"Wiress, honey, are you almost done?" Wiress hurriedly tied a ribbon around her hair and opened the door to the bathroom. She was preparing for her fifth Saturday at I-Squared.
"Sorry, Grandma!" Mrs. Carpenter smiled.
"I will only be a minute and then you can finish freshening up." Wiress nodded. She went into the bathroom a minute later and finished doing her hair. Her grandmother smiled as she watched Wiress being extra careful to prevent getting her shirt dirty with her pancake. "Don't worry, dear, young Mr. Tesla will think you look very nice." Wiress nearly choked on her water as her grandma started chuckling.
"GRANDMA! I – well – um – I want to look nice – professionally!" Wiress sputtered.
"I was eighteen too, little live-wire." Her grandmother said smiling. "I had a crush on your grandfather since I was sixteen. He bought me a ring with his second paycheck from the factory when we were both nineteen." Wiress smiled.
"Grandma – he probably wasn't your supervisor." Wiress pointed out.
"No, he wasn't. But I know whatever happens with you two, it won't affect your work." Her grandmother said smiling.
"I – I'm – just grateful for his help – for – letting me work there." Her grandmother smiled before collecting their plates. Wiress kissed her grandmother before pulling her Engineering Academy sweater over her shirt. She put on her winter coat that her grandmother had finished mending, grabbed her backpack, and walked to her internship.
"You look nice, Wiress." Beetee said as he opened the door. He looked at the shimmering ribbon in her hair. Wiress smiled shyly at him. She put her backpack on the table before taking her coat off. As she removed her coat, she noticed Beetee was helping her with slightly trembling hands.
"You don't have to wear your uniform to this internship, by the way." Beetee said. He had noticed that she had worn her Engineering Academy sweater every Saturday she had worked and wondered if she thought it was cold.
"Well – it's cold outside – and – this sweater is nice under my coat." Wiress explained.
"If you want, you can leave a sweater here if you need to. I can also turn the heat up if you're cold." Beetee suggested.
"Oh – I – I wear it here to keep warm when I walk." Wiress paused. She didn't like revealing to people that she and her grandmother sometimes struggled to get by. "I just have this one." Beetee nodded. "I – um – " She paused. "Grandmother and I – we had a yard sale a while back – and – well – it was either that or me take out tesserae – and – Grandmother – doesn't want me to do that now that I have your scholarship –" Wiress wrapped her arms around herself stared down at the ground. Beetee nodded. Most of the profits from I-Squared went to a scholarship fund for students in the Engineering Academy that would provide for their basic needs so they wouldn't take out tesserae. Wiress had received that scholarship every year after her parents died.
"Ok. That's ok." Beetee said softly putting a hand on Wiress' shoulder. She looked up. "My lamp did better than I expected when it went on sale in March." he said. "I think I can help you."
"I – well –" Wiress paused. She didn't want Beetee to feel sorry for her.
"I had planned for this to be a paid internship, Wiress." Beetee said simply. Wiress nodded before sitting down at the table and beginning her work.
Beetee watched her work. He sighed. Beetee Tesla, she's eighteen and the student you're supervising in an internship. What are you thinking? He watched her sketch something on her drawing tablet and then consult her textbook. "Beetee?" She asked timidly looking into his intense gaze in her direction. "Um – did you have a question?"
"Sorry. I was just thinking." Beetee replied. He went back to his work. Designing a new machine was logical. He knew his feelings: admiration, desire to protect and help, and possibly love for Wiress could not necessarily fit into a nice logical niche in his mind. Technically they could. Wiress + Beetee does not equal anything because Beetee is a killer who survived the Hunger Games. What could he really offer this intelligent sweet young lady. He could maintain that logical train of thought until she locked her large beautiful eyes on his face.
The day progressed normally with both of them making quick progress on their project. Wiress went home and Beetee watched her walk down the street as he usually did. He saw another girl with dark brown chin-length hair run to Wiress before they walked off in the direction of some shops near the factory. He smiled. That must be Melissa, he thought knowing Wiress had mentioned getting together with her friend after work. He waited and then went to the shops himself to pick up groceries and a few other things.
"Hello, Mr. Tesla!" The woman in the clothing store said smiling. "We have a new shipment of button-up shirts in from Eight if you would like to look at them."
"No thanks. I still have some that don't have holes." Beetee joked. She laughed. He looked around the store and saw a dark purple V neck sweater on a clothing rack. "Um –" he went over to it and looked at it. In his mind's eye, he could see Wiress wearing it over her school blouse or plain shirt, her large eyes shining with happiness knowing she would feel warm. "Is this one particularly warm?"
"It is." the woman said. "Is it a gift?"
"Yes." Beetee said hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions.
"Oh good. Well, it's on sale today. 5 Panem Monetary Units." Beetee nodded. He purchased it along with a tie he could add to his Reaping Day outfit collection. "Have a great day, Mr. Tesla!"
"Thank you." Beetee said before leaving the store. He went back to Victor's Village and lay the sweater carefully on a table in his study. He hoped she wouldn't see it as a gesture of pity. It really wasn't. He knew that in the deepest part of his heart, the gesture of giving her this sweater was an act of love.