Sarah
"You're not supposed to be here!"
A strange empty silence flashed through the cabin of the moving train. No one said a word as all parties tried to catch up with the new District Twelve mentor's sudden outburst. Moreover John was trying to catch up on what exactly was going on.
One moment he was snarking off with the clearly former career, the next thing he knew, the new mentor was Sarah, his childhood obsession. At this first moment he was truly speechless; he had never thought in all his life he would ever meet Sarah, of all people. When he was a young kid he would never miss when she was on Capitol Television. Sometimes it was specials on different Hunger Games, a reunion show, where past winners - mostly careers- came on and talked about how honorable it was to volunteer and be privileged enough to compete for the glory of Panem. John had never bought that shit, not even as a boy. But what had always fascinated him was that Sarah touted the company line as well, but in her eyes, those sad emerald jewels, she didn't buy it as well.
John Reese had been from one side of Panem to the other, and in his day saw a lot of cruel and horrible things. But in those nights when everything was still, and the images of starving children and broken looks of helpless submission by their parents to the unwinnable life they lead, he always knew he could turn on the television and come home to Sarah being right on the screen. He would smile as she would talk and when she looked at the screen he could almost believe she was talking to him, actively trying to help him get over everything, to make him feel better.
Now all these years later there she was, looking at him, this time truly looking at him. So it would be his luck that the first time he ever got to meet the woman who he'd been in love with all his life, she would look at him with true terror in her eyes.
"Come again?" He cleared his throat. It was truly an out of body experience. Who was in control of his head right now?
The woman took a step closer, her eyes transfixed on him in complete absolute fear. Her terror slowly bled into him. The way she was looking at him, he felt like maybe someone was standing behind him with a knife or some nasty hairy beast was baring its teeth right behind him and he hadn't noticed.
"You're not supposed to be here! … Wha … What are you doing here?!" She snapped at him.
John was hardly paying attention, whipping around behind him just in case she was talking to someone else that he hadn't noticed. But there was no one there, just the door. He flipped around next to him to Cameron. The girl looked just as confused as he was, even more so … if that was possible.
"Me?" He asked. "What am I doing here?" He traded a frown with Cameron who found him the moment he looked to her absently for some help.
The raven-haired warrior woman took another step closer threatening penetration into his personal space. "Yes, What are you doing here?!" Now she looked plain enraged at him. He would admit fully that it was kind of scary, she intimidated him.
"I think it's pretty obvious, don't you?" He seemed unsure what she was getting at. Once again turning to Cameron, unsure why.
"Yes, quite." She confirmed with a nod, turning a puzzled face back to their mentor.
The woman rounded on Cameron. "No one asked you, did they?!" John had never heard such venom from a person to another at the first meeting. Cameron lowered her head respectively.
To this point John had been very confused about what this was all about. But the minute the woman spat at the girl, he felt the shock and awe of his childhood disappear, and a glare wrinkled his forehead.
"Now answer me!" Sarah demanded.
He got a troublemakers smirk. "Wanted a free meal." He snarked back.
Her eyes were on fire, she got closer to him, and her face was now so close to his that their noses almost touched. "You think this is a joke?!" She slammed her hands on his armrest.
John ground his teeth. "No, I don't think this is a Joke … I think you are!" He snapped at her. He felt a pain shoot through his chest when his sudden comment lightened her emerald eyes. He could see the deep hurt and critical damage it had on her.
But he didn't let up; he was in full defense mode. It was her aggressive nature, her attitude toward Cameron, and his subconscious knowledge to show no weakness or general judgment of his decision to volunteer. "Don't come in here barking at us, when we both know that you don't give a damn. You're here because Kogen assigned you here. Probably because you're as big a fuck up as you look! So they gave you District Twelve, did they? Well newsflash rich girl. We don't like you as much as you don't like us. So why don't you go take your ass somewhere else so we can die in peace!" As he snapped and snarled he stood backing her off. He could tell that his harsh words were killing her deep inside, and truth be told when this was over he was going crawl in a ball and cry for days.
The thirty-something snorted defensively through glassy eyes. "You don't know what you're talking about." She tried to chuckle, but she avoided his eyes.
"I guess we have that in common." He shot back.
Now she looked so frustrated she could cry. John wasn't sure what was going on. Why was she like this? Why come in here and yell at him, when they had never met? It would be one thing if Derek had come here barking at him, he could handle it. But why was this stranger, this childhood idol, riding him over this? An ultra-famous celebrity of the Capitol, victor, rose of her district, posters on the wall of every school kid … why? … why did she care so much?
She gritted her teeth. "This isn't a game!" She struck back.
"Funny, because it is called 'The Hunger GAMES'. Notice the word 'Games' don't you?" He wanted to hammer his own hand in punishment for being so vicious. "I guess when you're taught how to kill children all your life, there's no room for basic literacy is there?" He snarled like a junkyard dog at the woman. He could tell that she was a person who was just too slow to come out with the insults and snappy comebacks. She was an easy target.
She looked away from him, the verbal pounding showing. She looked angry, frustrated, and very hurt. He sized her up. He did what he had to to show he wasn't weak. Yet she had no idea how much he wanted to wrap his arms around her.
"Come on Cameron … Let's bounce." He didn't turn around. "Let's let the show monkey enjoy her dinner … god knows she's had a hard day dancing for the Capitol's amusement." He spat. He didn't linger long enough to see how she reacted to his parting comment. The truth being, he wasn't sure he could handle it emotionally.
He walked casually out of the room, memory serving him were Kacy had told them where their rooms were. He didn't stop till he was down the hall with the luxury car door closed. In the narrow space between the dining car and the sleeper cars John stopped and gave an emotional sigh. The dying light of the late afternoon glimmered in at an angle, illuminating the otherwise silent transitional compartment of the train.
He couldn't help it when he felt the tears come on. He had never been so nasty or mean to a person in his entire life. It was the flashpoint. He had been living in his own little world at this time yesterday. In the span of thirty hours, he had suddenly been thrown to the lions with no one to lean on. It had been a build up till this point - the danger, the unknowing, the secrets, the Rebellion … and death. Now, it had all caught up with the boy. All the anger and resentment coming out like a river on the woman inside the dining car, a woman he had loved once.
Suddenly John felt his age, a boy of fifteen, three weeks from sixteen, scared, alone, and overwhelmed. He buried his face in his hands. He cried, no sobs, no whimpers, just tears and hard breaths. He didn't care if it was weakness. After what happened with Sarah, he didn't even know who he was anymore.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, slender and unsure. He quickly snapped to attention at the foreign physical contact. He had forgotten that he had called for Cameron to come with him, which had been more of an off handed comment. But either way there she was, her hand outstretched resting on his shoulder, her eyes blank, but contorted enough to be construed as unsure sympathy.
"Oh … uh." He sniffed and cleared his throat trying to recompose himself.
She tilted her head. "You're crying?" John wasn't sure if that was a question or an observation.
"Well …" He started, clearing his throat again.
"Are you hurt?" She asked.
John seemed caught off guard. "No …" he replied.
The girl frowned. "But, I thought people cry when they're hurt?" She asked. The teen wasn't sure what she was asking. Had she never actually cried before in her entire life?
"It's uhh … it's been a long day that's all." He smirked despite a falling tear.
She tightened her cheek. "Is that why you thrashed our mentor?" She asked, focusing on the tear.
John would like to say it was part of the reason. But in reality he had been more confused than mad at Sarah for coming after him. It was only when she yelled at Cameron with such a vicious hate that he got into it with her. After that he went right at her, and only from there did it all pile on.
"Something like that." He said.
She reached a hand out and touched his cheek. His first reaction was to move away, but he couldn't find the reflex to. Her finger was slender and gentle as she captured his single tear on the side of the digit. She stared at it for the longest time.
"I'm sorry." She said looking up from the salty liquid.
John was still recovering from her touch. "What? Why?" He didn't understand what she was doing.
"I fear you've gotten dragged into something you don't fully understand." She captured his eyes. "And it was all for me." She confirmed.
He grew suspicious. "What are you talking about?" He screwed up his face.
"You joined this venture for me, did you not?" She asked.
John felt embarrassed, his cheeks flushed and he looked away a moment. Despite his reaction she lingered in his personal space.
John snapped his head back. "You're pretty vain, aren't you?" he glared.
She tilted her head. "Am I wrong?" She responded to his defensive nature.
He felt cornered. "When we're in the arena and those bloodthirsty animals have you surrounded … Do you expect me to come to your rescue?" He shot.
He hated how she suddenly looked so innocent, an angelic naivety, like she didn't understand. Was this her strategy? To play on his feelings?
"You have before." Her deadpan response was emotionless.
He pushed himself off the wall and advanced into her personal space, it had been an effort to push her out of his, but she stood her ground. They were very close.
"So what's the strategy? You get close to me, I protect you in there, and then what? When it's just the two of us, you slit my throat?" He asked.
Cameron searched his eyes. "It's seems like an effective strategy, doesn't it?" she asked.
Suddenly, John realized that she was turning it on him. Did she think that he was going to do the same thing to her? He didn't know the steps to this dance.
"It's not the way I fight …" He answered the lingering question. "But I'm not someone to be trifled with either." He replied.
"Neither am I?" She replied on his heels.
It occurred to him through the conversation that he had been underestimating his district partner. It was clear that she wasn't some wilting flower, waiting for her tender flesh to be ravished by wild animals. He had to admit that in this moment, seeing blank eyes void of emotion, that he felt a rush of fear run through him. She wasn't what she seemed.
"Found it!"
Their stare down was cut short by the reappearance of their escort, barefoot, armed with another silver spoon. She waved it victoriously at the two of them, oblivious to what was going on, or how close they were. Kacy sighed staring at the polished silverware.
"Isn't it a great feeling to find something, and somewhere you never expected?" She asked.
John didn't take his eyes off Cameron. "Yeah … finding something somewhere you never expected." He said darkly. Cameron said nothing back to his comment, she just tilted her head.
Kacy sighed and looked back and forth between the two teens. "Have you met your mentor?" She asked.
Cameron found the painted woman and nodded obediently. John just snorted. "She's quite a catch." He shot back.
"Oh isn't she? When they told me that SARAH was going to be a part of our team, I knew I just had to get this job." She sounded excited. "I mean she's a little rough around the edges … but she's a legend … everyone will be talking about us this year." She lifted the spoon to the ceiling as if it were the heavens, announcing the end of the sentence with a majestic tone.
In the pause that followed Cameron followed the woman's gaze to the ceiling inquisitively, while John just scoffed and shook his head in disinterest. He stuffed his hands into his leather jacket pockets and sighed in irritation.
"That's uh … that's great … look I'm going to head to my room for the evening … good night." He began walking away.
When he was gone the two females followed him with their gaze. "What a strange boy." The district escort scratched her pink wig with the silverware. She walked away, leaving Cameron by herself.
"Yes … strange indeed." She rubbed his tear between her fingers gently.
Author's Notes
This was really short, because this is a bit of a feeler, to see if there's an audience out there for this story. Also my Beta insisted on me starting this up again.
So let me know how you liked it and if there's readership out there for it … to make Girl Scout Sniper happy.
