Sorry the last two chapters have been short, hope you enjoy! Reviews are much appreciated!3
My heart is racing when I look back at mom and dad as they start pulling us away. Mom is doing nothing to hide her sadness while dad is trying everything to stay strong. Nick and I are holding hands and surprisingly I'm not crying. Maybe it's the thought that Will is going to be safe. But I know I'm not a contender. I'm not as god as mom, I wasn't as brave. I have the face of the Girl on Fire, but not the heart.
Peacekeepers push us away from the crowd, and I'm still trying to hold on to Nick's hand but it's hard. The peacekeepers are pushing us through the Justice Building and locking us in different rooms. I feel like I just got arrested. I'm the property of the Capitol now.
Mom and dad come to see me first. Although they will by my mentors, mom says once we get on the train there isn't much privacy. I'm happy both of them will be with me in the Capitol. We sit in silence for a few minutes until mom reaches into her pocket.
"Hailey, I want you to wear this." She looks me deep in the eyes. I look in the palm of her hand, it's the mockingjay pin. She pins it over my heart. She wore this in her games, she tells me, but I already know. I'm considering telling them I saw the games when Peacekeepers escort them out, and ruin my chance. The next visitor is Will.
I get up from my seat immediately running into his arms. We stand in each other's arms in silence until he says
"That Guy," he begins trying to sound tough. "He shouldn't have volunteered I would have protected you." I sob quietly, pulling him away, sitting back down on the bench and he sits next to me. I stare into the eyes I see too often, Gray shiny ones.
"No, Will, we could have both died. And now when I die, mom and dad will have you still." Will's face looks furious, like he is mad at me for having no confidence.
"Don't think like that Hailey, you're going to win." I look at him, my brother; I realize how much it would hurt me if I lost him, picturing what he is going through with me. He doesn't deserve to go through something like this. When I'm looking at his face I notice how he looks a lot like dad did when I watched the Hunger Games. I'm glad Will isn't in the games. I need to thank Nick again. Nick, my heart aches thinking of him.
"Where are you staying when were in the Capitol." I say switching the topic. He looks at me and rolls his eyes.
"With Haymitch, I probably will starve, while he drinks himself to death." We laugh and sit together until the peacekeepers order him out.
The next is the drunken mess himself, Haymitch. But he isn't drunk, which I find weird. I guess alcohol just doesn't keep him drunk that long anymore. When I see him, I'm reminded of the secret we share, so I sit looking down at the ground. Haymitch sits down next to me patting my back while I am sniffling trying to hold in my tears.
Haymitch is telling me that everything will be okay, that if I remember what mom did in the games, learn from her mistakes and note what she did that helped her. Haymitch is smart when it comes to the games, so I listen. I wish Haymitch would come; I'll miss him oddly enough.
"Stay alive kid." He says followed by a wink. I smile and he walks out of the door.
I don't expect anyone else so I get up from the bench I am sitting on but behind me is Gale Hawthorne.
"Man, this reminds me of when I said goodbye to Katniss" he says looking around the room and finally back at me.
"How are you handling this?" I look up at him as if I am going to say something serious. "Fantastic." I say sarcastically and he laughs.
"How's Nick?" I ask because I am purely interested in how he is doing. Gale snorts
"A hell of a lot better than his mother." I think about Fawna, how upset she must be. She seemed like a wreck when I saw her last.
"I can't thank Nick enough for doing that for my brother." I look at Gale.
"I guess I pounded in his head if you don't go out on a limb for a girl you care about, you'll lose her." He smirks, and I blush covering my cheek with my hand.
You know Gale, you aren't the bad guy, I'm sorry I ever thought that." Gale was just a boy who was in love and got hurt. He loved my mom; I could tell, but he loved her so much, that he settles for what she wanted most, Peeta Mellark. He looks at me, warmness in his eyes.
"Thanks Hailey, can you pass that along to your mother?" he says causally, as if me and son aren't about to be in danger of our lives, I laugh.
"Will do Mr. Hawthorne." He wishes me good luck and walks towards the door. "Gale." I say, he turns his body, giving me full attention. "Make sure my brother eats when were gone, ok?" he smiles
"Sure thing, but I need something in return," I look at him waiting for him to continue. "Keep Nick out of trouble." I laugh nodding my head. He walks out and I feel more alone than I ever had. But I only have maybe 10 seconds until I'm pulled out of my room and placed on the train.