Yes. I am putting this at the beginning of the story...I want to know if you guys think my main character (who I am NOT planning to give a name) and Marec are too similiar to Katniss + Peeta. Also, I need some costume ideas, I have a few work-in-progress, but nothing major. (Also arena ideas...)
Anyways, I hope you like this chapter and will take the time to review at the end (hopefully answering some of the questions above)
Marionettes
Four
"Where were you last night Marec?" Daeme says. It's the first I'd heard him talk. So Marec hadn't gone back to his room…which ment he stayed in my room. He is going to have some explaining to do.
"You slept in my room?" I say coldly.
"You slept in her room!" Daeme shouts.
"Who slept in whose room?" Delores pokes her head out. Daeme is quite a shouted, you have to give him that.
"Someone was sleeping in someone's room?" Odair questions and shoots me a look.
"Ugh. Will all of you listen?" Marec glared at all of them, pointedly avoiding my gaze. Then Odair understands what happened and shakes his head. Marec shuts up and Odair suggests they all get dressed and head to breakfast quite civically.
Trinket bounces to our table after we've sat down and ordered. No one wants to explain to the ecstatic woman what happened. We didn't talk and ate breakfast silently. Trinket was the only one trying to make an effort to get us to speak. Marec obviously doesn't want to talk about it and Daeme is only going to talk if Marec brought it up. Delores is just confused and from the look in his eye, I know that he was going to question Marec and I after. For now, he seems content just to eat breakfast.
"Okay, well, training begin at one, so don't be late, I'll see you guys later," Trinket smiles. We nod and all stand up and begin to leave the table. Odair grabs my arm and pulls me back. I can see Marec turn his head to see us talking as he walks away.
"What happened?" he says. "If you're sleeping together-"
"We're not sleeping together. He just wanted to know what I did with you with the spear and stuff," I say innocently.
"And ended up staying the night?" he replies sarcastically.
"You know, you've grown quite cynical over the past few years," I snap back. I'm not really in the mood for this.
"Well that's what happens when you see the reincarnations of some of your good friends who died at the capitol's hands," Odair snaps. I stop. It made sense now, or at least some of it. I can see how he sees Katniss in me, and maybe a bit of himself. Marec too, closely relates with Peeta…and now this. Odair must be beside himself.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't die in the arena. Don't do anything stupid."
"Well, I'm not particularly interested in dying in the arena," I tell him briskly. He grimaces and I continue neutrally, "What about Marec? Was Mellark not as important to you."
"For different reasons, Marec will-" he began. Marec had stayed in the room and listened to our conversation. I could feel the color rising to my cheeks.
"What about me?" he says, honestly sounding curious. I try not to meet his eye and fail pretty miserably. Odair says nothing. "Did you just not like Peeta? Was he too good? Was he…too kind?"
"…you wouldn't understand," Odair mumbles.
"Are you going to favor her over me?" Marec asked. "The odds are even less in my favor I suppose."
"The odds have been in-" Odair begins.
"No. Don't lie. They've always been in her favor," he spits out, and storms away after glaring at me. I stand there, slightly confused as what to do.
"What did he tell you? It's important, so don't lie," Odair insists.
"That he was felt for me like Mellark felt for Everdeen."
Odair sighs and departs from the room, leaving me alone until I have the courage to go back to face Marec or to wander around till one.
"I want to apologize Marec," I say slowly. Surely he understands how painful it is for me. He must know me. But apparently he doesn't and chooses not to answer. "Marec, if it makes you feel any better, I'm going to die in the arena."
"Why would I want you to die? Don't you understand?" Marec asks me softly, his previous anger clearly gone. I stare at him. I've been doing a lot of dumb staring lately. I feel so clueless outside of orphanage or the docks. I had always been silent at school.
"Well, I want to apologize anyways," I say stiffly. He shakes his head and sighs and turns his back to me. I am dismissed, but I don't go. "Apology accepted?"
"Apology not recognized," he replies with a rigid voice. I nod and once more he turns his back to me. I finally leave as I see the clock hit 12:45. Fifteen minutes till training begins. This games had been slightly altered because the designers had been so many people costume, they were giving them a few extra days to think about them. So training began early so we wouldn't be bored while they made our costumes.