Chapter 13

Nick pov:

We continue our long walk. We are about half an hour away from District 3. Finally Sanders asks the question I know we're all thinking, "What about our families?"

After silence, he talks again, "If we stay out here our families will be killed."

Prim speaks, "What do you think we're walking for? We're going to go warn them," she punches him on the arm like it's all one big joke. We all know it's not.

"There is no way we are going to get there before the Capitol."

"Where do you think the train is right now?" everybody stares at me like what I was saying was completely irrelevant, it's not.

"Probably just left District 2, why?" Prim asks slightly confused.

"I bet if we're really sneaky, we could get on and ride to our districts." They all consider it.

"What if they catch us?" Thereasa asks. She turns her head sharply so it faces me, her long reddish brown curls bounce back to place.

"Who cares if they catch us," we all turn and stare at Kenyan. Every thing he ever says is completely unexpected.

Thereasa looks mad. She stops the group with a stomp of her foot so we give her our full attention, "Um, I care. I don't want to be killed or turned crazy like Prim's dad."

Prim is slightly defensive, "My dad is not crazy! He's just a little…

unstable."

Kenyan starts walking again, "All I mean is that I have nothing going for me back home, and I don't care what happens to me. Honestly, I only came out here because it sounded like it might be kind of fun, not because I was concerned for my safety," he says the words more to himself than anyone in particular.

He looks like he's just remembered something important, pushes aside his depressing attitude and laughs like it was a joke. He forces it too much. Something is definitely wrong with this kid.

Lily looks upset, "You don't care if your family dies?" his smile disappears. His eyes flash to hers then back away. He keeps walking.

"I didn't say that," he finally says.

"Then what are you trying to say?" Prim asks.

"It's not what I'm trying to say but what I'm trying to avoid saying."

Lilac puts her hand on his shoulder and stops him, "You don't have to hide anything with us, we're your friends." His eyes grow soft at the word 'friends' then he brushes her hand away and pushes past her.

"I hardly know you people."

We walk another twenty minutes in silence. We're approaching the next train station, "So what are we doing?"

"I don't care what you guys do, I'm getting on the train," Kenyan says sharply.

"You're not afraid of getting caught?" Lily asks sweetly.

His face grows even darker than before, "I want to be caught." This guy was totally emo!

"Why would you want to be caught?" Prim nearly yells.

He glares at her, "It's a long story."

"You better tell us right now or I swear…"

"What? You swear what?"

Prim crosses her arms in front of her chest like a young child, "I'll make sure Nicky won't let you on the train." His eyes look at me in question. I only shrug my shoulders; Prim knows there's nothing I wouldn't do to make her happy. He shakes his head and keeps walking.

Thereasa tackles him to the ground. Her dark green eyes search his face fiercely. With her freckles and her attitude, one could easily mistake her as an upset cheetah. A cheetah, a hyena or a…. wildebeest I decide. I don't know why a wildebeest, she's just always reminded me of one. She pushes out her lower lip into a pout, "Please tell, curiosity's gotten the better of me!"

We watch as Kenyan struggles under Thereasa's weight. He pushes her this way and that but can't get her off of him. He looks her deep in the eyes, "You guys wouldn't understand…"

"Try us."

"Get off of me and I will."

She eyes him carefully, "I don't trust you."

"You shouldn't."

She decides that there's no more she can do and gets off of him. He stands and starts walking again. "So are you going to tell us or what?" Lily asks.

He considers it. He sighs, "Where to begin, where to begin…" he thinks carefully, "I started working eight months ago," we all nod for him to continue. "Well at first everything was, you know, typical. I was angry, upset, scarred for life, you've heard it all before." We nod, not only have we heard it, we've felt it. "And then… well…" his eyes glaze over and we know he is somewhere else.

"What is it?" Lilac asks.

His eyes come back to reality but they stay soft and sweet. I know I've had the look in my own eyes before, "Her," he says. He lets out a sob, "It was Jessica. My sweet Jess, I fell in love. I grew up the trust in her and told her of my weekends. I literally watched as her heart broke. I swore I would never do it again. That Friday when the train sent for me, I got on and acted like all was well but when I got to that night's house, I refused. I knew I would be punished, but I thought that I would be punished. When I got home, my Jess was gone."

Lilac's eyes are wet, "Where did she go?"

"They took her; the Capitol," he spits at its name. He breaks down crying, "I don't know if she's alive, I don't know if they killed her, I don't know if they're torturing her. I just don't know. And that's killing me! So yes, I want to be caught. I want to be taken to wherever they bring people so I can see. So I can find out if she's alive and if she is, I'm going to rescue her!"

Lily and Lilac, always up for anything 'in the name of love' automatically speak, "We'll help you!"

I look at Prim, she nods, "Guess we are too."

Sanders nods, "I'll come."

Thereasa gets her usual angry look, "We're all going to risk our lives-again- for love? You guys are idiots! Love doesn't exist!"

"Oh shut up, we all know you like Sanders," Prim shoots. Thereasa shuts up.

She never says officially if she'd help or not, but she continues to follow as we approach the train station so we know she's in. We hide behind a dark building and wait for the train. It comes. A whole train-car full of people gets off. They don't say a word as we sneak on before the door can close all the way.

Here we are, back on the train. Back on Capitol ground. Thereasa might be rude and highly annoying, but she got one thing right, we are all idiots. Complete idiots.

Well? Good? Bad? Let me know!