You can save only one Chapter 2: Train Ride, a hunger games fanfic

Author's note: Hiya folks. I noticed the discrepancies between the districts in the last chapter, and yes, it is supposed to be 12. If you see otherwise, just let me know. ;) On to the train ride, and our first meeting with Haymitch!

Train ride to the Capitol

Some people say that when you're scared, your knees knock, your hands get sweaty, and your head gets dizzier and dizzier until you can hardly even stand up. None of that was true, at least for me. I was scared to death, sure, but I wasn't impaired by it. I had come to grips with the reality of dying a long time ago. Just now it was getting ever closer to that moment.

I am given almost no time to orient myself when Prisindia rushes up to me. "Come meet your mentor, Haymitch Abersinth!" she squeals. "He won the Quarter Quell, so he's super-duper scrumdiddlyumptiously great!"

She giggles and turns to glide back down the hall. I resist the urge to bean her with this expensive-looking vase sitting on a table. Pity. The gold roses would have gone excellent with her new hair color. Better luck next time, I guess.

I sigh and follow her down the hallway. Haymitch isn't too bad if you respect him. Which is kinda hard, considering he's dead-drunk most of the time. I reach the doorway and walk into the lounge car to see Haymitch sitting at a table, drinking liquor straight out of the bottle.
"Haymitch, can't you think of anything but that whiskey?" screeches Prisindia.

"No sweetheart, I don't think at all, is my strategy." snarks Haymitch He takes another swig and wipes his mouth with his shirtsleeve. "Sure hope this meal ain't a candlelight dinner" I think to myself. "He's a walking fire hazard."

"Oh I'm so glad you're here Matt" says Prisindia. "I'm trying to get Haymitch here ready for the candlelight dinner tonight!" "Aww dammit. Murphy's law I guess" I think to myself.

"Where's Melissa?" I ask aloud.

"Oh, she's still in her room, said she wasn't very hungry. Let's get going shall we? Our tributes need food after all!" she cheerfully says.

"Oh." I say, and then walk out of the car in the direction of the dining room.

Later that evening, we are seated at a long table with a white tablecloth with gold inlay on top of it. I look to my left and see Haymitch drinking some blueish liquor. Prisindia had finished long ago and was off doing who-knows-what. As soon as she had left the room I had quickly yet carefully removed all the ornate silver candlesticks to the end farthest from Haymitch. He didn't seem to care though.

"Haymitch" I say.

"Blurgb?" he says around a throat-full of alcohol.

"Do you have any advice for in the arena?" I ask.

"Same thing I always tell the tributes kiddo. Stay alive."
He then laughs raucously and takes another drink from his bottle.

I sigh and pick up another one of those oh-so-fluffy golden brown dinner rolls, and am about to eat it when I decide to throw it at Haymitch instead. Doing so proved interesting, as I didn't know a drunk that could throw a knife that quickly and accurately before. I wouldn't have known one then because I would have been dead, except that the candlesticks I had carefully removed from Haymitch's vicinity were sitting in the way of the knife. It ricocheted off with a loud *CLINK*. Catching the teetering decoration, I look back towards Haymitch.

"S'matter old man? Can't aim tonight?" I smirk.

In three quick strides he is over in front of me, and in another half second has me pinned up against the wall by my shirt.

"Listen here punk. I have my reasons. When you can do better, you'll be here mentoring instead of me. And that's my ultimate goal: to have one of you here with me. So you better damn listen to my advice or we'll see how well you do with no sponsers." He sets me down and goes back to drinking.

"Good, sir." I say. "That's my plan anyways. I do not plan to be here with you. I'm going to die, so I want you to try everything in your power to get Melissa to win."

There's an audible *WOOSH* as Haymitch spits out the liquor in his mouth, and sits up straight as the candles ignite the flammable liquid.

"What!" he shouts "Not win!? What are you saying? Everyone wants to win!" he splutters.

"Not me" I respond calmly. "I know only one of us can win. And I want it to be Melissa."

Haymitch sits down again, rubbing his stubbled chin with his scarred left hand.

"You know kid, I like that. I like it a lot." He murmurs.

"But how are you going to do it?" he counters.

"Umm" I stall.

"Ah-hah. I thought so. Noble Matt wants to save a girl but doesn't have a plan for carrying that out. Great thinking, brainiac." he leers. "You'd think she was your girlfriend or something. Now THAT I could work with. I've thought for many years on what I'd do if I could create drama like that…"

"Funny you should mention that." I say. "Because she IS my girlfriend. Couldn't ask for a better one. We were just waiting until these final reapings to be over before announcing…"

Haymitch looks stunned. Good. Let him chew on that for a bit.

"How did you win?" I ask Haymitch in order to distract him.

He waves his hand in a dismissing gesture. "That's not important right now, what is important is how we can work this to our advantage." He starts to pace up and down the aisle.

"While you think on that, I think I'll go back to the lounge car and get some rest." I say before I saunter off.

When I arrive there, I find it unoccupied. So I sit down on a large red sofa and try to rest. Before I know it, I've gone and fallen asleep. I snooze until I am awakened by the sound of the oak-paneled door starting to open.

Haymitch's point of view: Train ride

I must have gotten on the train drunk, because I come to my senses with a terrible headache and a big hangover. I'm trying to collect my thoughts when I realize that I'm back on the Tribute train again. Great. Another freaking horror show for the next month where I once again lose both tributes right off and then have to lose myself in a bottle before I go insane like that one kid did back in the 24th Games.

I rub my eyes. "OH GOD THAT BURNS!" I shout. Having raw alcohol on your hands doesn't do your eyes any favors. I stumble to the sink in the restroom, and run my head under the water until the burning sensation subsides. As the pain subsides in my eyes, I notice my pounding headache decreasing, and I feel less hungover than before. I remember now. There were two crazy volunteers this year. That one kid scares me. He's so tall, and seems like he knows what he's doing. Wonder if we have a shot at getting one of 12's tributes to the final eight this year. Oh well, time to find another drink.

I peer into the cupboard and find a bottle of…something. It smells of liquor so I uncap and start chugging. It's not too bad, but the blue color is a bit unnerving. Would severely suck if this were what the Capitolites call 'anti-freeze', now wouldn't it? Gonna risk it anyways.

I take another swig and walk out the door to the lounge to await the two new tributes. I bump into Prisindia. Oh god she looks ugly with that hairstyle. What is it supposed to even be? A vampire bat?
I walk over to my usual seat and collapse into it. Taking another pull at the bottle, I lean back to make sure to get a full mouthful. This stuff really tastes bad. I'll bet that it's not all alcohol. Yegh.

Prisindia screeches at me "Haymitch can't you think of anything but that whiskey?"

I smirk back. "No sweetheart, I don't think at all, is my strategy."

I notice one of the tributes has arrived. So has Prisindia, apparently, because she greets him.

"Oh I'm so glad you're here Matt" says Prisindia. "I'm trying to get Haymitch here ready for the candlelight dinner tonight!" 'Dumb dinner' I think to myself.

"Where's Melissa?" Matt asks.

"Oh, she's still in her room, said she wasn't very hungry. Let's get going shall we? Our tributes need food after all!" she cheerfully says.

"Oh." Matt says, then turns and walks away.

"Well done sweetheart" I sneer at Prisindia.

"You don't have to be rude just because you're drunk, Haymitch" she retorts before flouncing off.

Good riddance, she was getting on my nerves something awful.
I take another drink from my bottle to help calm them.

Dinner is a quiet affair, except for that damn escort jabbering about unimportant gossip from the Capitol. But as soon as she left, I note Matt moving all the candlesticks away from my end of the table. Good. I hate those things anyways. To hell with such finery and foppery.

Suddenly Matt breaks the silence.

"Haymitch" he says.

"Blurgb?" I try to respond around a mouthful of better alcohol.

"Do you have any advice for in the arena?" he asks.

"Same thing I always tell the tributes kiddo. Stay alive." I laugh and then take another drink from my fresh bottle.

I hardly noticed when he picked up a dinner roll, but I DID notice in another second when it became lodged in my eye. Reacting, I slap my hand on the handle of a knife and then throw it at the brat. It glances off one of the candlesticks. Phew. Snow would have had my head for that.

"S'matter old man? Can't aim tonight?" the kid smirks.

I leap up from my chair and with several quick steps reach him and slam his back against the wall.

"Good, sir." the kid says. "That's my plan anyways. I do not plan to be here with you. I'm going to die, so I want you to try everything in your power to get Melissa to win."

I spit out my mouthful of alcohol all over the remaining candles. I barely even notice the fireball that erupts.

"What!" I scream "Not win!? What are you saying? Everyone wants to win!" Isplutter.

"Not me" He responds calmly. "I know only one of us can win. And I want it to be Melissa."

Damn. I like this kid. Refreshing compared to the selfish brats who are all going "Poor me, in the Hunger Games!"

I sit back down.

"You know kid, I like that. I like that a lot." I rub my chin with my hand. This kid is a nice change. Going to suck terribly that I'm not going to have a shot at bringing him home, but still, gotta admire someone who does that.

"But how are you going to do it?" I counter.

"Umm" he stalls.

"Ah-hah. I thought so. Noble Matt wants to save a girl but doesn't have a plan for carrying that out. Great thinking, brainiac." I leer. "You'd think she was your girlfriend or something. Now THAT I could work with. I've thought for many years on what I'd do if I could create drama like that…"

"Funny you should mention that." he says. "Because she IS my girlfriend. Couldn't ask for a better one. We were just waiting until these final reapings to be over before announcing…"

What. Mind is blown right now. Can't process. Melting. Need hard liquor.

"How did you win?" he asks.

I wave my hand dismissively. "That's not important right now, what is important is how we can work this to our advantage." I start to pace up and down the aisle, mulling my new options.

"While you think on that, I think I'll go back to the lounge car and get some rest." he says, then walks out the door.

I've got an ace in the hole now. Let any other district try to top District 12 this year! I immediately go to Melissa's room and knock.

"Who is it?" she asks.

"Me, sweetheart." I say.

"Oh, you, Haymitch." she says as she opens the door. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Looking for you." I reply.

"I'm flattered, but if I might remind you I am going to die in a few days so Matt can win." Damn. This chick too.

"Why?" I ask her.

"Because." She says, stepping out her door. "I love him and want to do anything to make him win."

"I think you'll have to talk to him about that, sweetheart. He has other ideas. Like dying for you."

She rolls her eyes. "Typical" she chuckles. "Where is he now?" she asks.

"I don't know, sweetheart. Last I saw him he was going to try rest."

"Okay, thanks." She says. Suddenly she gives me a hug. Her head only reaches my chest, because she's so short.

"What was that for, sweetheart?" I tease.

"For warning me of what Matt was planning to do." she giggles.

"Oh, and Haymitch." She calls over her shoulder.

"Yes?" I respond.

"Take a bath and change your clothes. You smell worse than Greasy Sae's brewery in summer." She winks, and takes off down the main corridor.

I sniff myself and think I like it. Reminds me of home.

I decide not to change the at all. As I walk back to the dining room, I brush against a lit flame from a candle.

"AIIIIEEEEEEEE!" I screech as flames engulf me. Fortunately sprinklers go off and I am left smoking, but unhurt. Maybe changing clothes once in a while wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Melissa's PoV, train ride.

After I left Haymitch I ran to the dining room. Aside from a light haze of smoke, the room was clear of anything else. I grab something to eat and skip down the main aisle towards the reading room.

"I wonder why Matt was planning on doing that. He might be planning the same thing as me. No matter, I'll fool him!" I laugh lightly to myself when I think of the shock on his face when he wins. I couldn't bear to go without him, so I will gladly die so that he has another chance at a relationship, except he can have anyone he wants because he will be a Victor!
I grin at the thought, but hatred clouds my vision when I think of another girl getting to snuggle with him, banter with him, talk to him, sympathize with him, and do fun things together. I slow my steps. Maybe, just maybe, I want to win after all.

I mull over this new possibility. Could I give up on blonde, blue-eyed Matt so that he could live and have another life after the games? And dying. I think that would hurt. I shudder. Best not to think about that. I wish there was some way for us to both win. Somehow…

I stop thinking about all of that for a minute. First I want to see my Matthew. I smile at the thought. "Mine." I like that. I think I'll try to keep him mine for as long as they will let me. With this mixture of happiness and sadness, I slowly leave the reading room and walk down the corridors some more.

I come to the lounge. The door is closed and I almost pass by. But something stops me, something…I don't know. But I feel as if I should go in. I look at the doorknob. A gilded bronze mushroom. Kind of odd for such an imposing oak-paneled door, but whatever floats their Capitol boat. It's a wonder they don't dye us all radical colors for the Games. I turn the knob and look in as I open the door. I see Matt on a red sofa, with his eyes just starting to open because of the noise the door made.

I smile once more at that picture. Such pretty eyes. MY eyes. He's mine. And I will fight for him until I die, even if it means giving him up to someone else.

End note: Wow. Almost another 3000 words. It's really getting up there for something that I just do as a little calm-me-down when I'm upset. I have something planned for the next chapter. Special thanks to Kloud and Sparkly(Two friends) who helped with ideas for this chapter.

(And yes I know, I goofed up badly with the District numbers in the first chapter. Never fear, I shall chase the nasty incongruities away!)