I prayed that time would tick by slower as my hazel eyes flickered to the digital clock sitting on the table beside my bed, but the seconds still rolled by at the same pace, and dread still ate at the pit of my stomach. The Star Festival was in two hours. Many people were already at the gathering hall setting up for it. Girls were getting ready together, putting on makeup and showing off their new outfits that they traded for.

I did not share the same enthusiasm. Even the name of the celebration made it unappealing. I would have to sit through speeches of how great everyone thought they were and Jaha running his mouth about how proud of the graduates he was when in reality, he was only proud of the ones he liked. He could care less about the ones from Factory Station or Mecha Station. 

Then awards were given out to the smartest students, the most well-behaved students, and the students that showed the most promise for a future. Aka the students from Alpha Station. I was included in that bunch because of Wells. Three years ago, before I met him, my dad and I were living in Mecha Station in a tiny little apartment with basically nothing.

My dad was always drunk. It was how he dealt with my mom not being around. I was forced to get a job in the cafeteria, cleaning up after people. It was one of the only jobs the Ark offered to thirteen-year-old girls from Mecha Station.

Then, I met Wells and everything changed. Jaha helped to get my dad back on his feet. They became best friends and eventually, Jaha told my dad that he was meant to be on the Council. That job offer came with a place to stay in Alpha Station.

My thoughts of the past were interrupted with the beeping of an alarm telling me it was time to get ready. I let out a long sigh as I dragged myself from the bed. I walked over to my closet and slid the metal door open. I looked through the back of my closet where my nicer clothes, well the ones without holes, were located.

I found a simple black dress with strings that crisscrossed in the back. It came down just above my mid-thigh. It was comfortable and fancy enough for this stupid festival. I put on a little bit of eyeshadow and eyeliner and pulled my hair down from the tight braid it was in. My hair cascaded in waves around my face and down my back as I glanced at the mirror and barely recognized the girl staring back at me.

This was a girl who wore pretty dresses and put on makeup and faked smiles for fake people. A girl that I didn't like being, but a girl I had to become to make it through the night without punching anybody.

"You ready Harley?" I heard my dad ask from the living room. "We need to leave if we want to get good seats!"

I pulled on some black flats and turned to leave, but then I remembered that I was forgetting something. I walked back over to my dresser and took my black pearl necklace out from one of the drawers. I instantly felt better once I had clasped it onto my neck.

When I exited my room, my dad was waiting for me by the door. His eyes landed on me and a wide smile spread across his lips. I rolled my eyes, "Just say it."

"You look wonderful, kiddo," My dad shook his head. "The older you get, the more and more you look like your mother. She'd be so proud of you. I know I am."

"Thanks, Dad," I replied.

He nodded as he opened the door and motioned for me to go in front of him. We began walking down the halls of Alpha Station behind several other people that were dressed nicely and laughing lightly to one another. I recognized one or two of the people we passed from my class. One of them was a girl named Nichole Pierce. She had slept with almost every guy in our class, and I wasn't surprised to see her wearing a little tiny dress that barely covered her ass and showed way too much cleavage.

The gathering hall was already packed when my dad and I arrived. Every student that was graduating was there, along with their parents. I spotted Clarke, Wells, and Archie sitting at a table towards the right side of the room with their parents at a table next to them.

My dad and I made our way over. I was greeted with smiles and a chorus of heys as I sat down beside Wells. He kissed me on the cheeks and laced his fingers through mine.

"You actually came."

"I actually came," I answered as I forced a smile on my lips. "Well, actually this is part of my punishment, so I kind of had to."

Wells chuckled, "I'll try and make it a little more bearable for you."

Yeah, that wasn't possible.

"Maybe you'll get an award Harles, "I heard Archie say with a slight hint of mockery in his voice.

I scoffed, "Yeah, right after they give Nichole Pierce the outstanding character award."

"I heard she's been sleeping around with several of the cadets on the guard," Clarke said quietly as we all glanced at the Nichole on the other side of the room.

I was suddenly interested in the conversation. Bellamy was a cadet, but he wouldn't have slept with Nichole right? Honestly, I didn't know. There was a high chance he could have.

"Do you know which cadets?" I asked as I tried to sound casual.

Clarke gave me a weird look, "No, why does it matter?"

Before I could think of an answer, Archie stepped in. He was the only one who knew about my conflicting feelings about Bellamy. He changed the subject smoothly, and we began talking about the secret after party Jasper Jordan and Monty Green were throwing.

"I don't know, Arch," Clarke said as more and more people began sitting down. "There will be tons of guards patrolling the halls tonight to make sure parties like that don't happen. It'd be very easy to get caught."

Archie raised his eyebrows, "So you just want to go to the boring after party the adults will be having? Yeah, I'm sure the punch and crackers will be excellent."

His response gained an eye roll from Clarke, and his eyes shifted to me, "What about you my wonderful party buddy?"

I opened my mouth, but before any words could come out I heard Wells speak up, "Harley is grounded."

"Harley also doesn't care," I responded with a hint of anger behind my voice. "I'm in."

Archie cheered, but Wells didn't look as thrilled. I heard him let out a quiet sigh before my attention turned to Jaha who was standing on the small stage in the front of the room. He glanced around the gathering hall with a proud smile etched on his face.

I didn't know how long his speech about how great everyone was would last. I just wanted to get out of there. Looking around, I felt very out of place. Everyone there was thought so highly of and had the favor of the Chancellor. They were the ones that would get the best jobs and get the fancier living quarters.

"As we gather to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates this evening, I would like to give them all a personal message. I am so proud of each and every one of you," What a load of baloney. "For persevering throughout your education and giving your best as you prepare to become adults in our society."

A chorus of clapping followed his speech. I was already feeling like throwing myself out the window. He went on and on for about another fifteen minutes until it was time for the awards and speeches from the students. Oh, joy.

"At this time, I would like to begin handing out some special awards. each student that receives an award was chosen by their teachers," Well, I guess that would count me out. Mrs. Garcia would make sure I got nothing because she hated me. I guess it was good that the feeling was mutual. "The first award goes to a student who showed the most promise for a bright future here on the Ark. It goes to..." Like anyone didn't already know. "Clarke Griffin."

Shocker.

Clarke went up to accept her award, and I was mentally banging my head against a wall. However, the worst part was when the teacher's pet, Millie Turner, got up there and talked about how wonderful Mrs. Garcia, aka Satan, had been throughout her education.

Yeah, she was wonderful alright. Wonderful at making people want to cut their freaking ears off so they wouldn't have to listen to her yapping every day.

I didn't actually start listening again until Jaha said something that made me almost fall out of my chair, "The next award is for the student that showed the most academic excellence. This girl is the youngest in her graduating class, having skipped a grade because of her intelligence. I am proud to present this award to Harley Winters."

Was there another Harley Winters on the Ark that I didn't know about? Was Jaha actually giving me an award? I looked around in shock as clapping filled my ears. Wells gave me a wide grin as I stood up, suddenly feeling extremely nervous about being the center of attention.

It didn't even feel real as I walked onto the stage and shook Jaha's hand. He handed me a small metal plaque and offered me congratulations. He then sat down at the back of the stage and everyone was patiently awaiting a speech.

Oh yeah, I had to give that speech.

Oh crap, I had to give a speech.

"Ok just try not to insult anyone," I thought to myself as I turned to the crowd.

I took a deep breath as I finally started speaking, "I'm sure many of you are surprised that I got this award, but believe me I'm pretty shocked too," I could see my dad holding his breath. He was afraid I was going to start saying what I really thought about the Star Festival. "I'm not going to stand up here and talk about how great my teachers are," because they were not that great. "I'm not going to talk about how smart I think I am, or how grateful I am to the Chancellor." That was a risky one. "because the only person in this room that deserves to be recognized is my father," I gave him a smile as he still looked tense. "He's the one that dragged me out of bed for school and made sure I did my homework and helped me with everything I had trouble with. I'm so grateful for you, Dad, and I wouldn't be standing here today without you."

"And also, thank you to my mother who inspired me in no way anyone ever could have. She was a great person and saw the good in everyone," I held back the tears that threatened to pool in my eyes. "So that's who I'm grateful for," I scanned across the room before delivering the closing line of my speech. "School has been a hell of a ride, and as it comes to a close I have one special message for my classmates and my teachers." I was going to get in trouble for this, but oh well. "Peace out bitches."

I tried to hold back my laughter as I walked off the stage with my head held high. I heard some people clapping, but others gave me looks of extreme disapproval. I took my seat beside Archie, who gave me a big high five, but Clarke and Wells glanced at each other with uncertainty.

Unfortunately, there were still several more awards to be given out. There was still a long way to go with the ass hat festival.

About twenty more minutes passed by before the dessert trays began being passed out. I leaned back in my chair as a plastic tray with a piece of cake on it was set down in front of me. A small piece of paper sticking out from under the bowl caught my attention.

I sneaked a glance at my friends, who were all distracted by their food. I grabbed the sheet of paper and smiled when I read the message.

If you want a break from the ass clown festival, meet me at the end of the hallway. You look miserable Princess.
                                                                  ~Your favorite person

I quickly folded the piece of paper back up and tucked it under the plate. I told the people at my table that I was going to the bathroom, and I exited the gathering hall quietly.

I walked down the empty main hallway as my eyes searched for Bellamy. I stopped when I heard footsteps to my right.

"You just couldn't stay away could you Blake?"

"Hey, you're the one who..." He trailed off when I turned around. His chestnut brown eyes glanced over what I was wearing, and I saw his jaw clench. "Wow."

"I know. It's too much. I really hate wearing dresses-"

"No, I wasn't going to say that," The look in his eyes was foreign to me. I had gotten to know a number of his looks. For example, I could always tell when he was trying to hide that he was extremely angry, or upset. I knew his flirty look and the look he saved for the majority of the people on the Ark, but this one was entirely new.

"Well, what were you going to say?" I asked as my heart did a few backflips in my chest.

"I was going to say that you look..." he trailed off again as if he was overwhelmed with too many things he wanted to say. "You look beautiful."

It was impossible to hide the massive amount of red that flooded my cheeks and ignore the warm feeling that spread throughout my stomach. For a few seconds, I forgot how to speak because of how intensely he was looking at me.

"Um, thanks," I was finally able to say, feeling a bit breathless.

He stared at me for a few more moments before he seemed to snap himself out of the trance, "There's something I want to show you. Come on."

He offered his hand, and I gave him a questioning look, "Is this another party? You know I don't like surprises."

"It's not a party, Harley, and trust me you'll like this surprise." I gave in as I grabbed his hand, and Bellamy smirked as he began leading me through the hallways, "So, I heard you got the academic excellence award."

"Yeah, I was surprised Jaha allowed that to happen. Plus, I thought all my teachers hated me."

He glanced back at me, "I was also moved by your speech. Especially the 'peace out bitches' part. It really spoke to me."

I let out a little snort, "I'm sure everyone else was inspired too. Jaha just looked so pleased."

"The look on his face was priceless," Bellamy said as he laughed lightly. "I wish someone in my graduating class would have had the guts to say something like that."

"Did you get an award?" I asked curiously.

Bellamy shook his head as we turned a sharp corner, "I was expecting to get some kind of academic award. I had the highest grades in my class, but they gave all the awards to students from Alpha Station."

"Well, I think all of it just a stupid way people try to feel better about their miserable lives," I answered.

"Is that why you hate it so much?"

"No," Both of us suddenly came to a stop right across from the training room. Bellamy turned around, his eyes meeting mine as he awaited an answer. "I hate it because my mom always talked about how much she was looking forward to getting to attend my Star Festival. Now that she's gone it's just a reminder of how much I miss her."

Bellamy and I were standing extremely close, and for a split second, I saw his eyes fall to my lips. His hand was still around mine, "I'm sorry."

I nodded and created more distance between us as I cleared my throat, "So, what did you want to show me?"

He motioned towards the door beside the training center, "That's Commander Duke's office. He has the final rankings in there."

My eyes lit up, "Seriously? How do you know?"

"I overheard him talking with one of the Officers. I thought you and I could sneak in there and look at them together."

"You want to break into an office with me?" I gave him a surprised look. "You're a very terrible cadet, Bellamy."

His famous smirk returned as he pulled a key card from his jacket pocket, "It's not considered breaking in when you have a key."

"Ok, whatever helps your conscious."

Bellamy grinned as we walked over to the door. He glanced around the corner to make sure no one was coming, and then he slid the key card on the edge of the security panel. The door opened and a thrill of excitement went through my body.

The lights flicked on as soon as we stepped inside. Bellamy hurried over to his desk, which was the only object in the room beside a small chair and a lamp. He moved some papers out of the way until he found the one he was looking for.

"Is that it?"

Bellamy held it out to me, "See for yourself."

I anxiously grabbed the paper from his hand. I refused to look down at the rankings for a few moments, but eventually, my eyes wandered down.

1. Harley
2. Nathan
3. Riley
4. Harper
5. John
6. Leo
7. Ben
8. Ryan
9. George
10. Daniel

Utter happiness and relief filled my whole body as a huge smile formed on my lips. I looked up at Bellamy, who had the same expression on his face.

"I did it," Unbelief was laced in my tone.

"You did it."

Not even knowing what I was doing, I dropped the paper and threw my arms around Bellamy's neck. Both of us started laughing as his arms wrapped around my waist. I breathed in his scent and even though we were nowhere near the earth, he reminded me of what I imaged the planet to smell like; natural and sweet and woodsy.

Eventually, the laughter subsided and I pulled back just enough to look into his piercing gaze. Bellamy gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear and let his hand graze my cheek.

"Harley," His voice was barely above a whisper.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps filled my ears. My eyes widened as I pushed Bellamy away from me.

"Hey! Who's in there?!" Commander Duke's voice boomed from the end of the hallway.

"Oh shit."

"Run!"

Bellamy and I bolted out of his office. Luckily he was all the way on the other end of the hallway. However, I did hear him begin to run after us.

We sprinted past people exiting the Star Festival, and I prayed no one I knew recognized me, "this way," Bellamy grabbed my hand and we ran through the crowd.

Bellamy led me down another hallway before pulling me into the janitor's closet to our left. We stood in the dim light breathing heavily as we heard Commander Duke run past the room.

I let out an actual giggle, "Wow, that was close-"

I was cut off by Bellamy's lips capturing mine. I was in complete shock. Partly from the fact that Bellamy Blake was kissing me, but mainly because of the explosion of a million different feelings in my chest. I was overwhelmed by the spark of desire that had suddenly burst into flames at the feel of his soft lips against mine.

He pulled away after he didn't get a response, but his hands were still cupping my cheeks, "Sorry. Um, I've just been wanting to do that for a while-"

I grinned as I was the one to cut him off this time. I placed my hands on the back of his neck and pulled his lips down to mine again. He was at least six inches taller than me, so I was standing on my toes as his hands roamed to my waist. Suddenly, I was drowning in him. In his scent, his hands, and his lips. I tangled my hands in his hair finding that it was just as soft as I imagined.

Our kisses became more heated as Bellamy turned us around. He gripped my waist more firmly pushing me against the door. It was nothing like any kiss Wells and I had ever shared. It was passionate and addicting and not to mention extremely hot.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, and I felt Bellamy smirk against my lips. He began trailing kisses along my jaw and then down my neck all the way to my collarbone. I leaned my head back against the door as my hands trailed down his chest.

Kissing Bellamy just felt so natural, and in that moment everything else faded away. All that mattered was Bellamy and me and his lips against mine.

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