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"Well, that was quite a show," Jasper said. "Too bad we didn't have any popcorn."
Ava and Monty groaned in response, the boy's increasingly lame jokes were becoming unbearable. Suddenly, a pair of hands gripped Jasper and Monty's shoulders before spinning them around.
"Four of us," Spacewalker said to a small group of delinquents. "Can we go now?"
"Sounds like a party," Octavia said as she skipped over. "Make it six."
Spacewalker glanced towards Ava and stuck out his hand in her direction. "I'm Finn Collins by the way."
Taking his hand, she shook it and smiled politely. "Ava Castell."
He smiled back. "It's nice to —"
"Hey!" the blonde girl interjected suddenly. "Were you trying to take this off?" She gripped Finn's wristband, her jaw clenched and lips pursed.
"Yeah. So?"
"So this wristband translates your vital signs to the Ark. Take it off and they'll think you're dead."
"Should I care?"
"Well, I don't know. Do you want the people you love to think you're dead? Do you want them to follow you down here in two months because they won't if they think we're dying." she stated in a matter-of-fact tone, lips pursed and dainty eyebrows raised.
Finn sheepishly glanced down at his wristband, a look of realization struck on his face.
"Okay, now let's go," the blonde girl instructed before noticing Ava standing besides Jasper and Monty. She walked closer to the brunette and smiled warmly. "I'm Clarke. Clarke Griffin," she stated. "I couldn't help but notice how brave you were, standing up to Murphy for Wells."
Ahh, Ava thought. So, dickhead has a name.
"I just think it was a really great thing to do, especially considering that you don't even know Wells."
"Well, I —".
"It was also a badass thing to do," Octavia interrupted, scrutinizing Ava up and down the length of her body. "I mean, you spit on him. I could bow down to you right here, right now."
The three girls erupted in giggles as they relived the memorable moment.
"Ava," Clarke said after regaining her posture, "are you coming with us to Mount Weather?"
She pondered the question for a few moments, but when she glanced over towards the drop ship and spotted Wells sitting alone, she made her decision. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll stay back. I've had enough excitement for today," she replied.
The two girls nodded in understanding before bidding her goodbye as they trekked off into the woods accompanied by Jasper, Monty, and Finn. Staring after them, Ava felt a sudden burst of happiness overcome her. It was only her first day on Earth, and she's already made some new friends. And maybe even an enemy — but that didn't matter now.
All that mattered to her was wellbeing, her new friends, and her absolute love for Earth.
...
"Thank you, again, for earlier," Wells said, gently placing a hand on Ava's shoulder. His features remained hardened, but his deep brown eyes gazed at her warmly.
Ava beamed back at him, dropping the heap of sticks she had gathered in a small pile at her feet. "It was no big deal, really. That Murphy guy's gotta stop acting like an A1 dickhead."
"I agree with you on that one, one-hundred percent," Wells said, rolling his eyes at the mention of the boy.
"Oh, great." Ava said as she glanced over his shoulder, her words dripping in sarcasm. "Speak of the devil."
Wells sighed before turning around to see the very person he didn't want to. Murphy strutted over towards them with another boy from his group. His arrogance was practically oozing from the surface. His obnoxious smirk grew as he noticed the annoyed expressions on the others' faces.
"How are my two favorite people on Earth?" Murphy asked sarcastically.
"Great." Ava replied in a high-pitched voice before dead-panning. "Until you showed up."
He chuckled and a smirk twitched at the edge of his lips. "Aren't you just a ball of sunshine?"
"Only for you."
"That's exactly what I want to hear," Murphy said in a low tone. He kept his dark blue eyes locked with her lighter ones fleetingly before turning his attention over to Wells. "Find any water, yet?"
"No, not yet." Wells sighed. "I'm going back out if you want to come."
Murphy, nor the boy accompanying him, responded. They just smirked at Wells tauntingly as their eyes drifted to their left.
Out of curiosity, Wells and Ava turned to see "FIRST SON FIRST TO DYE" written in bold letters on the side of the drop ship. Wells noticeably tensed up at the message, hesitantly meeting Murphy eye-to-eye.
Murphy sniffed lightly, bringing his pocket knife up to his nose as he rubbed it absentmindedly. He spoke lowly, his voice low but on edge. "Ya know, my father — he begged for mercy in the air-lock chambers when your father floated him."
Wishing to avoid further conflicts, Wells ignored what he had said and simply pushed past Murphy, mumbling, "Spelled 'die' wrong, geniuses."
Snickering in victory at Wells' vexation, Murphy turned to face Ava, who stood in front of him with her arms crossed against her chest as she stared him down. He stared back, waiting for some rude remark to come tumbling out of her mouth.
"What?" Murphy said, an edge to his voice. "Don't you have people to spit on?"
