Shine

Chapter 18

District 9, 11, & 12 Justice Building Scenes

A/N: We're almost to the Games! Well, sort of, you know. The next few chapters will probably be really long, but we're getting closer to the Games, so (as TheNoobyBoy said), Are you ready to rumble?

Athena Rye –14- -D9- POV

The Peacekeepers separate me and Isaiah and take me to the Justice Building. Isaiah was Reaped, can you believe it? The train ride should be nice and awkward. Just what I love. I arrive at the Justice Building, and after a few seconds, my mom comes on in.

"Hey, Athena," she says. "I know you probably don't want to talk to me. I'm sober though. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I know I haven't been the nicest parent, but I guess it doesn't matter now. I'm sorry honey. I do love you, and if you come back, I promise to become a better mom."

I beckon her over, and we hug. "It's alright, mom. Thanks," I say.

"I'll leave. I shouldn't be here. Your brothers want to talk to you, and so do your friends. I know they're probably your real family by now." Then she leaves.

"I love you, mom," I shout after her. She smiles and blows me a kiss as she leaves. Then my brothers walk in with their girlfriends.

"Why should I talk to you two?" I ask my brothers. "You never talk to me anymore, you don't let me live with you, but you forced me to stay with mom. You know what, screw you two! You don't act like brothers at all! And Katie, Ellie, we could have been friends in a different place and time. You two should dump these losers. Make them live with mom again. Get out."

"Athena-" Nico starts.

"Out."

"I just wanted to say I loved you," he says.

"You should have shown it," I say.

"Fine," he says.

"I love you too, by the way," Darcy says. Then they both leave. Katie and Ellie stay.

"Athena," Katie says. "I asked Nico about having you move in with us, but he said it wasn't that bad at home. Was it that bad?"

"My mom never physically hurts me, but… you know what I mean," I say. "I'm sorry. I really do like you, Katie. You too, Ellie. I do wish we could have known each other better."

"Me too, Athena," Ellie says. Then they both hug me. Then they leave. Aalia and Presley walk in.

"Hey, Athena," Presley says slightly more subdued than usual. "What's up?"

"Really, Presley?" I reply.

"Just trying to lighten the mood," she says.

"Sorry. Not much, just been Reaped for the Hunger Games, you know. What about you?" I ask.

"Oh, you know, just trying to comfort my best friend, and make sure that she'll make it back," Presley says.

"Thanks, but-" I feel a block in my throat. "But – yo-you know that I'm-" I feel the sobs rise up my throat, and despite my best efforts, I can't push them down. I start to cry. Presley walks over and hugs me.

"Athena, it'll be alright," she says. "Look at the bright side. You finally get a chance with Isaiah." I look up at her.

"Really?" I ask through my tears. "That's what you're thinking about right now, me 'getting a chance' with a boy I don't like?" I say with disdain. I wipe away my tears and stand up straight.

"Don't say that it didn't work, Athena," Presley replies.

"What? Oh, you-" I shake my head. "I'm going to get you for that."

"Good," Presley says. "To get me, you'll have to come back. Seriously though, Athena. You can do it. Don't doubt yourself. You can come back. Okay? Do it for us. For me and Aalia. Okay?"

"Okay," I say. "I will do my best."

"And how good will your best be?" Aalia asks.

"As best as I can make it," I say, honestly.

"I guess that's all I can ask then," Aalia says. "Come back to us, okay, Athena?"

"I'll do my best," I say.

"And, also seriously, Isaiah still does like you, 'Thena. Use that to your advantage, even if you don't like him. Okay? Remember Brooke from last year?" I do remember that girl. She fell in love with her District partner, and he saved her from almost certain death. Then she died later, but she almost made it to the finale.

"I remember she still died," I say.

"Okay, well, be smarter. Don't send up a big smoke signal and then leave a trail. But my point is that people who love you can be useful," Presley says.

"I don't think he loves me," I say. "Does he?"

"I think emotions can become much stronger than normal between two people who have the threat of imminent death looming over them," Presley says. "All I'm saying is to keep it in mind. You can use him. You should."

"I couldn't do that," I say, "if someone does love me… if someone does love me, even if I don't feel that way… I couldn't manipulate them like that. It wouldn't be right."

"Nothing about this situation is right, Athena," Presley says. "All I'm saying is make the best of a bad situation. Do what's best for you."

"I'll try. But I can't hurt anyone like that," I say. Then the Peacekeepers come in.

"Time for you two to leave, ladies," one of them says.

"Okay. And I get it, Athena. But remember what I said," Presley says.

"I will," I say.

"Please come back," Aalia says.

"I will," I say. Then the Peacekeepers gesture for Presley to leave, and Aalia follows her.

Isaiah Lemont –15- -D9- POV

The Peacekeepers separate me and Athena and take us to separate rooms in the Justice Building. I still can't believe it. Athena was Reaped. I was Reaped. Both of us. The train ride to the Capitol should be fun. I still remember when I asked her out and she rejected me. That was really painful…

2 months ago…

I'm finally going to ask Athena out. Finally! I'm really nervous. I hope she says yes… I… I'm not going to think about if she says no. I can't think about it. I… care about her too much.

"Hey, Athena?" I ask.

"You know my name?" She replies.

"Uh… yeah… I… I do. It would… uh…" Oh my goodness. I'm normally charming and charismatic. Why is Athena different? "How could I not know such a pretty name? Athena, after the ancient goddess of knowledge. Just like you," Here it is. "You're as smart as a cookie and as cute as one too." Athena blushes as red as she can get.

"Oh. Are, uh, do you have, uh, a, uh, question?" Athena asks. She's still blushing. She's nervous. I think she's going to say yes! I hope so, at least.

"I do. I uh, wanted to know, if, uh," it's happening again, darn it! "If you would like to, uh, go out with me. Or, uh, be friends, or whatever. Just spend time together, you know?" I've never backed off asking someone out before. What is going on?

"Oh. Uh, no. To the first question. And, uh, both of them. And I have to go, I'm, um, sorry. Bye," she says.

"Wait! Athena! We don't have to- I just want to spend time with you! Wait! Please! Wait..." I trail off as she turns a corner in the street. I just stand there, shocked, for several seconds. Then I start to cry. Right there, on a main road right by school. Eli comes over from where he had been standing.

"Hey, man, what happened? You alright?" He asks.

"She rejected me. She… what am I going to do?" I ask.

"It's alright. Come on, we can't have you crying in front of everyone. Hey, at least the girls will think you're sensitive," he says, trying to cheer me up, while at the same time leading me towards a side street back to his house. "I'll get you some of my chocolate and we can talk about it, okay?"

"Don't waste your chocolate on me. It's really expensive and clearly I don't deserve to be loved. Or even be liked," I say, still crying.

"It's going to be a long night, isn't it?" Eli asks.

Back to the present…

It was a long night. I cried my heart out that night. I had never done that before. In fairness, only one girl had rejected me before. And I'd only ever asked out two before, even if several have made it quite clear that they'd like me to ask. But Athena was different. With everyone else, I was normally so quick thinking, witty, charismatic. But with Athena, all I could be was… sensitive? And I still have feelings for her. Presley said that she just rejected me because I was popular, that Athena probably would like the real me, and that Presley would work on it. I don't know whether or not to believe her. All I know is that I still like Athena, and she didn't like me. It should be a fun train ride to the Capitol. My less-than-exuberant thoughts were cut short by the door opening. My mom, Chris, James, and Kaylee walk in.

"Isaiah!" My mom shouts. She runs over and hugs me. "Oh my goodness. I can't believe it! My baby is Reaped! You have to win. You have to. I can't lose you too," she shoots a guilty look over at Chris. "Not that I don't love you, honey, just-"

"I get it, dear," he says. "Don't worry. And, Isaiah, for the record, I want you to come back to us too. So do the kids. Right kids?"
"Yes," James and Kaylee say simultaneously. "Of course we do." Okay, that's a bit creepy.
"Thanks, Chris, James, Kaylee," I say. "And thanks, mom. I love you."

"I love you too, honey," she says. "But I don't really have anything more to say, and I know Eli wanted to talk to you. He can probably tell you more about this stuff than I can. I know you'll come back to me soon. Just remember to do something brave, but not stupid!" She says. Right. The Shine moments. How am I going to pull that off? Apart from sacrifice, nothing immediately comes to mind. And sacrifice sort of defeats the purpose. "I love you!"
"Love you too, mom!" I shout after her, and then her, Chris, James, and Kaylee are all gone. Eli walks in.

"Hey, man," he says. "So, I guess it wasn't alright after all, huh?"

"You could say that," I say. "I'm going to die. I mean, probably. I don't even know how I'm going to pull off a shine moment. And Athena is my partner… I couldn't kill her. What am I going to do?"

"Well, as for your shine moment, you could just, like, defend Athena really bravely, I guess," he says. "I almost guarantee that you'll get attacked."

"That assumes I ally with her," I say. "Last time I asked her something, it didn't end well. Remember?"

"I do remember," he says. "You ate half of my good chocolate."

"I told you not to waste your chocolate on me, dummy," I reply. "Anyway, why do you think we'll be allies?"

"She can't get away this time," Eli says.

"Eli!" I say. "And I guess, no, this time she could kill me. Not that I'm against allying with her. I'd love too, I would, but I doubt she'll say yes."

"You'd love to?"

"Shut up."

"Anyway, from what Presley says, she would actually like you, just not popular kid you. Just act like yourself, and you should be fine," he says.

"But how would I get to even talk to her?" I ask.

"That's easy," he says. "Just ask her to be allies, tell her that it'll be a mutually beneficial relationship. Then work on her from there." I give him a skeptical look. "Or don't, fine. But what's the harm in trying? The worst she can do is say no."

"Fair point," I say. "I guess I'll try. Thanks, man." I give him a hug, and he gives me one back. Then the Peacekeepers come in to take him away.

Brianna 'Bri' Tribiani –16- -D11- POV

I fully expect to be alone in the Justice Building. Instead, my brother comes in. Just him, no parents.

"Get out. Get out now. You have no right to be here," I say.

"Bri, I just wanted to-"
"Get out!" And he does. And then I'm alone. I'm sad. I can't believe it. I was Reaped. And I have nobody to care about me. I shouldn't have made that pact with Pat. No, I'm being selfish. It was a good thing. Hopefully, she's out there finding food right now. Eventually, the Peacekeepers come to take me away.

Tontu Heinburg –18- -D11- POV

My mother enters the Justice Building almost immediately. She must have been waiting outside.

"Tontu!" She says. She seems even sadder than usual, not that that's surprising. "How could this happen? First your father and now you? And you were eighteen… how?" She had embraced me in a tight hug, and I have to untangle myself from her to reach my notebook.

I can still win, mom. You never know. A girl from 11 won last year. And I'm older than she was.

"I guess you're right," my mom says. "You are older, and you've already survived a lot. Plus, having Athena as your mentor can't hurt."

You're right. I should probably put her name in here… I quickly scribble Ms. Feere and later, Athena, in my book. I don't know what she'll want to be called. Done.

"That's good. I believe in you, honey. And I love you. Come back to me. But I should go now. I think," she smiles, a rare sight these days, a true smile, not a fake one, "that you'll have another reason to come back soon. More than you already want to come back to her, anyway. I love you, honey!"
"I love you too!" I shout after her. And with those mysterious words, and a slightly scary glimmer in her eyes, she's gone. Noami walks in. Oh. Was this what she meant by… No. It can't be. Unless it is, I guess. Noami's clearly been crying. I just want to hug her right now, to comfort her, tell her it'll be alright. I can see she's in pain, and I want to fix it. Except that, of course, I can't fix it. I'm the source of her pain. And that hurts me. She's in pain because of me. No, redirect those thoughts. It isn't my fault, after all, it's the Capitol's. And now I'm angry. Now I want to win. And I do hug her. When she comes over to me, I do hug her. She's only slightly shorter than me, maybe an inch or two, not more.

"Tontu..." she says. "How could this happen?"

I don't know. But… but… I search for the right words, literally. Then I remember. A note I always take a risk carrying with me. But all the words are right there. I pull it out of my jacket pocket, to her evident surprise. I unfold it and hand it to her.

Noami,

I hope that I've just given you this letter. If somebody else has, I'm very likely dead, and this is my backup copy. Either way, what I have to say doesn't really change. I'll try to brief in case I'm standing in front of you right now, for my future self's sake, so you can get the rejection over with quickly. That was a joke. Hopefully, I mean. Ugh, I have a writing stutter. No, I'm not erasing anything, so that it's like I'm talking to you. Anyway… I should just- I have had, always will have, a crush on you, Noami. Scratch that, I love you. I love how beautiful you are, I love your voice, and your eyes, and your hair, and how gracefully you move, and… I love everything about you. I don't know if you feel the same way, I imagine you at least care about me, but I doubt you love me. That's alright, I just wanted you to know how I feel. Now you should probably talk to me if I'm still there.

Love,

Tontu

Noami scans the note, then folds it carefully, and tucks inside her shirt. She smiles at me, softly, her eyes twinkling. Then softly, as if unsure of herself, she kisses me. Quickly, nervously. Almost like she's scared.

"Am I dreaming again?" She asks. In response, I kiss her. More deeply than she had me. As I pull away, I pinch her arm a little bit. "Ow!" She says, then smiles. "I guess I'm not dreaming, then?"

No.

"I always dreamed about this… but… but not this way. And, I mean… do you really think I'm beautiful?" She replies.

I know what you mean. And, yes, yes, I do. I pull a small deck of cards out of another hidden pocket. I needed a use for these after you gave me this. So, I made… well, you'll see. I hand her the cards, and she takes them. She flips through a few and blushes.

"Just the ways you love me? And… descriptions of me from you?" She asks.

Yes.

"But- you must have spent hours on these," she says.

Time well spent.

"I can't believe anyone would do this for me. I would ask you what they say, but I think the answer would be 'read the cards'. I love you, Tontu. Come back to me, okay?"

Of course. And then she kisses me again, more confidently than before. And then the Peacekeepers come, and she's gone. I want to see her again. I need to see her again. I will see her again.

Camelia Lloha –12- -D12- POV

I arrive at the Justice Building, still crying. My family comes in through the other door. The door to the outside, the door to freedom. Cameron comes over and hugs me. I can tell what she's thinking.

I'm sorry.

It's not your fault.

"I love you," she says out loud.

"I love you too," I say. Then she releases me, and my mom comes over and hugs me herself.
"I love you, Camelia. Never forget that," she says. "I can't believe this. First Alianna, now you? Two of my babies… Just always remember that I love you. And that you can win. A thirteen-year-old won two years ago." Alianna was supposed to be my third sister. But she died only two days old. It wasn't that long ago, and mom is still really torn up about it.

"I love you too, mom," I say. "But let's be honest. I'm already dead."

"Now don't say that," my dad says. "Like your mom says, you still stand a chance."

"Stand a chance, yeah, and I've been doing so good with chances today. What is that chance, dad? One or two percent? The same chance that I would get Reaped- I- I'm sorry, daddy," I start to cry again.

"It's alright, honey," my dad says. "I'll always love you." And then I just sit there, with my family, being comforted by the very people who just lost a daughter, until a Peacekeeper comes to take me away and show them out.

Char Alfand –14- -D12- POV

I arrive in the Justice Building after being separated from the poor terrified little girl. She must be twelve. Twelve from District Twelve. The worst odds imaginable. My family walks in the door. My mom is the first to come over and hug me.

"I love you, Char, baby," she says. Then my dad comes over and hugs me.

"I'm sorry, son," he says. "Come back to us. You can do it. You don't have anyone you're in love with who got Reaped, you're old enough to win, you're good enough at fighting. I guess that short temper is good for something, huh? Just don't let it get you in trouble. And worse, don't fall in love with anyone, okay?"

"Not part of the plan, dad," I say, smiling. "Would that be so bad?"

"If you go all noble sacrifice hero on them, then yeah," he says.

"Fair point," I say. Then my sister steps forward and hugs me herself.

"I love you, Char," she says. "I'm sorry I've been distant recently, but I wanted you to know I've always loved you, still do, always well. Okay?"

"Thanks, Aza," I say. "I love you too."

"Come back to us. You should try to make allies, okay? Just don't annoy them. And focus on close-range weapons, you can't just use your fists. A bow would be great, but those are rare. Maybe get some knives that you can throw," Aza says.

"Thanks, sis," I say. "You'll save my life at this rate."

"Hmph," she says. "I know we don't have a lot of time, and Dahla wants to see you. I'll get these two out of your hair. Just know we all love you. And expect you to come back to us."

"Will do. Love you guys too," I say. And then my family is gone, and Dahla comes on in. She hugs me.

"Char… I'm so sorry," she says as she pulls away and appraises me. "I told you that temper would get you in trouble."

"What?" I ask, confused.

"Your temper. I'm pretty sure it'll be what kills you," she says.

"Oh," I laugh. "But it hasn't yet."

"No," she says. "Not yet. But be careful. Please? For me, for your sister and your parents?"

"Of course," I say. "For all of you. I need to protect you, after all." She smiles.

"I think I'll do okay without you. But I don't want to have to," she says. "See you soon?"
"See you soon," I agree. Then we hug, and she too is gone. I hope I'll see her again. I hope I'll see all of them again.

A/N: Okay, so another long chapter, but all the Justice Building scenes are done! So, tell me, what did you all think of this chapter? And, more importantly, what do you think of our wonderful Tributes? Who are your favorites, and who do you despise (and love to despise)? How far do you think everyone will go? I love reading your predictions, so please leave some reviews with them in there! Thanks, everyone for your amazing Tributes, and I apologize for what must happen to them. Happy Hunger Games!