Chapter Three
Alexander extends his hand. I stare blankly at it until I realize he wants me to shake it. "Lucille." I say.
"Alexander. Just call me Alex."
Slowly section by section starts filing out. The twelves first, up to the eighteens. I watch as my friends leave. None of them even bother looking back at me. I only know a few of the kids in the crowd, because we're all new to the district, so watching them go is so much easier. Alex notices me watching the crowd. "My sister killed herself," he says. I don't know why he's telling me this. "I know what you're going through."
I nod, waiting for Maxwell to reappear again to take us onto the train. "I just didn't think he would do something like that, you know?"
Alex grunts. "I'm starting to think she made the right choice. I could've avoided this mess." He takes my hand and helps me off the stage, jumping after me.
"Don't say that." I smile up to him. "We're in this together now."
Suddenly Maxwell appears. The fashions in the capitol have always been crazy, even through the dark days. He makes up for appearance in what he lacks in personality. His hair is bright yellow with strands of red woven between and his eyes are a very artificial green. "Now, children, we are going to make our way to the train where we will ride to the capitol. Remember, there are cameras on you at all times."
I swallow. "Okay." And Maxwell leads the way to the station at the end of the district, where Alexander and I will leave behind the last parts of our previous life. Chances are we'll either be dead or only one of us will return. At the station, I notice a crew of brightly dressed camera people standing by. Maxwell smiles and he signals for Alexander and I to smile as well. Instead, I finally feel the tears for the death of my brother breaking through. I sniffle and try to hold them back, but I can't. Alex puts a hand on my shoulder and guides me to the train, covering me from the cameras.
Maxwell shakes his head and disappears once again, leaving Alex and I alone with each other. The train ride, unlike everything else, is private from the cameras."Your brother?" asks Alexander.
I stare at his thoughtful face, hidden under his shaggy features. "You need a haircut." I say.
He looks startled. "What?"
"Yeah," I say, wiping the tears from my face. "You don't look like you act."
"How do I act?" He says, sitting down on a lavishly decorated chair. Everything in the train is beautiful.
"Well you're nice. But you look like someone who spends their times breaking things."
"I do." He says with an edge in his voice. "Ever since my sister died. You haven't heard of me? I've been kicked out of any job I wanted. I get in fights with almost everyone who crosses my path. Oh, and if you were wondering why my hair is so long…" he swiped his hand across his forehead sweeping his hair back. On the side of his forehead was a healing gash, surrounded by purple bruises. "My mother used to beat me and my sister. It's why my sister killed herself."
"Oh," I covered my mouth. "Alex, I didn't know…"
"I just didn't think you needed to hear that. What you did was amazing. Your brother would have thanked you."
I give a nod of thanks, sitting down next to him. I study his face for a moment and notice that his nose is a little misshapen. I bite my lip.
"My nose? Yeah, my mom did it. I haven't been able to smell since I was ten. Can't taste things because of it, either."
I think back to my life when I was ten. The war was just starting and my parents closed down the old clothing shop. I cried, and Noah was bored with the whole thing. He was my age too, but he didn't care about the shop as much as I did. My parents were loyal to the rebelling America and the capitol made sure they payed for their choices. Noah and I were orphaned. Alex must have been getting beaten since before the war started.
"That's going to be helpful in the games," I say, attempting to joke with him. He gives me a disgusted look and stands up, slamming his chair into the table.
"I'm going to take a nap."
"Alright…" I say, and then I realize I'm going to be alone for the games. I've just ruined my bond with Alex, I have no family anymore, and Maxwell wants nothing to do with me. I drag myself to my assigned bedroom and sit down on the fluffy comforter. I fall on my back and moan. The bloodbath of the games pales in comparison to my life at the moment. And I fall asleep, and sleep the day away.
