from the ashes (she will rise) ➸ octaven

chapter 14

The next morning, Lexa's the one who finds the two girls asleep on the couch. And luckily, she shakes Octavia awake to warn her that Indra's just woken up, judging by the sound of her shower being turned on. Octavia's flustered when she realizes she's been curled up next to Raven this entire time, but Lexa doesn't act any different. She just smiles and offers to make Octavia a bowl of cereal.

As soon as Indra emerges from her bedroom, Octavia's on her heels like a puppy.

"So we're off house arrest for good?" she asks, sliding over to lean against the counter as Indra pours herself a cup of coffee.

"That's what I told you," Indra grumbles, having just woken up.

"And that means we're allowed to go out, right?"

"As long as you're home before dinner," Indra nods. "And don't do anything illegal."

"Perfect," Octavia slaps her palm against the counter. "That's all I need."

Before anyone else can get a word in edgewise, the girl is disappearing upstairs. Lexa looks to Indra, who looks to Raven, who just shrugs. She's on the same page as they are.

A few minutes later, while Raven's washing out a mug for her coffee, a blur drops down past the kitchen window. Raven sees it out of the corner of her eye. From behind her, Lexa furrows her eyebrows.

"Did she just...?"

"I think so," Raven nods. Lexa tilts her head to the side.

"She knows we have a front door, right?" the girl taps her spoon against her knuckles.

"I'm not so sure anymore," Raven laughs. She takes a sip of her coffee -- black -- and grimaces. She doesn't understand the appeal Octavia sees in drinking her coffee plain.

"Where do you think she's going?" Lexa asks, scooting over when Raven pulls a chair up to the island.

"Beats me."

"Yo," Clarke wanders into the kitchen. "Octavia just went full on Spiderman down the side of the house." Lexa can't help but laugh, and Raven just rolls her eyes half heartedly.

Although Raven's curious about where Octavia's disappeared to, she's distracted by Lexa, who recruits both her and Clarke to drag out an old picnic table from the shed and into the backyard. However, when two hours pass and there's still no sign of the girl, Raven lingers around the kitchen just to keep an eye on the window.

But, what interrupts the silence later that day doesn't come from the backyard. This time, Octavia makes her presence known. A car horn blares from the driveway.

"Hm?" Lexa and Raven both look at each other at the same time, and Lexa's scrambling to the front door.

"Woah," Lexa breathes out, her eyes widening when she peers out the window.

"What?" Raven pushes her aside and opens the door. She's immediately as stunned as Lexa is, because in the driveway stands Octavia, leaning up against the door of a bright red car. The girl smirks now that she has their attention and reaches inside to honk the horn again.

"It's red," Lexa nods, hopping down the front stairs and hurrying over to Octavia's side to check out the car. Raven, however, remains in the doorway, her arms crossed as she raises an eyebrow at Octavia.

"What's this all about?"

Octavia turns around and looks to the girl, a soft smile on her face. "It's mine."

"You're serious?" Raven takes a step down. Lexa's already slid into the driver's seat, admiring the interior. Octavia nods.

"You're looking at a 1967 Chrysler Newport," Octavia motions to the car. "I got it for a steal. All I've gotta do is toy with the transmission and then this hunk of metal will run like a dream," she drums her fingers against the roof.