Reaching Out | The 100

Chapter Nineteen: How We Get To War

Octavia's POV

I open my eyes the next morning, I'm so exhausted but nevertheless sunlight is pouring through the window. I sigh, i guess i need to get up.

A few minutes later, I'm changed into my day clothes. Black skinny jeans, a black leather fur lined jacket over my light purple cotton tshirt. I put the commander's symbol in the middle of my forehead, between my eyes where my nose ends.

I walk softly down the hall, about to knock on Bellamy's door, but before i can touch my fist to the, it opens revealing a familiar blonde on her way out.

"Good morning Clarke?" I say, but it sounds like a question. Why the hell is she is bellamy's - OH MY GOD. She holds up her hand, "Sushhhhhhh." As she drags me down the hall into a quiet room.

She rolls her eyes, "Stop looking at me like that, it isn't what you think!" Her cheeks are bright red. "Okay yeah sure Clarke, whatever makes you feel better!" I reply in a sing-song voice.

"It's was about time honestly." I add, and she sighs. "Nothing happened O." She informs me, annoyance in her voice, crap i owe Niylah ten bucks. "Aw dang." Now I'm the one that sighs.

The door swings open with a bang, "I heard voices, loud voices." Raven says as she enters the room, leaning against the wall, "Everything okay?"

Oh my god Raven. I run over and throw my arms around her, almost knocking her over. "Raven! I never really got to say hi to you! I mean we did get knocked unconscious and kidnapped, so i think that's a pretty good excuse." I say, and she laughs, hugging me back. "I missed you O."

I release her. "I missed you too." She smiles, glancing at Clarke. "Now what the hell did i walk in on?" She demands.  Clarke rolls her eyes. "Nothing happened," she glares at me, "And Octavia won't believe me."

Raven glances at me, "Do we believe nothing happened between her and Bellamy?" She asks me, and i choke on my laughter, while Clarke's eyes go wide, "How did you know who-"

"I know all my friend," Raven says flippantly, throwing an arm around Clarke's shoulder and the other around mine, leading us down the hall. "I know all."

***

"Ready?" Niylah asks me, tightening the last strap of her backpack around her waist. Everyone is gathering their things and preparing to walk across the desert to get to Shadow Valley. What they don't know is that Clarke hasn't exactly been forthcoming with the real truth. Not everyone can survive, in fact four out of every five of our people will not survive.

Since they don't know that, they are filled with hope, and if we are going to survive this journey, they will need to hang onto any hope that they can find.

I look at Niylah, locking eyes with her, "Honestly? No, we have no idea how this is going to play out." She touches my arm gently, "You're doing your best O." She reassures me. I lean against her and for a brief second she puts her arm around me, squeezing me tight.

I turn and stand, facing my people, "It's time to go!" I yell, and they cheer, fists pumping in the air. I wince, I lead the group, heading towards Shadow Valley, Niylah on one side of me and Bellamy on the other.

With a quick turn of my head i see Jaha and Murphy following up the group. The wind whips through Echo's long brown curly hair where she stands in the middle of the group, between Raven and Clarke, Madi's trailing behind her, chatting with Jaha'a adopted son Ethan, and Ethan's friend Josiah.

We walk for hours, and eventually our pace slows as out exhaustion grows. Finally i call out, "We'll camp here and continue on tomorrow." Bellamy grabs my arm and pulls me with him. He ducks behind a tree revealing Clarke, Raven, Murphy, Echo, Emori, Harper, and Monty. Niylah trailing behind me.

Raven crosses her arms, "When are you going to tell them?" She asks the blonde standing next to me. Clarke's shoulders tense up, "Once we get there, they need that hope to carry them through this journey." Murphy frowns, "So what we lie?" Bellamy notices the growing apprehension on Clarke's face, "We just don't tell the whole truth." He says, backing her up. She looks up at him with relief in her eyes and leans against him ever so slightly.

Kane ducks in the tent, "I think that neither option is great, but the best choice is to wait to tell them." Raven looks pissed, "But we could crowdsource it, get everyone's opinions. Figure out a way for all of us to survive."

"We already know a way." Harper's voice echoes in the silence as we all turn to look at her, waiting curiously for her next words. "Cryo sleep, when we were kidnapped by the Eligius 4 ship they had some of their people left in cryosleep. We decide who gets to live now on this planet and who gets to wait to wake up every hundred or so years." The room is completely silent. It's crazy enough to actually work.

Monty squeezes her hand as we all stare at one another. "It's settled," Bellamy says, "Now we have to decide who lives when." Murphy's mouth opens and closes, like he is about to say something but changing his mind, Emori elbows him and he starts to speak, "This is insane, are we actually doing this?"

"Give us a better option." Raven's voice carries over from the back of the room. We all look around, i try and memorize her face, try to memorize everyone's face. It suddenly hits me that i will have to leave some of my friends behind and will never see them again, never get to grow up with them. A sob escapes my mouth and the tears pour down my cheeks. This triggers everyone else's emotions and we all hold on to each other, a big tear-stained mess of a family. Hanging onto each other's arms, holding each other's hands, heads laying on shoulders, how can it be that we have to split up? Life is cruel.

I sneak out of the tent while everyone is talking back and forth anxiously. I can't handle this. I can't lose anyone else. I find a rock off in the corner of the clearing and i rest my weary body on it. I think I'm alone but a voice rings out, close to me in the dimming light of the sun. Niylah.

She sits down on the rock beside me, stretching out her long legs. "Hey." Without moving my gaze from the stars in the sky I echo back, "Hey." She puts her hand over mine, it's warm and comforting. "It'll work out."

I sigh and glance at her, "I'm just sick of this, the constant fighting and war, but in a way I don't know what i would do without it. Who i will be once we are able to live peaceful lives. I'm not sure what I'll do or who i will be."

She looks up at the twinkling stars, deep in thought. "I don't know Octavia, I don't have an answer for you, but i do know one thing." She pauses, looking at me.

"What?" I ask, and she squeezes my hand, "You don't have to do this alone." I turn to look at her and smile, our faces our close and my heart pounds, oh my god. She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and i stare down at my toes. "Octavia, you are amazing. I don't know how you feel about me, if you love me like i love you but-" she goes silent as i press my lips to her, butterflies in my stomach and electricity coursing through my veins.

"You are everything to me Niylah." I whisper.

A/N sorry for the delay in posting, i needed a little break. Things should pick up from here, I'm excited for the plans i have for this story! 💞