nine - Oh My God, Are You High?

A mirthless smile takes over Brandi's features as she leans against a tree near the dropship, witnessing every other teen leave and enter with ecstatic encounters.

They got to have a chance to actually know that they're parent's are alive. To know that one day, they can be together in peace.

To know that no matter what comes in they're way, they'll always love each other.

I guess you could say Brandi's never felt that, let alone experienced it.

Life with the grounders weren't easy. They made sure that no matter what age you are, you're a soldier. Everyday is you're battlefield and you're only way into sleeping by the time it hits nightfall is if you survive by fighting you're way towards it.

But of course, she couldn't drown in her own self absorbed pity. Not when she wasn't the only one who didn't have parents to look forward on seeing.

''Sucks, don't it?'' Raven asks as she walks over to Brandi with her hands were stuffed in her jacket pockets.

Brandi scoffs.''God if we all could have a chance to tell our parents that we love them, let alone see them one last time, I'd be happy any other day.''

''Join the club'' Octavia comments, approaching the two as well.

Raven furrows her brows. ''I thought you were doing you're grounder protest?''

Octavia cocks a brow. ''You of all people shouldn't be making fun.''

''We all were desperate to save Finn's life'' Raven reasons, pointing out the fact that she wasn't the only one torturing him.

''He's human too. If I hadn't done what I did, they'd both be dead.''

Raven clenches her jaw as her and Brandi watch Octavia return to the dropship.

''And here I was, thinking we could be squad goals'' Brandi mutters under breath as she leans her head against the tree.

A light but surreal chuckle slips past her lips as Raven playfully nudges her arm.

× × ×

For once since Brandi's been living with the sky people, she decided to help out around the camp if she's gonna be staying during the winter.

That and the fact that there was nothing else that Brandi could do.

With Bellamy and Clarke on a supply expedition and the unnamed grounder hogging her personal space on the third level of the dropship, her only other option was to suppress her boredom by doing some heavy lifting.

So Brandi sat in a more secluded area of the camp with about a dozen pile of thick sticks, and two shaped into a sphere.

She was wondering if today wasn't a day Bellamy would act like a half ass, he'd be her dummy to practice her fighting skills with.

While her brows furrow, a brow arches when she hears a sudden yelp.

She turns to see Jasper scrambling on the ground as he fearfully eye's the hole of the gate that was left uncover.

She drops her knife and stick to the ground before scurrying to her feet to follow Jasper into the main scene of the camp.

''Octavia? Octavia..''

Brandi takes careful steps around him and next to the brunette who was sewing animal fur together into a blanket.

''I think I'm going crazy or the grounders are here, or I'm going crazy, or-''

''Jasper, deep breathes'' Brandi orders soothingly as she observes his lack of eye contact and shaky appearance.

''Tell me what you saw.''

He looks to the side and his features hardens at a certain sight.

Slowly but very confused, Brandi follows his gaze to see nothing but the other sky people he came down with.

''Him'' He whispers.

''Jasper, there's no one there'' Octavia tells him, noticing the same thing she was noticing.

''Right There!'' He yells while pointing towards the distance that appeared of nothing.

He turns to Octavia and shifts gaze between her and the slightly taller brunette. ''We have to run, we have to run-''

He turns to the crowd of people who were now watching him, slightly confused of his outburst. ''Why Isn't Anyone Doing Anything?!''

''Hey, hey'' Brandi warns, grabbing a hold of his shoulders.

''Are you on something?''

Brandi places two fingers on the inner part of his throat that sat right under his jaw to feel his intense heart rate as he shamelessly confesses his love to Octavia. ''I love you, and I just want you to know this. We're all gonna die soon, okay?''

Brandi grabs Jasper by the jaw and forces eye contact. ''Jasper, look at me.''

He uncontrollably shifts his gaze around that seem to dilate by the second.

Brandi couldn't help but snicker, earning a warning swat on the arm from Octavia. ''Brandi, he's literally bombed right now.''

Her attempt to stifle her laughter weakens as she shakes her head. ''I know.''

Jasper sniffles, lifting his arm with a tiny green nut in his large grip.

Octavia takes it from him as she asks ''Is this all you've eaten today?''

''It is, but-'' He lets out a breath. ''Who the hell cares now?''

''Okay, just relax'' Octavia soothes before picking up a familiar stick to the piles back in Brandi's spot.

''Here, buddy, take this'' She hands him.

He furrows his brows. ''It's a stick?''

Octavia shakes her head. ''No. This is an anti-grounder stick. So as long as you hold this and you sit right here, grounders won't be able to see you.''

Jasper seems to become more calm once Octavia sat him down in what was her spot. ''See?''

''Yeah, makes sense. I'll just stay right here.''

''Does make sense'' Octavia trails, dozing off into her thoughts.

She pats his back before standing up. ''Stay right there.''

Brandi furrows her brows as she watches Octavia leave and Jasper still shaking against the wooden grip.

''I'm keeping my ass in a corner'' Brandi mumbles as she returns to her secluded spot that still lie her objects.

× × ×

The second daylight ended, Brandi was done with her makeshift spheres.

Now she was prepared to start some attack moves because she could only know how little her bow and arrow would come to use.

She swipes her switchblade close before stuffing it in her back pocket as she grabbed one of the sticks.

Before she could process on doing anything, a dark figured appeared that Brandi couldn't quite make out.

They stood there, observing her you could say. Then again, it was near pitch black outside and it wasn't long before Brandi needed to return to base for the fire.

''Thank you'' They mutter out.

She furrows her brow at the unrecognizable voice as she replies ''You're welcome? I guess.''

The figures footsteps dashed past her and it infuriated Brandi that she didn't know who it was because she felt blind within the darkness.

She lets out a breath before picking up majority of what she could carry of makeshift back to camp.

''Look whose back'' Octavia jokes as Brandi grows closer to base provided by all the lit torches around.

''How's everybody?'' She asks as she drops her pile of sticks next to the boy who supposedly freaked out over a non existent grounder.

He was asleep with the anti-grounder stick well in his grip, a smile smeared across his face.

''Well, I'm pretty sure I ate a pinecone, just because it told me to. You?'' Monty replies pointing back between Octavia and Brandi.

Brandi never felt the necessity to bother with Monty. He'd never hurt a sole, but sometimes he does tend to catch a mouth, especially with Brandi but it was more in a playful manner.

''My head is killing me'' Octavia mutters, placing a gentle touch against her temple.

''He's gone! The grounder is gone!'' Miller shouts while coming out of the dropship.

Yet because Miller shouts this, this brought every other sky person into a large and now worried crowd.

''What if he brings other grounders back?'' Jasper asks, well wide an awake. ''He'll kill us all.''

''Or worse'' Raven adds.

''Let the grounders come'' A thick voice boomed within the crowd, that was well known to be recognized as Bellamy.

He steps into the small space provided while both were holding a warn out string that kept whatever object it was behind they're backs.

''We've been afraid of them for far too long, and why? Because of their knifes and spears? I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being afraid.

They lift down the strings to reveal loads of gun supply. Riffles to be specific.

Growing ecstatic of they're new found way of survival, the crowd starts to mutter in excitement.

''These are weapons. Okay, not toys'' Clarke warns. ''And we have to be prepared to give them up to the guard when the dropships come. But until then, they're gonna help keep us safe.''

''And there are plenty more where these came from'' Bellamy states, bring back a sudden memory to Brandi.

''Tomorrow, we start training. And if the grounders come, we're gonna be ready to fight.''