A/N: Chapter 3! Enjoy!
Mitch wakes up Mike and Jerome, telling them that it's time to start moving.
After eating the few apples they managed to scrounge up, Mike runs ahead of the group, keeping a sharp eye out for any tributes that might be in the area.
"Hey Jerome?" Mitch whispers, speeding up to walk next to his friend. "How is your leg today?"
"It's great actually. Almost like it was never hurt."
"Really? That healed fast." Mitch says, genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, I know."
"I um… actually wanted to talk to you about something else." Mitch says, rubbing the back of his neck. "The other day...in the clearing, you um...you and I were standing there for a while and then the day before when you were...cuddling with me, I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to um...say anything about that to me?"
Jerome looks at him, his heart racing. I need to tell him. "Actually yeah, I um…" Jerome sighs. "I've wanting to tell you for a long time Mitch. I really like you. Not just like, but I think that I like like you."
Mitch smiles as he listens to Jerome. He likes me! He really likes me! I can't believe it! Mitch pulls Jerome into a bone crushing hug. "I really like you too Jerome. I've been wanting to say the same thing." They both stand there staring at each other and smiling until they feel the presence of someone watching them.
"Hey guys, not wanting to ruin the moment but we have a small problem." Mike says.
Kneeling down they all look across the river and watch the group of six tributes pushing around another tribute that they had managed to surround.
Mitch glares at the group. "We need to get down and there and kill those guys while we have the element of surprise." He whispers.
Mike pull out his sword and points to some trees that overlap the river and continue into the forest on the other side. "I can easily sneak up behind them by using those trees as a bridge to get across, and you guys would be covered on this side until you reach the river so I'll have to attack to give you time to get across."
Mitch thinks about the proposed plan. "Actually, what if we meet them in the river. From watching them they don't have good footwork and would easily be swept away by that river. I could show myself first to give you a chance to rescue that other tribute and maybe even attack from the back if anyone stays on that side."
Mike nods and begins climbing into a tree to make his way across the river. Mitch and Jerome stay crouched down low to stay hidden until Mike is in place on the other side. Once they spot him, they both step out and run into the river.
Stopping in the middle of the river, Mitch and Jerome watch as the group stops tormenting the other tribute and begin to advance on them with weapons drawn. One tribute stays behind and pulls a bow on the two, nocking an arrow aimed for Mitch's chest.
Quicker than the tribute could react, Mike jumps from the tree and thrusts his sword into the girl's stomach. Dropping her bow, she fall to her knees clutching at the sword impaling her. Mike pulls it out and she falls to the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath her. He turns and looks at the tribute that the group had been pushing round and says "I won't hurt you. I'm Mike and those are my friends Mitch and Jerome out there. We're trying to help you."
The tribute nods, knowing that she now has a group to stay with to help her.
Mitch manages to trip one tribute and watches as he floats away with the rushing current of the river, and Jerome uses his axe to kill another. The group hesitates, realizing that Mitch and Jerome were going to be more formidable opponents than they had originally thought.
Mike charges forward into river seeing opening. Before the three tributes realized what happened two more were floating down the river, never to be seen again.
The last tribute knows he's surrounded so he lowers his weapon. "Kill me. Go ahead."
Mitch, Jerome and Mike stare at the tribute, not understanding why he's giving up so easily, when an arrow protrudes from his throat. His body falls down into the river, soon to join his other fallen comrades.
The three look up and see the tribute they had saved holding the bow at her side, staring back at them.
Sitting around the fire back in their cave, Mitch and Jerome on one side and Mike and the other tribute on the other.
"So," Mitch says. "What's your name?"
The girl looks up at him from where her head rests on her knees. "Addie Ventura." She says quietly. "Who are you guys?"
"I'm Jerome and this is Mitch."
"And I'm Mike." Mike says gently. "What District are you from?"
"District Three. What about you guys?"
"I'm from Six." Mike responds, then looks over at Jerome and Mitch.
"We're both from Twelve." Mitch answers, knowing theres going to be some questions.
Mike and Addie look at the two with looks of complete confusion on their faces. "How is it possible for two guys to be in the same Games from the same district?" Mike asks.
Mitch lets a small laugh escape his lips. "Let's just say the girls there got into a bit of trouble with a certain Capitol lady and now they're on a lockdown. So they aren't allowed anywhere. Not even the Games apparently."
"What happened?" Addie asks.
"Let's just leave it at there was a big mess in Effie's hair." Jerome laughs, his face falling into Mitch's chest. Mitch smiles and wraps an arm around his shoulders as his friend has his laughing fit from the memory.
The other tributes allow small smiles to creep onto their faces at the thought of what colorful words Effie would have had for whoever made the mess.
"So," Mike says. "Let's hear some life stories since ours will probably come to an end soon."
Addie punches his shoulder. "Hey!" He says. "I was just joking."
Addie smiles. "I had a little sister back home. Her name was Minx. She loved whenever it rained because we didn't have to work that day around the wires anything else that was assigned to us. She would put on her boots and jump into any and every puddle she could find." She laughs a little. "She was doing that the day of the Reaping. She completely forgot about it and mom got so mad at her for getting her good dress wet."
Everyone stays quiet, hoping to hear more about her.
"I remember my first Reaping. Mom said she didn't know what she would do if I was picked. She said she would miss the little things the most. Waking me up in the morning to see my blue eyes, or even my blonde hair all messy whenever Minx would try to braid it. I miss that."
Mike smiles. "I had a sister too. She would always try and pull pranks on the Peacekeepers in my District. They had a soft spot for her. It was funny watching them play with her. I never thought I would like a Peacekeeper, but whenever my dad died this one always kind of watched over my sister and I. He was nice. He would always help out with our work without the other Peacekeepers knowing." Mike goes silent for a few moments. "My sister was a lot like me actually. We're both tanned from being in the sun all day, we both have brown eyes, black hair, and a smile that no one else in our district has." He smiles, a big pearly white smile, almost as if to prove his point. "After our dad died, my mom says that she lives to see us smile everyday. Knowing that we're happy makes her happy."
Silence enshrouds them for a few moments, everyone waiting for the next person to share.
"I don't have a family. They were all killed in a mining accident. My father, my older brother, my mother that was expecting." Tears slide down Jerome's cheeks and Mitch pulls him close to where his head lays on his shoulder. "Then I met Mitch. We were around nine when we first met. We were always together. My family said we were like two peas in a pod. There was no separating us. I remember whenever we cut the fence to Ms. Biggums chicken coop and all the chickens got out. She had to chase them all day and several still managed to get away from her." They all laugh together. "But...when my family died several years later, Mitch took me in. We became brothers I guess you could say."
Mitch stays quiet, not wanting to share, even though he knows that he should. "I um...I don't know what to say. My um...my mother died when I was three. She was killed by a Peacekeeper whenever she accidently bumped into him trying to chase after me. The guy wouldn't listen to her and wouldn't accept her apologies, so he just whipped her. When he was done he untied her from the post, and I just sat there holding her. I watched the life literally fade out of her eyes as I held her in my arms. I was three. I shouldn't remember something like that when I was so young, but I do. It's one of the only memories I have that I can't forget. I hate it, but I can't change it. I was the weird kid in the District. No one liked me. They thought that my quietness was something to be made fun of. Then Jerome came up to me one day and started talking to me. It was the first interaction I had had with a kid my age in years. I didn't know what to do or say so I kind of just watched him. He kept tripping over himself. It was so funny, I felt sorry for him, so we became friends." Mitch looks down at Jerome and smiles.
The Capitol Anthem comes on, catching the group off guard.
District Two: Chan Male
District Four: Flint Enstile
District Four: Goldie Helm
District Five: Plume Kinseed
District Six: Seth Erquartz
District Ten: Steve Heads
District Ten: Prim Arine
A/N: Okay! Districts One, Two, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Ten, and Eleven are out for good! Hope you enjoyed!