There is a days time jump to this chapter as the day that tributes have interview prep would be boring as I imagine. The games officially start next chapter. To answer bluestarisawesome's question no Willow is not a referance to Willow in the movie. I just picked an uncommon ish name and didn't realize that until I read your review :)
Bridget:
Today is the day of the interviews for the tributes. I'm nervous for Summer as her interview can determine sponsors and myself as I have to meet Snow tonight. I couldn't sleep last night so I was practicing on Preston's guitar that he lent me. Good thing these walls are sound proof or I would have woken the whole floor. I have learnt a very well known part to an American civilization song called Smoke On The Water by a band called Deep Purple.
I pull myself off my bed as Effie knocks on my door saying its a 'big, big, big day!'. I must have looked worse for wear because Effie screeched as I walked in the room.
"What have you done to your eyes?! Did you not sleep at all last night?!" She asks.
"No. I didn't." I tell her. My voice sounds kinda rough so I clear my throat.
"You're meeting the President tonight though!"
"Exactly why I couldn't sleep!" I shout.
"Why?!"
"I don't want to fuck everything up maybe!" I yell at her.
"If you use that kind of language you're sure to!" She shouts back.
"Don't piss her off when she hasn't had any sleep Effie, it won't end well for you." Haymitch grumbles.
"How do you know? I've always had enough sleep around you!" I snap.
"The way your acting now. Also your mo... Lily was like that to." He tells me.
"Oh." Is all I come up with.
I apologize to Effie and go with her and Haymitch to the breakfast table where Harman and Summer are waiting for us.
"So today I'm handing you off to your stylists until the interviews and that is when you either get sponsors or lose the two you might actually have." Haymitch tells the tributes a little harshly. They nod in answer.
We all finish eating and Summer and Harman are handed off to the stylists. I go and get dress and send an avox with a note to Preston asking if he wants to come up and hang out. He answers by coming up about 2 minutes after I sent the note. He comes over to me where I'm practicing the guitar and kisses my cheek. I love him.
"Good morning." I tell him.
He frowns. "You look tired Bridget."
"I couldn't go to sleep so I practiced the guitar all night."
"Is it because your worried about tonight?" He asks. I told him yesterday that I was a little worried about meeting Snow.
"Maybe." I sound about 6 years old.
I get up and put the guitar against the wall while Preston goes and sits on the couch.
"Come here." He tells me and opens his arms. I don't hesitate to sit on his lap and put my arms around his neck and nuzzle my head in his hoodie. He smells really good but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.
"I'm worried that I... I might say something and like..." I can't quite form the words I want to.
"Fuck up?" He asks and I nod. "Listen to me. You won't. You will know what you should and shouldn't say and besides Haymitch will be there to stop you." He smiles sweetly at me.
"That is if he is sober enough." I joke and we both giggle.
We sit there a while just holding each other and the next thing I know my eye lids are drooping and Preston is stroking my hair. It's peaceful so I fall asleep.
Haymitch:
I come up to the twelfth floor so I can get some liquor and I walk straight past Bridget and Preston until I notice that they are asleep. I go over to see where that kid's hands are and of course they are on my daughter's ass. Oh hell to the no! I go over and move his arms up to her back but it wakes him up. Crap.
"Watch where you put your hands kid." I whisper sternly.
"I fell asleep I didn't purposely put my hands on her butt. I don't have a death wish Haymitch." He smirks.
"Smart kid." Bridget stirs as I say this. Unfortunately she wakes up.
"Hey Haymitch." She says sleepily.
"Hey Bridget. How was your nap... or sleep?" I ask looking at my watch. She's probably been asleep for about 7 hours.
"Fine. Wait a minute... Did you come up to get a drink?" She asks eyeing me.
"Yes. Why?"
"No! Promise me you'll stay sober for one night!" She demands.
"But..." I start to complain like a child to his mother.
"No buts... I need you sober!"
"Fine... I promise." I say regretfully.
"Good." She smiles triumphantly. Damn my fatherly instincts to give in to her!
"It's 4:00 o'clock. You might want to think about getting ready." I tell her.
"Oh! I slept that long?! Christ Preston, you didn't wake me up?!" She says.
"I fell asleep and woke up the same time you did." He tells her as she jumps up.
"Don't leave! Stay here I'm just going to take a shower and get dressed and you can come in while I do my hair and make up." She tells Preston when he starts to leave.
"Oh... Kay." Preston says slowly incase I interrupt. As long as she is decent I don't care.
"Keep your door open though." I mumble.
"Whatever." Bridget says walking to her room.
I leave and go into my room. It's going to a long night without booze. I better get dressed myself.
Preston:
I've been watching the latest Capitol soap operas. Bridget calls my name letting me know she's decent and I can go into her room so walk in.
I can't get over that Bridget is my girlfriend. She's beautiful, strong, and considerate. When I see her my breath catches. She's wearing a red strap dress that has white polka dots. It's a fitting dress but isn't skin tight at the chest down to the waist and flares out slightly. Over the dress she is wearing a white sweater that is buttoned halfway up. She's wearing skin color tights on her smooth legs and ruby red shoes; I believe I've heard Peyton call them low heeled pumps. She looks like she belongs in a black in white movie from before Panem existed. She looks so beautiful as she paints her lips red as a finishing touch to her make up. She turns to me and smiles at me where I sit on her bed.
"How do I look?" She asks me.
"Beautiful. But I think your hair may need to be dried." I tell her.
"Good idea." She laughs.
She dries her hair and curls it so her hair that is halfway down her back is hanging in ringlet curls. I walk over to where she sits at her vanity. When she stands she must not have noticed I got up because she jumps a little when I hug her around her waist. She leans her head back onto my chest and closes her eyes.
"You're absolutely gorgeous." I tell her and she giggles.
"I love you." She says absentmindedly before her eyes flash open and she whirls around to see my reaction.
"I love you, too." I tell her, making her smile.
I lean in and kiss her gently on the lips. She closes the gap between our bodies and she puts her arms around my neck. As we kiss, a warmth fills my body with a desire for more. For her. Her lips are soft and move equally with mine. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I wonder how I got a girl like her because I sure as hell don't deserve her! Just as she goes to deepen the kiss, we hear someone clear their throat.
"I think I need to go now." I say quickly.
"You're fine. Haymitch go away!" She says.
"It's fine Bridge. You need to go now anyway so good luck!" I tell her before lightly giving her a peck on the lips.
"Okay. See ya later." She mumbles as I leave the room, pass Haymitch, and get in the elevator.
Bridget:
"Damn you!" I tell Haymitch after Preston leaves.
"I'm not going to stand there and let some testosterone filled teenage kid stick his tongue down your throat!" He tells me.
"For you information, it was me sticking my tongue down his throat!"
"I don't want to know sweetheart. Just to let you know, kissing leads to other things that he has in mind!"
"Preston is not like that! He is a good guy, trust me."
"Sure." Haymitch tells me snidely. "Take off that red lipstick and put lipgloss on."
"Why?" I question him.
"You need to look more innocent."
"Whatever." I tell him but change to a light pinkish lipgloss anyway.
We head to the elevator where Harman and Summer are already waiting with there stylists, who's names I can't remember, and Effie. We all head to where the interviews are taking place. As soon as we get there I can already spot the Capitol man who is taking Haymitch and me to see the president. All he does is signal for us to follow so we do and leave Harman and Summer alone with the rest of our crew.
We walk into an elevator on the side that I hadn't noticed. It has a keypad so it must take us to the mansion or something. It doesn't; it just takes us to some dark damp passageways which lead us to the mansion basement. We walk up some stairs and down some hallways before we stop at what must be he president's office because the man opens the door and we walk in. Snow gestures for us to sit on the chairs opposite his desk and dismisses the man that brought us here.
"You are the spitting image of your mother, child." The Presidents puffy lips smile at me so I smile timidly back.
"Thank you... I think." I say sheepishly.
"Who knew you could make such an angel faced child." Snow says to Haymitch.
"It's not me. Sure she got a little bit of my attitude but she is all Lily." He replies.
"Hm. Well I have noticed you're quite close to Preston Hanagan the son of District 11's victor Chaff. Are you to good friends?" The president asks me.
I decide to just tell him we are friends. I don't want him to do anything rash that could harm Preston."Yes, sir. He has been showing me the ways of the Capitol. He's like a brother." I smile sweetly.
"Yes. Well you seem a very polite girl but I am afraid I have to cut our meeting short as I have a prior engagement to attend to and you should get back to the interviews so you can catch your tributes." The President says leaning forward and his breath smells like blood. I almost gag.
"Very nice to meet you Mr President." I say, shaking his hand before he nods to Haymitch. Oh God what has Haymitch done to piss off the president! He's an idiot. I mentally shake my head at him.
The same man from before takes my father and me back to where the interviews are taking place. We walk back down to the basement and the Capitol guy types in a code to the door of the passage ways. We walk again through the damp moldy tunnel. We go back into the elevator and come out backstage and are just in time to watch Summer's interview.
Summer:
I shakily walk to where Caesar Flickerman waits.
"Welcome Miss Cob! How are you finding the Capitol?" He asks as we sit down.
"It's so clean. Everything in the seam is so covered in coal dust." I say playing the pity card and it works because the audience gives out an 'aw'.
"Oh you poor thing! Well how about family? Do you have any siblings?"
"Yes I have a sister named Willow. She's a year younger than I am."
"Oh I'm so sorry my dear... Do you think she thought about volunteering?" He asks me. I don't really care for the way he says this. It's like he is making her out as a bad person.
"She's best friends with Bridget Abernathy and Bridget knew that I wouldn't want her to volunteer so she convinced her to stay and help my mother cope with my being a tribute." I tell him. The audience sighs in appreciation.
"Oh. So you know Bridget Abernathy well?" Caesar asks intrigued.
"Yes she was like another little sister. We lived next to each other when Bridget lived in the seam so all three of us used to lean out of our windows at night to talk." I smile at the memory.
"That is so sweet. Do you like having her here in the Capitol with you?"
"Of course! She's been so sweet about it to. She's always there to talk but I feel like I'm burdening her when she has her own problems." I admit.
"No! I'm sure your not burdening her! But back on to your sister, what would you do if it was her reaped and not you?" He asks me catching me off guard.
"Wh... what? I... I mean I don't know. I would probably be in shock for one thing. For another I'd probably volunteer because the first thing that came to my mind when Effie Trinket pulled my name out was 'Thank God! Thank God it's not Willow. Thank God my baby sister still has rest of her life ahead of her.'" I tell them unsuccessfully holding back tears. One slips down my cheek. The audience are really touched by my protectiveness towards my little sister.
Bridget:
I've got tears streaming down my face by the time the buzzer sounds to end Summer's interview. Next is Harman.
"Harman! Hello!" Caesar greets him warmly.
"Good evening Caesar." Harman says curtly and has a small smile
"So what did you do back in District 12?" Caesars asks.
"My parents owned the Pharmacy back home so my younger brother and sisters and I would help stock shelves and stuff." Harman replies.
"Brother and sisters?" Caesar asks simply.
"My brother is 15 and my sisters are 12 and 9."
"What are their names?" I can tell by the way Harman shifts his position he is uncomfortable talking about home.
"My brother is called Clark, my 12 year old sister is Lynelle but we all call her Elle and my 9 year old sister is Sienna and when Elle was younger she couldn't say Sienna so she called her CiCi and it just stuck." Harman smiles at his family forgetting where he is for a moment.
"That sounds a little complicated but I'm sure they all miss you."
"When we said good bye both Elle and Clark came in crying."
"I'm so sorry. What did they say?"
"They told me to win. I told them I'd do everything I could."
"And I'm sure you will. Who are your friends in 12 and maybe there happens to be a girl involved?" Caesar try's to lighten the mood.
"Uhh no, no girl." Harman says with a half laugh. "I'm friends with the baker's second oldest son, Rye. He's been my best friend since we started school. He's my age to."
"Well that's too bad." The buzzer sounds and Harman says farewell to the crowd and walks away.
His interview is forgettable and as the tributes come back out I'm still crying from Summer's interview. I run and hug Summer who also starts crying. We stand there crying and hugging until Haymitch says that Harman and Summer should go up to bed so I quickly hug her again and they leave. I stand in the same place and Preston comes up behind me and takes my hand in his, turns to me and stares into my eyes. We don't say anything for a while. When I still don't stop crying, Preston lets go of my hand and embraces me. We stand there with me cry, just hugging until somebody makes us go to the elevator although I don't see who it is. The whole elevator ride he doesn't let go of my hand. The elevator stops at 11 and Preston leads me out and I don't object. He knocks on a door and it is opened by Seeder.
"Hey Preston what's up?" She asks and Preston steps aside to reveal me looking like hell."Sweetie, what's wrong?!" She asks a little concerned.
"I thought she might need someone to talk to other than a boy. She cried at her friend Summer's interview and can't stop." He tells her.
"Come on in." She says. She lets us in and sits me down on her bed and sits in a chair across from me. She tells Preston to sit on the floor. "What's going on?"
"It's nothing. Preston I don't need to burden people with my trivial problems." I glare at him while wiping my nose on my sleeve.
"I don't care honey. What's bothering you?"
I sigh, giving in. "I can't imagine how hard it's going to be having to go back to Twelve. I'm going to have to look my best friend in the eye knowing she's blaming Haymitch for Summer's death. I stood there hugging Summer knowing that she could die tomorrow! I will never see her again! We were as close as sisters but I can't imagine what Willow must be feeling." I take a deep breath."Seeing Snow tonight didn't help because now I remember the letter that he sent telling Haymitch to bring me to the Capitol and watching his face drain of color when he read 'I do hope you planned to bring her to the Capitol with you during the games this year' and now I know it's because he saw the meaning behind it! Snow was saying that I was supposed to be reaped or... Or... Summer is just a warning saying I'm next. I'm an over thinker so I'm imagining Haymitch having to watch me go into the games next year. That would kill him having to watch me die! It's killing me not knowing whether I'll be alive this time next year! I wish I'd never had even told Haymitch that I existed because it wouldn't be happening! Or at least I could be at home with Willow as a shoulder to cry on like I should be! I'm useless! I can't do anything right!" I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs and put my head on my knees and cry.
"Honey, number one,Willow may blame Haymitch but I'm sure she won't blame you. Number two, I don't think Haymitch would want it any other way than to finally have you back. Number three, you are not useless. You are a sweet, kind, and caring girl who will give her best friend a shoulder to cry on when she gets home." Seeder tells me. Strangely I believe this almost stranger more than if Preston said it. I guess it's a woman thing.
"Thank you. I still feel bad about not being there." I say with a pitiful attempt at a smile.
"That, my dear, cannot be helped." Seeder tells me wisely.
"Thank you very much but I'm going to go before I start blubbering like an idiot again." I tell them getting up to leave.
"Do you mind if we talk?" Preston asks me after we are out of Seeder's room and she has shut the door.
"Come on." Is all I tell him.
We go down the hall and get in the elevator and who is in it but Finnick Odair. He bites his lip trying not to grin at us.
"He's caught us kissing. It's not a secret anymore." I tell him bursting his bubble.
"Sure whatever." He says nonchalant when Preston and I get out of the elevator and walk up to the roof.
As soon as we get out the door and outside Preston hugs me so tightly. I tell him I can't breathe so he lets me go and grips my shoulders. It's scaring me the intensity with which he's staring at me.
"Never speak about you going into..." He can't finish his sentence but he has a pained look in his eyes.
"… The hunger games." I finish his sentence a little pissed off. I don't know why though.
"Yes. I don't want to think about that." He tells me.
"Yeah well try being me! I have to think about it 24/7!" I shout at him.
"Why are you shouting at me?!"
"Because you have no idea that I can't stand to be in the Capitol because I know! I know I'm coming back next year under completely different circumstances!" I shout with tears in my eyes.
"Don't you think I worry about being reaped!" He shouts back.
"Your not that high up on the president's hit list. I AM!" I scream in his face pushing his hands off my shoulders.
"Sure because its poor little Bridget." I don't know why but that really hits home when he says that. I think it was the venom that was laced in his voice.
"Fuck you!" I scream before running out the door and slamming it.
I run past my bedroom door and skip the elevator to take the stairs. I can't stand to be in this Training Center any longer. I run down the stairs out the front door and just keep running until I'm stumbling over my own feet. I collapse somewhere in the middle of some empty park in the Capitol and scream as loud as I can. After I finish my scream I cry, I cry until I can't cry anymore.
"Bridget?" A male voice asks.
"Preston go away!" I scream. My face still in my hands.
"It's Finnick." He tells me calmly.
"Oh. Sorry." I sniffle, finally lifting my head up.
"What's up kid?" He asks.
"Nothing." I say getting up to walk back to the training center.
"Don't bull shit me."
"I had a fight with Preston. I was acting a little like a bitch and then he made a hurtful comment so I said 'Fuck you' and ran off."
"Come on. Follow me."
"Okay."
I get up and we walk back to the training center. I finally stop crying once we get in the elevator and Finnick presses floor 4. I ask if we could talk on the roof or twelve's floor but Finnick tells me I will probably run into someone I'd rather not. Finnick takes out his key card and opens his door. He sits on the floor next to his bed and gestures for me to sit on the bed.
"Tell me absolutely everything. Starting when you got off the elevator." Finnick says.
"So we got to the roof and Preston hugged me really tight and I was like 'I can't breathe' so he let me go and all of a sudden he gripped my shoulders really hard and stared at me with such intensity it was scary. I'd never seen him like that before. Then he said 'Never speak about you going into...' But he didn't finish so I finished his sentence with '...The hunger games.' And it sounded kinda rude. But then he was like 'Yes. I don't want to think about that.' And that really pissed me off so I said 'Yeah well try being me! I have to think about it 24/7!' And he was like 'Why are you shouting at me?!' and I was like 'Because you have no idea that I can't stand to be in the Capitol because I know! I know I'm coming back next year under completely different circumstances!' And he was like 'Don't you think I worry about being reaped!' Which really pissed me off because he's not in the danger zone, so to speak, like I am so I screamed 'Your not that high up on the president's hit list. I AM!'. But what really hurt was what he said after which was 'Sure because its poor little Bridget.' And his voice was so full of venom and meanness!" I start to cry. "So I told him 'Fuck you!' And ran to where you saw me, screamed as loud as I could and then just cried." I tell Finnick, crying my eyes out.
"Damn." Is all he comes up with and I don't know why but it makes me laugh but then I go serious.
"Why is everyone so willing to listen to my trivial problems?" I ask Finnick.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean Seeder was willing to listen to my problems with Summer. You're willing to listen to my boy troubles. It seems so trivial and stupid because you guys have so much more to worry about like your tributes."
"Trust me this isn't trivial. Preston shouldn't have made the comment that he did because it seems like he thinks you are so self involved. But you're not because you seem to care a lot about your friend."
"Yes but I've been really quite rude to you so why should you care about my problems?"
"Because you weren't being rude or at least it didn't seem that way. You were being your sarcastic self."
"I don't deserve Preston. He was just worrying about me but it made me mad because he doesn't have to worry about something like that but I do."
"You are very right that he doesn't have to worry as much as you do so therefore he should have been more careful about what he said."
"I still don't deserve him."
"You don't deserve each other because you are a caring person who can be a bitch and he is also a loving person who can be and asshole."
"Damn straight." I agree.
"What did you talk to Seeder about?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me. Now." Finnick demands.
"I was upset about Summer as she could die tomorrow and I'm never going to see her again. I was also freaked pity because I remembered the letter that Snow sent, to Haymitch about my coming to the Capitol, when I met him."
"What did the letter say?"
"Well one line said 'I do hope you planned to bring her to the Capitol with you during the games this year' and I remember watching Haymitch's face go pale and not understanding why. It was because he saw the hidden message. He saw that Snow was warning him about me being reaped."
"That bastard." Finnick says. Finnick clenches his fists and walks towards the door.
"What are you doing?!" I almost shout, worried.
"About to kick Snow's ass!"
"Oh hell no! No! No! No! Haymitch and I could be over thinking this because that is what I do... I over think." I convince him to stay.
"He shouldn't do that! Frightening a child!"
"Well he is the infamous president of Panem!"
"I know. Believe me, I know." Finnick sighs.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing your old enough to know about."
"Finnick!" I stare into his eyes. "Tell me. I told you everything!"
"You wouldn't look at me the same. Besides your 14 you shouldn't know what the words I'd have to use mean."
"Does Snow have some weird gay fetish?" I look at him weirdly.
"What?! No! How do you even know what a fetish is?!" He looks at me surprised.
"Come on! I go to high school!"
"No that is not it and I am not telling you."
"Come on let's have like a truth moment! A Bridget and Finnick bond time where we tell each other our feelings!"
"I'm not telling you Bridget!"
"Wait a minute... Why the hell were you out at 11 o'clock at night? Has Snow made you a Capitol prostitute?!" I ask surprised. His eyes widen.
"No!" He gives me a 'stop meddling' look.
"There really isn't anything Snow won't do." I say quietly.
"That's your first thought?" He asks bewildered.
"Yeah, what would you think my first thought would be?"
"I don't know something like 'Finnick's a slut' maybe?"
"No. Your not a slut. Sluts don't get payed." I tease him. He smiles at my easy going attitude about it.
"Thanks." He says in a voice that is oozing with sarcasm.
"Your Welcome!" I say cheerily.
We talk for a couple of hours and I end up finding out that Finnick doesn't refuse Snow's orders because he is protecting a girl he loves back home. I also find out she is a victor. Finnick finds out that I really really suck at math. I suck so much that they moved me down a grade. He finds out about my first family before I knew about Haymitch. I feel I can really trust Finnick. Like he completely understands me. Like I've known him my whole life. Like he's my brother. I end up falling asleep in Finnick's room at around 2 or 3 in the morning.
"Morning sleepy head." Finnick says as I open my eyes. I'm still in the dress I was wearing last night.
"Morning." I say groggily.
"You should probably get changed and I need to head to the Victors Lounge to get a good seat so I can see the screens."
"Shit." I say and tears start to cloud my vision.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" Finnick looks at me apologetically.
"No I need to get tougher skin. I have to face the facts however hard." I tell him going into his bathroom to see how bad I look. Surprisingly my make up didn't smudge after I cleaned it up last night so all I have to do us take the hair band from around my wrist and put my curly, ever so slightly frizzy, hair in a pony tail.
"Done." I say looking at Finnick expectantly.
We go into the elevator and he presses the victors lounge button and then is about to press the twelve button before I tell him I'm going to the victors lounge first. We step out and the first person I see... Preston. I completely avoid him and go straight to where Haymitch is. I think it might have been a bad idea to come here first because he first thing out of Haymitch's mouth is a protective father question.
"Where the hell were you last night?! Why the hell are you wearing the same thing you wore last night?!"
"Chill! For fuck sake don't yell at me as soon as I walk in a room! I'm 14 not 5! You don't need to know my exact location all day and everyday!" I shout.
"What the hell? All I did was ask a question?"
"No you had an accusation in your voice! I'm going upstairs to change, is that all right with you?!" I turn and stalk off.
Finnick:
Haymitch has a 'wtf' look on his face which is confirmed when he looks at Seeder and asks 'what the fuck was that?'.
"Her emotions are probably on edge because she is worried about Summer." She tells him.
"It's a lot more than just Summer." I tell them.
"How would you know, pretty boy?" Chaff asks me.
"I talked to her."
"When?"
"From about 11 last night until about 3 in the morning which at that point she fell asleep."
"What?!" Haymitch has a look of terror in his eyes.
"Relax. I was walking back to the training center, heard a girl scream at the top of her lungs close by so I went and checked it out. She was crouched in the middle of an empty park crying her eyes out. I went up to her she tried to tell me nothing was wrong I didn't believe her so I made her come back to my room to talk because I knew she didn't want to talk about it with you if she bumped into you."
"Why was she so upset?" I feel bad because Haymitch looks pained knowing she was upset and didn't want to talk to him.
"A lot of things."
"Like what?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Finnick I swear to God if you don't tell me I will kill you slowly and painfully."
"Jesus Christ! Violent! Well for one they had their first fight." I say pointing at Preston who is walking out the door.
"Oh."
"Preston!" Seeder makes Preston come back. "What did you do to the poor girl?"
"I didn't do a damn thing! She started shouting at me!"
"You shouldn't have said you didn't want to think about her getting reaped because that pissed her off because you don't have to worry about it as much as she does at the moment." I tell him calmly.
"What?! We are all equally at risk!"
"You, my friend, have not been personally threatened like she has."
"What?" Preston looks at me worried.
"That is what she meant by the hit list." I explain.
"Oh so it didn't help my comment of 'poor little Bridget' then did it?"
"You said what?" Haymitch stares at Preston.
"Chill out, Hay!" I tell him.
"You make it sound as though she's so vain!" He says.
"I didn't mean it! It just came out!"
"You were both as bad as each other." I tell Preston.
"I need to go apologize."
"No. Leave her for today. Just trust me." I tell him and he leaves to go back to his own floor as Bridget comes out.