Next chapter! I love this one and it was way easier than the last one. It is more of Career chapter, but I didn't leave you in the dark with what happened to Bailey. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.
….
Mimi Stewart's POV
I can't conceal the smile of delight breaking on to my face. Storm is having trouble doing so as well. I feel my heart skipping beats faster than it has ever beating.
"What are you doing here?" I ask. I hope he doesn't think I am saying I don't want him here.
"Rescuing a damsel in distress," he says with a smile. My heart only beats faster.
"You're going to be the one who needs rescuing if you don't leave," I say to him. In response he steps closer to me. "I am serious."
"I know, but you need to learn to take risks," he says and takes another step closer.
"I take risks," I protest. The distant between us is getting smaller and smaller. I think my heart will beat out of my chest of it goes any faster.
"Sure you do," he whispers. We are only inches apart now. I can even here his heart beating too. The distance between us is almost gone. He runs his hand through my hair and the distance is gone.
It happens so fast. The minute his list touch mine, I feel the sparks. It's like the fireworks last night only a billion times stronger. The feeling spreads everywhere and I never want it to end. I wrap my arms around his neck and the sparks only continue. When it is finally over, I can still feel a tingling sensation over what just happened. I bury my face in his shoulders and just breathe.
"I had to try it once," he whispers.
"I'm glad you did," I whisper back.
After several minutes he breaks the silence. "You know I have to go, right?" I only hold on tighter when he says this. "I am serious," he says, but I can feel the smile.
"Meet me here after the death recap, okay?" I whisper. He nods and we finally pull away. He gives me a kiss on my forehead before walking away. I sigh in delight as I watch him go.
A feeling passes over me that this will never work me and Storm. But I knock it away as quickly as it comes to me. With him I feel…better. Like I won't be killed in maybe a matter of days.
The crashing in the trees startles me. I whip around and pull an arrow. Zander is standing across from me, with that knowing smile.
"So, Storm Loret from District 12. Isn't that a bit below you?" he asks me, still smiling.
"You saw that," I growl. He nods, that smile seeming to be plastered on his face.
"Wouldn't it be a shame is Wiley found out?" I can't help it, I gasp.
"I wouldn't," I snarl.
"I won't," he says. I give a tiny sigh of relief. "If you give me something in exchange."
"Are blackmailing me?" I ask in disbelief.
"That's such a horrid word. I'd call it an eye for an eye."
"That makes the whole world blind, dumbass," I snap.
"Fine. I'll enjoy watching Wiley kill your little lover."
"What do you want?" I ask. I can't risk the alternative.
"A kiss."
A gape at him. "You're joking."
"Do I look like I'm joking?" The smile was gone now, so I have to shake my head.
"Why can't I just kill you right here?"
"Because you can't," he answers.
I gape at him again. "I can so," I screech.
"No, you'll just hit me in the leg again, like you did to your boyfriend's District partner."
"That was a slip," I snap. I am lying. I did hit her in the leg purposely, but he doesn't and shouldn't know that.
"Yeah, sure. But even if you did have the guts to try to kill me, I would just call for back up and you would be dead in a second," he says. I gulp. What he says is true. All of it.
"I'll do it," I say. I feel so betrayed, but I shouldn't have expected more from him in the first place. I step towards him quickly. The kiss does not last more than a second. There are no sparks, no romance, no anything. I am grateful for that.
"You know I will want more right?" he says as he walks back towards camp.
"I figured," I say grimly.
"Don't sound so excited," he says sarcastically. When he is out of sight, I spit every trace of him on to the ground. At least my secret is safe. Hopefully.
Rose Iris Landit's POV
"What if something happened to them?" I ask Jack. Bailey and Kadance have been gone far too long for comfort. We had finished setting up at least an hour ago, and I have been pacing ever since. Jack is trying to calm me down, but I just can't.
"I am sure they are fine!" Jack exclaims again. He is sitting on a rock a few feet away from me.
"How are you sure!" I yell. I hear a few birds fleeing away at my yell.
"Shhhhh!" Jack hushes me. I realize that I may have gone too far with my anger with my last yell.
"I'm sorry, I'm just scared for them," I say. I run a hand through my hair in frustration. I increase my rushed pacing.
"You are making me dizzy, please stop," Jack says to me. This only increases my pace again.
"How are you so calm?" I ask him.
"I am trying to stay positive," he answers in that same carefree nature.
"You can't be positive in the Hunger Games. Don't trick yourself with false with hope!" I yell yet again. I don't think I have ever been this worried before.
Jack gets up and grabs me by the shoulders. "It is okay!"
"Jack, Rose, HELP!" Kadance yell comes out of nowhere. A moment later Kadance comes crashing through the trees, barely holding a bleeding Bailey on her shoulder.
"I knew it!" I shriek. Jack ignores me and rushes over to help Kadance. I follow and we all manage to set him down in the middle of the clearing.
"What happened?" I ask Kadance.
"The District 9 girl and District 10 boy attacked him. He pierced the boy, but the girl broke his hand and scratched him down the arm. I shot her with an arrow though."
"Are they dead?" Jack asks.
"No." Kadance answers, but doesn't say anymore.
"Make the pain stop," Bailey moans. Now we look down at him. He has a huge gash in his cheek that is pouring out blood. His arm has three jagged slices in it that looked like they were caused by a wolf, hardly looks to be the work of a girl's nails. Blood was pouring from this wound as well.
"What should we do?" I ask shakily.
"I can use my shirt to stop the bleeding for now, but we need something to subdue the pain," Jack says. He takes off his shirt as he said and presses it to Bailey's cheek.
"What about his arm?" Kadance asks, clearly worrying.
"His cheek is worse," Jack says. I can see he is doing everything in his power not to panic.
"We need something!" I yell. I am already panicking.
"Unless we have sponsors, I can do no better," Jack snaps at us. He is losing it fast.
"Make it stop," Bailey whines softly.
"You'll be okay," Kadance reassures him, but the lie is evident.
"We better have sponsors," Jack says. "Because he is going under."
An Hour Before: Emmis Gray's POV
I slam the boy to ground with force. He gives a whimper of pain. I notice the bleeding in his cheek. It's perfect for my first punch. My fist lands directly on the gash. It grows large and spews more blood. I smile wickedly and prepare my next punch when it happens.
The spear stabs me in the side of my stomach. It doesn't go all the way through, but it hurts like hell. I topple on to the unforgiving ground, gasping for breath. I have never felt this kind of pain. I feel my hand drenching with blood as I press down on the wound. Every breath I take sends searing pain into my stomach. I hear my own screaming in my ears. Bu I manage to sit up to see what happens next.
Cami pounces on him. It happens in all one swift motion. The boy tries to stab her with his bloody spear, but she slams her boot down on his hand. The deafening crack of the boy's bones comes next. Now he screams in pain. She claws for an arrow, but the boy uses his little bit of energy to knock her bow out of her hand. In her anger, she doesn't go to retrieve it. Instead she slashes at the boy's arm with her nails, creating a deadly looking set of cuts.
Cami raises her hand for another scratch, this time directly at his face. But an arrow shot into her shoulder sends her sprawling into the ground, gasping just like I did. A raging girl emerges from the trees, another arrow at the ready. But Cami is quick. She shockingly manages to deflect the next arrow with her own bow. Cami doesn't have time to load, but she grabs a branch and chucks it straight at the girl. It hits the girl's ankle hard. She yells in pain and clutches her ankle.
Cami has me hooked under the shoulders. She drags me into the opposite tress. It takes all she has to pull me away. I manage to stumble my way along after the first 5 minutes. I fall into the stream that divides the jungle and the woods.
I hear Cami wrenching the arrow out of her shoulder. The whimpering follows. She stands and I lie for the next few minutes, wallowing in our own pain.
"What the hell?" Cami yells breathlessly at me.
"What do…" I gasp in pain. "…you mean?"
"How did you not see the spear?" she yells, but the pain is still leaking in her voice.
"It was…" I rush in a breath sharply. "…not in sight." I begin coughing uncontrollably. I see the dark blood from my mouth dropping into the water, spreading at the water's touch.
"It should have been!" she yells. She takes in quick breathes after she yells again.
"You're going to…" I wheeze. "…kill yourself." More blood drops in dime-size droplets into the water.
"What if they follow us?" she asks with worry.
"They won't," I say. My breath has slowed, but the pain is just getting started.
"Why not?" she asks. Why does she insist on talking so much at this time?
"The boy was in…" Sharp inhale. "…bad shape," I finish.
"What if someone else finds us?" she asks. Her rant was picking up just like my pain.
"I'm dying here," I roar at her. The second after, I vomit blood into the water. My exclamation brings her back to what is at stake here, my life.
"Oh my…" she trails off and claps a hand over her mouth in shock. Now I have to look at my wound. It should look like a whole, but the dripping blood running down my shirt made it look like a long gash.
"I need…help," I say. My breath is picking up again. I have the urge to take a drink, but the river is now an unattractive red color.
"We don't have any medical stuff," she says helplessly.
"Just do…something," I stutter out. I see my vision becoming hazy.
"Help," I her Cami say to what I'm sure is the sky.
"You need to help m…" I go under into darkness.
Season Vitale's POV
"I need to talk to you," I tell Lance. He is sitting on the outskirts of our camp. The others were too busy elsewhere to hear me.
"Why does that not surprise me," he mutters, but I do stand up. I follow her into the trees. We walk slowly for a few minutes before she stops.
"We need to get out tonight," I say to him. He looks at me and then just sighs.
"It's only been a few hours," he says to me and shakes his head.
"A few hours too many," I say. I knew this would be painfully hard.
"Let's just stay for tonight. We are all going hunting tonight so nothing will happen," he tells me.
"That's like saying if you stand in the middle of the road, you won't get run over," I say to him, annoyed.
"Exactly," he says. I realize my analogy might not have been the best example, but it doesn't change anything.
"We are leaving," I insist.
"Just give me tonight, okay?" he asks me.
I sigh, knowing I really can't win. "Fine, but we are going tomorrow."
"Deal," he says and walks back towards camp. I know it's immature, but I stick my tongue out at him as he goes.
"Why do you want to leave?" I whip around fast, my knife at the ready. I relax when I see it is just Mimi.
"Yes," I sigh. I was hoping I would never have to consult with Mimi about me leaving.
"Good for you," she says. I look at her with confusion. "What?"
"You want me to leave?"
"No, I'm just saying its good you don't want to be trapped here."
"We should walk back," I say. She nods and we go on our way.
We reach the camp right when the death recap begins. Everybody abandons what they are doing to look up at the sky. The first up is the boy from 3, then the boy from 5, and the boy from 7. I sneak a peek at Elena to see how she reacts. She looks totally indifferent. Both from 8, the boy was the one I stabbed in the back. Last was the girl from 10.
"So, who wants to hunt?" Zander asks when it is over.
"Not me," Eris says and grabs a sleeping bag. She lays it out near the pond.
"Why not?" Zander asks in disbelief.
"Because I am not hunting people that don't matter, she says.
"I agree," Elena says. "And Mimi said she didn't find anything."
"I was going to go hunt really animals," Mimi says.
"I'll go," I volunteer. I don't want to be here with these people.
"Really?" she asks uneasily.
"I can hunt you know," I say. She raises an eyebrow at me. "I can learn."
"So I guess we are not hunting," Zander says with a sigh.
"Yes, and you need someone to keep watch," Wiley says as he lays a sleeping bag on the opposite side of the pond from Eris.
"I'll do it," Zander says. "Eris, will you…"
"NO!" she yells from under her sleeping bag.
"Elena?" Zander asks.
"Not a chance," Elena says. She lies out her own sleeping bag near the edge of the clearing.
"Vigilance," Zander almost pleads.
"Whatever," Vigilance replies.
"Let's go," Mimi says.
I start to follow her, but my eyes are still fixed on Vigilance, trying to see if he had lied to me after all.
Wiley Isben's POV
I don't sleep at all. I am trying to listen for the soft footsteps that signal Mimi's return. I haven't gotten to talk to her since the Games have started, and I desperately need to. After what seems like hours, I hear the steps. I see Season first holding a rabbit.
"That's all you got?" I hear Zander ask.
"It was my first time," I hear Season snap. Then by the sound of a thud, I can tell she threw the rabbit at Zander.
Mimi finally comes out of the clearing. I jump out of my sleeping bag to meet her. "I need to talk to you," I say to her.
"Sure," she says with a shrug.
I lead her back the way she came until we reach a smaller clearing than the one we have camp in, then I turn to her.
"Well," I say with a smile.
"Well?" she asks, confused.
"I haven't gotten to talk to you since the Games have begun," I say to her.
"So?" she asks, still confused.
"So, are you going to kiss me?" I ask. Did she forget about the plan? Her eyes go wide like she just remembered something. And not a good something either.
"Uh…not right now," she says shakily.
"Why not?" I ask her.
"Just…sorry not right now. I'm really depressed," she says.
"Why?" Now it's my turn to be confused.
"All the dead kids…it's really just so sad," she says, but she is looking at the ground. I go over to hug her, but when I do she is as stiff as a statue.
"Is that really all?" I ask her. Something doesn't seem to be right.
"Why would I lie to you?" she asks in disbelief.
"Why would you? Do you have something to hide?" I ask her.
"No," she says rather quickly. "I'm going to go get some sleep."
I go to give her a kiss, but she turns her head and I get her cheek. She doesn't even give me one last look before running back towards camp. I lean back against a tree, so confused.
I do like Mimi and I could like her that way if I tried. But it seems like she doesn't want to give it all her effort to try with me.
Mimi Stewart's POV
This could be the worst thing ever. I had totally forgotten about my supposed relationship with Wiley. And to my own surprise, I don't want to leave him hanging. It's not the right thing to do, since I'm sure he means well deep, deep down.
Now I have to worry about keeping my thing with Storm secret, give in to what Zander wants, and make sure to keep Wiley in the dark. It was really too much on top of worrying about Season and Eris. I also have to think of myself too. I can't be all selfless.
I crawl into my own sleeping bag, taking my own worrying thoughts with me. I know there is no chance I am sleeping tonight. And just like last night, my thoughts just drift away leaving me with nothing.
I listen to the rustle of the people around me instead.
Season had gotten stuck with Zander for watch and I can tell Season hates him.
"If a tribute attacks our camp, I am shoving you in front as a shield," I hear her growl.
"And when I move over, they can kill you," he growls back. Their arguments were small, but still fun to listen to.
Everyone else was sleeping or about to sleep. I think about Season and how she said she was leaving. That might be a good idea after all.
Elena Lovitz's POV
I slip on the glasses I snuck from my pack on. I don't want anyone to know I am awake. I grab the stash of ink from the berries I gathered and the feather I had found. Last, I pull out six leaves, the perfect number.
I smile to myself as I dip in the feather. Everything was falling into place.
Mimi: Has a forbidden crush on a certain boy from 12. It would be a shame if anyone else were to find out. Or if the person who did find out tells.
Wiley: Still in the dark about everything and thinks his girlfriend is faithful. Wouldn't it be a shame what would happen when he is told?
Season: Wants to go on the run with Vigilance, but can't seem to catch a break with him. Will she get away in time? One hopes not.
Vigilance: Doesn't seem to want to be a runaway Career, but it can't be because of our hospitality. Why does Lance really not want to runaway? Details will be added later.
Eris Delgrave: She set out to kill District 2, but why hasn't it happened yet? Could she being having regrets?
Zander Harris: Is playing his hand at the blackmail game. It would really suck if it stabs him the back later. Or shall I say she stabs him in the back later.
Storm Loret: Not a Career, but is playing an awful big role in the lover's Game. Details will follow.
Me: I know all.
When the ink dries, I put the leaves back in my bag. As I smile to myself.
They are like dominoes. They all fall down.
…
I didn't have time to proof so sorry. Hope you liked it. Also I am doing this thing now called the Capitol question of the day where I will ask you a question and I want you to answer like you were watching in the Capitol. You don't have to answer but I would like it if you did.
Will Bailey die? Will Emmis die? What are Elena's plans?
Your Capitol Question of the Day: Team Storm, Team Wiley, or possibly Team Zander?
Reviews would be lovely.
-Emma
