DISTRICT 8
2
CARLEIGH
Blake weaves a couple dresses out of old fabric. He is making them for me to wear when we have special occasions, and just for new dresses when we move. My head is on his chest and I am sewing dresses up for Ash's new baby. I can tell Blake isn't too excited about a toddler keeping him up all night. He has told me several times that, if we ever get married we will not have kids. But if we do get married I think I can change his mind.
Blake weaves the last hem and starts doing my hair.He puts so many different sections in so many different braids its hard to look. "I'm so bored. I guess I should pack..."
"Did that last Monday when he said we were leaving in a week." I said. My eyes fall to the floor where my shoes look so beat up and torn.
"Try on your dresses then." Blake says grabbing a leather fuchsia sundress with gold buttons down the front. I strip down and put the dress on. My body goes stiff as I try to stand to where he can alter the dress okay.
"Wow. You look so," He smiles and I think he's going to start laughing. I think I'm going to start laughing. I look well laughable.
"Ugly?" I ask. That's how I feel. Dresses make me look fat, and this one being skintight, makes me look wider than normal.
"I was going to say the opposite. Carleigh, wow." He runs a finger around my waist line to look for chinks in the fabric. "This dress fits you perfectly."
Awkward. We are on like two different planets. Now he is just staring at me. "Next. Ohh, the blue and black layer one!" I say plucking this dress off and hanging it in the closet. Blake helps me put this, no zipper dress on.
Blue and black stripes going down. Blue sticks out a little and has a sexy glitter to it. Of course, it doesn't look sexy on me. The black is silk and is the underling of the dress. So soft. So luxurious it feels wrong. It feels like the capitol.
"Is it bad that I can see you dancing with me in that." Blake asks checking for kinks.
"Yes that means it's too clubby. And capitolistic." I say throwing the dress in the corner as I peel it off gingerly.
I grab for a purple and red lace sundress that you would wear to a masquerade. I slip it over my bony shoulders. Woah. Now this one I like. Third one really is a charm.
"This one is perfect! Thank you so much!" I hug Blake. He is throwing the other dresses that had kinks in them away while we hug. Well, half hug.
There is a knock on the door and Evanns comes in. He looks so much older than the little boy I knew in the arena 5 years ago. Taller, darker hair, kinder smile, tanner skin. Just so, different.
"Woah! I am not interrupting anything am I?" Evanns ask sitting in the small plastic chair by our makeshift bed, which is actually just two large haybales pushed against one another.
"No, what is it?" Blake gripped me tighter, like someone was going to take me away again.
"Philip wants you guys to bring your bags to the hovercraft. He said that Amerrates must go with the commanders. That would be you Carleigh. He wants the husband and wives of the Amerrates to come along with." Evanns said stepping back.
"I am sure he did... does he know we are not married?" Blake said looking like he wants to kill Philip. Does he not want us to get married? My heart sinks a few feet. Blake's face is so angry my heart doesn't rise when he kisses my cheek.
"Yes. He said once we get there, to Clintasta I mean, that you will have a chance to get married." Evanns left the room. He was definitely running.
Blake cursed under his breath. "Get your bags. If you cant beat em, join em. I-" Did he just stop himself from saying I love you? No he couldn't have. He knows he can tell me anything. Maybe he is embarrassed. That makes me feel worse. Why would he be embarrassed of me? Or maybe he was telling me his true feelings. Could he really be sick of me?
His brown eyes glowed like chocolate chips in his eye sockets. He smiled warmly and kissed me on the forehead. I could smell strawberries.
He grabbed the bags. We made our way to the hovercraft. Philip loaded our bags on the hatch. The warm district 7 breeze whipped my hair around. Blake smiled at me as he picked up leaves and blew them at my face. I threw some back at him. He ended up tackling me and we started laughing. Blake slowly climbed off of me to lay next to me on the soft summer soil.
He pushed the hair out of my eyes and looked at me for the longest time. "Please guys get on and stop being helpless romantics." Philip interrupted. Blake stood up and crossed over to him. I grabbed him before he could do damage.
Philip took the first swing. Blake staggered back as the blow hit his face. I pulled the knife that I keep in my pocket out and kicked Philip in the chest. He went sprawling to the ground next to Blake. I drew the knife up to his neck. "You will not touch him, and I will not kill you deal?" I say.
He gulps. "Deal?" I ask shoving my knife more forcefully into his throat. The blood flooded out. He nodded. I slowly pulled the knife out spreading the blood on his neck like jelly.
"Get off of him!" Claire yells stumbling out of the hollow and ripping me away from Philip. My knife lays on his chest. "Get on the ship Philip. You didn't come her to lie around and let little girls pulverize you. That's an order." Claire says as Philip comes to his feet. He rubs his neck then walks onto the driving platform.
We climb on the hatch and carry our stuff to the hospital room, that had our names on the door. Blake hugs me as soon as we walk in. "Thank you." Blake says tossing his bag on the bed. I am still wearing the dress Blake gave me. The lace flows freely and has bloodstains on it.
"Blake I am so sorry..." I say trying to wipe the blood off.
His smiles and kisses my cheek affectionately. "I will make you a new one." He said. Blake grabbed wet cloth by the hospital bed and dabbed the crusted blood on the dress. It came off cleanly but the red imprint embedded itself on the purple lace.
I smile as Blake puts on his work uniform. Black polo shirt, khaki shorts and athletic tennis shoes. "Do you need any help today?" I ask.
"No I don't think Travis will make me train them that hard... I wont be there that long either. I will be right back. The troops need me. And by that I mean Sandrew O'freely needs me. I still cant believe he is the only of age shooter in the family." Travis says walking out of the room. He trains the military every Friday morning from noon until 6pm.
In his absence I carefully lay the dress at me feet. I climb into the shower. The hot water curls around my back. Its not a real shower but it is the only one on the hovercraft. It is really just a tub with a garden hose with a cool flower nozzle hanging over it.
I grab the strawberry shampoo, and start to mentally scream. There was somebody outside the shower. "G-go away or I'll hurt you." I say. I grabbed a towel and rapped it tightly around my body.
"Don't worry I am just brushing my hair out." Blake? "Travis gave me the day off. Thanks to him I get a day with you." Blake says.
"Did you realize that I am taking a shower?" I ask.
"Oh yeah sorry I will meet you in our room." Blake said and I could hear his footsteps move out of the room as I turn off the water. The towel still wrapped tightly around me, I walked out.
My hair was still a greasy tangled mess, and my thighs still had dirt from where I was planting catnip for Blake's new cat Amotty. I walked into my room with the towel still around me.
Blake was curled up on the bed covered in the sheets. "Hey... have you seen my tank top?" I ask grabbing my night shorts.
"Haven't seen em. That's a shame." Blake says. He's holding back a laugh.
"Cough it up... now." I say. Now he starts laughing.
"I really have no idea. Check the drawer. Or just grab another color or something." Blame says. I check the drawer. My black tank top isn't there. In fact none of my tanks are there. I pull a sports bra out.
"Fine, but scoot over I'm tired." I drop the towel and put on my clothes while Blake moved over on the bed.
"Do you miss Sewvin?" I ask remembering my co-tribute.
"Not really. He always stole my pie on thanksgiving." I laugh and Blake looks distraught. "What? Can't a man ask for pie on thanksgiving? Is that so hard?" I laugh so hard I am loosing breath. Blake pats my back and I stop. I cough a couple times.
I curled up beside him and Amotty stretched out between our feet. "I- want to tell you something but I don't know how." Blake said brushing the hair out of my eyes.
"I can be patient Blake, just wake me up when you have it..." I fall asleep with the next thump of my heart.