When Factions Collide

Chapter 35: Adam

I had to wait for Wren to get done before I went. It must have gone well for her because she came out standing just a little bit taller, her posture straight in a portrait of majesty and success. She looked past me to Theo, nodded, and waited in the hall. The same one that Caroline was in. Could be a fight. Although, now Caroline just tried to ignore her, not wanting to work herself up. It still hurt her, though, I could tell. Her eyes were darker whenever Wren would diss her, her face a little more heavy, even her gait changed. I wasn't sure what to do, where to go. I loved Wren, but sometimes, when she picked fights, I hated her with a passion. But it was Caroline who started it all, Wren was just playing defensive most of the time. It was Caroline who started the fights. It was Caroline who flirted with every other guy, including not just the Capitol boys, but the girls as well. Desperate for attention. I was still dating her, though, out of loneliness. But I wasn't sure how long it would last.

When I went in, once they called my name, I presented some skills I was still in the process of learning. I learned how to throw a spear, and as that was my best skill, that was what I presented. They clapped politely after watching me in the simulation for ten minutes. I thought I did fairly well. I would see tonight when they announced the scores, which were ranked one out of ten for each tribute. The higher the number, I was explained to, the more sponsors the tribute was likely to get, which meant a better chance of living in the Games.

Theo looked at me and grimaced on the way out, and I went in the hall to get Caroline. I was surprised that they had not clawed each other to pieces until I saw the knife in Wren's hand. When did she steal that?

"Stealing much?"

"Not like I can use it. Might as well get a souvenir."

"Since when did you become so..." I fumbled for the right word.

"Mean, cruel, hot-tempered, all of the above?" Caroline was listing insulting adjectives.

She just looked at the knife. Then she looked us both in the eyes. "Since my life depended on it." her voice was smooth in confidence of her word choice, but I could see the meaning behind the feathery softness of it as well. She was upset at Caroline's insults. I felt bad and went to apologise, but Caroline stopped me.

"Just let her be the Stiff she is." Caroline shrugged, taking my hand and walking away. "Not like anyone would care if she lived or died."

Not true. I did. Theo obviously did. "Well, Theo does."

"No, he doesn't. He was totally playing hard to get with me that night at the table."

"Well, I'm your boyfriend. It shouldn't really matter what he thinks."

"Can't I have friends?" she went on the defensive. She always did this, victimized herself.

"Yeah, but so can she. So can I for that matter."

"Adam, she doesn't have friends. She has people who pity her. No one likes her! Have you seen what she does to me?"

"NO!" I didn't hate Wren at this point, in fact, I hated Caroline. My voice bellowed, evoking a stare even from Wren at the other end. "I care about her! I'm her friend!"

"She hates you! And I'm the only friend, the only girlfriend you need!"

"You know what, Caroline? I love her. So much more than you. I-I can't do this anymore, constantly tend to your needs. We're done."

"Adam, you're the love of my life! I can't live without you!"

"Then die." I broke away from her hand and walked away, plodding towards the elevator.

Back in the room, Wren and Theo were sitting on the couch eagerly awaiting their scores and talking about what they each did. After about an hour, they lay on top of each other and fell asleep. I was sitting on the couch adjacent to them, sitting drenched in my own pity. Caroline was up in her room, probably cutting herself for all I knew.

Wren woke up after an hour or so and looked at me. "Where's the girlfriend?"

"Broke up."

"Never liked her." was her coarse response.

"I know." and she lay back down on top of Theo, practically, his arm coming around her shoulders and holding her in his embrace.

I sighed, wanting to do that with someone. I hated being alone, but I had to get through the breakup somehow, and being alone was far better than being with Caroline. Why was I even thinking about petty drama before the Games? I mean, my God, I was about to face twenty three others for a battle to the death and here I was sitting and thinking about my ex girlfriend, and the girl I wanted to call my own. This sucked.

What was even worse was dinner. Anita noticed the awkwardness, the fact that I wasn't sitting with Caroline, and tried to make it better by talking about training, but that probably wasn't the best idea because Caroline started crying and had to leave the table. I felt my cheeks go hot and slunk down in my chair. But of course she was going to feel bad, I was the love of her life, apparently. She was supposed to mean nothing to me. I was supposed to let her die. How could I let her die when Wren wouldn't even be able to help me through my own breakup? Who could I rely on?

"Adam," Theo was the one who said something. "Don't feel bad about Caroline. She wants you to feel bad. I've seen it before."

"Where?"

"In her sister, when she didn't get what she wanted." Theo was wise. Maybe I should listen to him.

Anita had left to go check up on Caroline, since she seemed to leave the table very distraught, so it was just the three of us. I really wasn't too sure on what to say at this point, after the dialogue ended about her sister, so I sat quietly until Wren spoke up.

"What exactly happened?"

"Well, I just um..." I wasn't sure how much I should tell with Theo here.

"He knows." she said, sensing my discomfort.

"He does?"

"I felt guilty."

"Right, right. So basically I confessed that I never liked her in the first place, she claimed that I was the only one for her, and that was about it. I was done at that point."

"How are you feeling?" Theo contributed. It was because he dated her sister that he felt sympathetic, I thought.

"Right now I feel like a piece of shit, and I'm upset."

"Being single for a while is not a crime."

"It's been a while since I've been single."

"Even if you're single for a year, it's not going to kill you." Wren said.

"That's easy for you, though. Being in Amity, we were always affiliated with people. It's not easy being alone."

"No, it's not. But you also have friends."

"Not really."

"You do though, you have us." Wait. This coming from Theo?

"You're my friends?"

"For now, I'll consider this an amicable treaty. You picked the right side. Just do me a favour and don't kiss my girlfriend." he shook my hand and had his arm around Wren.

"Let's go look at some scores." I smiled and got up, accepting the treaty. But we all knew that one of us was not coming out of the Games.