Author's note: Hey guys! Sorry it's been almost two months. Life is chaotic! Anyway, we're getting close to the end of the story. I'm thinking there is probably around four chapters left. I'm going to be skipping around a lot time-wise. Hopefully that's fine.

Chapter 21: Hurt

"Hurt me with the truth, but never comfort me with a lie."

About a month prior to the reaping of the sixty-seventh Hunger Games, a victor's meeting is held in the Justice Building. It includes the mayor, all five surviving victors, and a representative diplomat from the Capitol who goes by the name of Mr. Davies. Mags and I are the first to arrive, and Marissa lumbers in sluggishly after us.

"Not even nine o'clock in the morning, and I'm already sweating like a pig," she grumbles. "Why did I decide to give birth over the summer?"

Mags gives her a sympathetic smile. "Pregnancy troubles?"

Marissa slides into her chair and rests her hands on her stomach, which is rounded from seven months of pregnancy. She sighs. "Not on its own, but this heat is making me miserable."

"Quit your whining," Thunder Martin, victor of the forty-sixth Games says as he swaggers into to the room. "This is District Four. We're all hot here, both in the temperature and the attractiveness sense."

Mags and Marissa ignore him and continue to talk about Marissa's current pregnancy symptoms. At five minutes to nine the mayor and a man who is snazzily dressed in silver and gold walk in.

"Good morning," the mayor says as he skims the room with his eyes. "Has anyone seen Ray Dovern?"

We all shake our heads.

"Should we really be surprised?" asks Thunder. "Old man Dovern is worse at showing up at these things than I am, let alone on time."

"Well, perhaps one of you could do me the courtesy of fetching him," Mr. Davies says. "I'd hate to ask the peacekeepers to use force. That wastes time and energy."

Thunder leans back in his chair and slams his feet onto the table top. "No way in hell I'm dragging that man's ass out of his house in this heat. It's a miracle I'm here at all."

"Watch your tongue. Unless you want to lose it," Mr. Davies warns.

I glance from one of my fellow mentors to the other. One is seventy-two years old. The other is seven-months pregnant. "I'll go, because I'm such a gentleman," I say, directing my gaze towards Thunder.

As I step outside, the heat hits me like a tidal wave. It's an oven out here, and I feel as though I'm burning to a crisp. I head to Victor's village but stop halfway when I see Ray trudging in my direction.

"Hey Dovern," I say. "You do realize everyone is waiting for you, right?"

Ray grunts. "Who cares? I've spent the whole morning coughing up blood and wondering what's going to kill me first, lung cancer or liver failure, and they don't care. Why should I?"

I fall silent for a moment. Ray's symptoms are just another side effect of the games, caused by both smoking and drinking to try to rid himself of the pain. I can't say I really blame him.

"Come on, let's just go," I mutter and return to the Justice Building. Ray and I take our places at the table, and the meeting commences.

"First order of business is the sixty-seventh Hunger Games," says Mr. Davies. "Will we be expecting volunteers from District Four this year?"

Thunder nods. "Most likely."

"Excellent. The Capitol is pleased when the volunteer alliance is six members strong, rather than four or five," Mr. Davies says, scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "Mr. Odair, you know your presence is requested in the Capitol again this year?"

I nod. "Of course."

"In addition, it has been requested by President Snow that Ms. Cohen retires from the Games for this year. We will be installing a rotation system, in which Mr. Dovern, Mr. Martin, Ms. Swan, and Ms. Cohen will take turns mentor. It's what most other districts do."

I see Mags sink a little in her chair, and remember her saying that being a mentor makes her feel useful. "Why?" I ask.

"The Capitol citizens are growing tired of the same mentor year after year, especially such an elderly woman," Mr. Davies says. "Mr. Dovern will take his turn this year, followed by Mr. Martin for the sixty-eighth and Ms. Swan for the sixty-ninth. Ms. Cohen may mentor again for the seventieth games before the cycle starts over.

I want to inform him take Mags would always better be a better choice over Ray. She's brought home more victors, will stay sober, and is easier to work with, whether as a fellow mentor or a sponsor. However, arguing with Capitol citizens is not done. Mr. Davies may not be as powerful as Snow, but he still doesn't like to be mouthed off to. He could always report me to Snow.

The meeting continues, with talk of how our lives are going - we are all far from honest with our answers - and if we require anything in terms of riches and if anything in our mansions needs repair. We are dismissed by 9:30.

"Are you disappointed in not being able to mentor this year?" I ask Mags as we walk back home.

"A little," she admits, "but maybe it is time to semi retire. I've done this for more than fifty years after all.

I leave it at that. It will be strange not having Mags by my side during the Games. It seems I have grown reliant on my mentor. Perhaps a bit too much.

As predicted, there are two eighteen-year-old volunteers this year, Michelle Hargrove and Anchor Greene. While the tributes say goodbye to their family and friends, I do the same. At least I know I'm coming home. Sitka treats my departure like any other day. My mom gives me a strong hug as if she expects me to be gone for months. Mags wishes me luck. Lana kisses me and tells me to come back home soon. I tell her that'd I'd try my best, but we both know it's not that simple.

I board the train without having any clue what to expect. I find the tributes already there, with Michelle explaining her games strategy.

"I don't care what One and Two say. I'm leading the careers," she says snobbishly.

Anchor nods along, not saying much.

"Alright," I say, interrupting the conversation. "Anchor, you're with me. Michelle, you'll be mentored by Ray Dovern. He's probably in the dining car."

Michelle shrugs. "Fine. I don't need a mentor anyway. I'm winning this on my on." She leaves, and Anchor and I are able to talk alone.

"So, the famous Finnick Odair," says Anchor, leaning back in his chair. "Nice to meet you."

"You too."

Anchor smiles a little. "You know, before you came in, Michelle wouldn't stop whining about the mentors this year, how we were stuck with a drunk and the Capitol's sixteen-year-old pretty boy toy. Her words, not mine. Don't kill the messenger. Anyway, I disagree. I hope to learn a lot from you. You did win the games after all. It is a little strange to be mentored by someone who is two years younger than myself though."

"Can't say I blame you," I admit, "but thanks. Listen to me, but know you don't have to follow all my advice. Pick and choose what information you want to use. All I expect is respect."

As the events leading up to the Games progress, respect is exactly what I receive from Anchor. He asks questions frequently, while offering suggestions of his own, asking me for a second opinion on his strategies. It's a welcome change from last year.

The Games progress at a fast pace, and soon I am sending Anchor into the arena. The arena is a circular hedge maze, with twists and turns and the Cornucopia in the middle. It would be easy to get lost inside.

Surprisingly, Michelle dies right after the bloodbath, the last of the nine tributes to die in the first few minutes. Unsurprisingly, it is her arrogance that kills her. Michelle may be brutal, but the boy from Two is more so. From the start, Michelle wanted to lead the alliance, something that did not go over well with Caius, the strong eighteen year old from Two. He wanted power, and Michelle was standing in the way. He quickly took care of her.

Anchor, meanwhile, takes my advice and stays on Caius's good side. This strategy works, until Night Four, when the Careers get lost in the maze. Caius forces Anchor to take the lead as they try to find their way back in the dark. Anchor accidentally wanders straight into a tracker jackers' nest, and is doomed from there. He is abandoned by his alliance, much like Merit was during my Games. My screen goes black, yet I still have to watch the action being shown on the main screen. The boy from One also receives a few strings, and he dies a few hours later when Caius grows tired of his hallucination-caused screams.

I'm not sure how the rest of the Careers die, since I'm too busy with clients most of the time to pay much attention. With a weakened force and a leader who only worries about himself, they eventually all perish. In the end, the girl from Seven, seventeen-year-old Geneva Ryser is crowned victor after her former ally dies of a stab wound inflicted by the girl from One. Together, she and her ally were responsible for five deaths.

Since both tributes from District Four died fairly early, I manage to get through my list of clients more quickly than expected. I even had time to walk hand in hand in public with some of them if they so requested it, right in front of the cameras.

I arrive home a full three days earlier than expected. I don't call Lana ahead of time. I want to surprise her, and besides, the train might be bugged. As to be expected, no one is waiting for me at the station. No one knows I'm here. I step off the train alone, and greet a few lone people, mostly men loading seafood onto freight cars to be transported to the Capitol. I pick up my bags and make Lana's house my first stop. It will nice to be able to kiss the one girl I actually care about again, rather than a complete stranger.

I am about to ring the doorbell when I hear giggling coming from the side of the house. Curious, I set down my suitcase and creep around the corner of the Ramaro house to investigate. I find my girlfriend there, leaning against the wall, her long hair falling messily around her shoulders. She's not alone. She's kissing another boy. All at once, my brain stops functioning, and all I can do is stare, not comprehending what I'm seeing.

I'm not sure how much time has passed before she notices me. When she does, her face turns bright red, and she lightly nudges the boy away from her. Her eyes are red, either from lack of sleep, crying, or both.

"F-Finnick?" She slurs slightly, sounding a little bit drunk.

"Shit. I think this is my cue to leave," the boy says before jogging off.

I don't care about him, though.

I try to keep my voice steady as I begin to speak. "How could you? You know that stuff with the Capitol women… you know that's not real, right?"

"Finnick, I can explain," Lana starts, but I won't let her finish.

"Don't bother," I say, my voice low and cold. "I don't want to hear it."

I whip around and scoop up my suitcase, briskly walking off the Ramaro family's property. I ignore Lana's anguished cries. She doesn't follow me. She knows better than that.

"Finnick, wait! Please!"

I won't stop. I can't. I've felt so many negative feelings in the past few years of my life. I've been manipulated, broken, and abused, but never have I ever felt so betrayed.

Author's note: Kind of choppy and kind of a filler, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. :)

For those of you who never liked Lana… guess you now have a reason. For those who did, are you surprised?

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