𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗚𝗢, monty green

Chapter One

She's the only person on the Ark who was ever hidden under the floor.

"You're Octavia Blake." Avery blurted out. "The illegal child."

Octavia scoffed, but her defensiveness didn't succeed in hiding her upset. Obviously, she hated that she was known for that; for something she couldn't help.

"What a nice way of putting it." She replied sarcastically, and Avery winced.

As much as she may have pushed away people back on the Ark, she could turn it around now. She could finally find friends; maybe even a family.

But maybe she had already failed. Octavia was already angry with her, and she didn't even try upsetting her. What was the point in making friends?

Shut up, internal monologue. There's a lot of reasons to make friends. It's just convenient that I can't think of any right now...

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that." Avery muttered, but she made sure she spoke loud enough for the other girl to hear.

Octavia looked her once over, not giving anything away in her expression. Then she nodded stiffly, adjusting the seatbelt over her so she could hold her hand out to shake. Avery took it gratefully, unable to keep a smile from slipping onto her lips.

"You're Avery Taylor."

The girl felt taken off guard by the fact Octavia knew her name. From what she knew, she wasn't particularly well known around the Sky Box, despite having a reputation for being rude.

"I didn't know I was famous." She joked, and Octavia briefly smiled.

"You're not. My mom was sleeping with the Guard you assaulted. It's a good reputation you got there with the Guards."

Oh.

The lights flickered then, and the whole ship jolted. A few screams were audible from across the ship, and as annoying as Avery may have found them, she couldn't blame them for being scared.

As the lights turned on again, screens around the ship turned on too, revealing Chancellor Jaha on a recorded message. His glowing excitement seemed a vast contrast from the terrifying situation they had been forced into.

"Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now. You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself." 

Why are we the experiment in this? We're kids.

Jaha wasn't helping the prisoners dislike for him. Most people in the same place as Avery hated Jaha. He could easily be blamed for the position of all of them, and for the destruction of many of their families.

Looking across the ship, she recognised only a few people. Clarke, Wells - Jaha's son - and Octavia from first glance. There was not much chance she'd know many others, considering they only got one walk a day around the Sky Box, and they very rarely bumped into other prisoners.

"We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable."

"Fuck you!" Avery couldn't help herself from yelling out, hearing other laughter and anger bounce around the walls of the ship.

"Your dad's a dick, Wells!"

Avery's eyes drew to where Wells was sat, his figure hunched in a way where it was clear he was trying to become less visible to everyone. The problem was: when you're the Chancellor's son, it's impossible to become invisible.