Updated as of July 9th, 2022
Welcome back, everyone! Too much time has passed this time around. I hope this chapter makes up for it.
ONTO THE STORY!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or all the money I would have earned doing so. Sigh.
FLASHBACK TO THE LAST CHAPTER
"Fine, whatever. Just get a move on," she huffed, turning on her heel and walking away. I watched her go expressionlessly, turning to look at 12's dummy one last time before pushing its head slightly off-balance.
Sand poured out like a fountain as it tipped, the weight of what remained ripping the burlap like it was nothing until it hung limply by the dummy's shoulder.
I smirked, rolling my shoulders once as I took off after Clove.
Too easy.
She frowned, sucking her bottom lip in before kicking up, aiming for my face. I ducked, watching her leg soar over my head before grabbing her ankle and kicking at her other one, sending the brunette falling onto her back. Her breath left her body in one big whoosh when she landed. Her eyes lost their focus as she gasped for breath.
End it.
I followed her down, clamping my legs down on her sides and pinning her swiftly to the mat until the ten seconds were up.
Done.
The girl frowned, her face scrunching up in disappointment as I got off of her. I held my hand out to her, part of me wondering if she would be too proud to take it. Her eyes darted between it and my face several times before she tentatively placed her hand in mine.
It took a little more effort to bring her up than I would like to admit, but somehow I managed. Frustrating to be reminded how weak I still was. She scratched the back of her head, giving me a sheepish half-smile as Atala started talking to the other tributes.
"I won't go so easy on you in the Arena! You better believe it!" The brunette whispered jokingly, causing me to cock an eyebrow.
"Oh, I'm quivering in my boots," I replied with an eye-roll, making her snicker. She turned to look at Atala as the woman mentioned our order for meeting with the Gamemakers, District 12 going last as usual. I glanced back over at the replacement, still trying to figure her out. She had the least time out of all of us to get ready for the Games, but I couldn't help but feel as though she wasn't taking things seriously enough. Like everything really was just a game to her, and she was sure she would win despite having no skill to back it up.
"I hope you're ready to kiss the mat, because it'll take less than a minute to take your skinny ass down!" She had said when Atala first called us up to spar. I just gave her a look that said Are you kidding me?
Rosie was her name. She was the complete opposite of Esla, making me question what their district was like.
"That's all for today, tributes. Good luck with your private sessions. You are dismissed!" Atala declared, waving away the crowd of adolescents before turning to speak with Sinius, who never seemed to have recovered from her threats on my first day.
"That's our cue," I muttered, stepping down from the mats to follow the others. The replacement followed me, a look on her face that was probably the closest to nervousness she could get.
"So...what exactly do we do in these, uh, private sessions?" She asked as we walked, falling into step beside me. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, trying to discern why she was latching onto me.
"Your mentors haven't told you yet?" I questioned, opening the door out of the gym. She shook her head, frowning down at her hands as we stepped through the threshold.
"No. They haven't really told me anything, like, at all. They think I don't have a chance because I came so late, so I think they're focusing on Tyson more," she muttered. I raised my eyebrows, feeling like I should be surprised but knowing better.
Klew popped her head through the cafeteria doors, face brightening when she saw me. However, her smile fell when she caught sight of 9 beside me, her look taking a more questioning path towards the girl.
"We were waiting for you before grabbing some grub," she said, turning to look back at me with that glint of intelligence in her eyes. I nodded, quickening my pace slightly.
"Hey, do you think I could sit with you guys? I doubt Tyson would want to be anywhere near me, and I've never been good at being alone, so..." 9 trailed off, glancing at my face for a reaction. I blinked, my brain whirring to try and figure out a way to decline the offer without sounding like a jerk. Then I remembered the whole, we're all eventually going to die soon thing and found I didn't care how I sounded.
"Why not? The more, the merrier as my dad always used to say," Klew said, grinning as she held the door open for the both of us. I scrutinized her face as I walked past to figure out her angle, but she avoided her gaze before I could get a good look.
Hive watched us approach curiously, unable to open his mouth before Klew was prattling on about the dream she had last night and asking what he thought it meant. I went up to get my food, wary of all the pastries as I made my way to the meats. Klew followed soon after me, engaged in a heated discussion with 9, Hive trailing silently behind them. I eyed the pair up for a moment, a feeling of suspicion creeping up inside me.
I finished my food quickly, pushing my tray away to lay my head on the table. My adrenaline had finally run out from the sparring match and a headache had settled in, much to my annoyance. Hive nudged my arm slightly with his spoon, waiting a few moments when I didn't respond to do it again. Sighing, I rolled my head so that I could look up at him and raised my eyebrow in question.
"You know, you did really good on the mat today," he said softly, glancing over at Klew to make sure she was occupied before returning his gaze to me. "What do you think you're going to do for the private sessions?"
I paused, the realization of how much closer I was to being in the Arena catching me off-guard. My stomach dropped and my palms felt sweaty all of the sudden, fear of what was to come officially hitting me. I swallowed hard, struggling to focus back in of Hive, who was still waiting for an answer.
"I-Well, I don't really know, now that I think about it," I replied truthfully, rubbing my hands off on my leggings to try and dry them. Hive nodded, pushing a few leftover scraps of food around his plate.
"Same here. I don't really have anything to distinguish me from the other tributes," he said, blowing a stray hair out of his eyes. I perked up a little bit, pushing past my own feelings as the gears turned in my head.
"Maybe...Maybe that'll be your angle," I started, taking in his confused expression.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that, maybe play up your uselessness, make it seem like you have nothing to offer them."
"But then I'll get a low score," he said, brow furrowing.
"Precisely."
"But then that means I won't get any sponsors."
"That doesn't matter. By getting that bad score, you make yourself less of a threat, meaning..." I trailed off, noting Klew and 9's attention drifting to Hive and me.
"Meaning, the Careers won't try to kill me right away, because they'll have stronger people to worry about," Hive responded, working his way through the concept as he spoke.
"Brilliant," Klew said with a grin.
"But what about the sponsors?" He tried again, looking at me earnestly. I bit my lip.
"Hive, how many did you expect to get in the first place?" I murmured, hoping I didn't sound as harsh as I thought I did. Hive scratched his ear, breaking eye-contact.
"Not very many."
Klew reached across the table and took his hand, waiting until he met her eyes before talking.
"Hive, if I were a rich, privileged Capitolite, I'd sponsor you the most. Laurel would be a close second," she said winking at the both of us before letting go and laughing. Hive's ears turned pink and he picked up his tray to dump it.
"Marvel Lee!" A voice boomed, causing the room to go silent as Marvel got rid of his tray and strode out of the room, a Peacekeeper leading the way. As soon as the doors shut behind him the Careers began talking amongst themselves once more, Cato glancing over at me once before his district partner pulled him back into the conversation.
"What do you think you'll do, Klew?" I muttered, rubbing my forehead from where it had rested on the table.
"I think I'll do something with fire, but I'm not sure how I'll get it all rigged...is there a time limit to these things?" She asked sheepishly, looking between us all as if we knew.
"I never heard of there being one..." Hive said, although he didn't sound very sure of himself.
We sat in silence after that, and all I could say when Hive and Klew were called was a small, "Good luck." The District 9 girl shifted in her spot slightly, unable to stand the quiet much longer.
"Do you really think you'll win?" She whispered, looking around as if to see if anyone had heard her. I raised an eyebrow.
"Did I ever say that?" I asked bemusedly. She rolled her eyes, but then suddenly got serious.
"Why are you even putting up an act for everyone?" She asked in disgust, catching me off-guard. My eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me?"
"Why even convince those two tributes that they have any chance of surviving past the bloodbath? Is that your angle, Laurel? Pretend to help everyone out and then straight up murder them in their sleep?"
Anger began prickling in my chest, a need to defend myself rising.
"What the hell would you know?"
She paused, analyzing me with her eyes. She leaned back, crossing her arms and looking away.
That's what I thought.
She didn't bother talking to me again even when she was called. I still found myself wishing her good luck despite her criticizing words earlier, but she refused to acknowledge me.
I dug my fingernail into the table, part of me wishing I didn't have to wait so long for it all to be over with. The part of me I wouldn't admit existed, the darkest part, wished that I had just eaten the damn cookie yesterday. That way I wouldn't have to sit back and wait to die. It would've only taken a few minutes and then I'd be gone.
Stop that. There's no need to think like that way.
Districts 10 and 11 left as time progressed, leaving the room practically empty except for me and him. Emery sat a few tables away, idly tearing apart small loaves of bread from a breadbasket. As if he felt my gaze on him, he glanced my way, his stormy grey eyes seeming to freeze me in place. He set the bread down, not even bothering to clean up his mess, and stood up, making his way towards me.
I looked away, turning my focus back to the slight groove I had managed to create with my fingernail. When he sat down across from me, I pretended not to notice. He cleared his throat, but I still didn't acknowledge him, just like 9 had done to me.
"Laurie," he whispered.
My head shot up instantly, anger lighting my blood and causing it to race through my body.
"Don't call me that," I hissed, wanting to clock him right in the jaw but knowing that the Peacekeepers would stop me before I could do any lasting damage. He had the audacity to smirk at me.
"Knew that would get you talking."
"Just save it, Emery," I said, glaring. His smirk dropped.
"Laurel...Maybe not here, maybe not now, but..." He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.
"Do you think we could..." He tried again, his voice strained. My jaw clenched and I looked away, hoping he would take the hint and refrain from finishing that sentence.
"Emery Grimmins," a Peacekeeper called, saving me. Emery turned and looked at them briefly before turning back to me.
"Okay, just because you hate me right now doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to me, alright?" He said hastily, not waiting for my response before continuing. "Use everything you've got. Use a bow, throw some knives, whatever it takes. Make it risky. It'll make you stand out."
"Emery Grimmins!"
Without another word, he got up and left, leaving me to contemplate everything alone.
I groaned, dropping my head in my hands. Why couldn't he just leave me to hate him in peace? Why did he have to try and help out all the time?
I dug into the groove I'd caused with renewed vigor, not realizing the amount of pressure I was using until my nail bent backwards, introducing me to a level of pain I hadn't really considered possible. It seemed as though an hour went by as I sat in that cafeteria, holding my thumb and wishing the pain away.
"Laurel Dainton!"
The thump, thump, thump of my heartbeat in my ears grew faster as my name echoed in the silence. I approached the Peacekeepers, nail pain forgotten. My chest tightened as they led me down the hall, the ability to breathe becoming harder and harder. They forced me to stop as they opened up a set of double doors leading into a room that rivaled even the Training Gym in size. Looking at the men in white cautiously, they motioned me to go inside. At least they didn't shove me.
Walking in, I took in everything around me, stopping once more when I came to the middle of the room. Weapons were held on racks all around me, and up above stood the Gamemakers, enjoying a party they didn't deserve.
Forcing in a deep breath, I steadied myself.
Showtime.
~OoOoO~
The wind chimes jingled as the breeze passed by, lifting strands of my hair with it. My chin rested on my knees as I looked out over the horizon, watching the lights of the Capitol glitter in the dusk of day. Goosebumps littered my bare arms as another breeze brushed against me, forcing me to hold my legs closer. I'd been up on the roof for an hour or so. Frankly, I was surprised no one had found me yet.
The Private Session had not gone the way I wanted. No, not at all. And now I was hiding out like a coward. I covered my face and let out a sigh. I shouldn't have let myself lose control like that. I should have just shot an arrow or two, maybe flicked a knife around at some targets.
The door clicked softly behind me, the noise barely reaching me above the chimes. I didn't turn, didn't even acknowledge it.
"...Lau-rel?"
The wind chimes jingled once more, filling the silence my lack of response created. They stepped closer, almost unsure. Sighing, I sat up, shifting on the ledge so that I could see them. He paused, taking in my expression. My lip wobbled, but I stopped it before it could develop into something worse. I'm so glad they couldn't pick up our voices over the noise.
"Did they send you after me?" I asked, staring into his eyes. He met my stare evenly, shaking his head before coming nearer.
"I ca-me on my own," he said, his voice cracking again. He held out a hand, waiting patiently for me to take it. I felt a smile twitch on my lips.
Gently, he pulled me from the ledge and straight into his arms, cradling my head against his chest and tucking it under his chin. Under all the clean, Capitol smell of his clothes, I could make out the faint scent of his skin that I had spent years memorizing. Moving my arms from being trapped between us, I slowly brought them around and hugged him back.
Maybe it was because I wasn't in a very good state-of-mind, but suddenly, all I could think about was one night back in District 12. Squeezed in tight next to a few other kids, listening to them as they described something so horrible I couldn't fully process it back then.
"They told me you'd died, you know. Said it was some new kid who rung your bell harder than anyone else ever had," I whispered, my fingers beginning to curl in his shirt. Aronn didn't respond, but I didn't let it faze me.
"I didn't want to believe them. I didn't think you'd let some punk get the better of you, let alone a new kid. I thought that you just didn't want to look out for me anymore, and in some awful, twisted way, making others tell me you died would let you off the hook. But then I didn't see you...anywhere. No one ever talked about Hot Head anymore. And...and it made me start to believe...what they were saying..."
My lips began wobbling and I almost couldn't control them. I gripped his back, burying my face in his chest. His body tensed.
"Lau-rel...I-"
"Then I saw you in the woods. You were running with that girl...And I didn't understand again. I wanted to run to you- I wanted to save you-" I was holding him as close as I physically could, not caring if I was hurting him in that moment.
"I got out, you know. Of The Ring. No thanks to you and your stupid fantasy plans," I said harshly, hoping he couldn't feel my tears as they soaked into his top. The air seemed to go stagnant as the soft wind stopped, causing the chimes to slow as well. It took me a moment to realize the potential threat of the quiet that had enveloped us. It took another moment for me to start moving.
Ducking my head out from under his, I angrily wiped my eyes and offered him a big grin. Pushing him away as quickly as possible, I untangled myself and shook his hand. His mouth closed and he frowned, not quite understanding.
"Thank you for, uh, holding me, Avox. Preparing for the Games can be ridiculously stressful, and it's not like I can just ask my mentor to hug it out when I'm in a mood," I chuckled sincerely, hoping he was picking up what I was putting down. Instead, he opened his mouth again and I had to touch his arm in warning.
"Man, it sure got quiet up here without those annoying wind chimes. Now I can finally hear myself talk," I joked while looking at him pointedly. If he didn't understand that, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Thankfully, he nodded, allowing my body to relax.
"I don't suppose I could trouble you with leading me back to my floor, could I? I'm simply exhausted," I admitted with a sheepish smile, faking a yawn for effect.
The stairway was deserted just as I had suspected. Aronn walked ahead of me by a few steps, keeping his head forward as to not look at me. I watched his shoulders and the way the light filtered through his hair. He'd lost muscle since that day in the woods. And who was that girl he was with? Where did she even come from?
Aronn pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked my floor's door, leading the way in before locking it behind us. I watched him pocket the key and couldn't help but wonder how many other keys he had access to.
"There you are! Where have you been? You missed dinner!" Effie huffed, stopping to eye Aronn before giving me as a mischievous smile. "Never mind. Come, come. They are scheduled to show the scores for your private sessions soon!"
Sharing a glance with Aronn, I followed the wig-wearing woman into the living area, not surprised to see that I was the last to arrive. Even our stylists were there. Effie took her place in the lone armchair off to the side, leaving only one place for me to park my butt. Looking at the ground, I sat down stiffly beside Emery, drawing my knees to my chest. He side-eyed me, his jaw ticking as he eyes trailed back to the screen.
"So. Where were ya hidin'?" Haymitch inquired, taking a long drink from his flask. Some nonsense commercial played on the screen, and I wanted to act like I hadn't heard him, but that would only accomplish making him ask louder.
"About. Had to cool off for a while," I stated evenly, fingers crossed that he wouldn't ask me what I dreaded he would.
"About, huh? Why'd ya need to cool off? You got that worked up in yer session?" He laughed, but his eyes were zeroed in on my face, gauging my reaction. Dammit.
"I guess you could say that," I sighed, jumping when Effie hushed us all.
"It's about to come on! Ah, I'm so excited! I have no worries about how well you both did," she gushed, practically bubbling out of her seat. I frowned.
The program opened with Caesar Flickerman, the showman for seemingly everything to do with the Capitol. After some witty commentary and jokes, Caesar signed off and let the real show begin. Effie sat up even straighter in her seat. I watched her, wondering what she'd be thinking if I told her how badly I messed up in my session. Would she still look so confident?
Most of the Careers got in the eight-to-ten range. Glimmer got the lowest score of eight, while Cato and Finnick scored the highest with ten a piece. Merida got a nine, which made me wonder. What exactly is she hiding? Klew and Hive had really low scores, and I didn't know whether to be proud or worried. The rest of the tributes averaged a five, with some spiking higher than others. Naturally, District 12 was the last to be shown. Emery's face smoldered onscreen, staring down the camera almost angrily. After a moment or two, the number ten appeared, and my eyebrows shot up to my hairline. I swiveled my head to face him, only to find him already looking at me with the same expression.
"What did you do?" I asked quietly, my skin cooling rapidly.
"Everything I knew how."
Effie looked as though she was about to burst from pride as she beamed at Emery from her seat, but she held herself back. Probably because my face had already began coming into focus. I could hear my heartbeat once again in my ears as I tried to curl in on myself, digging my body into the couch as if it would just absorb me into its cushions and save me from what was to come. Squeezing my eyes shut, I opened them and looked at the screen, my heart skipping a beat as the number appeared.
Eleven.
I blinked. I rubbed my eyes. I swallowed.
Eleven.
The room exploded into cheers, into congratulations, into laughter. Effie jumped up and hugged Emery and I at the same time, telling us how proud she was among other things. Cinna clapped me on the back and Portia waited for her turn to give me a hug. Haymitch gazed at me from his seat, an odd look in his eye as he took another long drink from his flask. I rubbed my forehead, disbelieving of what had happened. It couldn't be right. No, they must have messed up. They had to have.
Emery placed his hand on my shoulder, waiting for me to turn and look at him.
"What did you do?" He murmured, searching my face. I felt my lip twitch up into an empty half-smile.
"I made it risky."
His brow furrowed. However, the shift of focus in the room turned to Emery as Cinna and Portia started congratulating him as well, Cinna making a comment about his ideas for our interview outfits. Taking it as my moment to escape, I slipped past everyone and headed to my room. Aronn's eyes followed me, but thankfully his body did not. I didn't really want to be near anyone for the rest of the night.
Once the door shut behind me I started stripping out of my clothes and made my way to the bathroom to shower. Carefully picking what buttons I wanted, I stepped in and sat down, letting the massaging jets of water run over my back. I sighed, leaning forward and hugging my thighs. I could still see the eleven in my mind's eye, flashing just under my name like a warning.
A sharp knock jerked me out of my thoughts in an instant. I scowled, pushing myself to my feet and peeking out of the shower just as the soap started spouting out of the nozzle, missing me by a few inches.
"What do you want?" I called out, glancing around the room for a towel.
"To talk," Haymitch grunted, causing me to grimace. I huffed.
"Alright, give me a few minutes."
Approximately four minutes later, I was out of the shower, towel wrapped around my body to cover it rather than to dry it. I really was amazed by Capitol technology.
Walking out of the room, I was greeted to the sight of Haymitch sprawled out on my bed and Emery standing off to the side intently staring along the edge of the ceiling. As soon as I stepped into the room his head jerked in my direction, his eyes widening slightly but not wavering in their gaze. I fidgeted with the hem of the cloth, causing him to stare at where my chest ended and the towel started.
"I suppose we're even now," I said nonchalantly, although inside I was screaming at myself to hide in the bathroom until they left. He looked up at that, letting out a snort as he rolled his eyes.
"Brat, get some clothes on already," Haymitch commanded, refusing to sit up until I did so.
After going to my computerized wardrobe and selecting some sleepwear, I hurried to the bathroom and changed, coming back out as soon as I was done. Leaning against a wall, I crossed my arms, now much more comfortable.
"Well, what do we need to talk about?" I asked, watching the two of them as they exchanged a look. Haymitch sat up, placing his elbows on his knees as he eyed me up.
"I think you already know what we need to talk about," he said, eyes narrowing. "What did you do in your private session?"
My lips thinned and I looked away.
"You said you made it risky. What did you mean by that?" Haymitch prodded. I hadn't realized he'd been listening when I said that.
"What did Emery do? He got a ten- doesn't that require some questioning?" I demanded, trying to change the subject. Besides, what business did he have being in my room? Emery stiffened, glaring at me.
"I've already talked to him about it," Emery said, mirroring my position. Haymitch nodded.
"That's right. Now, what exactly did you do that you don't want to admit to, brat?"
I opened my mouth to say something spiteful, but I ended up closing it. What point was I trying to make? I had no reason to hide what I did, especially not to my mentor. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I crossed my arms tighter and looked at the floor.
"I walked in and they were throwing a party. There was food, drinks, the whole works, and it was like they didn't realize I was there. Like- like they were already done for the day and were throwing one last hoo-rah before going home. So, I grabbed some knives, hit some targets, and I looked up to see their reaction. And there wasn't one. No one had seen a thing.
"Then I picked up a bow and a quiver, thinking that maybe if I did some trick shots I'd at least be glanced at. I ended up taking out a light and made sparks shower down from the ceiling, but the only thing I got was one of them to look at the broken light in- in disdain. I wanted to walk out right then. It didn't seem like anything I did would matter at that point," I said, my lip curling. I could feel my blood beginning to boil just remembering it.
"And then they brought out that damned pig. You'd think it was a holiday or something the way they all crowded around it, laughing and joking amongst each other. I was pissed. I thought how my legacy would be being upstaged by a dead pig. I thought about my brother and sister, about how if I didn't get a good score I stood no chance of ever getting back to them because people already saw me as a threat, and without help I'd end up dying in the arena like another forgotten tribute, and I...I snapped."
The room was silent. I could see it all repeat in my head: my fury as I sneered up at all the Gamemakers- my hand as it picked up a spear- my slight relief that they weren't paying attention when I barely got it twenty feet in front of me- and my satisfaction when I picked up a trident and sent it soaring into their balcony.
"I threw a trident at them. Right in the middle of their little party. Just as Seneca Crane raised his glass in a toast, my trident pinned his arm to the wall. A few of them screamed, Crane dropped his glass, and somebody fell into the punch bowl. They all whipped around to look at who threw it and I bowed, smiling back at them. I said, enjoy the rest of your party, and I left. I went and hid, because I realized how badly I had messed up and I just knew they were going to send the Peacekeepers after me and do who knows what and...nobody came."
I don't know when I started crying, or when I slid down to the ground, or when Haymitch started crouching in front of me, but I was more than thankful when he handed me a handkerchief to clean myself up. He sighed, shaking his head.
"So much fire, but ya don't even realize how dim you act. Well, there's no helping the past now. I s'pose they liked your stunt, otherwise they wouldn't have given ya an eleven," he said, standing up with a groan. I shook my head, smiling ruefully.
"See, I've been thinking about that, and I think you've got it wrong," I said dully. Emery took a few steps closer, his brow furrowed.
"What do you mean by that?"
"They've already replaced one tribute. It's too late to replace another one. So how do you punish someone who's going to be fighting to the death in a few days?" I asked, pushing my hair out of my face and getting to my feet.
"You make them a bigger target," Haymitch said, cursing. "Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
"Like you said, there's no helping the past now. Might as well hold my head high while I still can. What's the plan for the interviews?" I said, placing the ruined handkerchief on a side table. Haymitch gave me an incredulous look and shook his head again, muttering something or other about teenagers and cursing a higher deity.
"Fine. Tomorrow's the only day we get to prepare you two brats. Would you rather be coached together, or separately?" He grumbled, turning to look at both of us. Emery looked at me, his expression unreadable. I mirrored his look.
"Separately," I said at the same time as he said, "Together."
Haymitch rubbed at his temples.
"I'm going to need a drink..."
A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed! I still think about my stories all the time. Wild how long it has been since I very first started this fanfiction.
Thank you all! See you next time I update :)