Hey everyone! Things have been getting crazy with school starting and all but like I said last time- I will try to update asap. Please review!
-iLoveTheMellarks
"Is the kid with you?" asks Haymitch. I'm leaving Sean for one reason; we can't be friends anymore. It's hard for me to even think about. Stella is slowly but surely creeping back into my life and it just can't happen. I said it once (or twice) and I'll say it again; I'm not letting them ruin their social lives just to be friends with me.
"No. Sean…backed out." I lie. Haymitch would think I was crazy if I just left Sean.
"I always knew that kid was no good." he tells me. "Why don't you just try to talk him into it? He usually does anything you say."
"Uh..actually he didn't back out because he was scared. We are…in a fight. So he didn't want to come." I tell him.
"You two in a fight? It must've been a pretty good reason. Well, are you sure you wanna go tonight?" he asks. I nod but then I notice I'm on the phone.
"Yeah- definitely. But by any chance, can you get me some clothes to wear?" I ask him. "I don't want to go running around the capitol in a sundress with fruit punch all over it."
"Fruit punch?" he asks.
"Don't ask. So, what time could you be here by?" I ask. I could here him mumbling to himself and yawning every once in a while.
"Alright, tell you what. Buy a ticket to district 12 and call me when you get there- I'll meet you at the train station and we will go from there." he says.
"Why can't you drive?" I ask.
"Uh…my license was suspended."
"Why? Wait…never mind." I say shaking my head. "Okay I'll be there as soon as I can. Try to get me some shorts and a t shirt. There should be some sneakers on my front porch because they are drying from the rain, just be quiet so you don't wake my parents if they are sleeping." I tell him.
"Alright, sweetheart. I'll try." he says then hangs up. I stand up from the curb and take off my shoes to walk barefoot. I look back at the lit-up house and start walking towards the train station. Sean was a great friend and I do love him. So that's why I have to leave him here. I begin to tear up and decide to try and call Colby. No answer.
I've been having this feeling inside of me that says that Colby doesn't love me anymore. If he did, he would be here. But the fact is that I love him so I have to see what won his heart over in the Capitol. Different thoughts run through my mind as I arrive at the train station. "One ticket to district 12 please." I take my ticket in exchange for some money. I take a seat on the bench and my phone rings. The caller ID reads 'Sean'. I press decline. He sends me 4 more texts and 3 more voicemails in the time that the train finally arrives.
I step on the train as I delete all the voicemails- but one I by accident press listen.
"Capri, I have a feeling I know where you are going because obviously you are ignoring my texts and calls and you aren't anywhere to be found. Please don't go to the Capitol without me if that's where you are leaving to. If you are at the train station please just stay there. If you don't and this is the last time we are ever going to speak to each other; I just want you to know that I love you. Not as a friend. I've felt this every since I've met you, I just wasn't sure until now. And if you aren't going to the Capitol and I might see you tomorrow…then this is embarrassing." he says right before I shut the voicemail off.
I have hesitations about stepping on the train. And then I hear Sean's voice and his foot steps getting closer and closer "You coming, kid?" asks the conductor. I nod and hop on before Sean could see me. I never looked at Sean in any other way then as a friend. As I said before, I don't believe Colby has any feelings for me anymore. But I need to hear that from Colby. I need him to say it.
As the train pulls away, Sean arrives at the station. We both make eye contact and then I drop it immediately. I feel like such an a-hole. He ran away from the party of the year just to find me. But I can't forget that Colby turned himself into the Capitol to show me that he loved me. And I also can't forget I'm only a freshman. I take a seat next to the window and I watch the night skies go by and I doze off into sleep
"This is your stop, kid." says the conductor shaking me awake. My eyes flutter open and I thank him for waking me.
"What time is it?" I ask.
"Almost 11:30 pm." he tells me. I walk off the train into the pitch black district 12. "Can I borrow a pen and paper?" I ask the ticket booth worker. She hands a sticky note and a pen. I write:
Mom and Dad-
I can't lie to you anymore. I'm not going with Sean's family on vacation-I never was. I'm leaving to go to the Capitol to find Colby…with Haymitch. Don't be mad at him; I want him to do this for me. I promise I will come back in one piece. But please don't tell anyone- because if someone knows and it gets outs and the cops start looking for me; I am sure to end up dead. I'll be back soon. Don't call my cell because it's almost out of battery. I love you both.
-Capri
Soon after I call Haymitch to come, he's here. "Hey." I say.
"I got you some clothes." he tells me. He hands over a navy blue t shirt, black shorts, and sneakers. "It's all I could find in your size at 11:30 at night."
"Thank you." I say with a smile. "Can we stop at my house really quick? I have a note for my parents." he reads the note and chuckles.
"Ok." We walk over to my house and I slip the note under my door.
"Alright. I'm ready." I tell him. "But first, I have to change behind that bush." I walk down the porch steps behind a tall shrub a hastily change. I rake my hair with my fingers, and take out the barrette I used for the party and tie it up in a ponytail.
I quietly emerge from the bush and look at Haymitch expectantly.
"What?" he asks.
"Well, what's next?"
"Sweetheart this is your mission, I'm just coming along for the ride." He tells me. I give him a look and begin to walk towards the train station, Haymitch grumpily trailing behind me. We reach the ticket booth and Haymitch buys the tickets. I sit down on a bench, waiting for Haymitch.
I look around and my eye catches a train coming in from 4. People trudge out of it sleepily and I see Sean come off, looking around hopefully. My heart thuds loudly praying he doesn't see me. I notice his shoulders slump sadly and he pulls out his phone. He walks slowly away. I can't help but be disappointed since I had an inkling of hope that he would see me and insist on coming.
Haymitch bounds over to me and sits himself down beside me. He hands me a ticket and I examine it. My heart stops. I read the ticket destination again.
"Are you stupid?" I asked Haymitch, keeping my voice low, in a scratchy whisper
"No" he says nonchalantly, sitting back and pulling his hat over his face. "I'm gonna grab some shut eye before the train comes. It's due in an hour or so. Wake me up then." He says sleepily.
"You bought the wrong tickets!" I cried, my voice getting louder. You could here the worry in my voice. It drew a few stares.
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did!" I screamed ripping his hat from his face. "This is a ticket for District 2!" I only had enough money for two tickets! Now we're gonna have to hold the mission off until I can get more! By then my parents will have found the note and try to keep me from leaving and Sean is bound to want to come!" I yelled.
"It's not a mistake. I bought a ticket to District 2 instead of directly to the Capitol to avoid suspicion. If two victors randomly decide to take a train to the Capitol and one of them is known to have a boyfriend being held captive there it's gonna draw attention." He explained and immediately fell asleep.
I thought it over and decided he was right. For the next hour I sat on the bench and looked around, watching the sleepy, irritable people coming off trains and stray dogs scrounging around for scraps.
Our train pulled into the station around one in the morning and I shook Haymitch awake and we boarded the train. We found seats in the back and kept to ourselves. I remember Haymitch's snores before I dozed off.
I woke up in the morning, sunlight streaming through the open train window. A light breeze drifted through. Haymitch sat beside me, reading a newspaper. A plate of eggs sat in front of me and I gobbled them up, gulping down some orange juice in the process.
The train pulled into a rest stop to get some gas and passengers had fifteen minutes to walk around and stretch their legs. I walked to a convenience store and bought a small pack. I bought a hairbrush, a toothbrush and some deodorant. I also got a cheap shirt, just in case. Even though I was going to the Capitol on a secret mission, I couldn't stand being filthy. I walked back onto the train and freshened up in the bathroom.
"When are we gonna be there?" I asked Haymitch.
"Soon." He said, eyes closed.
"Seriously, when are we gonna be there?" I asked. He sighed
"About 10:30 this morning." He said gruffly. It was 9:45 now so for the remaining hour I sat in my seat and gazed out the window. Finally I saw the tall buildings and bustling people and I recollected a faint memory. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I couldn't help feeling something almost like excitement
The train stopped and Haymitch and I walked off. It was a sunny, cool day. We walked around on the streets stopping in a little café for lunch. While we were walking I looked out onto a field. I saw a disheveled shack sitting behind a cluster of trees, almost as if it was hiding from something, as if it didn't want to be found. It hit me. This was where Colby turned himself in. Memories washed over me in a deluge of emotions and scenes and frantic running. I felt tears prick my eyes and I quickly brushed them away. "What are you crying about now?" he asks.
"I just notice this is the place I last saw Colby." I say in a neutral voice.
"Wow, you're slow." he says with a chuckle. I shoot him an evil glare and walk in front of him. We reach the ticket booth and I walk up to the young woman at the booth.
"Excuse me, can I have two tickets to the Capitol please." I ask politely. Haymitch stands beside me and takes out his wallet, pulling out a twenty. She looks at us distrustfully.
"Aren't you Capri Mellark? And aren't you Haymitch Abernathy?" she asks. "What business do you have there?"
"Well yes-"I begin before Haymitch steps on my foot. My eyes water.
"Yes, I am Haymitch Abernathy but this is not Capri. This is my niece, Molly Barden. My sister lives in the Capitol with her husband and I was watching lil' Molly. Now I'm goin to hand her back over. My sister, Ellie and her husband had a wedding to go to, you know Capitol weddings, not exactly appropriate for young ladies." He hands the women whose name was Darla according to her name tag a twenty dollar bill. She takes it slowly. She doesn't hand us our tickets. Haymitch clears his throat uncomfortably. "That'll be two tickets to the Capitol." He said. The women skeptically hands them over.
I murmur our thanks and we quickly walk away. "Why is my name suddenly Molly Barden?" I ask him angrily. I can't help not forgetting my painful toe which I now am wincing at every time I step on it.
"We don't want anyone knowing that you aren't safe and sound in 12. It's too suspicious. It's practically like standing up on one of them buildings over there with a bullhorn and telling everyone our plans."
"Not really…" I mutter under my breath but I silently agree to be Miss Molly Barden from now on.
Our train didn't depart until 2:30 and it was 12:00 now. We wandered around, trying to look normal. At about 2:15 we walked over to the station and went up to the conductor. We handed him our tickets. He looked at the tickets and then us.
"I'm going to need to see some ID please." He told us. Everyone in Panem carried around ID from when they were born to when they die. Haymitch handed his to the man but I froze as I realized I was Molly Barden not Capri Mellark. "You can go." The man named Lyle told Haymitch. Haymitch boards the train along with loads of other people.
"Um, I left mine at my hotel, sorry." I say trying to slide by. He stops my and shakes his head.
"I'm sorry you can't board the train, Miss." says Lyle.
"But my uncle is on that train, and I can't leave his sight. Please!" I have already lost sight of Haymitch. I don't see him anywhere on the train.
"I said no. Please step aside, you are holding up the line." I get shoved aside by annoyed travelers and I try looking for Haymitch through the windows. "Ugh." I groan to myself. I flip open my phone and try calling Haymitch's phone.
"Hello?" he answers.
"Haymitch, they won't let me on the train because I don't have I.D for Molly." I tell him pacing back and forth.
"Ugh, alright, I'll get off the train." he says hanging up. Before I could even hang up my phone, the doors shut close. Sending Haymitch off to the Capitol, and leaving me alone in District 2.