VI. THE BITTER ALPINEST


I hate this town, it's so washed up
And all my friends don't give a fuck
They'll tell me that it's just bad luck
When will I find where I fit in


MELVINA "MEL" PARRISH
DISTRICT TWO


At first she was excited to be a big sister, or at least Melvina was as excited as any ten year old girl could be when told that the life they'd grown to know and love was being permanently altered.

She still remembers that big smile on her mother Genesis' face just a few months ago when she came into her room to tell her the big news. A smile on her face when she brushed the chipped-white wooden door aside, "You know how you've always said that you're lonely around here?"

Melvina was confused at the time but she humored her mother, "Yes?" She'd never expressed any direct feelings of loneliness in the house, no no, Mel had always been content with what she had, even if it felt like it was too little at times. She knew her parents worked hard and she appreciated their diligence, even if she seemed to see them less and less since Vesuvia Academy always seemed to keep her busy. Still, Melvina was more than satisfied with the small bed in her room, the nightstand she painted grey with her father, and the shelf she built to match. It was a rather minuscule room and the limited furnishings didn't help but at least she had the posters of Two's eighteen Victors looking down at her, practically beaming with anticipation for when she herself would go and join them.

"I've got good news for you," Genesis said with a nervous hitch in her breath, "I'm pregnant with a new little sibling!"

At the time, Melvina didn't question how odd it was for her parents to suddenly want another kid an entire decade after their first was born, but she embraced the prospect of a new friend and her mother's slightly enlarged stomach with open arms that day.

If only said happiness had lasted…

There must be less than three months until the baby arrives when Mel watches her father packing up his suitcases in the living room when she wakes up too early for training. She asks her mother with an anxious tone, "What's dad doing?"

She's never really been too connected to her father Kratos, at least not like she is with her mother. He's not a bad guy though, Mel's sure of that at least, he's just, not too cut out to be a father. He's always seemed distant anyways, like he didn't really want anything to do with his daughter. Which is again… why she's confused what the point is of having another child.

Genesis squirms when her daughter whispers in her ear, clearly not wanting to have had her see whatever's going down. "It's nothing important," is all she can say to her daughter. But of course, it's important.

So of course, Melvina waddles on over to her father, his face stern yet broken as he continues to fiddle with the zippers on his brown leather suitcase, the seams likely ripping apart just based on the fact it looks so stuffed. She asks him, still anxious, "What're you doing, father?"

Addressing Kratos as simply "dad" has always felt too informal for Mel, especially when she can hardly say that she knows the guy. Calling Genesis "mom," is fine, she's a friend after all, the only one she has besides Ryder.

(And maybe her brother would have been a friend too if things hadn't gone so south.)

Melvina's father doesn't answer though. She's not sure if it's because he's chastising her, thinks she's too young or immature to understand him and his feelings or if it's just because Kratos Parrish just doesn't care. Maybe he's never cared for all Mel knows. It sure seems like it when he simply kisses her on the forehead without a word and waves at her mother before brushing her aside and wrapping his fingers around the handle of their door.

Melvina never sees her father again after that suspiciously cool summer morning, and in hindsight that could have been for the best but regardless she finds herself a whole lot less excited to be an older sister.


It's the second time that she's had this meeting with Mr. Serranos, the dean of Vesuvia and his voice is just as stern as it was the first time Melvina was in his office, a brilliant red room covered in golden lace and decadent portraits with her legs crossed.

"I trust we don't need to talk about why you're here," He tells her, his hand scrawling out incomprehensible lettering onto one of his notepads as he speaks.

"You can tell me again, but I'll say the same thing I said last time," Mel smirks, a sense of pride lingering on her tongue.

Unamused, Mr. Serranos continues, "It's not proper Vesuvia conduct to—"

"It's not proper Vesuvia conduct to cause serious injury during a practice duel," She cuts him off and mocks him, since she knows that's exactly what he's going to say.

"Yes," His arms remain firmly crossed, "I understand you kids are preparing for a death match but there's no good reason for you to break somebody's wrist when this is just practice."

Again, Melvina's annoyed with him. The whole point of training for the Hunger Games is to be able to kill without mercy, win without hesitation, bite when all your opponents can do is bark. And who's to say she can't start early? People her age and a year younger are already being launched into the arena with the expectation to kill, and getting a head start on channeling all that aggression can hardly be deemed a bad thing. Especially when she's already been sent to the back alley to take out people Two deemed worthy of death, she wonders how a broken wrist can be any worse. If anything she's doing better!

"If Sawyer didn't want his wrist broken then he should have tried harder," Melvina muses, flashbacks to slamming the boy against the mat less than an hour prior replaying in her head, an undeniable pleasure arising in her veins once she feels his carpals crumble under the firm grip of her fingers, "C'mon now mister. Do you really want us sending somebody who'll lose to a girl that easy into the Hunger Games. What would he have done in the real Games? Oh, I know, he'd be dead as a dog," she mumbles under her breath low enough that he can't hear her, "And if anything, you should consider yourself lucky that he isn't right now."

Mr. Serranos taps his pen against his chin, seemingly flustered before he says, "That's not your choice to make Ms. Parrish. I understand you have your idea on what it takes to be a proper representative of Two in the Games, but I can assure you that this attitude of yours is in fact not it."

Melvina rolls her eyes, it's no secret that Two's previous volunteers have been absolutely incorrigible, way worse than she'd ever be. She knows their secrets, she knows that they don't give a flying fuck about personally around here as long as you can throw a good punch and walk off whatever's thrown at you.

She gives in to him though, as she's quite frankly exhausted herself from sitting in his office for so long, "You're right, mister. I'm sorry that I took things too seriously earlier today."

He nods his head in shame and escorts Mel out of his office. But does she have any remorse for what she did? Of course not! Sawyer had it coming after all. If he wasn't good enough to volunteer now, he sure as hell wouldn't have some sort of life changing improvement over the next five years. She's just doing him a favor by telling him that the Games are not in his future and he should just go on over to one of the Peacekeepers' Offices and see if he can find a career there.

Besides, everybody knows that Melvina's the best female fighter in her age group at Vesuvia. Maybe all the time her mother spent at work and not watching her daughter grow since she's too poor for that has paid off since it's taught Mel one thing, she'll never get what she doesn't fight for. And even if her quarrels are unfair and she's not afraid to play dirty, Mel sure as hell will put up a fight with whoever comes in her direction.

Her mom's too busy to punish her anyways, there's quite literally nobody stopping Melvina from being the hardened warrior she knows she was put on Panem to grow up into.


The embarrassment of being one of the few kids wearing a Vesuvia uniform in the center of Magma Town to collect tesserae is one that Melvina's never quite able to get used to. As she stands in line every Monday morning with her four year old brother Alvaro by her side, she can't help but feel ashamed of herself. Mel knows that she shouldn't be here, she shouldn't be struggling or suffering to find food to the extent that she's got to be basically publicly humiliated for it. It's not her fault after all that her father's too much of a sleaze to give a damn about child support and her mother's been fired for sneaking off with extra food. But the hunger in her stomach is too much to bear.

He doesn't talk to Mel much, and she doesn't really mind that since she's never been all that much of a fan of his. It's rude to say this, yes indeed but Melvina's not too incorrect when she says that he sort of ruined everything.

For fuck's sake, if Alvaro had never been conceived then Kratos would have never left and Melvina would be able to say that her family is stable enough they don't need to be embarrassments who need food from the government if they want to live. Really, it's a disaster and she hates being in the eye of the storm.

Not that she wanted her father to stay… one kid is just a lot for one barely employable woman to feed, much less two of them. For a while, Mel was fed pretty well by the free lunches at Vesuvia, but she worried that her friends would be suspicious if she kept asking them for food and it was never enough to fend for Genesis and Alvaro too.

And apparently being poor in Two means being punished by standing in line in a bright red uniform while surrounded by kids dressed in rags. Mel keeps her head down in hopes that nobody will recognize her, and so far nobody has but that doesn't change the fact her heart is always fluttering when she tries to get her food.

"Name," She reaches the front of the line and is greeted by a Peacekeeper behind a kiosk, her own miserable expression reflecting in her helmet as she hesitates, "Ma'am.. I asked your name."

"Right, I'm so sorry," Melvina adjusts her posture and then coughs into her hand twice, her voice lowering, "Melvina Parrish. Age Fourteen."

She's well adjusted to the routine enough to know that the next thing he'll ask is her age and she wants to get in and out as soon as possible. Clearly Alvaro does too considering he's already tugging at her wrist.

"A Vesuvia girl," The Peacekeeper laments, looking at Mel's uniform which instantly fills her with dread, "Haven't seen any of you around here for a while."

"Yeah, well I don't know why you're surprised," Although she knows it's unwise of her to snap back at a man carrying a fully loaded weapon, Mel does so anyways, "It's free now, surely they'd pick up some broke people."

Unsure what to say, the officer just nods, knowing damn well that he fucked up, "Right. Sorry ma'am."

Mel just smiles at him and waits for her supply of tesserae. She's already embarrassed enough that she's here, no need to lash out even more and make even more of a mess out of the situation.

The officer returns from his shelves with a large burlap sack, presumably full of all the food the family will need for the rest of the week, "That should be good, then?"

Melvina doesn't feel the need to thank him, instead flashing a thumbs up at him while her teeth are gritted together and grabbing Alvaro's hand tighter and walking away with him. He calls back,"Thank you sir," and Mel's unsure if she wants to slap him or just continue on and forget this day never happened.


It's been proven time and time again that Vesuvia is practically Mel's version of free therapy, especially as her fifteenth birthday approaches and they decide they'll let her spar against the boys more freely since the other girls keep complaining she's an unfair opponent since there's no way they'll beat her, much less learn from the experience. They'd been trying to keep her away from the boys ever since the Sawyer incident led to quite the strain, but there's no denying that it's what's best for everyone.

And that means spending more time with Ryder too, the only person she's ever met that can actually match her egregious energy. He's also the only person who can take her on in a fight so that's always a fun time.

"You ready, Parrish?" He asks her one morning, handing her a plastic and foam plastic sword, "I'm not going to go easy on you this time."

"Please," Mel banters back at him, "You've never gone easy on me, you're just too afraid to admit you repeatedly get beat by a girl."

"As if I don't beat you just as much," Ryder bats his eyes and spins his own sword in his hand, "You're just too afraid to admit you repeatedly get beat by your best friend."

She cackles, "What's a friendship even worth if you can't beat each other up?"

They separate then so that they can begin their fight, Melvina grunting as she holds her sword above her shoulder. There's a referee wearing red standing on the sidelines, a whistle hung around his neck and a stern look on his face, typical of any Vesuvia trainer. They're sort of like drones that only exist to prepare the Cadets to kill and then go home and be miserable, but Mel doesn't mind them at all. Unlike some of the other kids in her age group, she's not an emotionally weak mess and that means she can understand their role, "Parish, Gabor, are you ready?"

"Yes sir," She stomps her left foot on the ground twice and claps, Ryder echoing her.

The referee blows his whistle hard, a deafening shriek piercing Mel's ears, "May the odds be ever in your favor."

She doesn't attack Ryder first thing she can, no, Melvina knows the value of a good offense just as much as anybody does, but she also knows it's important to build up to it. Her toes tap against the mated floors as she approaches him, his brows furrowed and determination on his face just the same.

Ryder's always been more aggressive than she is so it doesn't shock Mel when he charges right towards her, his wrist spinning and forming figure-eight motions with the sword. He's beefy yes, but Mel's more agile and she's able to duck when he tries to inflict his first strike.

She flicks her own blade up at his, plastic rattling as she skids back against the ground until she's far enough away from Ryder that she can calculate her next move. Of course though, Ryder doesn't give her that liberty, instead just charging towards her once more.

Again, Melvina blocks him with her sword and grits her teeth, "Bet you can't catch me."

Her running in circles is certainly exerting and without purpose but it doesn't change the fact that Mel enjoys the way the wind blows through her hair. She's already spent hours and days imagining the same situation, outrunning a foe, only in the arena.

And that's when she would do the same thing she does in the training room that day. Mel turns around and flings her wrist at Ryder who comes rummaging into her, the knock-back underwhelming but still enough to enable Mel to push his shoulders and send him plummeting to the ground.

He tries to get up but her grip is firm, her armpits beginning to sweat as she presses down and counts in her head, 10… 9… 8… 7… Ryder grabs ahold of Mel's wrist and tries to bring her down too yet her feet remain planted in the ground, 6…5… 4… 3… She feels herself slipping but she knows she's come this far and she can't fall down now, 2… 1… 0…

The referee blows his whistle once more and Melvina falls flat on the ground, her breaths heavy and a smile on her face, "Congratulations Ms. Parrish!"

Ryder adjusts his neck so it's next to his head is facing hers and laughs, "Okay… maybe you are better than me."

But Mel just sighs. Sure she beat Ryder today, but she's still got three years ahead of her to maintain this peak performance she's sought after for far too long. She's the top dog today but that could change in an instant so she needs to watch her toes if she wants to actually be chosen to volunteer.


The gruesome nature of Atonement Day is not lost on Melvina, even seven or so years after her first time watching the Peacekeepers and trainers drag prisoners in shackles along Vesuvia's back alley, cuffing them to wire bars. She's gotten used to the annual sacrifice of those who rebelled against Two and Panem as a whole, even if she hated it at first. Well, maybe hate's a strong term, she just was a bit disgusted by what could be considered a small genocide, though that's pretty standard for an eight year old.

She's fifteen now though, and Mel knows the importance of Atonement Day, the value in punishing those who did the unthinkable to betray the beautiful country of Panem even though they've been offered so much. Betraying Two is even worse, especially when it's without a doubt the nicest part of the country. She just… can't wrap her head around why somebody would go out of their way to act out against such a lovely place.

So when she marches out into the back alley with a crossbow at her side, Melvina does it with pride, taking in every last drop of sunlight that covers her face and basking in the glory of not only herself but Vesuvia Academy as a whole. So many brilliant and talented people who've been selected in hopes of representing Two in the Hunger Games, the final test of strength and loyalty to the country she loves so much, even if the Capitolites look a bit stupid most of the times.

"Welcome, welcome to our annual Atonement Day," Mel takes her spot next to a shivering man with greying hair as Mr. Serranos speaks from the front of the line. She'd feel bad for him had she not known that he's here for a reason, he's here because he let down his District and his country and now he must pay the ultimate price, which is of course death. It doesn't phase her anymore. It can't phase her if she's expected to kill even more viciously in just three short years.

He continues to muse, "As you know, you have committed atrocities against our glorious District Two and our enthralling country of Panem. Luckily though, your impending deaths shall not be in vain and instead utilized as practice of the grit and ferocity that our Cadets are known for. May you recognize the significance of your sacrifices towards our Cadets."

It's the same speech more for less every year but that doesn't change the fact that it sends chills down Melvina's spine again and again. In those moments, where she's face to face with her prey as her finger closes on the crossbow's trigger, she swears she can practically touch the sky. She swears she's doing what she was born to do, honor District Two and herself.

Mel's limitless when the arrow flies out of the crossbow and into the man's neck, not even flinching and closing her eyes as crimson spews from the wound and he crumbles to the ground like he's nothing. Because in Melvina's eyes, in all of District Two's eyes, that's exactly what this man is… nothing. But through dying to propel the great Cadet's he's finally worth something, even if it's only in his final moments.

Bodies fall to the ground row by row and while there's a few younger kids who hesitate to kill, they all complete their task eventually, knowing that if they didn't, they'd be sent home from Vesuvia forever, all hopes of volunteering forever squashed.

Yet… that's not where Atonement Day ends for Melvina. Her mother's gotten sicker and more frail and not even tesserae's enough to keep them fed. So she has to work. Once the rest of the Cadets leave the alleyway and all that's left are the bodies of those who failed, Mr. Serranos approaches her and pats her on the back, "So, let's get to work."

She's been cleaning up at Vesuvia more and more to help feed the family, even if it's embarrassing and shameful and she avoids being seen by the other Cadets like they're the plague. Mel always thought that being seen getting tesserae was the most humiliating thing that could ever happen to her, but in all honesty she'd rather die than be seen sweeping up the remains that those richer than her were able to leave without shame

But at least it teaches her this, it teaches Melvina that she's stronger than everyone else at Vesuvia, more determined and more willing to do whatever it takes to win the Games. She's tested to her limits when she has to pile corpses into bags sure, but it'll all be worth it once she sees her name in lights as she leads her victory tour.


Melvina Parrish can only name one time that she felt herself grow weak in the knees and that was the first time she laid her eyes on Klymene Montgomery.

It was a sweltering August evening and the lights were dim in the warehouse where dozens of teenagers had gathered for the evening and while Mel's forehead was undeniably sweaty from the conglomerate of people squishing up against one another yet none of that mattered when a neon beam illuminated the girl's tan skin, freckles splattered along the bridge of her nose like a firework over the town. They were all there to celebrate… well, maybe that wasn't the best word to describe a rager that only occurred because Vesuvia cancelled training the next day in honor of a former mayor passing away, but regardless, it seemed like every teenager in Magma Town was there.

Which meant that Klymene was there, and Mel caught her in the corner of her eye and found herself immediately captivated by her.

"It's rude to stare at somebody you don't know," Like a scene from a movie, the girl who was a mystery to Melvina at the time notices her apparently unsubtle looking.

"We can change that," Mel replies, trying to ignore the butterflies swimming in her stomach, "What's your name?"

The girl smiles, "Klymene Montgomery. Why haven't I seen you before?"

Lightly flexing her muscles, Melvina brushes a lock of her curly black hair behind her ear. She knows she's being awkward, but she's never flirted with anybody in her fifteen years of existence, if that's what's occurring right now, "I'm usually busy at Vesuvia, because I, you know, train there. Melvina Parrish's the name… or Mel if that's too formal for you."

It's not much of a brag considering the sheer amount of people who enroll in Vesuvia and the other two academies year after year, but to Klymene, it seems to be, "Oh, you don't say. I was there for a few years when I was younger but I quit and went back to normal school."

Mel twitches, unsure if she's too thrilled with the fact that she's speaking to somebody who gave up on her personal heaven, but she decides to keep an open mind and asks, "Why'd you leave? Just out of curiosity."

"Well I've always been more of a lover then a fighter," And strangely that's all that it takes to solidify Melvina's enamor towards Klymene.

That night's one that Melvina hopes she'll never forget, just her and this girl that seems to be sent from the angels above, talking to one another like they're the only girls in Panem, much less the only girls in that room.

And she walks Klymene home that night, the two of them under the stars when she gets closer and closer to her side until their fingers intertwine. Mel feels the girl's heartbeat in her hand when she holds it. She feels like she's suddenly important to somebody besides herself. And suddenly somebody else is important to her.

So she talks to Klymene daily, always thinking of something new to discuss with the poet and musician until a week goes by and their fingers have found their way to one another and then for some reason their lips do the same and Mel can feel herself coming alive.

Their kiss is short and sweet, Klymene's lips like a honey Melvina longs to taste more of, and once they've parted, Mel asks her, "So, does this mean you're my girlfriend now?"

With a smile, she agrees, "I would be honored."

And thus begins the best two years of Melvina's life. Two years of dancing in the kitchen in the light of the refrigerator and painting in the forests and singing songs under the twilight. Two years of cuddling by fireplaces and kissing and more than kissing. Two years of Melvina Parrish finally getting a taste of the world, finally finding somebody who she can fight for when she's spent so long fighting for herself.

If only it were longer.


It ends the same way it began, at a party.

Melvina's arm is wrapped around Klymene's waist as they celebrate Two selecting their volunteers for the 93rd Games and they sway to the music the same way they always have. Maybe it's the alcohol running through her veins but Mel's never felt more alive, just her and the girl she'll marry after she wins the Hunger Games, the love of her life if not her life entirely.

Maybe it's nostalgia bias, but Melvina swears it's the best moment of her entire life.

If she had known that stepping away from Klymene to use the bathroom would lead to the worst moment of her life, maybe she would have been better off with a urinary tract infection.

It couldn't have been more than five minutes yet that's all it took for Mel to catch Klymene staring into the eyes of Astrid Tate with more vivacious energy than has ever been directed her way. And they're holding each other closer and tighter than Melvina's ever been held and… no… they can't be…

She wishes she saw a ghost instead of Klymene, her Klymene, her girl, the love of her entire life kissing Astrid.

Astrid Tate who's Melvina's perfect opposite. Rich, entitled, unapologetically feminine. Always giving Mel trouble when she goes to pick Klymene up from school, saying she'd be able to take her in a fight if she tried despite her lack of any actual combat training. Astrid who speaks with her shoulders upright and her nose pointed straight. Astrid Tate, Melvina's opposite. The one person Mel will never be no matter how hard she tries. Unobtainable, undesirable, and out of her damned mine.

…Yet that's what Klymene wants. Sure, she's drunk, but that's what she wants it seems. She wants obnoxious perfection, she wants money and power and fortune and that's the one thing Mel was never able to guarantee to her. She didn't think it meant so much to Klymene who always said she was happy with the little universe that the two of them had built together. The glass house of safety they swore they'd never throw bricks in shattered to the ground, unable to go back to, haunted like the love Melvina wishes she preserved when she had the chance.

But she doesn't know, and she should have known better, should've known not to leave Klymene alone if this was going to happen, she should've known yet she didn't and now she's left with the color drained from her skin as she watches what was once hers become the possession of her worst nightmare.

Melvina doesn't think when she approaches them. She's already crushed and she needs to do something, anything to get the negativity, the wrath out of her system, squashed like the bug she's mentally likened herself to be. There's fury in her eyes too. The same sort she's known for on the mat when she's swinging at her opponents, the look of impending bloodlust that she delivers on Atonement Day… and it's fixated on the two of them who are too infatuated with one another to even notice Mel's arrival.

Holding back her tears, she pokes at Astrid's shoulder with her left finger until she pulls away at Klymene and barks at her, "Funny seeing you here, Parrish. I thought you'd be too busy with your little warrior school to actually have fun."

"We have nights off," Melvina says through gritted teeth, "Get away from her."

"Now now, why would I do that?" Astrid taunts, her hand creeping it's way behind Klymene's waist, "It's not my fault your little girlfriend finally decided she would have good taste. I didn't do anything, this was her decision."

"I don't believe that," Mel proclaims, her eyes burning even stronger that before, "Klymene, please tell me that isn't true."

She flinches, "I'm sorry, Mel. I really am…"

And just like they did when they first met, Klymene's words send Melvina Parrish into a flurry of emotions, her fist pressing up against Astrid's face without much thought. Maybe she should've punched Mel… but no she couldn't have… and this had to have been Astrid's fault, damnit only she'd make advances on a girl who's already settled down, selfish bitch was probably just jealous that I had the one thing she'd never get.

It isn't until Melvina locks the bathroom door behind her that she cries, tears staining her foundation and mascara smudging underneath her eyelids. She rolls her eyes, damn I look like a mess, and she finds herself clumping together more and more pieces of tissue until she's formed a small ball of cloth in her hands, tears and snot glueing the concoction together.

She's always said that she's an ugly crier but here Melvina's somehow worse. Here, Melvina Parrish is utterly hideous, a monster… undeserving of all the nice things she's been blessed with. Undeserving of Vesuvia and it's opportunities and undeserving of even getting a chance with Klymene in the first place.

Mel's not what people want, she's not desirable, just a hoax, a false promise at a good life when it seems that all she can provide is misery. That's why Klymene left. Because somehow Melvina still isn't good enough. Even after the two best years of her life, she's deficient, and she probably always had been. She was just too prideful to even see it, too much of a fool to even hypothesize that Klymene Montgomery could possibly love her.

She's crushed, she's just as messy as she was always doomed to be, just too utterly stubborn to admit her downfall, which was the fact she'd never be the rich girl people wished she was, even if that's what she deserved. Even if she had grinded and trained her best for ten years, yet that got her nowhere.

Lord, Melvina was an idiot for thinking she could ever be successful outside of the academy.


Revenge is a dish best served sober, Melvina decides just two days later when she walks in front of the Terranova-Jornmark Center for Enriched Studies around four in the afternoon, right about when Klymene and Astrid should be done with their studies for the day, of course that's provided they don't decide to spend some sweet time fucking in the library the way she and Mel used to.

She isn't too sure what she's going to do when she sees them, but she knows it won't be pretty. Will she kill her? Debatable considering the fact Astrid's probably way worse than those bums for Atonement Day. But… she'll play nice. Or at least she'll play nice enough that she doesn't somehow end up on the other side of the alleyway, not that anybody in their right mind would kill her, even if it was required of them.

As soon as she sees that smug grin on Astrid's face when she leaves the sliding glass door of the building, Klymene holding her hand, the world seems to flash before Melvina's eyes. This isn't a drunken accident anymore, this is real, Klymene is gone and she's in the arms of her worst nightmare.

She notices her and asks from afar, "Mel, why are you here?"

But she doesn't answer. Instead, Melvina pries Astrid away from Klymene and locks her wrists in her fingers, "You always said you could beat me in a fight, how about now, Tate?" She jeers, not even giving Astrid time for a response.

Instead, she grabs her by the shirt and slams her against the concrete flooring, her voice growing sore as she yells, "I fucking hate you!" again and again, "You stole the best thing that ever happened to me."

Astrid tries to fight back but her advances don't do much besides cause her more distress, her voice going light as she whimpers and writhes. Melvina should have learned a long time ago that her physical brute is all she's worth. It's what'll get her what she wants in the end, that feeling of satisfaction and victory. She should have realized years ago that there's no use putting up a heavy defense if her strengths will always lie in playing for the offense. She uses her nails to claw through Astrid's skin, Klymene crying and petrified as she begins to draw blood from her chest.

And Melvina hates to admit it, but she's having fun. She's enjoying the thrill she gets when she's able to completely overpower someone, the proof that all her training has given her some form of self-worth. She was a shitty lover and should have always stuck with being a fighter, damnit!

Because Klymene will never give her this rush of endorphins, not even close. Sure, she can try all she wants, but the satisfaction of battle will always be more sweet.

And sure enough, Peacekeepers eventually see what Melvina's doing and tear her away from Astrid, "Young lady, get off of her," his voice is so low.

She's absolutely positive that she's fucked until the man let's go of her, "You're Melvina Parrish, aren't you?"

Mel nods, unsure what to make of the situation.

"I've heard you're making great strides at Vesuvia," The Peacekeeper lets go of her, "I remember helping you in the town square all those years back. Try to stay out of trouble, I expect great things from you"

Another officer slaps her on the back, "Don't let us see you causing trouble again young lady, you're only getting off this time because I've heard you've got potential to go into the Games next year."

Melvina's thankful but that sure doesn't change the fact she's damn proud Astrid got what she deserved.


All Signs Point to Lauderdale by A Day to Remember


Aha y'all bitches remember when I was like "I'm going to update every three weeks!" Well I will have you know ladies and gents and others, that was my plan but then the nasty whores at the College Board said "fuck you, you have three AP tests in the span of three days and therefore you will not be writing." And I guess I'm a good student or whatever because I actually studied for them. I think I did alright enough, totally bombed the Gov exam but that's okay I hate the government anyways. Regardless, I am here with my update now, and I am pretty much done with high school so that's wild as fuck. I wish I could say it's bittersweet but nah, I'm just glad it's through. Hated it! Anyways y'all don't care let me talk about the chapter…

So that was Melvina Parrish! Our first look at District Two! Wild times, gay times, as is common in my neck of the woods. Thank you to Haley for sending me this bad bitch via google docs, I must say I had a fun ass time writing her.

ALSO? IT HAS NOW BEEN A YEAR SINCE I POSTED WE THE PEOPLE? I am so proud of myself I have gotten so much more talented!

Wow okay I think I am actually ready to shut up, wait no I will promote myself like a whore and say submit to A Common Defense or don't… anyways Sammy is next. When is he? Good fucking question! How long will he be? No clue, leave me the fuck alone!

Stream SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo and also fuck this shit, I'm out,
Linds