The fifth day
-Bec Pierre, 17, District 3-
Bec had made a lot of questionable decisions in the five days he'd been here. He would be the first to admit that. He would be the first to admit that he hadn't always made the right choice.
Tav had warned him that he wouldn't. Bec was prepared to make bad decisions. But he wasn't prepared to make bad decisions that cost him the life of his ally. He wasn't prepared to make decisions that cost him the life of a person who was more well-loved than Bec had ever been back home. Bec wasn't prepared to make a decision so bad that it cost him the life of the only other person that would take care of his friends back home.
But most importantly, and most chillingly, Bec wasn't prepared to make a decision so shitty it had cost him the life of a friend.
Even when in the clutches of the Careers, Bec hadn't let go of his grudge against them. They were no better than the group of thugs Bec dealt with back home in District Three. Those kids that thought they could get away with beating down his friends. Bec made sure they paid for what they did to them. And in the same way, the Careers were going to pay. It was just a game of chess. The most sadistic game of chess Bec would ever have to play. The most dangerous, as well.
Bec wouldn't feel an ounce of regret for hurting the people that killed Dyna. He wouldn't even blink an eye over any of their bloody corpses.
However, even though Bec was mad, he was not rash. He would patiently and strategically wait. Nudge certain pieces in certain directions. Until everything came together and he was able to make sure all of them were dead.
He'd already claimed his first victim, after all. And she was also the most important. After all, it was Luna who had taken Dyna's life.
Bec didn't want to fight Ollie. The boy from Eleven had never done anything wrong to him. Ollie's hands shook around that knife he was holding. He didn't want to hurt Bec. He was only charging because that's what Kaelys had told him to do. Bec knew that.
Maybe Bec should have killed Ollie. But Ollie wasn't the important target. Bec wanted revenge.
It was a pretty ballsy risk. Kaelys may have though that Bec was going after him and taken him on. Or given some kind of indication to Attila, Ester, and Dania that Bec was helping her. But Kaelys was smart. She lived the same kind of life that Bec did. Of all tributes, it was most likely that Kaelys could have taken down a Career.
Ollie had gotten Bec's hint to stop attacking. He had almost served as a cover, just in case one of the other teens who was still fighting had a chance to look up. It had give Bec the perfect chance to finish the work that Kaelys had already started by throwing a knife straight at Luna. Bec felt nothing but pleasure over her corpse. After all, she was the main target. She was a peg-in for Victor, and she hadn't even made it to the top half. And that in itself was satisfying for Bec.
Bec's other three allies didn't know a thing about what really happened to Luna. Attila was too dumb to think about it, and Ester was too distracted with wounds. Dania was woozy from the fight as well. Bec wondered if they were suspicious of his mysterious lack of injuries. If they were, they didn't say anything, though, which was lucky for Bec. Sometimes taking a chance really did pay off. And that was a big chance.
Bec wasn't really sleeping. When his only allies were trained killers, he really couldn't. He knew they'd take him out in a heartbeat. It didn't matter to Ester that she wasn't trained. She acted like she was. She was acting more and more like a full-fledged Career every day. Bec hoped she'd die before she became too big of a threat. Yet, at the same time, he was far too terrified of what Attila would be like without her. He was already proving to be a Class A Nightmare with her. Bec couldn't imagine what he'd be like without her. And Bec would be damned if someone so heartless and brainless as Attila somehow won the Games.
Bec heard the light grunt of Ester waking up, probably to take second watch. Dania would awaken her and go to sleep. For some reason, Bec didn't get to watch. Probably a smart reason. They knew he'd run or kill them all if they dared get any real shut-eye. He wasn't one of them. Even if he was masquerading as one. He wasn't a heartless killer. He was simply a man seeking revenge for what had been taken from him. Just as before.
"Dania!"
Ester's worried exclamation woke both Bec and Attila. Bec sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering what could have happened. When he looked around, though, he was shocked to find that it was morning, and he had unintentionally slept through the night.
He was even more shocked that the girl from District Two was nowhere to be found.
"Attila, Dania's gone!" Ester said, her voice panicked.
"What?"
"Where-"
"What did you do to her, Sewer Rat?!" Attila barked at Bec, who practically jumped out of his own skin in fear.
"I didn't touch her!" he said quickly, defensively, his mind whizzing as he tried to think of an escape route.
"What the-" Attila grumbled.
"She's gone!" Ester said, her voice becoming less panicked and more angry. "She's gone and she took a boatload of supplies with her."
Bec was both impressed and horrified. He hadn't even heard her leave as he was laying there, eyes closed, half-asleep.
"What?" Attila dropped his harsh gaze on Bec to look back at Ester.
"That little bitch!" Ester said. She sounded mad, more angry than Bec thought the bubbly girl could ever get. This was starting to not look so good for her.
"Then I guess it's just the two of us," Attila said, reaching for his weapon. Bec's heart practically stopped in his chest. He had no idea what to do, where to go. He couldn't fight the pair. Not now that Ester had gotten so good at stabbing people.
"Hold on, you don't want to do that," Bec said, trying to keep his voice from quivering. He couldn't show a single sign of fear or else he'd be done for.
"I think he does," Ester said, giving him a smile Bec could only describe as devilish. "After all, we broke up the only other alliance in this Games that is a threat to us. And one less you means one less step on the way to the title." Of course she was thinking like a strategist. The Games make people desperate, after all. Desperate for their own lives. Wasn't that why Bec had done what he did up to that point?
"You're so smart," Attila said.
"Thanks babe," Ester said sweetly. Bec wanted to throw up at the sadistic pair. How he ever ended up with this group… Bad decisions. Many bad decisions that just layered up on each other. And he was about to make another one.
"I know where Dania is!" came out of Bec's mouth before he could stop it. Damn. He was such a liar.
"Why didn't you stop her?" Ester asked. "I call bullshit."
Bec knew he couldn't sweat. It really wasn't a big problem. He had lied before, many many times before, and he was a seasoned convincer. It would be no problem to talk himself out of this mess. The bigger problem was what would happen to him after he talked himself out of this mess. He would have to think fast.
"I watched her go. I heard her kind of mumbling to herself before she went, all quiet."
"Was she mumbling?" Ester asked Attila.
"I was sleeping."
Ester sounds bothered when she says, "So was I."
"She was. I heard. Luna dying pushed her off the edge." Bec was only making the most logical guess at what happened, but hopefully it would be enough. He had lied to many different kinds of people before, but Ester may possibly be the biggest challenge yet. It takes one to know one, after all.
"Why would she go out into the open?"
"She's Dania. She's rash."
"She's scared too," Ester says quietly, thinking to herself. "She's intimidated by Attila and my love."
"She left. I know where she went. She was talking about it."
"Where did she go?" Ester asked. "I want to know. We're going there right after breakfast and if she isn't there or anywhere near, you're dead."
Bec was lying through his teeth. He had to find a way to save himself. But right now, there was no way. It was two against one, and they had more brawn than him, which would ultimately be what was important. He'd either have to separate them, or lead them to tributes that can break them up.
The problem was that Bec didn't know where any of the other tributes were. The directions they went after the bloodbath didn't matter anymore, they were probably all moving. If only he knew where Chance and Nerio were. If only he knew where Kaelys's small alliance was. But he didn't. All this time he'd been lying about knowing any of that. And now it was really coming back to bite him.
"You have one second before we kill you right here."
Damn, she wasn't even giving him time to come up with a lie. Bec knew he couldn't stammer or take time to think now. He just had to say a sentence that sounded natural. "She said something about going back to the Cornucopia."
Ester paused. "Do you believe him, Babe?" she asked, turning to Attila.
"Yeah," he grunted. "Sure."
There was a pause. "Alright. Let's have some grub then go back there. And if we don't find Dania, you'll be out of luck."
Bec didn't budge. He didn't let any kind of relief show. He knew that even something as simple as sighing in relief could set Ester against him. Then she'll throw him to Attila like a piece of raw meat to a dog. When Ester hands Bec a single cracker, as opposed to her and Attila's stacks, Bec can't help but wish he could make her look in a mirror. He didn't say or do anything in resentment, though. Instead he just smiled and thanked her for the food. He had to do everything he could to stay on her good side, after all. It was life or death now. The most delicate, dangerous game he had ever played before in his life.
He prayed that they ran into another tribute. He prayed that there were some kind of mutts, just waiting to get them. He prayed that something would happen to work in his favor.
"Let's go!" Ester said, zipping up her backpack. Attila stood dutifully, like her obedient little soldier. He led the way, as any dutiful guard dog should. Ester gestured for Bec to go next, probably to keep him from slipping out from the line when they weren't looking. The Queen took up the back.
Together the alliance walked to the staircase. Bec prayed that a miracle would save him.
Somehow, he just knew that the room with the golden horn was going to be empty.
And then he would have to fight for his life.
~.~.
-Nerio Thames, 17, District 4-
Things had been tense ever since Nerio killed Joule.
He had let the boy from District Five go once. Chance was too focused on Acacia when Joule reached the supplies, and Nerio gave him a pass. He just couldn't help it, he felt bad for the poor, pitiful shell of a human being. Ultimately, he knew that Joule wasn't going to be any kind of competition. He knew that Joule would realize there was no future for him and his fiancé and self-destruct after that. Nerio was glad that at least he died courageously, sacrificing himself to give his ally a chance. Not that Riggs would ever get that chance, not under Chance and Nerio's watch, but it was still a good thought, and he did buy his ally at least a couple of days.
Nerio was glad that at least Joule didn't have to die in disgrace. As much as the boy from Four didn't want to admit it, he had a bit of a soft spot for the kid. Even though Nerio had used him to get ahead as the heartbreaker, he still felt bad that Joule had made such dumb decisions. And, of course, he was thinking all this with the knowledge that Joule was dead. He would never think such things about the boy from Five if he were still alive. That would be dangerous.
Nerio knew how badly Chance wanted to kill Joule. He knew how badly Chance wanted to drag it out. But ultimately, Nerio couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand watching it. It was just too horrible. Nerio wanted to win, but Nerio also had an honor code about the Games.
He knew he'd have to kill, sure. But he also knew that a long, torturous death was a step too far. Nerio wanted to kill them quick and clean. Either way, long or short, it was still one less competitor in the way. If they fought back, maybe it would have to be slow, but Joule wasn't putting up much of a fight. He knew he was going to die. And Nerio didn't think Joule deserved the pain and suffering Chance was going to put him through. So, he did the rash and dumb thing and just killed him.
They'd argued after that. Chance was mad at Nerio for stealing his kill. Nerio just tried to stay very calm, even when it was hard. Chance eventually cooled down when he noticed how tense Nerio was starting to get. Nerio was glad for that. He didn't want to yell.
That night, Chance fucked him, but it was different than the last few times. Well, first it was different because they were no longer in a bedroom. Instead, they were in a bar. Unfortunately, there weren't any drinks, though. Instead of doing it on the bed, Nerio ended up bent over the counter. It wasn't anything he'd ever done before, but he liked it. It was satisfying. Chance was rougher than usual, and talked far less. He was obviously still mad. If anything, though, that made it even more hot.
But when he woke up the next morning, he seemed back to normal. Nerio hoped that maybe sex and sleep had helped him cool off. Either way, as Nerio had said at least five times, he was dead either way. And Nerio wasn't with him. Nerio was with Chance. That seemed to satisfy him.
Also, it was hard to argue when both of them were wearing their ridiculous hats. It was probably a pretty ridiculous sight, looking back, the two of them having a hushed conversation about killing someone in those stupid hats.
The hats were funny, though. Nerio liked them. They were charming. And, just as the sponsor had requested, Nerio had indeed kept the sombrero on for one of the nights they slept together, back in the bedroom. It was ridiculous, but also hilarious.
Nerio loved those moments when he and Chance laughed together. Since they'd hit the Arena they'd become few and far-between, though. For good reason. After all, to win, Nerio would have to be the ultimate heartbreaker and betray Chance. And the thought of that was… Well, it was unbearable. Just the thought made Nerio's heart freeze with anxiety. He wasn't sure if he could actually do it.
As much as he hated the idea of self-sacrifice, he wasn't sure if he could actually kill Chance if it came down to it. After all, they'd spent so much time together. The past couple weeks or so had just been such a roller coaster. And Nerio was glad that he got to stick it out with Chance. He was glad that he got to live it up with Chance. There was no other person he would have rather spent it with.
Joule was nice and all, but he wasn't Chance. He didn't make Nerio's heart pound hard in his chest. He didn't make Nerio's hands clammy like he was giving an important speech to the President. He didn't make Nerio smile for no reason other than just seeing him. Sure, maybe Joule had some witty things to say, but those were nothing compared to Chance. Nerio had made his choice that day. He killed Joule. Chance was his teammate. They were in this together.
And it went beyond winning sponsors.
To Nerio, at least. He had no idea what Chance was feeling.
Did Nerio feel dumb for falling in love in the Hunger Games? Duh. Did Nerio try to convince himself that he didn't feel that way about Chance for real? All the time. Was Nerio mad that somehow, he succumbed to the stupid prediction in the Quell twist? Yes, of course he was. He never asked for this. He didn't want it. He knew that maybe it would be bad for him, but he didn't care. He was so drawn to Chance. He wanted to be with Chance. And now that was biting him in the ass.
Nerio wished he would have had the courage to realize that now was not the time. He wished he would have ended this before it began. He wished he had never justified it by saying it was "just pretend." It was never acting for Nerio and he knew it. And he knew that it was bad. But he just couldn't stop. He wanted to love Chance and to be loved by Chance, even if it was just a dreamy delusion of his. Chance could still just be acting and Nerio would never know.
Nerio wished he would have left. He wished he would have emotionally detached himself before it came to this. He wished he could be totally sure that he would be the Victor and not give away his chance in a misguided act of selflessness. But he didn't leave. He didn't stop it. And he couldn't say any of those things.
Nerio felt dumb. He felt played. He felt mad, mad that he craved the affection of this boy so much that he had fallen so deeply in love with him. He wished he had been smart, like Luna, but he wasn't. And now he was trapped. He had absolutely nowhere to go. There would only be one Victor of these Games.
Chance stirred from slumber, yawning and sitting up in the sleeping bag the pair had gotten.
"Good morning Sunshine," he said, yawning and stretching.
"Hey," Nerio said, smiling. He wished he could control his thoughts. But he knew he couldn't. There was no stopping love. There was no walking away now, no matter how wrong of a time it was, or how wrong of a place. "How'd you sleep?"
"I slept pretty well," Chance yawned. "I sleep better when I lay with you, though."
"Oh please," Nerio scoffed. "There's no way my lap is more comfortable than the pillow on that sleeping bag."
"No, but it's more Nerio."
"What does that have to do with sleeping?" he asked.
"Huh?" Chance asked groggily, wiping his eyes.
"Sleeping?" Nerio asked, raising an eyebrow, but he couldn't help but smile.
"Oh, right. Sorry, sometimes I just stop thinking when you're around." He twisted his back and stood up. Nerio wished he could control the smile that felt like it was permanently glued to his face.
"How does more Nerio help with sleeping?"
"I don't know. I guess just because you smell. Like Nerio, I mean, not saying that you actually, like, smell."
Nerio laughed a little bit. "I know what you mean, don't worry." And he did. There was just a distinct Chance scent that Nerio really liked. It was comforting because it was Chance. Although Nerio was sure his "scent" was pretty jank. Probably just sweat and body odor.
"Plus, it helps when you stroke my hair," Chance teased, and Nerio laughed.
"Don't even pretend that's a joke, I know you like it."
"Makes for some interesting bedhead, though," Chance said.
"I'm pretty sure the stroking isn't what makes it crazy," Nerio said with a teasing smile and a wink.
"Do you think it's the pulling then?" Chance asked, laughing when Nerio huffed.
As much as Nerio would huff, though, the smile didn't leave his face. He just couldn't stop smiling when he talked to Chance. And that was kind of a crazy thing, because Nerio wasn't exactly a smiley kind of person. He never thought he would smile this much, all because of one person.
"Don't worry Babe, it's hot," Chance said.
"Not as hot as the sombrero though, right?" Nerio clapped back, causing Chance to huff in annoyance. Nerio noticed that he was still smiling too. That had to be a good sign, right?
"You're never wearing that sombrero during sex again," he said, and Nerio kept on tittering to himself. He couldn't help it. The memory just made him laugh. But in Nerio's defense, he still made it work like a queen, considering Chance was rock hard in record time.
"How about you wear the umbrella hat, then?"
"Also not happening. After a while it irritates behind my ears."
Nerio laughed. "Not even a quickie?"
"Not even if it was your dying wish." That comment made both of them stop smiling, the whole atmosphere shifting as they remembered exactly where they were and what they were out to do.
Chance cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sorry."
"Let's have breakfast," Nerio mumbled, going through a pack to pull out some food.
"Breakfast. Right. Good idea."
Nerio handed him a pack of dried fruit before reaching over to pat down his mild bedhead. "Then we can go hunting." Their eyes met, and Nerio studied every detail of Chance's icy blue eyes looking back into his own.
"Hunting," Chance said, with a small quirk of a smile. "Right. Good idea."
~.~.
-June Fisher, 18, District 9-
She woke up sobbing. She didn't remember her dream, but she knew in her heart it involved him.
By the time Kaelys had shaken her awake, her cheeks were already wet, sobs were already coming out of her mouth and snot was running out of her nose.
Kaelys agreed to watch, and June and Ollie had both crashed. Ollie had cried. He had cried his eyes out. He had screamed and sobbed so loudly Kaelys was covering his mouth and telling him to get over it. June had not cried. June had kept it all in. June fell into a deep sleep the moment she laid down. She was exhausted. She didn't even have nightmares about him. Or, at least, not that she remembered.
To say that June had been doing okay would be a gross fucking lie.
June was not fine. She was not okay, and no amount of convincing could make her think otherwise. She was never going to be fine again. She wasn't going to be fine again because she was a fucking coward that couldn't force out two stupid fucking words to his face.
June wanted to think Jasper died knowing she was sorry for what she did. June wanted to think that Jasper died knowing that she regretted it all, knowing that her heart was broken like his, knowing that she hated herself for breaking his heart and her stupid fucking mistake. She so desperately wanted to believe that he died knowing that she was sorry, even if he couldn't forgive her. She wanted to believe it so badly, so damn badly, she wanted to believe that he had died knowing that June would have gladly taken his place.
She couldn't say it.
She couldn't believe it.
And it was all her fault.
June was the one that didn't apologize. June was th-the one that obsessively shut everyone out because she was too scared to face her mistake. June, June, JUNE was the one that drowned her sorrows in fucking al-alcohol just to not have to face them. June, June, JUNE was the coward. June, June, JUNE was the coward who fought with a bow and arrow and didn't even try to save his life. June, June, JUNE was the one that took the backpack and ran without apologizing. Even as he was d-d-dying, she still didn't have the balls to apologize.
She couldn't run away from this. She couldn't just drink her way out. She couldn't keep denying that he was dead. She saw his face in the sky. She saw his goddamn corpse, just lying there on the motherfucking ground and not getting UP! She watched him take his f-final breath for the love of God!
And his last action had been to throw the backpack to her. Even in his last moments Jasper was saving her, and looking out for her!
"June…" Kaelys said, sternly, but June didn't want to hear it. June got it, Kaelys had lost Ashlyn. And yeah, it hurt, maybe that was true. But Kaelys didn't leave anything unsaid. Ollie didn't leave anything unsaid. They would never know this feeling. They would never know the other side of June's grief. They had never done anything to hurt the one they loved like June had. They hadn't done anything to lose the person they love. They hadn't ruined a three-year relationship like she had so they would never fucking KNOW! They would never UNDERSTAND!
"You KNEW!" June yelled through sobs. "You KNEW! You KNEW I-" gasp- "You KNEW I don't deserve this!" She hugs the backpack close to her, squeezing it tightly through sobs and gasps.
"June, quiet the hell down," Kaelys hissed. "You never know what other tributes might be around.'
"You KNEW I don't deserve this stupid thing!" she shouted, not listening. She didn't give a shit about them at this point. She was ready to fight anyone. "You KNEW I don't deserve this and y-you KNEW I didn't deserve to run away like a coward with my fu-cking LIFE!"
"June-"
Ollie sounds truly pained, but when he tries to come near me I push him backwards. I don't care about his watery eyes.
"We b-both know SHOULD'VE HAPPENED!"
"Stop yelling!" Kaelys says.
"I-I SHOULD BE DEAD!" June yelled through a sob, squeezing her eyes shut as tears were forced out of them. She couldn't think about anything but Jasper. She watched him die. She had to s-sit there and watch him… Watch h-him die! She shut out her allies' protests. She didn't want to hear them. She was hurting and she knew that she should be dead and he should be alive and it wasn't fair to him that she made him play this stupid act again just to live and she never had his best interests in mind when he always had hers, even with his last dying breath, which was such fucking BULLSHIT!
"I'm SORRY!" she yelled, squeezing the backpack. "I never fu-fucking TOLD you!" she hunched over the backpack, still sobbing quietly. "A-All I did was w-atch you die!" Visions of his bloody corpse came back to June, who wanted nothing more but for them to go away. She didn't want to see it again! She didn't want to l-live it again! And yet she knew she would never stop living it, for however much longer her sorry ass might life.
"June," Ollie said through tears, but June didn't want to listen.
"He was H-HURT!" she yelled. "AND HE STILL PUT ME FIRST!" June sobbed and gasped uncontrollably. "I could search m-my whole fucking God-forsaken life and I wouldn't find a-another Jasper! And I let him g-go! I l-let him DIE!" June took handfuls of the backpack, resisting the urge to punch something, or worse! It was all her fault! Everything was her fault! Everyone in District Nine would fucking h-hate her, a-and for good reason!
"Well yelling about it like a toddler isn't going to bring him back!" Kaelys yelled, grabbing June's arm and pulling it so that the girl from Nine was facing both of her allies.
Tears were trailing down Ollie's face, but he was trying to hold them back.
June stared at her allies, full of rage. How dare Kaelys f-fucking grab her like that! How dare they!
Slowly, though, the words sunk in. And June knew they were right. Jasper was gone. Jasper was gone and nothing June did was going to bring him back. Nothing June did was going to make him know how-how shitty she felt about this entire thing. He would never know how sorry she was about what happened. And he would never know how badly she wanted to take his place.
June's eyes still leaked tears. Her nose was still leaking snot she was wiping on her sleeves. But she knew that nothing would change what happened. She couldn't travel back in time. She couldn't change things. She was alone. She was officially fighting alone.
"I should be dead," June croaked. "I-I know I should. All m-my life I've been running. Run, run, run June run June, away from your problems." She reached up to wipe her eyes, but the tears just wouldn't stop. She knew that she had been running. She knew that she had been hiding. She knew that it would catch up to her. "Running doesn't fix anything. I couldn't swallow my pride and he just died. And now he's gone." She sobbed quietly into her hands, not wanting to look at her allies. She hated that they saw her like this. She hated that the nation saw her like this. "So I think I owe it to him to tell Panem the truth."
"Wh… What truth?" Ollie asked, wiping his eyes. "You did everything you could to fight them off."
"No, it's not about that!" June wiped her eyes. Was she about to do this? Yes. Jasper deserved it.
"June, what are you going on about?"
"I'm not… I'm not who you think I am!" she said through a sob. Her allies didn't say a word. There was a moment of terrible silence during which June's heart pounded in her chest. She took a deep breath. It was time to face the consequences.
"I'm…" June swallows more tears. "I'm a cheater!" Tears rolled down her cheeks and poured out of her eyes. "It wasn't a benevolent break-up. It was all my fault. It was because I cheated on… th-the love of my life. I cheated on him when I was drunk, with another g-girl I barely even knew. I-It was my fault!" her entire body trembled. "Th-The only reason he didn't ex-pose me was because…" June wiped her eyes, but more tears flowed out and covered her hands. "He was just too kind."
Her allies were speechless. June let out another sob, burying her face in her hands again. She couldn't stand to look at them. She couldn't stand to look at any of them in the eyes. "I deserved it, though. I deserved the whole nation to know I-I'm a cheater." She sobbed into her hands. "He was too selfless," she said, sniffling. "P-rentice and Vale told us w-we should act it." She couldn't stop crying, but for once, she decided not to fight it. "It… I-It was breaking his heart." Her voice wobbled, but June didn't try to hold it back. "He didn't want to." She couldn't look up, whispering weakly, "I-I don't blame him. We were in love. Three y-years of it. And I totally r-ruined his trust. And I will never forgive myself for that." June let out another quiet sob, still hugging the backpack close to her. "B-But he did it. We acted it. F-For sponsors. But the truth is that I-I never stopped loving him! And… I don't… I don't know if I e-ever will."
Ollie moved to comfort her but June curled out of his touch. "I don't deserve pity or comfort. I- I never deserved his love. I deserve to be exposed. Exposed for who I really am. A girl that ruined herself. A girl that lost her happily ever after." Quiet tears rolled slowly down her cheek and dripped to the floor. "I never told him I was sorry. I c-couldn't… Swallow my pride. I was selfish. H-He loved me anyways. And lost his chance so that the rest of us could escape." June sobbed quietly. "He deserved… So much better. He lied so that I wouldn't face scorn. But I'm tired of lying. I did it. I lost it all. I deserve to face the consequences of my stupid young selfishness." June sniffled a little bit. "I wish it didn't take losing him to realize that."
The others were silent. June was almost afraid at how they would react. Would Kaelys hate her for what she did? Would Ollie turn her back on her? June would be alone. And that was how she deserved to be. She had thrown it all away.
Ollie was the first to speak. "That was so brave," he murmured.
"I should have been brave months ago. I should have told him I'm so sorry. I should have taken his place."
"It's too late for that," said Kaelys.
"I think he knew," Ollie said quietly. "I think he knew you were sorry."
"I didn't tell him," June sniffled. "How could he know if I didn't tell him!?"
"He knew you. I think he knew. I think he wanted to work it out."
He was only trying to cheer her up, and June knew it. "Thanks, but don't lie to me. I know him. I know how much it hurt him. I don't deserve anyone like him."
"You can still turn it around," Ollie sniffled. "It's not too late."
"What?"
"You were brave enough to tell the truth, after all," he offered, smiling slightly at her even though she could tell how much it hurt him.
"He gave you a second chance," Kaelys said. "I think that's the ultimate forgiveness."
June felt more tears come to her eyes, but these ones weren't all tears of pain and grief. They were tears of thankfulness, and, in some weird way, joy. "You're right," she said quietly. "Even if I didn't deserve it. He gave it to me and I'm not going to waste it."
"That's the spirit," Ollie said, smiling. June reached up and wiped her eyes. She felt like a completely different person somehow, now that she let go of her lies. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Let's eat some breakfast and then make a game plan," Kaelys said. She tossed June their towel, which the Nine girl used to blow her nose. Water tasted so sweet, and the food was energizing. June felt a new drive in her. She had to win now, not just for herself, but also for Jasper. Losing was not an option.
As soon as June swallowed her last sip of water, the loudspeaker crackled on.
"Good morning tributes. This is your Head Gamemaker speaking."
June's heart started to pump harder in her chest. It was time.
"I hope you've been enjoying your voyage so far on the S. S. Quinn. It has been a pleasure hosting you."
"It's too early for a feast, isn't it?" Kaelys breathed.
"There are twelve," Ollie murmured.
June didn't say anything. She couldn't afford to.
"I am here to inform you that we anticipate reaching our destination… earlier than scheduled." He gave a chuckle that sounded hollow to June.
"Destination?" Kaelys murmured. June knew what was about to happen. She reached slowly into her backpack.
"That's right. Your Arena experience is far from over. Now that we are down to half, the real fun can begin." Kaelys and Ollie exchanged looks with June. "We are close to arrival at your island destination! And you will find that getting there faster is better. On the island, you will find perhaps the best treasure we have to offer."
June clenched her fists. Treasure that she would never use. Treasure that she'd lost the opportunity to benefit from.
"When you arrive, you'll find the red string of fate. Possess this, and you have the power to tie your fate to another tribute in the Arena. If one dies, the other will die immediately. However… If the last two alive are tied… There will hereby by two Victors of the Fifth Quarter Quell."
The news takes a while to sink in for the other two, who both seem to realize what they lost at the same time.
"There is only one string. And it is, of course, first-come, first-serve, so be hasty. We hope you've enjoyed your time on the S.S. Quinn. May the odds be ever in your favor."
As soon as the last syllable comes out of the Head Gamemaker's mouth, the ship jolts.
"We hit land!" Ollie shouts. "Let's go!" It was happening. It was really happening. Prentice was right. Prentice was right and it's really happening.
June pulled the cord that inflated the small orange lifeboat that she and Jasper had risked their lives to get. The boat Jasper had given June with his last dying motion.
"No," she said.
Ollie and Kaelys's eyes were wide. "What?" Ollie yelled. As soon as he finished his sentence, loud, ear-piercing alarms started to blare, voices giving instructions about where to find exits and lifeboats, sirens wailing, as tables started to tip and glassware fell off of tables, shattering into pieces.
"We didn't hit land! We hit an iceberg!"
Ollie and Kaelys paled at that statement, knowing full well the next statement that was going to come out of June's mouth, and that her lifeboat couldn't possibly hold three grown tributes.
"It was the plan all along," she said, darkly quiet with a quivering voice. "We're sinking."
~.~.
A/N: ALL IS REVEALED! Big thanks to Legend for helping me tie all my ideas together into a cohesive Arena! The fun has really only just begun, it's gonna get far more intense from here. I've been waiting for SO LONG to kick this plan into action and now I can't believe it's here! Buckle up everyone, shit's about to go down!
Note: If you want to sponsor a tribute with a one-person lifeboat, you can, but they cost 1,000 points a piece so you'll have to find another author or two to collab with you to have enough points (I don't want EVERY TRIBUTE getting one, lol. Takes the suspense out of it!) If you want a two-person lifeboat, it will cost 1500. There ARE provided lifeboats in the Arena, tributes just may have to fight to get them.
Thank you all for your great support and I hope you don't hate me too much for the cliffhanger! :)
Chapter Question: How do you like my little twist? Any predictions for what shit's gonna go down?
Scores:
66samvr: 74
aceswims: 30
AKLNxStories: 155
Alecxias: 2
AllHailTheNerdiness: 215
AmericanPi: 15
Apollo's Slytherpuff Daughter: 113
Astralium (Guest): 10
Becksheart: 4
bLizzieard: 100
bobothebear: 14
calebbeers21: 6
Cass: 154
Cloe: 220
Coolgal02: 61
CrissKenobie-the-Numenorean: 110
Darkflame324: 10
DaughterOfTigris: 265
david12341: 240
deathless. smile: 15
District7axemurder: 15
Dreamer: 630
dreams and desperation: 120
Emrys Holmes: 98
TheEngineeringGames: 353
epictomguy: 24
XxXFangirlonlineXxX: 32
Feniks16: 10
Fire'sCatching: 5
GalacticCoach: 58
Golden Moon Huntress: 149
goldie031: 269
hopefuldreamer1991: 354
Jeptwin: 2
judmud: 4
jul312: 25
Kate: 843
Lady Lysa Arryn: 127
: 10
Legend: 654
Littlefoot876: 10
Little Knight Mik: 94
Master Maedhros: 10
MissVolturiKingsfan: 10
Mockingjay (Guest): 10
Mystical Pine Forest: 50
Nrrrd-Grrrl-Meg: 4
OfficialBengy: 10
OncerTillTheEnd: 4
paperairline: 34
xxPeppermintxx109: 159
Platrium: 289
Programming: 7
TheReaper94: 2
rosecatforever: 360
Rosemarie Benson: 12
ShunKazamis-Girl: 26
Silverdust64: 10
Singlewave: 15
stop-pulling-on-mariazell: 30
SparkALeah: 15
Sparky She-Demon: 39
tracelyn: 95
TyeTheLurker (Guest): 65
XxVallirenxX: 49
VeneratedArt: 120
the victor of panem: 71
watercolorgalaxies: 4
We're All Okay: 71
W. R. Winters: 316
Xechaste: 4
youngpatriot: 44
See you all next chapter! Thank you for the reviews and support!