, the brunette looking at the place Jasper once stood, happy as can be. "Jasper. Jasper!"

Out of the group of seven, Monty freaked out the most, having just watched his best friend get speared in the chest. "JASPER!" In an instance, they all moved into action, trying to find Jasper from the opposite side of the river. "Come on, come on, come on. Jasper!"

"Jasper, no!"

Finn locked his arms around Clarke, dragging her back.

Without thought, Addison marched up to the vine in a panic, hoping to reach Jasper before it was too late. She reached the vine, clamped her hands around the oddly smooth thing, prepared to jump.

"Addison!" Liam.

She tightened her hold on the vine, stepping backwards for a running start, and with a deep breath, she pumped her legs to the ledge. As she was about to leap across the river, arms locked themselves around her waist, pulling her back.

Addison flailed like a water out of water, trying to break free from the strong hold she knew all too well. "Let me go. Liam, let me go!"

"I won't let you. I'm sorry, but I can't," Liam stated, as his iron grip tightened. He dragged her further the ledge and further from everyone she's begun to care for.

Including the boy with a spear in his chest.

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