Keep Trying // j.m

T E N

"I need to be honest, I've missed this!" I laughed looking at Monty and Jasper do what they did best.

"Thought you said you never wanted to be a part of it," Monty said with a small smirk, but not looking at me. His attention was still on the moonshine they were making.

"Hiding drugs for you was not so good. But the moonshine was worth it." I leaned back in the chair I was sitting in. "Have Octavia told you anything?" They gave each other a confused look.

"Told us what?" Jasper asked turning to look at me.

"That I'm gonna celebrate my birthday. In secret of course!" 

"It's your birthday today?" Monty asked leaning forward, so I only saw his head stick out passed Jasper.

"No, not today. It was a few days ago. I am now 18 years of age," I smiled proudly. The fact that I was now 18, and not dead, had turned into something good. There were factors that could make everything better. Like feeling safe. Thay would have been perfect.

"And it's done," Monty said happily and stood up in success. Jasper quickly grabbed the container and ran outside. 

"Monty strikes again," Jasper cheered loudly. Monty and I was quick to follow him out when he had joined the crowd at the bottom of the small hill. The people were gathering around Jasper like vultures, reaching their cups for him to pour moonshine in them.

"I can't keep the secret anymore," Monty sighed and I gave him a confused look. He removed his hand from his back and handed me a grey cup with three letters ingraved. E, M and J.

"Awe, Monty," I chuckled and pulled him in for a hug. "This is so lame," I chuckled when I let go of the hug. "But really sweet!"

"Octavia did tell us, but she told us to get a gift and pretend like we didn't know anything. I'm very bad at keeping stuff like this secret," he smiled.

"Well, I'm gonna treat myself with a glass of delicious moonshine-ala-Monty," I smiled at him and headed down to Jasper. Most of the crowd had disappeared around him, so it wasn't really that hard to get to him. "Hey," I said and reached out my cup. He rised his eyebrows when he saw which cup it was.

"Monty really can't keep his mouth shut for five minutes," he chuckled. I only laughed and pulled him in for a hug as well.

"Thank you, it's really sweet!" I said. Again, I reached out my cup for him to fill it. "Woah, okay," I said when he didn't stop until it was one millimeter from the edge. I put my lips against the edge of the cup and took a huge sip so it wouldn't spill. The taste was so strong, I couldn't help but squeeze my eyes tight together.

"Oh, it's been way too long!" I chuckled. "I think I need to start slow." 

"Just enjoy yourself," Jasper smiled back. "After all, you are 18."

The hours flew by, and before any of us knew it, it had gotten dark. All day, people had just been drinking, celebrating Unity Day, like true teenagers from the Ark. In two days, the first people from the Ark would arrive. We had to have one real party before they came to treat us like dirt again.

"Hey, you," Bellamy said and came over to me. "Enjoying yourself?" He asked. He had quick reflexes and grabbed me before I fell over.

"I am indeed!" I said and raised my glass as a cheer. "You know," I swallowed. "I deserve this!"

"Do you, now?" Bellamy seemed to find me very amusing.

"Well, yeah!" I almost yelled. "For one, I had the worst time after those fucking nuts!" I'd be surprised if he could make out any of the words that were leaving my mouth. "I couldn't sleep the night after that. And all I could hear was Murphy's awful screams!"