Chapter 11: Disgruntled Preparations
"Seriously?" Cressida groaned. She was in the Smith twins' room doing homework. "'Describe your favorite attributes of one of last year's Hunger Games tributes.' I have the one from Twelve. Do they really think we want to rehash the games right before this year?"
"Yeah. I guess." Castor shrugged. "It's our only homework anyway." Cressida nodded. "Just make something up if you don't want to watch it."
"We have to make stuff up." Pollux said entering the room. "We can't watch it on TV now."
"What?" Castor and Cressida asked. Someone sobbing loudly downstairs answered their question. "Don't go downstairs, guys. She just needs to cry it out with mom." Pollux sat down on his bed before sighing and putting his head in his hands. Cressida sat next to him and rubbed his shoulders.
"Did Volts say what happened?" Castor asked quietly.
"Female tribute had a meltdown sending her mentor into a meltdown." Pollux muttered. "Mom and I had to go to the training center and get her."
"You used the parents' car?" Castor asked. He knew that they only took the car on very official or very urgent occasions.
"Yup. I drove, Mom was holding Wires in the back." Pollux said. He sighed. "Volts had to drug her a bit so she would at least walk with us. Otherwise, she would just lay there crying - not moving or talking or anything. Second time in his life he's ever had to do that."
"Well - I guess we'll just have to watch stuff on one of your laptops. Or mine." Cressida suggested looking down at her assignment sheet. Pollux grabbed it and started tearing it apart. He took a deep breath.
"Into the workroom, little bro." Castor said quickly. They hurried to the soundproof room.
"DON'T YOU GUYS GET IT?" Pollux yelled the second after Castor latched the door. "THE GAMES ARE BREAKING PEOPLE! THEY BREAK WIRES OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND THEY BREAK APART FAMILIES AND THEY KILL KIDS - AND WE HAVE TO PRETEND IT'S FUN!" He paused. "I want to do something. Tomorrow." Pollux fumed. "Tomorrow they'll expect us to be all excited, that KIDS ARE GOING TO DIE! Tomorrow Volts and Wires are probably going to watch their tributes die. And who cares? WHO CARES IN THE CAPITAL? WHO? NO ONE!"
"Pollux, you can't do any rebel activity without mom and dad knowing. You know that. You have to have support." Castor said.
"No." Pollux said. He blinked back tears as he looked at his brother and girlfriend. "If I get in trouble, I want it to fall on myself. Not mom, not dad, not Volts, not you guys. This is my beef with the Capital."
"It's all of ours." Cressida whispered. She took his hand in hers. "I'd feel so bad if something happened to you and I couldn't do anything."
"Please just approve it with mom and dad, little bro." Castor said. As if on cue, the buzzer sounded indicating someone had punched in the code to the room. Castor opened the door.
"Hey, dad." He said.
"Hey kids." Mr. Smith said tiredly. "You're all needed at the store." Pollux swore. "Pollux, I'm sorry, but Mom can't - ranting right now won't help, ok?" He added quickly before Pollux could open his mouth to begin yelling again. "Cressida, you need to change for the party. They want the photographer to look nice. I know how this goes." He looked at the angry faces of his children. "Kids - I know that you're not happy about participating in the Games, but we have to keep up appearances. For now."
Cressida and the Twins obliged Mr. Smith. The Smith twins forced smiles as they helped their father sell Hunger Games merchandise and different electronic devices that citizens could use to view the Games. Cressida went to the party and was soon engrossed in photographing the different people in the party. She even interviewed different guests using the video setting on her camera in case she wanted to create a video montage of the event.
At midnight, she helped her parents stagger into their apartment for the after-party that a select few guests were invited to. "Do you guys need me to film anything?" She asked.
"No - we just - we just need to get more rum!" Her dad laughed. Cressida welcomed her parents' guests as they entered the apartment also in varying stages of drunkenness. She made sure the anti-hangover pills were stocked in the bathroom and that hers and Tom's room were locked before leaving for the Smith's.
"Happy Hunger Games, dear!" Her mom called wrapping her in a hug.
"You take care of yourself, Mom." Cressida said trying not to gag at the overpowering smell of wine on her mother's breath. "I'll be at the Smith's if you need me." She grabbed her camera bag and sighed. I can finally come home. She surprised herself with that thought.
While passing the twins' bedroom, she heard only one person snoring. She went to the workroom and opened the door quietly. "Pollux, what are you doing?" She asked.
"Cress - you're in the guest bedroom." Pollux said looking up from something he was wiring.
"I know." Cressida said shutting the door. "What's that?"
"I found a manual that Volts wrote about how to make something to disrupt the TV signal." Pollux explained. "It's almost done." Cressida looked at something resembling a remote-control.
"You're going to do it then?" Cressida asked. Pollux nodded. He tinkered with the device for a minute more and then stood up with it in his hand. Cressida took his other hand and they left the workroom. "I guess it goes without saying to be careful." Cressida said softly. She figured he wouldn't want to be nagged about getting permission from the higher-ups in the rebellion at this stage of his little operation.
"Yeah." Pollux shrugged. Cressida stared into his light blue eyes. Suddenly she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. Pollux wrapped his arms around her waist. "Cress -" He paused staring into her eyes. "I -" He gulped. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, ok?"
"Sleep tight." Cressida whispered. They broke away from each other and Cressida lay down in the guest bedroom. In spite of her worries about the next day, she smiled to herself. No matter what happened the next day, at least she told Pollux that she loved him.