Chapter 4

Johanna pov

So, as promised, I attend my first meeting with my therapist. I'm hoping to get someone hot, but just my luck; it's some boring old guy….goodie for me. I quickly devise a plan in my head to see just how much I can freak this guy out, so I spend the whole hour just staring at him with an evil smirk on my face. After he tries to get me to talk he eventually starts to falter over his words and stammers his way through the hour. By the end I can tell he is dying to get me out of there, I think he thinks I'm plotting his painful death. Result! I really don't want to have to see his face every day for an hour, with any luck I've scared him into not wanting to see me…but since when do I get any luck?

So after a wasteful morning I'm in a foul mood when Gale comes to collect me for lunch….like a child!

"I don't need you as my personal sat nav! I know where I'm going now!" I spit at him.

He holds his hands up in a mock surrender with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry, just thought you might…." He begins.

"Might what? Need a body guard?" I say in the same venomous tone.

"My, aren't we the picture of cheeriness today" He says rolling his eyes.

"Bad morning" is all I say.

"Aw boohoo, therapy not going well?" he says, his voice filled with sarcasm.

I just shove my way past him and make my way towards the dining hall, he catches up with me after a few seconds and we make our way there in silence.

We sit at the same table as yesterday with Finnick, Annie and some girl…. Derry or something, I wasn't paying attention and don't really care. But Hawthorne seems to know her so she must be District 12.

They are all sitting chatting, well apart from Annie who just stares into space, while I'm still sulking from this morning and the waste of my time that it is when Finnick breaks my thoughts.

"What's up with your face? He asks, lightly kicking me under the table to get my attention.

"I have to sit and look at you" I answer jokingly.

"You love it and you know it" he says confidently.

I just stick my tongue out at him and aim a kick to his shin under the table.

"Feisty today! Must mean you are feeling better?" he says with a chuckle.

I just shrug and carry on eating.

"So they are finally calling for 'The Brains' to go to district 2 to help take down the 'The Nut'." Hawthorne is busy telling Finn.

"Finally gonna get out this rabbit hole for a while, can't wait." He continues.

"Pfft, they class you in 'The Brains'? Who are they basing this on? 5 year olds?" I throw at him.

"Jeez Jo! What's actually with you today!" he returns, getting annoyed now.

"Ah don't worry, Gale, when she's mean to you it just means she likes you." Finnick pipes in, winking at me.

I just glare at him and I'm away to kick him again when he jumps up from the table anticipating my move. He collects his and Annie's trays and they make their way out the hall. I'm glowering at his back as he walks out the door, then suddenly, as is he can feel my eyes he pops his head round the door and sticks his tongue out at me; in return I flip him off.

There's a slightly uncomfortable silence now, so I decide to be a bit nicer and make conversation.

"So what exactly do you do all day?" I ask, trying to sound pleasant but it still comes out like I'm insulting him.

"Um, classes, training…the usual. But mostly I spend time with Beetee developing weapons, traps and bombs to use in the rebellion." He says avoiding my gaze scratching the back of his neck.

"Ah, good old Volts, he made it then? How's he doing? Still Batty?" I laugh out with only a slight bitterness seeping through.

"Well, em…..If you want to, this afternoon you could come? I mean to see him….and what we have been doing?" He eventually manages to get out.

You would think he just asked me on a date the way he asked me that! What an idiot. I think about it for a second….really what else do I have to do? All I have waiting for me is morphling and boredom, and as much as I enjoy the morphling, I really only need it at night….and this definitely outweighs the boredom.

"Fine, not got anything better to do" I shrug nonchalantly.

When we finally get there after going so deep underground I'm wondering just how far down this place goes on, I notice the room is guarded but Hawthorne seems to have some kind of status that allows him power over them because they let me in without hesitation at his command although I can see them eyeing me suspiciously as I pass by them into the room.

The room is filled with all kinds of advanced technology; it looks like the laboratory of some mad scientist! And then right on cue I catch sight of Volts.

"Long time no see Volts! Crazy times eh! At least they didn't forget you in the Arena" I say loudly clapping in hard on the back.

This causes most of the people working here to turn round and stare at me.

"What! Just old friends catching up!" I say as innocently as I can. "Back to work people!" I demand pretending I have authority.

Ha! They actually did it! Idiots! I grin up at Hawthorne and he just shakes his head trying to hide his smile.

He shows me what he's been working on and to be honest it's pretty impressive the way his mind works, he's come up with some amazing ideas for traps and bombs that involve trickery, appealing to one's maternal nature and things like that. I have to admit, I'm impressed.

"You're not bad at this sort of thing!" I say smiling.

"Do you think it's a bad thing to be good at?" He asks.

"Hey, said you weren't bad, I wouldn't go as far as to say…." But when I look up at him I stop in mid-sentence.

He's looking at me in a way I have never seen him before. He's deadly serious and a little sad looking. I realise this is not the time to joke, even though every fibre of me wants to make a joke to get out of the seriousness of the situation… that's just my way.

I take a deep breath and exhale slowly thinking of the right thing to say, but "hey if it wins the war what's the problem?" is all that comes out.

"Do you think it makes me heartless?" He asks quietly, eyes on the floor.

"No it makes you a survivor." I say with confidence.

He seems to have got the answer he was looking for because he just nods.

We stand just staring at each other for a few seconds until I'm painfully aware of how close we are and how awkward this is getting, I can feel the heat of his body, that's how close we are….how did this happen?

I take a step back. "Hey, Gorgeous? How about you show me some real fun? Where are the weapons in this place?" I say with a grin.

The corners of his mouth twitch up until he has a full blown smile on his face as he points to a door on my left.

"Come on, Beetee has been working on something special for you." He's grinning like a school kid in a candy store. But I'm hard pushed to keep the excitement off my face too. Weapons….finally something to cheer me up! Maybe today won't be such a suck-fest after all.

A/N- Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed and Favorited this story! I'm glad you like it. I started writing it really just to get it out of my head.