Hi guys!

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I loved every one of them, and thank you all for putting in the time to write something about the chapter. I really appreciate them all so thank you!

Also, for those who hate Sarah, she will be going very soon now! I promise, she will be 'going' in the next ten chapters or less.

So, hope you all enjoy and please read on!

Chapter 25 – Goodbyes

Marina

I bang my fist on Cody's door, trying to keep calm but it's hard. I don't trust him at all, it's hard to think that I once did, and the thought of him trying to recruit Ella terrifies me. Ella may not know what he wants but I do; he wants her to join the mogs because she has potential and will be strong one day. Cody wants her power on his side.

"Cody, I know you're in there!" I bang my fist against the door again. Once, the thought of confrontation would have terrified me, but now I don't care. I'll do anything to protect Ella, and besides, I've faced a lot worse in the past two years. Maybe six months ago Cody might have scared me because of his influence amongst the mogs, but not anymore. He's just a pathetic loser with low self-esteem.

I hear a shuffling noise and then the door opens, Cody standing warily in the doorway. He looks as sly as ever, dressed in a mog officer's uniform. His hair is slicked back in the usual mogadorian style and his lips are twisted up in a sneer. Seeing him standing there so arrogantly sends anger rocketing through me but I try to remain calm.

"What do you want, Marina?" Cody leans against the door, trying to look relaxed but I can see that he's nervous by the look in his eyes. I wonder if he's scared of me. He should be after all the training I've done with Adelina.

"To talk" I reply coldly. He shrugs, gesturing for me to enter but I don't want to step into his room. I can't bear the thought of being any closer to him.

"Out here is fine" I say. Cody shrugs casually, but his eyes are cold.

"What do you want Marina? I don't have all day" Cody grins. "I've got errands to run, people to see, meetings to attend" he chuckles. "Unlike you, I don't have the luxury of a day off" he sneers. I clench my fists at my side, taking a deep breath.

"It's hardly a day off," I snap. "We have our interviews this evening and the Games tomorrow" Cody shrugs, a cruel grin on his face. Once it might have been a front, but I honestly think he means it now. Maybe once there was hope for him, but I don't think he'll ever change now.

"Technicalities aside," Cody waves my words off. "What do you want?" he asks again. I shoot him a glare, anger curdling inside me. I get that weird icy feeling churning in my veins but I try to ignore it, not wanting any distractions.

"Stay away from Ella," I warn him. "She'll never join your side" Cody laughs, grinning wickedly.

"If you were so sure, why did you come round here today then?" he chuckles cruelly. I wince, but stand my ground, refusing to show weakness to him. Cody waits for my answer but I'm not sure what to say to him. He grins wider, his teeth glinting in the light.

"Ella can make her own mind up, she doesn't need to be told what to do by you or Stanley," Cody says. "The mogs will let her develop in a way that you never have. She knows that…one of these days she'll accept it and join us" he grins triumphantly. I laugh bitterly, shaking my head angrily.

"You really think that? You really think she'll join the side that killed her friends?" I ask. "You're insane, Cody. Ella may be young but she's stronger and braver than you'll ever be. She'll never join your side," I hiss. Cody's face pales with anger and his jaw locks.

"Then why are you here? Why are you trying to stop me from seeing her if you're so confident in her?" he says smoothly, but I can sense the anger in him. I narrow my eyes, my fists clenched in fury. I hate him so much. I didn't realise it was possible to hate someone so much. Maybe it's because he betrayed me; he was once my friend and I saved him in Round 2 but he just betrayed me.

"Because I'm trying to protect her," I hiss. "That's what you do for friends. You protect them," I say sharply. I see him wince at the dig, and I can't help but be pleased. It's about time he hurts for something he's done.

"I tried to protect you!" he yells. "I tried to save you from the Games, and you know it, but won't accept it!" he loses his cool, his pain and anger taking over. "Why won't you accept that?" he shouts. I take a deep breath, steadying my nerves. I won't feel sorry for him, I won't.

"Because it's not enough!" I snap. "You still sent the others in to die without caring!" Tears flood my eyes. "Because you were my friend and you betrayed me! You betrayed us all!" I falter, my breathing unsteady. Cody looks stunned, his eyes broken.

"I didn't want us to stop being friends," he whispers. It's like his cruel, angry front has been ripped back and it's just the vulnerable boy in front of me once more. "All I wanted was to be appreciated for who I was" he whispers, tears in his eyes. I bite my lip, my hatred replaced with sympathy.

"I did" I reply softly. "If you had only stopped feeling angry at the world then you would have noticed that I did appreciate you" I shake my head. "You just wanted more and lost sight of everything" Cody looks stricken, as if this never occurred to him.

"Well it's too late now," he replies. "I'm one of them now. I work for them. And you're going to die" he says viciously, as if to distance himself once more. Maybe he thinks that's the only way to protect himself. I wince, feeling raw and hurt. This always happens when I talk to him and I hate it.

"Maybe not" I reply, trying to appear brave. "I might live to win this. And I'll know if you've tried to recruit Ella" I say, injecting anger into my voice. Cody sneers, his front back on once more.

"But if you die you'll have no idea what will happen to her" Cody whispers viciously. "Poor Ella, all by herself…maybe she'll change her mind just so she'll have someone there for her. Maybe she'll join us, be one of us. Maybe she'll-"

"Shut up!" I yell, trying to block out his poisonous words. "You're wrong about Ella, you're wrong! She'll never join you, be one of you!" I shake my head, trying to blink the tears in my eyes away.

"Don't listen to him," there are a set of footsteps and then Joseph appears, his comforting presence reassuring me at once. His face is set into a scowl when he sees Cody, his fists clenched at his sides. I wonder how much of this conversation he's heard.

"Oh here he is, come to save the day" Cody mocks, his face twisted up spitefully. Joseph comes to stand by my side, and I feel stronger at once, even though I was capable of holding my own without him. It's nice knowing that someone is here to back me up, no matter what.

"Shut up, Cody" Joseph snaps. "Why don't you run off to your precious mog friends? Marina and I have had enough of your bullshit" I've never heard Joseph sound so spiteful or angry but there must be something about Cody that really grates on him.

"'Marina and I'," Cody repeats Joseph's words, his eyes filled with cruelty as he taunts Joseph. "Marina and you. What a team you could have been. What a future you could have had. Shame that she's going to die soon," I wince and Joseph turns pale with anger or fear, I'm not sure. Cody leans forwards, loving the effect he's having.

"It would be so awful if she had to die in front of your eyes, wouldn't it?" Cody whispers softly, his voice dangerous. He inches closer to Joseph, his eyes dark with anger. "Do you now how much influence I have amongst the mogs? Enough to make a difference in these Games. It would be such a shame if you had to see Marina die and you were powerless to stop it," Cody whispers viciously. Joseph is pale and looks sick. "It would be such a shame if-"

Joseph reacts so quickly that I barely see it. He grabs Cody swiftly, slamming him to the wall in a grip that was similar to the one Cody used on me so long ago. But this time Cody isn't strong enough to fight back and he stares at Joseph, almost horrified. Joseph's grip on Cody is pretty strong but I can't find it in me to be worried. He deserves this. In fact, there's some part of me that is pleased that Joseph is doing this for me. It's wrong, but I'm glad.

"If you do anything to Marina," Joseph says slowly, his voice soft but dangerous. He leans close to Cody threateningly and it's the first time I've seen Joseph truly angry. "Then I swear I will do whatever it takes to win the Games so I can make you pay. And that's a promise" I can only imagine what Joseph's face is like but Cody swallows nervously, his forehead shiny with sweat.

"Come on Joseph, let's go" I speak up. As much as I'd love to see Cody punched in the face, the punishment that Joseph would get in the arena isn't worth it. "I don't want to waste my last day here with him," I say, gently placing my hand on Joseph's arm. I can feel his tensed muscles under my hand but then he relaxes, dropping Cody to the floor. Joseph's breathing heavily and I can tell he's still angry but is trying to control himself for my sake.

"I meant what I said" Joseph stares down at Cody. "Be careful" He turns on his heel, marching away from Cody, his back tight with anger. I follow Joseph at once, refusing to even spare the traitor a glance.

Xxx

"You shouldn't have done that," My head rests in Joseph's lap as I lie on the roof of the Training Centre, the late afternoon sun still warm and bright. The smell of flowers wafts in the gentle breeze and the chiming of the wind chimes adds to the atmosphere. It's perfect for my last afternoon here and I wouldn't want to do anything else.

"Why not?" Joseph plays lightly with my hair, a smile on his face. His green eyes are serene but filled with the familiar mischief that never seems to go away, no matter what. I know I shouldn't be here, I should be hiding from him and distancing myself, but it just doesn't work. I love him too much to change anything; I'm in too deep. I don't want to be away from him anymore and I don't want to lie to myself about my feelings anymore.

"Because Cody has influence with the mogs," I shut my eyes, enjoying his fingers lightly playing with my hair. "Because he could make you pay for that"

Joseph shifts slightly. "It was worth it," he replies, his voice warm and sincere. "I wasn't going to stand by and let him threaten your life," I smile, my eyes still shut.

"Thanks" I whisper. He doesn't reply but I feel a gentle touch on my cheek. His fingers gently brush over my cheekbones, his touch as light as a feather. It's wonderful.

Once I used to be so worried that there would be nothing between us, but I never realised how wrong I was until now. Joseph has always cared for me, and I have always cared for him. Only now do I realise that love isn't chocolates and flowers and kisses, and even though that's sweet, it's not necessary to show you care. It's knowing that someone is always there for you and will always support you. It's knowing that there's someone who understands you and accepts you, and will never judge you. I've had that from day one with Joseph, and he's always had it from me. And I know that no matter what happens in the arena that will never change.

"We should be heading down soon" Joseph sighs. "To get ready for tonight" I open my eyes slowly, blinking at the bright light.

"I don't want to go," I say honestly. "I want to stay here with you, and never leave" Joseph laughs gently, smiling warmly down at me. I feel all warm and happy, as if we're in a bubble where no one can get to us. I don't even care that the Games are starting tomorrow. This moment is all that counts and it's perfect.

"Adelina will drag you down eventually," he laughs, gently curling a lock of my hair around his finger. "And Reynolds will come for me as well" I smile, leaning my head against his knee so I can see him better.

"Well, until she does, I'll stay right here" I reply. He laughs again, moving so that he can lie down too. I shift slightly, and then his arms are around me, and I can rest my head on his chest. I close my eyes again, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his warmth all around me.

"And I'll stay with you" he says softly. "Right by your side" his lips press against my forehead gently and I smile, snuggling in closer. His arms tighten around me, protecting me for the last time.

"Always?" I whisper, knowing that he can't promise me this. Who knows what will happen tomorrow, who knows what will happen in the Games? He can't promise me anything when we have to fight one another. But he does it anyway.

"Always"

Xxx

Maren

"You could get into a huge amount of trouble for your test" Sam paces in front of me, his face twisted up in worry. "You committed treason! They're going to make you pay for that! They'll kill you!" Sam chews his lip in fear, his glasses wonky on his nose. Looking at his dear, familiar face hurts me so much but I try to look casual.

"I'm going to die anyway," I shrug, leaning back on the sofa. "There's no way Setrakus will ever let me live, no matter how hard I fight in the arena. I might as well go out with a bang," I try to look like it doesn't bother me, but fear churns sickeningly in my stomach. Thinking back on it, it wasn't a great idea at all to present a 'dead' Setrakus Ra to the Gamemakers, but I was just so angry. I wanted to make my test count.

"Be serious, Maren!" Sam pleads. "I don't want you to die! Your family won't want you to die! If you fight hard enough, you could win and you know it!" he reaches out for me but then hesitates, a small blush on his cheeks.

"Don't be melodramatic, Sam! Against all odds, I did ok! A ten is the highest score," I roll my eyes. I had been very surprised to get that to be honest, I had expected a one. But when it turned out that John had gotten the same mark, things started to make sense. They want the both of us to be targets in the arena for getting high scores. And I bet we're going to be the brunt of Gamemakers tricks in there too.

"I'm not being melodramatic!" Sam explodes. "I don't want you to die! Neither of you!" I've never seen him so angry and my witty reply disappears.

"I am being serious," I reply softly, dropping my eyes away from his. "I know I shouldn't have done it, I really know it Sam, but I was so angry" I shake my head, annoyed with myself. Why do I keep doing this? "But there's nothing I can do now. I might as well focus on the present instead of the past," I say softly. Sam sighs, looking like he wants to say more, but John interrupts him.

"She's right, there's nothing we can do," he drops Sam's nerdy magazine on the floor and smiles warmly at him. "We might as well enjoy our last day together" He looks slightly tense and distracted, despite his words, and I wonder if he's thinking of Sarah. I wonder if he misses her, still loves her, wishes she were here instead of me and Sam. It's hard to tell with John.

"If that's even possible," Sam mutters. He looks worried and upset and I can't help but feel sorry for him. There's nothing worse than being powerless, especially when your friends are being sent into an arena to be killed. At least I can do something; Sam is in the dark.

"Hey, it'll be ok," I smile. "Sam, it'll be fine. There's no one else I'd rather spend my last day with" I say softly, reaching out and taking his hand in mine. John wraps his arm around Sam's shoulders comfortingly and Sam smiles a little, cheering up a little.

"Me neither," John agrees, a warm smile on his face. I can't tell whether he's being truthful or not. I refuse to look at him. Here we are today, hanging out in Sam's rooms as best friends, but come tomorrow, we'll be enemies. I don't know if I can truly trust John, no matter how much I like him or enjoy his company.

"So, what's this you've been reading?" I change the subject, reaching for a magazine on the ground. Sam turns pink at once, trying to reach out and take it from me. That, of course, fuels my curiosity and I jump away from him, waving the magazine in the air.

"It's nothing!" Sam stammers. I grin, flipping through the pages curiously, scanning the articles.

"Are there other alien races out there, waiting to be discovered?" I laugh as I read out the introduction to the magazine. "You really read this Sam? I mean, I know you're a nerd, but this? Seriously?" I grin at him. Sam tries to tackle me again for the magazine, but John good-naturedly grabs his friend, winking at me. Sam is trying to get free but he's laughing too hard.

"Alien conspiracies and theories?" I shake my head. "I thought better of you, Sam" I grin. He tries to protest but I don't listen, reading more of the magazine out loud. John starts to laugh and I can tell Sam is amused despite his embarrassment. He knows that we don't mean this, and this is a better subject than our impending death.

"Come on guys, this is bullying" he complains. John laughs, lightly shoving his friend, and I raise an eyebrow in amusement.

"We're bullying you?" I grin. "I feel slightly offended, don't you John?" he laughs in amusement but before we can really 'bully' Sam, there's a knock on the door. I stop laughing at once in confusion; who else is coming today?

"I'll get it," Sam says, adjusting his glasses as he heads to the door. I drop the magazine, almost feeling wary, but I know I shouldn't. It's just someone at the door, nothing else. John sits up on the sofa, frowning slightly; we weren't expecting anyone else to hang out with us. Sam opens the door and I gape when I see Sarah standing at the doorway. John turns pale at once, almost looking sick as he stares at her.

"Is John here? He wasn't in his rooms and…" Sarah trails off when she sees John on the sofa, her normally happy face filled with sadness. I suddenly feel really awkward and I can tell Sam feels the same by the glance he shoots me.

"Why don't we leave them to it?" he says softly. I scowl, not wanting to leave John with Sarah. I might not trust him completely, after all it's impossible seeing as we're both in the Games, but he's still my friend. He's been able to distance himself from Sarah but now she's just going to ruin it.

"Um, John? Do you want us to go?" I ask him, hoping he says no. Sarah is a liability; she'll just get him killed. But John nods, his eyes still locked on Sarah, as if there's no one else in the room. I suddenly feel angry with him, and shrug in annoyance, marching out of the room and down the corridor. I don't look at Sarah once; she makes me furious and I don't want to act out, not now in front of John. Can she not see what she's doing to John?

"Whoa, Maren, wait up!" Sam runs behind me, catching my arm. I hear Sam's door shut and I can only imagine what poison Sarah is telling John. I grit my teeth but slow down, surprised by my sudden anger. What is going on with me? It must be because of the interviews this evening and the Games tomorrow. It must be.

"She's going to get him killed," I swing round to face Sam, practically spitting in my anger. "She's going to get him killed because he loves her and can't bear to leave her, and she knows it! She's a lying, manipulative bitch!" Sam looks surprised by my anger and schools his face to look calm.

"Maybe not. She didn't get him killed in our Games," he says softly. "And she loves him, Maren, she's not doing this for her own gain" I shoot him a glare, running a hand through my hair.

"These Games are different, Sam. Anything can happen" I shake my head. "She's going to get him killed both emotionally and physically," I sigh angrily. Sam reaches out, gently touching my arm reassuringly.

"But that means you live" he points out. "So, it would work out in your favour in the end" he says. It's almost something that I would have said once, but things have changed now. I've changed.

"He's my friend, Sam, of course I care," I mutter, my anger starting to dissipate. I hope John's all right, I really do, but my anger was stupid. Sam looks at me, his face thoughtful.

"Of course," he says, looking as if he wants to say something else but knows better. "Of course, that's what it is"

Xxx

Stanley

I shovel food into my mouth, starving despite a day of doing nothing. I could have trained in the gym I suppose but I wanted to spend the last day with Sandor since this could be my last chance. We also went over training, talking about tricks the Gamemakers could use and then what I could do to survive. It was almost relaxing if not for the threat of tomorrow hanging over our heads.

"Mind if I join?" John motions to the chair opposite me. I nod, noticing that we're the only other two in the cafeteria for now. It's the interviews tonight and I know the other tributes will be coming down soon to eat before they get ready. I'm dreading the rigorous prep routine for the interviews but it's better than doing nothing.

"You ok?" I ask him. Over the six months spent here after our Games, we all got to know one another pretty well, in a way that was impossible during the Games. I count John as one of my closest friends in here, and it's always fun to wind him up, especially about Sarah. But he looks broken and weary today, with bags under his eyes and a drained look about him.

"Yeah," he rips into bread, dunking it in his soup. He takes a bite, chewing slowly, then shakes his head. "No. No I'm not all right," I frown, slowing down my eating slightly.

"What's wrong?" I ask, slightly concerned. John is usually the calm one, the one keeping us all together whilst the rest of us are breaking down.

"Sarah came over to see me," he sighs, putting his head in his hands. "She was saying…she told me she still loved me and that she wanted me to know that before the Games tomorrow," he mutters. I sigh, shaking my head. It must suck knowing that the girl you love is going into the arena where you'll be enemies. I don't know how I would have coped if Maddy and I were in the same situation. Even now I still miss her and still feel guilty over her death, and I didn't even feel the same magnitude of feelings that John has for Sarah.

"Dude, ignore her. It's just a game," I lie. I know Sarah really loves John, but I don't want him to die because of her. If anyone should live, it's John. He's decent and strong and above all, is a fighter. He'll never give up our cause, even if we're all dead. "She wants to play with your head to make you fall for her all over again. She's trying to make you weak" I chew my bread slowly, feeling bad for lying, but John deserves to have a clear head for tonight and tomorrow.

"That's what Maren's been telling me too," John smiles ruefully. My eyebrows shoot up and I can't help but grin cheekily. Maren is, well, Maren. She's gorgeous and scary and badass. And she has been spending a lot of time with John. We've all noticed it, especially Sarah.

"Well, listen to her," I grin. "She knows what she's talking about" I chew my food roughly. John can't help but smile a little, a funny look on his face.

"Don't tell her that," he warns me. "She'll never let you forget it," I laugh, taking a swig from my drink. I stand up to get more food and John follows, apparently as hungry as I am.

"You know, you could do a lot worse," I finally say, pouring soup into my bowl. "Having to choose between Sarah and Maren? A lot of guys would kill for that choice" I turn slightly wistful, just to annoy him. "Hell, I'd give my right arm to be in your position" I grin. John rolls his eyes, his cheeks a little red.

"Who said anything about choosing? I love Sarah, always have and always will. Besides, Maren is my friend," he protests. I snort, shoving him jokingly. But part of me is being serious, Maren and John have spent a lot of time together and they're pretty close. Or close in terms of Maren's idea of friendship.

"I think you're protesting too much" I grin. "I think someone here is in denial" John can't help but laugh, shoving me back. I grab for him at once, twisting him into a headlock, but it's only a joke. It's just what guys do. John laughs and tries to break the grip but I'm stronger than him and he's not really trying that hard.

"What's going on here? Have I interrupted something?" I grin when I see Sophia hovering nearby, a bowl in her hand. She's smiling despite herself, especially when John tries and fails to break my grip.

"I'm giving Johnny here a little affection," I grin, ruffling his hair. He mutters in protest but I hang on.

"Get off you idiot" he laughs, trying to fight me off. I let him go, ruffling his hair once more, just to annoy him.

"Hey, you need me now more than ever" I wink at him. John rolls his eyes, grabbing his food bowl and heading towards the table before I can do anything else. Sophia snorts, reaching for the food.

"Be careful, you might make Sarah jealous" she warns me, that sharp smile of hers on her face. I shrug, leaning against the table as she helps herself to the food.

"I think she's already there. A certain Maren and John have been hanging out quite a lot recently," I whisper conspiratorially. Sophia rolls her eyes, shutting the lid of the soup bowl.

"So the interviews are happening tonight and the Games are starting tomorrow, and all you care about is gossip," she laughs. I shrug, as we head back to the table where Joseph and Marina have joined John. They're talking about training but I can sense the tension at the table. This time tomorrow we'll all be in the arena and every one of us is in the way of our survival.

"Hey, give me a break" I reply. "It's the last thing I've got left" Sophia turns more serious but doesn't say anything as we sit down at the table. It feels weird to be sat here with everything and the reality starts to dawn on me. I really will have to kill these people or at least cause their deaths in some way if I want to live.

"Hey Stanley" Joseph grins. He and Marina are sat pretty close together and I can't help but feel sorry for them. If I thought I had it bad, then at least I'm not in their position.

"Hey," I reply, aware of Sophia sitting next to me. She shovels food into her mouth, avoiding talking to the others. She's the only one here who has seemed capable of distancing herself to protect herself. She's not made friends which means we'll be easier to kill.

And it also means that she's preparing to fight. Really fight.

"Ready for the interviews tonight?" Marina asks, picking up a piece of bread form the breadbasket. She plays with it in her hands, lightly picking at the crumbs.

"Course not" I snort. "I'll just wing it" I shrug, not feeling too concerned. After everything I've been through, a small interview doesn't bother me. Marina nods, keeping her eyes downcast. I like her, but she's stronger than people realize and I know she'll also be a threat when the time comes. The thought makes me feel slightly sick and I take a gulp of water.

"Nice to see everyone's eating together like a cute little family" I look up at Maren's voice, noticing the sarcastic tone. She's avoiding John and I can tell that his talk with Sarah has not improved her mood. It would be amusing if not for the look on her face.

"What's wrong with that?" I ask. "We might as well spend our last meal with friends," it strikes me then that I'm so different from how I used to be. Before, I didn't care about friends or being nice; I just wanted to live. But things have changed so much. I don't know if I like that or not.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Maren shrugs. She's got a plate of food but I can tell she's not going to be sitting with us. "Just remember that whilst you're being all friendly with each other, we'll be facing one another tomorrow" she snaps. Marina turns pale and John frowns, looking angry.

"Always one to improve a mood, aren't you?" I snort, annoyed. None of us have forgotten about tomorrow, we've just decided to ignore it for one normal hour.

"I'm being sensible," she looks over all of us and I can see the slightest hint of pain in her eyes. This isn't easy for her either, no matter what she says. "It's about time you all act the same. Because we're not friends. We're all enemies. And only one of us can win"

Hope you all enjoyed! The reason Maren was like that just now was because she was still in a bad mood from Sarah.

Please review! :D