Chapter Thirty Six: A Friend In Me.

June 20th, 2141

Day 5

1130 hours

"-And as soon as I walk outta of the house . . . -sploosh!- a bucket of water soaks my school uniform silly!"

Izzy lets out a genuine laugh, shaking her head in doubt as she mentally goes over the story. "Your siblings are something else! - Nur!- I'd wring their necks if they were mine."

We go silent, with Izzy watching the fire as I gaze at her with a certain degree of admiration. I'm beginning to feel a sisterly connection with Izzy, even though we've just barely met. She's pretty . . . she's outgoing . . . she also has that tourettes thing that makes her yelp out loud! It makes me wonder what her life must be like; she must be pretty popular with this colourful personality of hers.

I poke her shoulder causing her to turn my way with a wide smile, showing off her awfully white teeth and those mighty fine green eyes.

"What's life like in District Five?"

Her face lights up at the question. "Well you know, with - Nur!- District Five being in charge of Power, I work as a maintenance expert at one of our fifteen power plants! The one I work at is ran by my father. I have three siblings! Mallory, who happens to be eight years old, Pam who's ten and Zac, whose five-"

She takes in a quick breath of air, "My Mom is a merchant worker so we live in a -Nur !- townhouse rather than an apartment. Sometimes we use cars, since people always want to get from - Nur! - point A to B as quickly as possible which also makes them negative and anti social, In my opinion."

"D'you have any friends?" I beam optimistically.

Her smile falters into a deep frown but quickly picks up into a weak smile as she shakes her head solemnly.

"No . . . I had Zapp but he's - Nur! - you know. I do have my cousins but they don't really count being family and all." letting out an annoyed sigh, she adjusts herself, "I have more haters than admirers." she finishes with a shrug.

"How come, I like you!? I think you're a mighty fine girl . . ." I say lowly.

She smiles softly, "Thank you Emery but who would really want to be friends with a girl like me who yelps and twitches all the time? Although it may seem that way, nothing is ever normal in the day of the life of Isabella Wilkinson . . ."

Wednesday, February 16th, 2142

12:00 PM

District Five

So far . . . things have been going fairly well for me on this tour, if fairly well means being glared down where ever you walk and watching relatives of the fallen break down every time you made a speech . . .

It's all so confusing how the other Districts run compared to mine. For example, District Twelve's Peacekeepers are only armed with batons and have lighter armour, compared to Ponders troops who are armed to the teeth and whose faces are blocked by a black visor. Their fence is nothing compared to our wall. It was a quaint place to be, Vincent of course had the time of his life with Twelve's one and only Victor.

Districts Ten and Nine were more comfortable to be in, although Penelope wasn't allowed to leave certain areas or see anyone due to her escape last year and I was partially involved in the killings of both Rory and Katie, which were extremely unpleasant.

Districts Eight and Six were the bi polar opposite of Eleven but instead were big, sprawling urban hubs not as spacious or as beautiful as District One or the Capitol. Apparently, these two Districts were made out of cities that stood before Panem was established. Six was a little harder to be in, with Clancy killing Paul and all.

Minnie prances in clad in a dark blue dress-suit hybrid with puffed sleeves along with a skirt decorated with tiny little yellow bulbs that twinkle with earrings and heels that do the same. Poking out of her just as festive purse is Mars. Even I'm not as festive as my dedicated Escort wearing a blue long sleeved white collared shirt, black skirt, white leggings and sweater along with a white ribbon on my neck and a hairband. The perks of having an esteemed Capitol fashion designer and three stylists at your disposal will never run dry.

"We've arrived my victors! District Five: Power!"

Looking out the observation window, we appear to be on a bridge. On the right, a power dam that I've might have seen during a previous reaping is seen, along with wind turbines in the near distance. In general, the District is mountainous and many different aspects of its industry are evident without being inside its walls. Gazing forward, a moderately defended fence is visible along with an urban skyline just beyond it. It looks fairly beautiful, better than Eight and Six but not as good as One or the Capitol.

"With a population of at least one hundred and thirty thousand and around one thousand seven hundred and seventy five slips of tessarae acquired per year . . . District Five is the nations third richest District!" Minnie trills.

"Thanks for the info, tips." sneers Vincent who takes a sip out of his martini glass.

"Well excuse me for knowing my stuff!" spits Minnie.

As the two continue to squabble, Persephone pulls me aside. "Are you ready for this Emery?" Looking down towards Izzy's florescent bolt pendant I renew my grip, all while nodding uneasily.

Hopefully they don't hate my guts unlike the other twelve families I've met.

...

After dismounting the train and being led into a limousine I was instantly blown away by District Five's modern urban decor such as the numerous apartments that can be seen along with the quaint "townhouses" Izzy had spoken to me about. Factory Districts like Five makes places like Ten, Eleven and Twelve seem much more backward. Their Justice Building is also very alluring and well kept. Like ours, Portraits of their past Victors and Mayors decorate the foyer. The closer we get to the main entrance, the more knotted my stomach begins to feel as I involuntarily stretch and take long, laboured breaths . . .

My wandering eyes find Minnie's as she prods me in the shoulder.

". . . You don't have to read from any cards this time Emery, I think you already know what needs to be said." she smiles while cupping my hands in hers.

I nod as the Mayor begins to introduce me outside. While the glossed over doors open revealing a crowd of thousands just outside of it, Minnie gently guides me outside as she mutters sweet words of encouragement through her teeth. I try to put up a struggle, but Minnie gives no indication of giving up anytime soon.

"You'll be fine Emery, just smile, smile smile!"

As my eyes shift from Minnie to the crowd, I'm surprised to be received with vibrant cheers and applause from the crowd. Aren't I subject to loathing and isolation like some of the other District's I've visited?

Shocked and confused, it takes a tap to the shoulder for me to realize two girls that look about at least six years old, are presenting me with a bouquet of flowers and a plaque of some sort . . . Noticing my uneasiness the Mayor, a young and sleek looking man, kindly takes my gifts and adjusts the microphone towards my level.

With a loud gulp and a quick breath inwards, I begin to speak.

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor and aides" I look to my left and nod towards him and his wife, who kindly nod back along with the other officials.

"Fellow Victors," Vincent and Persephone, along with two of Five's winners nod from my right.

"-And thank you, people . . . of District Five for attending. It's great to be here! It's all so diff-"

My eyes trail off towards the live portrait of Zapp that almost appears as if he were here watching from another location . . . Just below his portrait, stood his mother along with two others that may be his sisters. They share the same, ashen skin and dark hair he had. It takes both of her daughters to support their mother as tears stream from her eyes.

". . . Different." my eyes scan the crowd, who appear to be at ease with no hidden sign of resentment. My eyes drift back towards the Peterkin's.

"I didn't know Zapp as much as I did other tributes. He seemed meek an' had a certain kindness to him when ever I did take a chance to . . . umm, glance 'round. He was also a friend of Izzy's which makes him a friend of mine. 'Specially with Izzy's 'condition' and how hard she claimed it was to make friends, that makes him a sweetheart in my opinion. He knew the risks when the Games began yet he still went in, fought . . . and fell with dignity. I'm so sorry for your loss and hopefully you can overcome."

Mrs. Peterkin and children slowly crane their heads upward, gazing at me as if a weight was lifted off of their shoulders, but the sorrow can still be seen on their faces. I offer the Peterkin's a small, meek smile as my head slowly tilts to the left.

When I do fix my eyes on Izzy's family, It was as if I were looking at her from multiple years of age. The Wilkinson's, well the females, all share the same traits. The orange hair . . . peachy yet tanned skin, green emerald like eyes and freckles. Just below Izzy's smiling portrait is her mother flanked by her father along with who may be Zac, Pam and Mallory. Just below the elevated podium in which Izzy's main family stood her extended family surrounded them, the cousins, painting that exact area in a sea of orange and auburn. All of their faces are fixed with solemn expressions and an abundance of tears.

"Well, you know already know the relationship Isabella and I had . . . She was like an older sister to me. I miss everything from her wide smiles, her outgoing personality and those little 'tic's' she'd have mid sentence." I smile and laugh to myself, "She claimed she never had any friends . . . but she had a friend in me. It's a darn shame someone had to be bullied for simply being themselves.I gaze around some of the youthful members of the audience. It's evident in some of their faces that some form of remorse is being felt, mostly with a girl that appears to be of a latin background, tanned skin and brown hair.

"At first glance many people thought of her as a nutcase, a nobody, but she showed them all. As you've all seen . . . without her I wouldn't be here and for that - I'll be forever indebted. I'm sorry for your loss and um-"

Hesitantly, I walk off the stage and towards the crowd catching my Peacekeeper escorts unawares. The crowd's murmurs can be heard as they part way towards the Wilkinson family. My heart beats a mile per minute as I reach the platform, five feet away from Izzy's family.

"I think she wanted you to have this."

Looking at Mallory I open my left palm to reveal the thunderbolt necklace Izzy had used as a token. She glances up towards her mother, who smiles thinly as she gently prods the nine year old forward. Small and wispy, she wears a brown flat cap and a brown plaid jacket. Her emerald eyes twitch every now and then, as if she were trying to suppress something.

With tears dripping down her cheek she reclaims the token, mumbling a small "Thank-you." as I nod in reply and slowly make my way back towards the podium.

"Thank you District Five, for your tributes." this is met with applause as Persephone gently takes me by the shoulders and ushers me inside. As Persephone coos her congratulations I can't help but feel a thousand pounds lighter.

...

After an hour of serious prepping by my overly ecstatic prep team, I am now ready to attend a ball in my name hosted by the District in which I stay. Blue and white, or black, seems to be my trademark this past year as the dress I wear now seems to glow a vibrant shade of blue. To "fit the theme of the District" said Clay.

"Things have changed over the last few months Penelope . . . I hate these social things. If I had my druthers I'd be back on the train. "

She scoffs and shakes her head in a reassuring fashion. "You did well today Emery, and you'll do just as well at the ball."she jots down, gently taking my hand as she escorts me towards the ballroom each Justice Building seems to hold. We're met by my two mentors followed by Minnie as Peacekeepers flank our sides.

"Can I leave yet . . .?"

"No Vincent! Just relax and enjoy the evening! At least you have James to chit-chat with." she trills, letting out one of her awkward yelps of joy as Peacekeepers stationed at the ballroom entrance open the grand doors to reveal a giant crowd. My heart sinks as all eyes are glued on me as they applaud and the Press film. Judging by the crispness of their clothing, these must be the more affluent citizens of the District. The power plant administrators, the scientists, the government officials and all of the District's upper class were usually invited. Mama and Dad would go to these balls when a victor stopped during their tours.

The food is fine . . . for a District, and the people are just as nice. Even as I sit down and observe it all people still gawk at me in wonder.

"So this is our latest Victor . . ."

My head swivels in the direction of Vincent, Persephone and Five's Victors as they approach my table. James his name is, had won the Forty-Third Hunger Games. He was gruff, edgy and a drinker. I watched his games on the way here and let's just say his manner of winning was a awfully gruesome method. I adjust myself as they take up seats beside me.

"That's me!" I trill hesitantly as his dark eyes bore into mine.

I watch as he scoffs, taking a large gulp of his drink. "I'm surprised someone like you managed to win." this earns a sharp call of his name from his female counterpart.

"That's not necessary James . . ." reprimands Persephone.

"No, really!" he raises his arms defensively all while nodding slowly, "You have guts kid, I thought you'd be fodder when I first laid eyes on you."

I shrug, "I proved you all wrong, I guess . . . "

"You sure did," He clasps his hands in mine. "Welcome to the club kiddo."

"Thanks James." I smile.

I didn't entirely feel 'welcome' as my mentors spoke and laughed with Five's Victors as if they were old friends. As I watched and smiled along, I couldn't help but feel alienated in an event that was supposed to be in my honour. I wouldn't call it jealousy, but a sense of not belonging. Excusing myself I leave the table, smiling and waving towards fellow ball goers as I reach the balcony. I exhale, watching sky rumble with thunder in the distance, painting the sky an orange sunset like hue.

"Isabella loved watching storms like these."

"Excuse me?" turning around, I meet the timid emerald eyes of nine year old Mallory.

"The clouds, we would always watch them during and after rainstorms." she muses, walking a little closer as she twirls Izzy's pendant in her hands.

"Hey Mallory . . . what are you doing here?" I ask hesitantly.

"Daddy runs a power plant, so it's mandatory we came with him . . . something like that."

"Oh."

A moment of silence envelops us. Her sister died over me so shouldn't there be some form of resentment between her and me?

". . . Don't you feel upset being around me? You know, with me winning and Isabella-" I inquire, earning an uncertain head shake and a soft smile.

"Not really, well- a little . . . but I'd rather have you win than anyone else. I like you rather than those big kids from District One . . ." she mumbles as tears streak down her face. I notice that she's constantly in motion, pacing and teetering back and forth, often gripping her elbows and squinting her eyes as if to keep something down. Is she trying to keep her anger in check or is she trying to suppress one of those 'tics' Izzy seems to of had, it's hard to say.

"Thank's Mallory, I appreciate it. Again, I'm sorry about Is-"

She interrupts me with an abrupt hug to my midsection.

"It's okay. Mommy says Izzy's in a better place among the clouds, hopefully watching down over us like a guardian angel. Thank you for being Izzy's friend until the very end . . . She never had many friends until she met you and you seem to be worth fifty of them and for that, you'll always have a friend in me."

She waves and quickly leaves, being replaced by Persephone who glances at the running girl and back towards me.

"What was that all about?"

At first I'm baffled, but that feeling quickly turns into a self satisfied sigh along with a curt smile.

Yay! I think I did well for myself here. Next: District Four! :D, I know some of you are dying for an interaction with Evan/Shelley's family. Mallory along with another member of Evan's family will be in my sequel :D.

ALSO ALSO! Thank you for those who Followed/Favorited this story in the recent weeks! THANK YOU SO MUCH :D, it means so much to me :P.

How'd you guys feel about this chapter :D. Any thoughts of Mallory (although very little can be said about her as of now?)