Even if you've never read "The Other Victor" you should still be able to follow this. If you have questions though, I recommend you find the answer in the story, because it's a good read.
My Mother was going to ground me to death. I'd done three of the things she'd said a Merchant's daughter should never do: go to the Seam, go out alone, and stay out after dark. I was only twelve and my life was over.
It hadn't exactly been my plan to stay out passed sunset. Getting lost was caused by wandering through a part of town I'd only ever heard mention of, let alone been to. Somewhere between following the fence that marked the edge of the district, and trying to be sneaky about it, I'd totally screwed up. Now I was thoroughly lost. The best I could hope for was that no one would try to rob me. A long shot according to what Mother was always telling me.
Not a block from where I stood was a lamppost with light actually shining down from it onto the dirt road. In District Twelve we get four hours of electricity a night, unlike the constant supply we're told we have. We only get that during the Games. At the moment I was simply grateful that even for a little while I would at least be safe from the monsters hiding in the dark. The people who lived in the Seam and hid in the shadows all around me.
Sitting down on the edge of the lamppost I curled into a ball. Surely my parents would realize I was missing at some point and come looking. Right? I'd just have to wait. Nothing bad would happen to me. All those horror stories Mother used to warn me happened to other people. Not me.
Isn't that what they thought beforehand? I asked myself.
Casting my eyes wildly around me I spotted a humanoid silhouette not two blocks from my position. I rubbed my eyes the way Father did when he wanted to make sure his eyes were working straight, and looked again. Yup, there was definitely someone leaning against the side of a building. Standing up casually, I brushed off the seat of my worn jeans. It was only then that I took off like a chicken with its head cut off.
By the time I'd ran a until my lungs burned I decided to take a break. No one could keep up with me in school and if I was tired, whoever it was had to be exhausted. This thought did nothing to comfort me. Heart pounding in my ears I curled up with my back against the nearest lamppost. I wrapped my arms around my knees and tucked them tightly up against my chest. Looking around me I realized I'd succeeded in making myself even more lost. Some crazy person was going to jump out of the darkness, kill me, and hide my body where no one would find it. Could you have a funeral with no body? I doubted the Peacekeepers would let my parents bury an empty pine box.
That was when I heard the sound of someone trying to make their way across a puddle as quietly as possible maybe thirty feet to my left. Hiding my head between my knees and my arms, I prayed that the person would realize I had no money and decide I wasn't worth it to kill.
Oh, please, please, please, please, let me live another day! I begged whatever higher being would listen, I promise I'll never steal extra treats when Daddy can afford to bring them home! I'll never give my little brother Boreas another purple nurple I swear!
"RAAAAWR!" someone bellowed from right next to me.
I screamed and punched in the direction of the noise. My fist connected with flesh. I felt something give way beneath my knuckles. Throwing up my hands to protect my head, I was sure I was about to die.
"Ow!"
Looking at my so-called attacker I just about started crying with relief. The height and slim build gave them away as a child about my age. It was one of the boys I'd seen around school. He was one grade below me so we never hung out or even talked to one another. At least it was someone I recognized.
"Why would you do that?" he accused, nose bleeding badly.
I stood, "Well, you scared me!"
"Yeah! You looked like you were about to go mental— that would have been funny to watch!"
Much less relieved now, I raised my fist to punch him again.
"Wait! I was joking!" he pleaded, one hand up to ward off my advance, "I just wanted to scare you a bit. That's all!"
"So you aren't going to rob me and leave me for dead on the side of the road?" I demanded in disbelief.
"Maybe." He smirked.
I raised my fist again.
"Kidding!" He smiled but then his eyebrows pulled together a little bit, "Geez, learn to take a joke Upper-District."
"Titania." I huffed.
"That's a weird name."
For a second I wondered if kicking his shin would make his brain function better. Titania wasn't a common name in District Twelve— in fact I'm the only one I've heard of with it— but that didn't make it weird! It was rare and pretty.
"Oh yeah? What's your name?" I snapped.
"Haymitch." He puffed out his scrawny chest, but it just made him look ridiculous while he held his nose.
"Stupid name. Your Dad's was probably Mitch and he named you that for kicks." It was mean but I wanted to get back at him.
"You know what? I was going to help you, but never mind." Haymitch scowled as best he could without moving his nose and walked away.
"Wait!" I called after him and ran to catch up, "I'm sorry."
"No you're not, you're just scared."
I swallowed my pride, "I'm sorry I broke your nose."
Haymitch stopped walking and gave me a long hard look with eyes that looked like silver. It was almost as though he were searching for something in my face.
At last he said, "Fine. I'll help you get home."
And that's how we met, Haymitch and I. Funny how it led to our being best friends and later, a couple. Not everyone could tell their kids someday 'he scared me when I was lost and I broke his nose; so that kids is how I met your father'.
