Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games but I do own the OC's
Warnings: Mentions of prostitution, cussing, and death
~o~
The club vibrated from the loud, ear bursting, upbeat music that played. I rub my fingers in circler motions on my temples trying to keep a headache away. I was sitting in a darken corner, watching the Capitol citizens dance and mingle. I would have to go back out there soon and pretend like I was enjoying the attention they bathe me in. I let out a sigh as I got up from my safe haven and went to the group of waiting men and women. Plastering on a big fake smile, I listened and chatted with them all. Laughing with the women or flirting with the men, I would have to pick one of the men to take back to my room and let him have his way with me. I could feel my heavily makeup eyes water, quickly blinking away the tears as I walked over to the bar. As I was making my way over, I was stopped by a young handsome man. He was tall, athletic, with golden skin and bronze colored hair but what stunted me the most was his incredible eyes. He had bright sea green eyes which made me think of Peeta's stunning ocean blue eyes. 'Peeta' I thought to myself for a moment, after tonight I'll be going back home for awhile. I missed him the most out of everyone. He was my protecter, my best friend and the love of my life. We've had minimal contact since I was brought back to the Capitol for entertainment. It was a month after our Game when they came for me and I had no choice but to go, or risk losing all of the people I cared about.
"Calla Lily Everdeen, the Girl on Fire." I stared at the man confused. He gave me a dark smirk which sent chills up my spine. "Does your boyfriend know what you do in your free time?" He asked with spite before walking off, leaving me gaping at his retreating back. What the hell just happen and who was that rude man? I don't have the time to go after the man to question him, when another takes me to one of the back rooms and has his ways with me.
~o~
I wake up the next day feeling sore, dirty, and used. I quickly ran to the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time to vomit the little food I had in my stomach. Flushing the toilet, I moved to the sink to wash my mouth out. I glanced at the mirror for a moment. My skin had paled slightly from staying in the Capitol and not getting out into the sun much, there were light circles under my eyes from lack of sleep, and I was a little thinner from being unable to keep anything down most of the time. I suffered from terrible nightmares that Peeta helped kept at bay and some days, I was still stuck in the Games. Sighing, I got cleaned up and dressed in a simple lavender dress and black heels, my hair french braided as usual. Effie and Cinna met me at the door and escort me to the train, I kept to myself in the room I was assign too.
~o~
She was coming home. Finally, after two months of being separated from each other Callie was coming back to District Twelve, back to me. I let out a loud sigh while looking out the window from my new house in the Victor's Village. Across from my house was Callie's, Prim and Katniss were outside chatting among themselves. I wonder if they're talking about Callie's return or what she was doing in the Capitol in the first place. They didn't know about the deal Callie had to take to save us all, I clenched my jaw together. Thinking back to that day, our shock filled silence until Haymitch threw a plate and stormed out of the room. Callie's defeated and devastated look while she watched him walk away, tears pouring down her face. I had vowed to myself then and there, as I held her in my arms while she slept that I would protect her at all cost; even if it meant my own death.
"Peeta?" I turned my head to look at my father. His look of concern made me pause for a moment before plastering on a fake smile.
"Yeah, dad?" I asked him. Out of everyone in my family besides me, dad was the only one that worried about Callie which warmed my heart. He entered my art room and came to stand beside me, looking at the canvas I was working on.
"You should start getting ready, the train will get here soon." Letting out another sigh, I began to pack my paints and brushes.
"Thanks." I muttered to him. He patted me on the shoulder then left the room, I stared after him for a moment before picking up my cane and walked to my room to change. I looked at the phone that was on my nightstand. While Callie was at the Capitol, we were allowed to call each other twice a week for only an hour. She would asked me about how everyone was doing, then ask about my paintings. I would ask her how she was doing which she would be vague about, then I'd ask about her stories. Victors would choose a talent or hobby to take up after winning the Games, Callie's was writing and mine, painting but together we would work on our cooking and baking skills. After getting dress, I left the house to catch the car that would take me to the train station. As I was walking past Haymitch's house, I stopped for a moment to stare up at his house. If anybody was feeling the most guilty about Callie, it was Haymitch. He drank himself stupid everyday since she's been gone, on the days he was actually sober you could find him in his room alone in the dark where he could allow the tears to fall. I've only seen this once and by accident, Haymitch had thrown me out of his house and refused to let me in for a few days. Haymitch truly did care for Callie and I, but sometimes it felt like he cared for Callie more which was fine because Haymitch and Callie were so alike at times. I remember the day Haymitch asked me about my feelings towards Callie, if I had only told her I loved her for show and I told him the truth. I truly do love Callie, I have since I was ten or so and that was before we became best friends making me fall more in love with her. But in the beginning, I was in love with the idea of her. The idea of a bubbly girl laughing at all of my jokes and worshipping me. But she's not that. She's more. So much more.
"Peeta?" I snapped my head towards the voice, on alert. I relax instantly when I see it's Prim holding a bouquet of Daisy's, Callie's favorite flowers.
"Hey, Prim." I said to her softly. She handed me the flowers, I look at her confused. "Don't you want to give these to Callie yourself?" She shook her head.
"Calla will want to see you first and will want some time with you alone before she has to see us." Prim said with a sad voice. After the Games, Callie had become distant with Katniss, Gale, and Prim. She had told me it was to protect them but it was hurting them all and was causing rifts between them. Gale was being overprotective of the older Everdeen sister, while the middle Everdeen sister grew jealous of her sister and boyfriend's time together, and the youngest Everdeen sister became hidden in her sister's shadows.
"Prim, she still loves you very much. She's just still stuck in the Games." I told her.
"I know." She said, pausing for a moment. "She started calling us last month."
"See? You just have to be patience and she'll be back to her old self in no time." I lied to her. Callie would never truly be her old self again, she could pretend to be but she'll never go back to the Callie we knew then again neither would I. Prim gave a bright smile of hope which made me feel incredibly guilty before hugging me and walked back to her house. Sighing, I got back to walking to the car and hopped in. When we reached the station the train had just pulled in. I could see Callie looking at the crowd, trying to find her family members that weren't here. I got out of the car and waited for Callie to exit the train. I plastered on my boyish smile, the one that she loved to see when she paused in the doorway. I was fighting to keep my inner turmoil at bay while I watched her. Her olive skin had paled by two shades, her beautiful stormy grey eyes were dull and lackluster with bags under them from lack of sleep, and she had lost some of the weight she gain back after the Games.
"Welcome home, Callie." I said holding my arms out to her. She ran into my arms while minding my leg.
"Peeta." She whispered, looking up at me. I almost broke into tears at how small her voice had sounded, but instead I lent down to kiss her. She took the flowers from my hand and I lead her to the car to take us back to the Victors' Village. She placed her head on my shoulder, while I took her hand into mine. "I missed you so much, Peeta."
"I missed you just as much, Callie." I placed a kiss to her crown. She looks up at me for a moment and I knew she was going to say something I really didn't want to hear.
"How can you do this?" she asked me.
"Callie." I sighed. It was so hard to keep myself in check, there were times where I just wanted to scream and shout but I didn't for Callie's sake.
"How can you stand to be so close to me after everything I've done?" She moved away from me.
"Because you didn't ask for this! Neither of us asked for this!" I finally shouted. She stared at me in shock before turning away, looking out the window. I gritted my teeth together, hands clenching into fist and stared out the other window trying to ignore the rift that was building between us. She didn't understand what it was like to watch her sacrifice her happiness, freedom, and innocences to save us. She didn't understand how guilty Haymitch and I felt because she was still playing the Games while we got peace and freedom. She didn't know how angry I was that she had to take all of the responsibilities onto her shoulders and I couldn't do a single thing to help her out without making things worst for her.
She was my Girl on Fire and she needed her Baker Boy now more then ever.