Clarke sprinted to her gate with frizzy blonde hair and her orange suitcase flying behind her. Clarke would have been on time but she couldn't find the exact shade of red to match the new fall leaves for her canvas then just lost track of time. She didn't even have time to check her watch and see it was 11:15, 10 minutes after her flight took off. And she definitely didn't have time to check the flight schedule and see her plane was delayed.
Skidding to a halt at her gate, Clarke breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the flight had not even begun boarding. Then she glanced at the board and realized her good fortune was not due to navigating the airport at top speed but because bad fortune tampered with the plane.
Clarke approached the desk and asked the worker about how long a delay they expected. Per the usual airport worker, he was extremely helpful giving her a shrug and mumbling something about an overheated left phalange. Frustration built in her chest knowing she was already cutting it close with this flight. She would only arrive with a few hours to spare but it was the cheapest one and she wasn't going to ask her mom for even more money to cover the trip.
Resigning to her fate, Clarke found a tight spot next to a large man with a bit too much neck beard (as if any neck beard wasn't "too much"). Pulling out her phone, Clarke shoots Octavia a text:
"Plane delayed. I'm sorry O but don't worry Raven has everything covered! I'll be there as soon as possible. I'd run if I thought I could make it faster."
She adds an xoxo at the last minute and prays Octavia is not going to replace her as maid of honor with Raven or worse.. Jasper. Why did the wedding have to fall at the same time as the biggest show at the gallery she was ever allowed her to manage?
Neck beard guy reaches into his bag, smashes Clarke even farther into her corner, and searches the bag far too long for its small size. He finally pulls free a smashed orange bag of Cheetos. Neck beard guy begins struggling to open the air filled bag. Once Clarke is about to yank the crinkling bag out of his hands, she finally hears a pop and the plastic cheese smell fills the air surrounding her. The nauseating odor pushes her over the edge and she decides standing is better for her health anyways.
Her phone beeps. She pulls it out hoping for a response from O but all she receives is "battery low" and her screen fading to black. Looking around, Clarke spots one open outlet and runs to it. In her hurry, she accidently trips over the feet of the other girl taking advantage of the power. Clarke attempts to reach out her hand to catch her fall but still ends up in the girls lap.
"I'm so, so sorry!" Clarke quickly sputters out attempting to scramble off the girl. She manages to roll awkwardly off the girls lap and slide against the wall on the opposite side of the outlet. Finally having her bearings, Clarke allows herself to glance up at the girl. She only notices the brilliance of her green eyes as the girl looks at her curiously. Clarke busies herself looking for her charger and prays the girl doesn't notice the red creeping from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.
Clarke is plugging her phone into the wall when she realizes the girl has spoken. She looks up at her and stutters out "What'd you say?" actually looking at the girls for the first time. She has an immediate urge to pull out her sketch book and draw the girl to immortalize her beauty.
"I said, 'you are forgiven,'" the girl informs Clarke.
A bit of time had passed since Clarke's apology but she soon realized what the girl was referencing and simply nodded. She was uncertain how else to respond to the girl's formality. She looks at her vibrating phone to see a text from "O my Warrior" as Octavia programmed her name.
"Justy gwt your ass hrre I wadnt surw avoit mimosas but I thikk thry were a giid"
Well, at least Octavia wouldn't be too caught up in her not being there. Clarke quickly shoots Raven a text to get some water and coffee in O in preparation of the rehearsal tonight. And quickly got an "Already on it boss."
Clarke lets out a sigh of relief that Octavia wasn't mad at her. She catches a movement next to her and looks up at the girl having nearly forgotten she was there.
Clarke reaches out her hand as she says "I'm Clarke."
"Lexa." the girl Lexa responds.
"It's nice not to just think of you as 'the girl' now… I mean not that I was thinking about you much.. Just cause.. Like I tripped on and was on top of you.. I mean not on top like that.. I just.. It's nice to meet you Lexa. I'm sorry about falling on you." Clarke could barely form sentences looking into the girl's eyes as green as the grass currently buried beneath the slush outside.
A grin slides onto Lexa's lips for the first time since Clarke had walked over. "It's nice not to just think of you as the girl who fell on me as well, Clarke."
Wow does Clarke like the way her name sounds on Lexa's tongue.
"Where are you headed?" Lexa asks.
"I'm actually the maid of honor at my best friend's wedding. This flight already got in later than I wanted and with this delay I'm just praying to make the rehearsal dinner."
"I hope you make it in time." Lexa asserts.
"Me too." Clarke begins to ask where Lexa's headed when static shoots through the intercom and announces the flight is beginning to board. Clarke jumps up ready to rush the flight and yanks her phone cord out of the wall hitting Lexa in the process.
"Such a klutz. I'm so sorry!" Clarke exclaims reaching down to somehow help Lexa after hurting her.. again. She ends up helping Lexa stand from the ground.
Lexa just smiles and shakes her head at Clarke, "Nothing was injured, Clarke. No reason to feel bad. It was nice speaking with you."'
"Yeah, you too." Clarke says wishing for a way to continue the conversation. Lexa heads towards the plane and Clarke realizes she can't even board yet so she just watches Lexa walk away.
On the plane, Clarke smiles as she passes Lexa and heads to her seat. Arriving at her row, she double checks her seat. Then, triple checks. Sure enough, she gets the pleasure of riding the entire 2 hours next to neck beard guy-now with a bit more of an orange tint.
Translation:
"Justy gwt your ass hrre I wadnt surw avoit mimosas but I thikk thry were a giid"
"Just get your ass here. I wasn't sure about mimosas but I think they were a good choice"