Not All Fun and Games

Chapter 48

Octavia and I watch as Jasper and Monty run through the crowd of people, yelling "you're it!" as they tag each other.
"I'll be permanently living with those two from now on," sighs Octavia jokingly.
We're all in the woods, almost 100 kids, on our way to Polis. We have everything packed up: sleeping bags, any food we have left, medical supplies, weapons and water.
"Whenever you want, you're welcome to come stay with me and Bellamy. We're only two people," I offer casually.
"So you and Bel are definitely sharing a house?" she asks, beaming.
"Uh, yeah." For some reason, I feel awkward talking about this.
After Bellamy kissed me, we spoke some more. I agreed to go with him back to his tent to talk in private. He told me I was the only person he wanted and that he'd never do what he did again if I gave him a chance. After doing some thinking, I agreed, and he asked me to live with him in Polis. I agreed to that too.
The fact that we're going to be living in a real society amazes me. The way humans lived on earth, in the books I read on the ark, always seemed wonderful to me. And now, I actually get to do it.
"That's awesome. Anyway, I might take you up on that offer," laughs Octavia.

***

"How much longer until we stop?" Murphy asks for what must be the 15th time.
We've been walking for 10 hours. We're going to have to stop and set up camp for the night.
"We'll stop soon, right Clarke?" says Kaytee.
"Actually, we could stop now. This looks like a good place."
After finally getting the message to everyone that we're stopping, Bellamy, Kaytee and a few others start building a fire. A few of us took a root a bit out of the way so we could hunt, scoring us three rabbits and a type of large bird. We'll cook it all tonight, so everyone has enough energy to keep going tomorrow.
I watch people gather around the fire, talking happily to each other. I wish I could relax like them, but I can't. I'm too busy worrying about the dangerous grounders out in the woods. What if they're watching us right now? My head snaps up and I look around in the trees. They look perfectly normal, but it's dark. And the grounders are good at hiding.
"Why so worried?" Bellamy is now standing beside me, looking up at the trees, too.
"I'm not," I try to lie. "Just... Just looking at the stars."
"Really? I must be losing my eyesight, cause I don't see any."
I look at the sky and realize that I can't see any stars. They must be blocked by clouds.
I smile. "You're not easy to fool, are you?"
"Not when it comes to you." He takes my hand. "I can always tell when you're worried. Your eyes are slightly more wide and you bite your bottom lip. It's actually pretty sexy."
I swat him playfully on the arm.
"Let's go sit near the fire." He pulls me to a spot in front of the glowing bonfire, where he sits. I begin to sit down, but he pulls me onto his lap instead and I squeal.
"The ground is damp. This way, you won't get wet," he explains.
"You're so cheesy," I tease him.
"I'll get you for that."
"Oh, yeah? What are you going to—" I'm cut off by my own high-pitched scream as he starts to tickle me.
"Are you tickling me?" I gasp, unable to stop myself from giggling childishly.
He stops. "That depends, Princess. Do you still think I'm cheesy?"
"If anything, you're more cheesy now that—" He starts tickling me again, and I have to beg him to stop.
"Okay, you're not cheesy!" I manage to get out between screams.
"So you want me to stop?" he says.
"Yes! Please!"
He finally stops, and I let out a sigh of relief. "You're done for, Blake." I try to look intimidating, but I have to smile at his fake frightened expression. "I'm not kidding. You'll never see me coming."
"I believe you," he says innocently. "I'm really scared."
I hold my angry face for a few more seconds, before leaning back into his lap and tucking my head under his chin.