Welcome back everybody! Alright, time for what was originally going to be the second half of the previous chapter ;) Based on what happened in it, and the number of backstories that were already revealed, you might already have a pretty good idea of whose backstory we'll be learning about next. But is your theory correct? Only one way to find out…

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

Although Geolo doubted it would completely muffle his sobs and prevent the other remaining passengers of the hovercraft, he sat down and buried his face in his arms and pointed-upward knees before he let himself cry even more.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about what was distracting him from the task at hand anymore; he still knew talking about it was the better option, and he wanted to do what he could to help Foxface too. But at this point, it wasn't just his grief over losing Sonia that was bothering him. It was also his grief over losing Tally's friendship with him and then Tally herself altogether, and the fact that, despite not meaning to or wanting to, he still wasn't being loyal enough to her. How could he talk about that last part without making his allies think he wouldn't be loyal enough to them either and causing them to think he didn't care about them—or at least that he didn't care about them enough? Them thinking that was a possibility because of how helpless he felt around the Careers. No one would put it past him to side with Clove and betray the other evacuees if he told them something that sounded so bad. So unforgivable.

"Tally, I'm so sorry…" Geolo murmured as he wept. Although saying this didn't make him feel any better, because he'd technically already said them back in the Training Centre; first in the gymnasium as soon as the Careers had left, then at least once a day ever since, and finally, one more time on the night before the Hunger Games, after Beetee, Wiress, and their stylists and escort had gone to sleep.

Tally had given him the silent treatment ever since he'd reluctantly helped the Careers humiliate her, and he had anxiously hoped it was just because of one possibility that was absurd but desperate: that the injury she got in the gymnasium was a cut that resulted in a bright red thumb-sized tear-shaped smear of blood covering the left edge of both her lips, something that might have made it somewhat painful for her to talk. But on the eve of the Games, when he had decided to make one final attempt to apologize to her before they or just him (he was going to try to make it far, in case by some miracle he could win, but he highly doubted that the victor of the 74th Hunger Games would be him) got slaughtered in the arena, he'd learned what he'd, as much as he disliked admitting it, known deep down all along: that her not speaking to him had nothing to do with her injury.

It was the worst night of Geolo's life, and he was never going to forget it or forgive himself for causing it to happen.

Flashback - The Capitol's Training Centre, District 3 tribute residence

Geolo knocked on his district partner's bedroom door for the ninth time in a row. "Tally, please," he begged. "This is our last chance to spend any time together before we have to go to the arena! Please."

Still no reply. The boy sighed heavily. He was tempted to knock louder, in case she was asleep and just hadn't heard him (though he had a feeling that wasn't the case and he was just hoping against hope), but he didn't want to risk waking any of the adults who had, since the reaping, done nothing but try to put as many Games viewers as possible on the side of its current tributes from District 3. They needed sleep just as much as he and Tally did; tomorrow was, after all, a big day for everyone in the building. But this had to come before sleep. It just had to.

Once more, Geolo knocked. "Come on Tally, I know you're in there! I—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the door swung open, revealing Tally standing behind it. She had changed out of her interview dress and was now wearing a dark scarlet nightgown made of velvet, with her feet placed in fluffy grey slippers. Her caramel brown hair, however, was still in its signature ponytail at the back, which meant that she hadn't at all been about to go to sleep when his knocking started. That wasn't surprising, considering what tomorrow probably had in store for them…

Anyways, Geolo jumped a little at first, startled by her eventual swift response. The first thing he did was glance at her mouth of course, just to make sure her injury was healing without any problems, which he guessed it was, considering that all that was left of it was a barely noticeable spot on the left edge of each of her lips, just a slightly darker shade than the rest of both lips. He then opened his own mouth to deliver another apology, but before he could utter a word, she narrowed her eyes and said, "I assume you also knew I'd be more hurt on the inside than on the outside if you helped the Careers laugh at me."

"I knew that more than anything!" Geolo assured her. "That's why I didn't want to laugh. You must have seen a look in my eyes…anything that would indicate that to you…"

Tally shook her head, her expression not changing. "Whether I did or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is the complete picture. You weren't obliged to let the Careers overpower you! You heard what Atala said. We aren't allowed to fight in a physical way until we get inside the arena! The Careers wouldn't have been able to punish you for defying Glimmer's order. I thought sticking up for friends came first!"

"It does," Geolo affirmed, his heart sinking as he remembered that awful moment during their and the other tributes' time in the gymnasium. When Tally had gotten hurt, all four Careers had instantly burst out laughing, and then Glimmer, having (along with the other three) noticed one of the fearful glances he'd given her and her cruel allies earlier and had been (also along with the other three) sticking to him like glue ever since just to make him nervous, elbowed him, forcing him to unwillingly laugh as well. "I'm really sorry, Tally. I just…they're not like other bullies. They're Hunger Games tribute bullies! Everyone knows they're going to be fan favourites while neither of us stands a chance of getting any sponsors. So listen, listen. All we have to do is survive the bloodbath together, and then convince the Careers to take us in as allies."

"What?!" Tally exclaimed, shocked.

"No, listen," he tried to explain. "We have levels of intelligence that only District 3 residents possess. Qualities they'll see as valuable. We'll just have to keep them impressed until the other stronger tributes are taken out, and then we'll think of some way to get rid of the Careers with some sort of tech trap."

"Really," scoffed Tally. "They know how helpless they can make you feel even by accident. What if the moment comes? You're not going to back out of your own plan just to choose impressing them over standing by my side again, are you?"

"I—"

"No Geolo, just come clean. What you did in the gymnasium PROVES you're going to choose them over me. You have no trouble assuring me that I'm always the first person you consider the feelings of when the Careers aren't with you, but once they are with you, you shy away and let them dictate you as if they're four copies of President Snow! And here's another factor for you to consider: what if we're the only tributes left? You want to make it home alive just as much as I do underneath your hope loss, right? You'll have to choose then too. So who would you choose? Me, or your mom?"

A lump formed in Geolo's throat. He wanted to prove to Tally that he didn't value anyone over her, but at the same time, she was right. As much as he doubted he and his district partner would end up being in the final two, he knew deep down that such a scenario wasn't impossible. But whether or not it came down to that, he…he simply couldn't choose between her and his mother. It was a choice too heartbreaking to make. Even though his mother was all the way back in District 3, he loved her enough to feel as though she would appear in the Training Centre's third floor with him just in time to hear him pick Tally over her, or vice versa. Either way, someone would be hurt; maybe his mother wouldn't be right away because she technically wasn't really here, but he would nevertheless feel her eventual sadness long before it would start.

The lump in his throat expanded. For the first time since his name was drawn at the reaping, Geolo was fully realizing that if, even if he highly doubted he would emerge victorious, he wanted to win the Games, he would have to choose between two painful options: winning even if it meant losing the only friend he'd ever known, or granting Tally a chance to return to her kind and supportive family (which was bigger than his own) at the cost of his own life and the happiness of his mother, who would be all alone for the rest of her life if he perished, since he was the only family she had left.

He also didn't want Tally's claim that he'd just end up choosing the Careers over her again to be true, but…what if it was? She knew him better than anyone from home besides his mother did, and she was the most observant person he knew. What if something he hadn't planned on happened, like the Careers pressuring him to kill Tally on the spot? Would he succumb to his fearfulness and end his friend's life for the sake of his own, which could only survive if he helped and impressed the Careers long enough to unsuspectingly betray them? That is, if he even had the courage to betray them when that time came, and if the Careers didn't happen to sniff out his true intentions too soon (which was a likely scenario).

"I knew it," affirmed Tally. Her glare hadn't gone away for the entire conversation, but Geolo saw a brief change within the look in her eyes. Underneath her feelings of betrayal and anger, there had been one small piece of hope that her district partner would be able to overcome his emotions and redeem himself, even if the Careers tried to blackmail him. A tiny spark of hope that he was watching vanish from her right now.

"No, no," Geolo pleaded, his tears now flowing from his eyes. "Tally, you do matter to me."

"If I mattered, you wouldn't have laughed at me," his district partner huffed. "You wouldn't have started sucking up to the Careers until tomorrow."

"I know, I know. That was a really bad mistake, and I'm so so, so sorry…"

"Yup, m-hm. You're apologizing now, but when we're in the arena, you'll stab me in the back all over again. Maybe even literally. That depends on what the Careers want you to do."

Geolo squeezed his eyes shut, sniffling, his throat feeling as if it was on fire. "…I really am sorry…"

"You should just stop saying that," Tally insisted, her voice now cracking a bit too. "I'm not going to forgive you. You don't deserve it. There's so much you could have done for me, and you didn't because you're too afraid of what negative things might come from it. You didn't encourage any of the other girls who were eligible for the reaping to volunteer for me, even if there's a strong possibility they would have refused anyway. You didn't stick up for me when I split my lip, and even worse, you laughed at me too. Just like our classmates for the last four years have been doing since right before we got to know each other. And they laughed because of something beyond my control! The fact that I have the droopiest mouth in Panem, and the kind of eyes that make it look like I'm about to cry, even when I'm not! It's a stupid face to every kid in our school. Except you…or did you only say it didn't look stupid because you were the infamous clumsy kid and your only hope of having a friend was sucking up to the only other outcast?"

That comment hurt Geolo more than literally getting stabbed in the heart ever could. It was true; he and Tally were both outcasts in school, her for her unique facial features and him for not exactly being the most oriented when it came to avoiding slipping over spilt food and water in the school cafeteria every day. They'd both been mocked by nearly every other student in the building (two boys were the only ones who really wanted to bully them though; the other students just weren't sure what to do and simply tagged along, likely out of fear that they'd get bullied themselves if they took a stand), with Tally having to endure much more of the mockery than he did because the "bad" thing she possessed was based on her appearance and not something humiliating she did in the cafeteria.

Geolo, nine years old at the time, had first befriended her after the bell had rung to inform everyone that the first day of school was over, when he'd noticed her collapsing next to a hallway bench in tears after finally leaving their classroom. He had watched a lot of the teasing and bullying she'd received throughout the day, and feeling for her, he came to her side and gently placed his hand on hers. Once she looked up at him, he told her, "Hi…I uh…I just think you should know, those other kids couldn't be more wrong about your face. It looks beautiful."

Tally, eight years old at the time, had stared at him in surprise. "You…you really think so? You don't think I look stupid, or that I look dumb?"

"You don't look bad in any way," Geolo had assured her. "And those kids shouldn't be being mean to you."

Then Tally had scooted closer to him, hugged him, and sobbed into his chest. He'd hugged her in return, and when she felt calmer, she had thanked him for being her friend when no one else would. She'd introduced herself after that, and so had he. He'd then promised to always be there for her, and honoured his word the next day by shouting for everyone in the cafeteria to stop being mean to Tally as soon as she received the first next dose of bullying. One of her genuine tormentors, angry that he never backed down no matter how many times he refused to stop his teasing, had soon lunged forward and knocked Geolo off the chair he was standing on, and would have given him a black eye if the teacher supervising the room hadn't rushed over and pulled him away just in time. Tally had then rushed to her only friend's aid and helped him out of the cafeteria, but the damage had already been done. That incident was never forgotten by anyone who had been a part of it, and it along with the teasing regarding his tendency to slip upon food spills was what gave birth to Geolo's crisis of self confidence that, despite Tally's support and his mother's, only increased as the months went by.

Geolo's courage to stand up to the bullies lessened little by little each day, until his tenth birthday arrived on November 8th, and due to it being on a Thursday this year, it was celebrated at school. He'd once again been knocked down by that same tormentor in an attempt to defend Tally, this time after she'd given him her present. Except this time he did get a black eye, because his teacher had forgotten her gift to him in her automobile and had to leave to go get it, stopping her from intervening sooner. His courage had then been completely shattered, but having witnessed him receiving his black eye, Tally, despite encouraging him to try to find ways to restrengthen his self confidence levels whenever the two of them were alone, understood the reason for his reluctant silence and never got mad at him. She even continued standing up for him whenever he was called clumsy (and now feeble because of the black eye incident), even if it meant resulting in her ninth birthday (which had also fallen on a school day) ending in seeming disaster the next month. But shaken by the disaster on his own birthday, Geolo retreated into the shadows and began only sticking up for his friend when their bullies (who, unlike Glimmer, thankfully didn't even think of trying to force him to help them humiliate his friend) weren't around.

But that wasn't because he'd only befriended Tally so he wouldn't be friendless! He'd befriended her so she wouldn't be friendless. Because he felt bad for her and knew she didn't deserve to be treated so badly! He tried to get her to see this, but she shrugged it off and practically snarled, "Don't bother trying to win me over again. And by the way, I've been watching the other tributes and I picked up some moves. So if you dare come near me, whether to insult my face or pretend I really mean something to you…I…you…" Her glare had then made way for pure sadness as her tears left her eyes, and after two seconds of silence she whimpered, "See you in the Cornucopia, Geolo."

And with that, she ran back into her room and slammed the door behind her. Geolo heard her sobbing as soon as he lost sight of her, and with his throat and heart aching more than ever, he stood against the wall and sank to the floor, tearfully asking himself why his emotions and very life, along with his district partner's life, had to be so complicated and, as a result, difficult.

The next thing he knew, morning had arrived, and he was lying on his side, on the floor. His stylist was now towering over him, flabbergasted that, when the odds of him winning the Games were slim and had even dropped after being announced, he had done something as ridiculous as falling asleep in the hallway rather than the bed provided to him by the Capitol, without even bothering to dry his tears.

End of flashback

Tally Gearington's life had been cut short so soon—when she was the young age of thirteen years old. The only friend she'd ever had had helped the Careers humiliate her, and it had broken her. She'd died in a Hunger Games arena without anyone even trying to save her; not even her own district partner, who'd been too caught up in gathering survival supplies while also evading any possible enemies to consider the fact that she, despite her announcement that she'd picked up some new moves in the gymnasium, might not be able to get out of the bloodbath without help. And as a result, the last time Geolo ever saw her (at least in person) was when the corpse-collecting hovercraft scooped her off the ground.

Seeing her with that soulless expression and a fresh bloody mess where one of her legs had once been had felt like a nightmare to the poor boy, and until Cato and the District 1 tributes and then their sworn enemies decided to recruit him to each of their alliances, he'd spent every minute trying desperately to temporarily push aside his sadness over losing Tally so he could at least try to win the Games himself. It had become the only thing he could do now, really…although he didn't just do his best not to give up for the sake of his mother. He also did it for his district partner by trying to survive on his own—without getting involved with the Careers—hoping it was a good way to make up for not overcoming the lack of confidence he felt around the Careers long before their time in the gymnasium had begun.

But with no survival experience, no iconic muscles, no food (the Careers had taken whatever the other remaining tributes hadn't), a hopelessness in wielding weapons, a case of pyrophobia that kept him from creating a campfire, and no sponsors interested in helping him, the last ounces of his confidence fell seconds before the arena's sun did on the first night of the 74th Hunger Games. Geolo had then become fully convinced that he couldn't do anything right other than make the Careers happy, and that he really was doomed. His mother had even known it from the beginning; why had he been even a little determined to make it back to her when they both knew he had no chance of winning? And, considering that last part, why hadn't he just accepted that he was never going to make it back to his mother and spent the entire bloodbath making sure Tally made it out alive?! Taking any blows intended for her, being her bodyguard (even if she didn't want his help) until she was safely out of the danger zone?

Some of Geolo's tears collected into small puddles next to his ankles on the floor, which he briefly noticed before closing his eyes again to sob some more. He knew Tally, and how much potential she would have had if she'd just happened to survive the bloodbath. If it wasn't for him and that stupid, horrible, cowardly thing he'd done in the gymnasium, she'd still be alive. He didn't know for sure whether or not he himself would have been, but Tally would have been for sure. And not just alive either—free. Free from the mockery at school she'd had to endure for the last four years, and the poverty she and her family, like all District 3 residents, had endured since all of their births. Tally was the District 3 tribute that deserved to have been recruited by Nessa, helped her and her other allies crash this hovercraft, fix it, bust them all out, and drive them to all their intended destinations. Not him. He didn't deserve it at all.

If I'd just protected her from those attacks! Geolo thought as he wept. Why didn't I protect her? Tally would have made a much better hovercraft driver than me. Not only did she have just as much information on how hovercrafts work as I do, she also never doubts herself! At least not when it comes to the things she can do…she would never let anyone down just because a bully or more dared her or forced her to side with them. Unlike me…

The remaining tribute from District 3 was so caught up in his sadness that he completely missed Rue and her siblings entering the cargo bay. He had no idea they were there until he felt the gentle sensation of someone sitting next to him, and a few seconds later heard a familiar voice heartily tell him, "It…it's okay. You know…I miss Sonia too. I'll admit she might have admired some of us a bit too much, but…she was a good ally. A good friend."

Geolo opened his eyes and glanced at Rue's comforting expression. He then turned away and stared at the floor, inhaling softly. "I…I just…I feel like I failed her. And my district partner. In at least one way, I wasn't there for them when they needed me. I didn't try hard enough to talk Sonia into getting back in here, and I didn't try anything to protect my district partner from the tributes that killed her, and before that I…I did something much, much worse…" And he told her and her siblings the same thing he'd told Nessa, Foxface, and Sonia when they'd first officially met him. Except this time he went into more detail when he described the former relationship between him and Tally, revealing facts that even the first of his current allies that he'd met hadn't been told. Facts that Foxface, who had eventually scooted off her chair and dragged herself toward the cargo bay after the 11s had gone in there (just to make sure everything went smoothly and no rifts would be formed; she had no intention of revealing her own thoughts), heard as well, unbeknownst to the others.

Although, as she peered through the doorway (discreetly enough to prevent anyone who might be looking her way from noticing her) and saw how sad and tearful—and genuine—Geolo was as he talked about how he'd first met Tally, and every detail right down to their final falling-out, and the obvious concern and empathy within Rue's eyes that seemed to increase the more Geolo mentioned himself and Tally being bullied, Foxface couldn't help but think of Nessa, and the emotional moment she'd shared with her. She could feel it again; the warmth and love that she'd received from her first ally despite herself feeling awkward and sad as the positive sensation had come to her. Except this time it wasn't directed towards her, which was why she tried to push aside her knowledge that it was there the moment she realized it. Just because her teammates were bonding with each other didn't mean they were interested in doing the same with her. If her parents could fall in love but completely neglect her, why wouldn't it be the same case here?

Then Geolo said, "And I never wanted to be disloyal to Tally by pushing it all aside, but I thought I didn't have a choice because it was the only way I could stay focused enough to try, probably not successfully, but still try, to win the Games and get back to my mother. Then it became the only way I could stay focused enough to help you and everyone else involved in the evacuation plan, and then…then I found out how much you, Nessa, Sonia, and Peeta…and I think, I hope, our other allies…cared about me. But everything Sonia said…it…"

A fresh stream of tears left his eyes, but he still pressed on. "somehow, it got to me the most. She made me feel like I was…capable. I know that's what you were all trying to do for the mission's sake, but what she said…as much as you think I do, I don't think I really stand out or anything, but…she reminded of Tally, and as long as she was there, and I remembered she believed in me, I forgot that I was supposed to be mourning for Tally, and about how I felt about myself. I just…I felt stronger, with her with me. I haven't been told anything in a not just comforting but also sort of impulsive way since back when she was my friend. My mom was reassuring, actually a lot like you were, and are," he managed to make direct eye contact with Rue as he said this part, "I know that probably sounds weird, because you're younger than me…but Sonia…she did it in a way that only my…my ex-friend…could have pulled off. And after that, well, I never really forgot about Tally or the fact that she died, but…I stopped mourning for her. I feel really bad that I did that, but at the same time…I did it because going through all this with you, and Sonia…I felt like I was home. Like I was with a motherly figure and a best friend again. And when Sonia got captured, all because I didn't try hard enough to save her…I felt like I lost my best friend all over again. And I just…I feel so bad about it. I mean, Tally's my real best friend and Sonia…I just haven't known her long enough! I can't call her my best friend. Not because she reminds me of my real one…I mean, T…Tally's irreplaceable…but I can't be disloyal to Sonia either…"

Geolo then buried his face in his arms and knees again and wept some more, this time more softly. Awkward expressions manifested on the faces of Astilbo, Fern, and Toolip as they realized how much of the boy's conversation was directed towards their big sister and not them, and they hadn't even begun giving peculiar excuses to leave the cargo bay when Foxface quickly and silently dragged herself back into the pilot's area and, with some difficulty, climbed into the chair in front of the control panel. She didn't want her companions to know she'd been eavesdropping on them, especially since Geolo (as the two of them had first officially met, which made it even worse) had already gotten a little weirded out by his revelation that she'd eavesdropped on his first falling-out with Tally. Things between her and her teammates were already not exactly smooth because of what'd happened right before Geolo had broken down, and she didn't want to make things any worse.

Once she was back in her seat, Foxface instantly peered through the windshield, now feeling silly for leaving her post. She was supposed to be watching the rest of the team in case something bad or important happened to them, and instead she'd been spending her time spying on her companions! At least she'd put the hovercraft in autopilot first, and had paid attention when Geolo had shown her how to do that. If she hadn't, that could have caused a huge problem.

Luckily (for her anyway), Nessa and everyone else down below had apparently not found Sonia's parents yet, or a District 8 resident or two who knew where to find them. They had, however, walked quite a distance ahead of the hovercraft since Foxface had left the area, and she had to turn off the autopilot and speed the vehicle up for a second to catch up to them. Once that task was complete, she made sure the hovercraft was going at the same slow pace it had been before observing the area, seeing if any other hovercrafts might be nearby, about to ambush them. There thankfully weren't, and she sighed with relief. Though she also made a mental note to herself: to never leave the wheel again until Geolo returned and felt ready to continue the driving lessons.

Rue's siblings returned to the pilot's cabin, and with none of them suspecting that she'd left the wheel, Fern asked, "Did they find the right people yet?"

"Not yet," Foxface replied, keeping her tone of voice stoic so as not to raise any suspicions. She then waited for a few seconds, nervous but not letting anyone see it. When several seconds passed and not one sibling mentioned her zoning out earlier in any way, she once again felt relieved.

After her siblings left, Rue stayed silent for a while, taking in everything Geolo had said to her. She understood why he was sad, but she hadn't expected the sentiments he felt towards her and Sonia to be so deep. The motherly figure part was the most surprising thing he'd said; she knew Daisy and Fern looked up to her, but hearing Geolo saying she reminded him of his mother in what she saw as the best way possible…nothing could have prepared her for that information, of all things. It was a startling revelation…and yet, despite the immense sadness involved in the scenario, she found herself kind of liking it. It confirmed that she was truly valued by the majority of her allies, for more than just her talents. For her personality too, and to this point! She hadn't expected to be looked up to in this way by anyone other than her siblings, but still, here she was. It felt a bit strange…but incredible.

Yet as positive as this moment might be for her, Rue knew she couldn't bask in it. Geolo needed her comfort more than he had so far during their adventure, and she needed to supply him with it. Even if it felt a little awkward now that she knew how he had come to see her as…although as soon as she wrapped her arms around him and led him into a hug—which he immediately returned, his crying slightly increasing as he did—her worries about any oddities that might surround the scene wound up vanishing. The realization that simply focusing on comforting her fellow teammate and nothing else (unless her siblings and Foxface needed her help to deal with an emergency) was what she needed to do just kicked in once the duo's embrace began, without the youngest tribute thinking anything of it, and then suddenly the only thing that was on her mind was a certain revelation. That trusting Geolo wholeheartedly, now that she knew for sure what went through his mind in the presence of both of the teams that'd recruited him back in the arena, was truly no mistake.

Geolo, meanwhile, became aware of his and his ally's current positions and received another flashback to the day he first met Tally. He'd once been in Rue's shoes, with his district partner being in his…oh, he didn't deserve this! He didn't deserve to be given the comfort that only ever came from a true friend—though at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to refuse it.

The two tributes stayed alone in the cargo bay together, sealed in their embrace, for over half an hour, uninterrupted by any circumstance due to no dangers coming their way or Nessa and the others', and Foxface and the other three keeping themselves busy in the pilot's area so as not to make things awkward for them. Neither of them said a word since the departure of Rue's siblings, him because he was caught up in his emotions and her because she wasn't sure if the right time to speak had arrived. They simply sat in silence, Geolo gradually calming down as the time passed. Still the cargo bay remained soundless, with neither of its occupants ready or daring to make the next move.

However, Geolo eventually remembered the driving lessons he'd been trying to give Foxface, and he realized that the sooner he got back on track with them, the better things would be. So, as the 42nd minute officially went by, he bunglingly pulled himself out of his friend's arms and murmured, "Thanks. So um…should we uh…?" He awkwardly glanced at the cargo bay's exit.

"Of course," Rue kindly replied. "But first, I want you to know…Sonia may remind you of Tally, but she could never replace her. Nobody can be replaced. And if you really think of Sonia as a friend so close, you don't have to feel bad about it. It isn't disloyal."

"But—"

"Trust me, it's not wrong to consider Sonia your best friend too. You'll actually be better off not letting yourself suffer so much just for Tally. It is important to remember her, but…you still have a life to live. And it won't be healthy to spend all of it in sadness."

"But I deserve that sadness," Geolo insisted, feeling his sadness returning even though his tears remained absent this time. "Tally suffered for four years. Four whole years! And the reason why she died so miserably, in every way, was because I was the worst friend ever."

"Geolo, you don't deserve to suffer any more than she did! You're a good person, and there are still people who care about you. And you did what you could to make it up to her."

"It wasn't enough, Rue! She thought I would just go back on my word, and I think I would have, if I was forced to! The Careers just…they…"

"Maybe they won't have so much power over you if you do what Tally, and Sonia, wanted you to do right from the start: remember that you're strong too. Just focus on what you can do, and believe in yourself. Don't worry about standing out amongst anyone. Don't worry about how strong other people might be on the outside compared to you. Don't worry about how hard you tried to do something so far. Just focus on how much you care about everyone close to you, and don't give up. Keep getting back up, no matter what happens. If you want to show Tally you still care about her, start caring about yourself too. And remember how sincere you were when you told her you were sorry. Crying shows more evidence than anything else can, right?"

Geolo miserably stared at the floor. "Not to my district partner."

"That's probably just because she wasn't ready to hear your apology. Or maybe she was just anxious because she knew only one tribute could win the Games and she was going to be taken from you anyway. Since none of us could have known Nessa would stop the Games. I don't know…I might have a better idea of what was going through her mind if I'd been there to see your last conversation. But what I'm trying to say is that you did everything you could to show Tally that you're sorry. And now…you're just going to have to move on. You don't have to forget about her, but it won't be good to keep thinking about your regret that she's gone. Just remember what she always wanted for you, and stay strong on the inside."

After a second of silence, Geolo looked back up at his friend. "Do…do you really think I should forgive myself?"

Rue smiled. "That part's up to you. But I forgive you, if that helps. And don't worry. You getting more confident, focusing on the good stuff about your past, and fighting back against anyone who tries to make you feel helpless is the best way to avenge Tally. There's nothing wrong with having more than one best friend at a time either. If you really feel like more than one person helps you feel confident and push your doubts away, then it's good to call both of them your best friend. Because they both deserve it."

She's right, Geolo realized. If I feel like they both deserve it because of that, then…they both deserve it. So mourning for Sonia wouldn't be disloyal to Tally, and vice versa. Not as long as both of them were still in his memories, as friends who had done nothing but remain loyal to him. If only he'd repaid them in the way they'd deserved…

He sighed. Pushing away his doubts and regaining his long-lost confidence really was what Tally would have wanted, and what Sonia would want too. Maybe they'd also want him to pause the painful part of his mourning until the mission was over…at least, Sonia would want that. After his last conversation with Tally, he had no way of knowing if she'd want that too. It was also what was best for everyone that had managed to avoid being captured by the Peacekeepers. He'd have to do his best to make sure he took Rue's advice for the rest of their journey…although he still felt some negative thoughts. He still doubted he'd be able to do much besides driving the hovercraft and teaching others how to do it, and he knew pushing aside his sadness about losing Tally and Sonia would be a hard thing to do; pushing aside his sadness about Tally's death and everything before the Careers had found him had been extremely difficult, so why should this be any different?

Yet one more look into Rue's caring eyes, and Geolo understood what would happen if he didn't take her advice (or try to). He could lose her too, and Nessa, and his mother…and then all at once, he found himself having another flashback—one that made him sort of feel like a hypocrite. It was a memory from last night, right after they'd busted out of the arena but lost Peeta in the process. The latter of which had caused Katniss's emotions to nearly drive her insane. And out of all the people in the hovercraft, he himself had been the one who'd snapped her out of it by saying, "Katniss, you have to listen for a moment! Please! We could go back and get him, but by the time we do, the surprise will be ready for us. It's got to be a big one if it's taking the Capitol this long to set it up. If we go back for Peeta, all of us will be in danger. Especially Nessa! This was her idea, so she'll get the worst of it! Is that what you want? Someone with such a youthful spirit…having her fate sealed by a heartless old man?"

And then there was Katniss, who was yet another lost member of their team. But unlike Peeta and Sonia, her loss had been no accident. People with spirits just as youthful as Nessa's (or more; he didn't know enough about Matt, Lili, Iris, and Daisy to confirm that part) had been captured by the Peacekeepers, and she'd sacrificed herself for the exact same reason his reasoning with her had been for: to prevent people with such youthful spirits from having their fates sealed by a heartless old man. If Geolo's emotions—which, while not exactly having the same effects as Katniss's, were still being caused by the loss of at least one close friend just like hers had been—ended up bringing the mission to a halt, nobody would soon forget it. And if President Snow's goons didn't kill him as a punishment, then Katniss certainly would. He just…he just knew it.

Taking a deep breath, Geolo stared at the ceiling of the hovercraft, hoping his district partner and current best friend could hear him and Rue's conversation and thoughts somehow, in a miraculous way even he could only try to understand. Hoping both girls knew how much they meant to him, and well…pretty much everything that was on his mind right now. He knew Sonia would probably understand if he needed to put more of his focus onto the evacuation plan, but Tally…she had died thinking he didn't care about her enough to choose her over careless bullies and the fate President Snow had likely assumed would be in store for her ever since first learning she would be District 3's next female tribute. Would she understand, despite all that?

"Guys!" Astilbo suddenly called from the pilot's cabin. "Nessa and the others found a lead!"

Rue snapped to attention, leapt to her feet, and dashed out of the cargo bay. Geolo followed her, albeit more slowly—and as he did so, he could only hope that the mistakes he'd made that had cost him Tally and Sonia would be the last ones he would make for the rest of his adventure throughout Panem. That he wouldn't do anything wrong anymore, whether it was being unfaithful to a close friend or letting his emotions and confidence crisis get the best of him.

Wow; what a sentimental chapter! Hopefully Geolo's newest conversation with Rue will finally snap him out of his mental dilemma…or will it? I guess we'll find out as the story moves forward.

Now what'll be in store for our protagonists? Will Foxface come clean as well? Can the team finally locate Sonia's parents? The next chapter will hopefully have the answers we're looking for—in the meantime, stay tuned!