A/N: We have District Four here, and we're revisiting Cordelia Nile and Chavez Belasco! Enjoy! :D
Trigger Warning: Profanity
She's up against them all
But the writing is on the wall
It's more than meets the eye with her
There's nothing I can do
I'm left without a clue
She sees it all in black and white…or blue
She's got a rebel heart, on that she's gonna find
She's got a rebel heart, she's up against them all
No she never will admit, that what she wants she never gets
She never knows just when to quit
Cordelia Nile, 17
District Four Female
"Cordelia Nile!" Tytan screams.
Stunned, I walk out of the seventeen year old pen and walk quickly onto the stage. It's okay Cordelia, stop breathing heavy, why are your cheeks so hot? The female volunteer is going to come up and save you; not save you, no, you were never in danger, she was always going to save you. I clasp my hands together in front of me, wringing them together, nervous despite myself. Carolina Martinez will volunteer for you.
"Any volunteers?" Tytan asks.
There's suddenly a loud groan of pain from the eighteen year old section, and I watch in horror as Carolina gasps, her face flushed with heat. She thrashes on the ground and seems to be having a panic attack of sorts; it almost looks like she's choking. She sputters and passes out, and Peacekeepers quickly retrieve her and carry her out of the square. It takes a moment for it to sink in.
Carolina Martinez isn't saving me.
I try not to shake, but I do shake, I'm shaking like mad. My hands, my legs, my everything. I feel so small. I'm barely five feet, of course, but it's not just the height of everyone. As Chavez Belasco and Julian Almieda scrabble over who will be the volunteer, I feel like I'm shrinking. I'm so small. I'm already dead, aren't I? Chavez leaps confidently onto the stage and I sigh. I'd rather it be Julian. I don't know either of them well, but Julian's apparently the less...harassing...one of the duo. I look up at Chavez, trying to steel myself as he shakes my hand too roughly.
Cordelia Annette fucking Nile, why are you freaking out so much? Sure, you might not train in the Academy, but Dad's put you through the ringer for more than ten years in the garage. He might not be a Capitol born and trained trainer, but he sure as hell taught me how to protect myself. I know how to do this; I can survive against the odds. I can wield knives and a trident fairly well and I know some survival skills, and hell, I know my poisons like the back of my hand. I will be fine. I will be fine. I tell myself that over and over and over as I walk into the Justice Building with a smug Chavez and a tittering Tytan.
I quickly break off with two Peacekeepers, one on either side, and they lead me to a small side room. I step inside, and a minute later my friends and family all pour in at once. Dylan and Rosemary are crying quietly and clinging to our mother, and my father stands behind all of them, his face dark, his mouth curled into an angry scowl. Kailani is weeping loudly into her boyfriend Jordan's shoulder; he smiles sadly at me. And Beck grabs me with his muscly arms and kisses me hard on the lips through his tears before passing me off to my family. They all squeeze me, and I suck in a rattling breath after I've hugged Kailani and a reluctant Jordan. I stand before them all and let another breath out slowly, calming myself.
"I'm trained," I murmur. "I'm trained, guys. I'll be okay. I will come home."
Kailani and Jordan are the first to leave.
"Cordelia, I love you. You're my best friend. I know you'll come back!" Kailani squeals and then squeezes me. She and her boyfriend depart.
Beck smashes me in another crushing hug before wistfully departing.
"You're the love of my life, Cordelia Annette Nile," Beck coos. "You will come back to me. I know it." Then he kisses me tenderly, hugs me again, and then leaves me standing there, cold and feeling empty without him there.
My entire family embraces me in a group hug for a good amount of time after he leaves, filling up my heart again with love. I hug them all, ruffling Dylan's hair and kissing Rosemary's tear stained cheek. It hurts to see them hurting because of me. When we part, my father smiles sadly.
"I'd like to talk to Cordelia privately for a moment," he whispers, keeping his eyes on the floor. The other members of my immediate family oblige. I hug them all one more time and then my siblings and mother are gone. My father sits down on the little wooden bench by the window in the room and puts his head in his hands. He starts to sob uncontrollably and I sit down next to him, clinging to him and letting a few tears of my own drip out.
"It's all my fault," my father murmurs.
"No it isn't Dad, you trained me the best you could," I reply, squeezing his shoulder.
"No, not that Cordelia. There's something your mother and I never told you. We...well, during the Dark Days-"
The door flies open, and a Peacekeeper steps in. "Your time is up."
"One moment sir, I need to tell my daughter one thing privately," my dad mutters, flustered and worried looking.
"Your time is up," the Peacekeeper growls.
"Dad, just go. It's alright." My dad squeezes my hand.
"No. I need to tell you this first."
The Peacekeeper strides over in three huge strides and grabs my father by the shoulders. He tries to punch the Peacekeeper, and I shriek as the Peacekeeper pulls out his baton and thwacks my father upside the head with it. My dad slumps, unconscious, and the Peacekeeper grabs me roughly and pulls me out of the room. I'm too stunned to retaliate, and before I know it I'm at the train platform with Chavez smirking next to me, trying to process what's just happened. I put on a good face and steel myself. I'm a good actress; if I lived in the Capitol I'd want to be one. I can take this. As I walk onto the train, however, one nagging question will not, cannot leave me alone.
What did my father want to tell me? I'm afraid I'll never know.
I'm like damn hey,
What's your name, girl,
How you doing - okay,
Yeah I got my own place,
You can move and 2 step with me girl,
Keep doing what you're doing (shit),
I'm going back home in the same car as you in,
She came with her homegirls,
I came with the homies,
I ain't tell her my name,
Cause' she already know me
Chavez Belasco, 18
District Four Male
Walking through the halls, the Peacekeepers flank me, one on each side, like wingmen. I stride forward confidently, grinning brightly at the linoleum floors and florescent light strips buzzing in the ceilings. My back is straight and I ignore the aches from where Almieda kicked and scratched at me. I feel powerful, and my body is sizzling with heat. A dozen girls and guys came in to pay their respects, all smiling bashfully as I kissed and teased them. Then Almieda, grumpy, congratulated me, and my new ex-girlfriend Brielle strode in, angry as hell. She slapped me and then kissed me, typical heart broken girl style. I'd just broken it off yesterday; even I'm not mean enough to leave a girl in love when I head off to slaughter kids in the Games. Then my family came in, my older brothers begrudgingly congratulating me and not looking me in the eyes, my father crushing me in a hug, and my mother standing in the wings and smiling and staying out of the way like she's supposed to do. Then they were gone, and I had a moment to myself to revel in the glory and adrenaline still flooding my veins before the Peacekeeper opened the door and beckoned for me to follow him. Now here I am, walking proudly and confidently, to the train platform.
I get there before the Reaped girl, Cordelia. I cannot believe Carolina had a panic attack. She was a strong ass woman; she could take care of herself. But she was also a hopeless romantic, and I knew I would've been able to ensnare her and beat her no matter what happened. Hearts and love are fickle, and sadly for all the other tributes, I am the king of hearts, and I will outplay them all.
Cordelia appears a minute or so later, looking distressed and confused and a little angry. She's short as hell, so short she looks like she's younger than she is, but she's wiry and agile looking. Maybe she'll last past the Bloodbath. Maybe I'll cut her down in a glorious spray of gore. We'll see.
The two of us walk into the dining car and sit down across from Mags and Oisin. Oisin looks grumpy as ever, and he eats his hors d'oeuvres quietly, stabbing them with too much force. Mags has a bright smile on and her frizzy hair is styled well. She's pretty, but her eyes are steely and cold and her hands curl into fists when she meets me. I see that my reputation precedes me.
I take a plate and pick up a few deviled eggs and eat them carefully. Tytan joins us at the table, and we all sit there in silence. Oisin and Tytan eat, ignoring us, Cordelia inspects the food and plucks out an eclair and eats it in one bite, and Mags drums her long, glossy talons against the mahogany and stares me down, and not in a sexy or awe-filled way. Her eyes are dead and angry, and she glares at me out of the corner of her eye once more before turning to the hors d'oeuvres and picking out a few for herself. The silence stretches for another half a minute, and I just can't stand it any more.
"So, what the hell with Carolina not volunteering, right? You pretty girls must've had a heart attack," I say brightly. Mags glowers at me, Tytan looks up at me and focuses on me intently, cocking his head, Cordelia looks at me suspiciously, and Oisin ignores me, eating his appetizers quietly.
"She had a panic attack. I told the Academy Council that she was going to have one before or during the Games; it's just the condition she has," Mags replies coldly, spearing a deviled egg with vigor and grinding it to a slurry in her mouth.
"Well, didn't end well for you untrained lass, did it?" I inquire, turning to Cordelia.
"Well, you can fucking shove those words up your ass," Cordelia says sweetly, cocking her head and beaming like a sweet little angel. I scowl. "I'm no common bitch that's going to be womanized by your silly pretty boy face and your words. And I'm trained, you motherfucker. Not everyone goes to the Academy." Cordelia stands, setting down her napkin and grinning at the rest of our crew, then glaring daggers at me. She walks off to her room, and Avox leading her, and silence hangs over the table for a minute before Oisin O'Cobb decides to speak up.
"Well, I like her," he mumbles through a mouthful of cheese and crackers, and I just glower at the table. That girl's going to pay dearly. I'm definitely killing her in the Bloodbath. Just a little mistake, oops, the arrow was meant to hit the little girl, not Cordelia! Gasp! I'm so sorry! The Careers will buy the act and the bitch will be dead and I'll have eliminated a pain in the side. I eat some more food and then leave the table myself. Mags is solely here to help Cordelia; I can't trust her. Tytan is a bumbling buffoon, and Oisin would rather help Cordelia and doesn't want anything with me. I can take care of myself.
I walk out of the dining car and back, farther and farther, speeding up until I'm crashing through each car at top speed. Finally I reach the last car. It's curved at the back, with panoramic windows showing the frothing ocean of Four swirling past as we zoom past the water. The windows meet at a small door, and I crack it open, stepping out onto the little ledge on the back of the car. I shut the door behind me and lean on the railing that encloses the little ledge, ensuring I will not fall off. The train's going lightning fast, and the winds off of the sea are like whips crackling against my skin. My hair flies around like crazy and the salt smell of the ocean fills my nostrils and I grin, relaxing, letting myself be battered by the wind.
No one has my back in these Games so far. That just means there's less of a chance someone will stab me there.
A/N: Hello! Yeah this was a SUPER quick update, but I was already half finished with this when I posted the sponsorship stuff so I just had to write Chavez's POV and polish it all off, and then it was ready for posting.
These two were fun to write, and I feel like while I started developing both of them, I really fleshed Cordelia out more this chapter. I just feel like I got a better feel for her character, and hopefully her POV was better than her first, which I felt was a little flat.
Who do you like better here, Cordelia or Chavez? Have your thoughts on them changed? Also, a new question! What do you think Cordelia's father was going to tell her in goodbyes before their session ended? Just a hint, this will deal with a subplot in this story sorta similar to one in Oceanside. ;)
Cordelia (1 pt.): What was the name of the girl that was supposed to volunteer?
Chavez (1 pt.): What did Chavez say he was in relation to love? (Hint, 2nd paragraph :)
Until Next Time,
Tracee