Chapter 2:
District Two
Three Months Before The Reaping
"Yo Hunt, you comin' with us?"
Conrad looked up at his last name and found Van Buren and Moralis approaching him. He shook his head as he was finishing up packing his bag and brushed out his hair a couple more times, before shutting his locker. "Nah, I got plans tonight."
"Look at that face, he's going to hang out with Maeri," Van Buren said with a snort and rolled his eyes. "He's as whipped as you are, Moralis."
"No one's as whipped as me until they get fucking baby trapped," Moralis replied with a grimace and let out a groan at just the thought of going home to his wife and fucking baby. He looked at Conrad throwing his bag on his shoulder and shook his head. "Word of advice, just use your hand for the next couple of months."
"Nah, let him bust a nut and get trapped here," Van Buren said and punched Moralis's arm, who's eyes darkened at the thought. "Open up the spot for me."
"Sure, sure, whatever you say," Conrad said with a laugh and brushed the two of them off, used to them always being found together in the training academy. Moralis claimed he was just giving Van Buren extra training, but he wasn't too sure about that. But hey, who was he to judge? He started heading towards the locker room door and turned back to look at them as he stood there with the door propped open with his foot. "Well you have fun with your hangover tomorrow when Pit is yelling at you, I'm heading home."
"Ooo, do tell, what am I yelling at them about?" Pit asked as he stepped out of the locker room and he jumped, putting a hand to his chest. She laughed immediately at his reaction and slapped his back a couple times. "Got 'em! Always do."
"Yes, thanks for that," Conrad said, trying not to laugh because it was always funny when she got others – just not him! "You can yell at them for staying up too late partying while I have a quiet night at home."
"What are they celebrating for? It's the qualifiers, not the actual picking!" Pit said and shook her head. "Oh, they can run extra laps tomorrow."
"Yeaaaahhh, just don't tell them it was me," Conrad said with a chuckle and hurried out of there, really not wanting to get his ass busted by Moralis and Van Buren for snitching about the party. But they weren't right behind him – that's suspicious – so he just hurried out of there, waving at a couple people on his way. He found that just saying hi to people every once in a while went a long way towards not making enemies, and he preferred not sleeping with one eye open or fearing someone slipping extra sugar into his food. But once he stepped outside and breathed in the air – with spring on the way – all thoughts of training left him and he just focused on the evening ahead. It was one of those rare beautiful spring days, and he was hoping to take advantage of it with a bonfire with Maeri. So what if he was whipped? At least he wasn't miserable like Moralis's version of being whipped!
Normally he'd take his time on the walk home, but not today when he had plans with his girlfriend. His free time to have plans was getting less by the day with the Reaping getting closer and closer, and so he had to take whatever time he could get. And soon enough, he was turning down their street, and the two houses were coming into view, and he found himself smiling to himself just knowing Maeri was there waiting for him.
He hurried into his small home and waved to his mom sitting in the living room as he kicked off his shoes at the door. "Hey Mom! Hey Dad!" he yelled over to the kitchen where he could hear his dad cooking.
"Hey, honey," Rosa said to him as she turned down the volume on the TV before shaking out her aching hands. "How'd it go?"
"Top five," Conrad said and grinned at the proud look she gave him at that. "When's dinner? Do I have time to go see Maeri real quick?"
"Who's Maeri?" Andrei asked as he stepped out of the kitchen wearing one of his stupid aprons that both of them couldn't convince him to throw out. And when Conrad groaned at the familiar question, he grinned and laughed as he pointed at his son with the spoon in his hand. "I assumed she'd be eating dinner with us."
"Always a safe assumption," Rosa agreed with him before giving her husband a look. "Don't you dare drip sauce on the carpet!"
"I'm not!" Andrei whined as he put his hand under the spoon because he wasn't entirely sure he wasn't dripping. He started heading back to the kitchen, calling back to Conrad as he went. "Sauce is simmering for a while, you have at least a half hour!"
"Perfect," Conrad said as he was heading to his meager bedroom to drop off his stuff. Now he was really glad he showered before leaving the academy. "I'll invite her over!" he called out to his parents before he slipped out the backdoor into the small yard they shared with Maeri's family. And sure enough, he found her sitting outside on the little swing set they had long outgrown, built years ago by both of their fathers. "There's my pretty girl," he called out to her as he headed over to her, a little skip in his step just from seeing her. It was enough to make the aches from training fade away, she was enough for him. "How was your day?" he asked as he slowed as he approached, noticing the little crease between her brows and the frown on her face. "Bad day at work?"
"Yeah," Maeri said softly as she put a hand on her stomach as he sat down on the other swing. He pulled himself closer so he could rub her back a little bit. "Didn't feel great today, but today isn't about me. How'd it go?"
"I'm sorry Babe," Conrad frowned a bit as he looked at her, able to tell something else was bothering her. They didn't need words at this point, after so many years together – and years of friendship before that. "Is it me training?" he asked quietly, a little afraid of the answer because he wasn't sure what he'd do if that was the answer. "I passed the qualifiers."
"I knew you would," Maeri said right away and gave him a proud smile, even if there still was an edge of sadness to her eyes. "Always believed you could. Sorry I couldn't be there."
"Don't apologize, you had to work," Conrad told her right away, such a familiar debate these days. He looked around at their small homes, sighing a little bit at the work that needed to be done, siding to fix. Between himself and the two dads, one of them would get around to it eventually. But it didn't matter to him when he had Maeri right at his side. "You'll be there for the final day, that's what matters to me. And then will have a big house in the Victor's Village and you'll never have to work again if you don't want to." It was the only way he was ever going to provide a good life for her, and stop her from ever overworking herself to the point she couldn't even do the things she loved without her body suffering in pain. "I won't leave the Capitol without a ring for you."
Maeri immediately started tearing up at that and Conrad jumped out of the swing to kneel in front of her, grabbing her hands in concern. "I…" she started as she shook her head and let out a couple sobs.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Conrad asked as he held her hands tight, looking up at her desperately for her to tell him what was the matter so he could fix it. "You have to tell me, Mae. Please."
"I'm p-pregnant," Maeri sobbed out and slipped her hands free from his when he was just frozen in shock. She put her head in her hands, sobbing about it as Conrad's whole world was crashing down. They were always so careful – of course it was always a possibility, but he never expected it to happen. "I-I'm s-s-sorry!"
Conrad blinked a little bit as his poor brain was just trying to process all of it and stared at her stomach, searching for any sign of a bump. But she was wearing a baggy shirt to hide it, and slowly things started to make sense. "Okay," he said quietly as he sat down fully in front of her and she slipped out of the swing to sit with him, grabbing his hands to try and get him to look at her and say something. "I…" he shook his head as he met her eyes, and he knew she was his whole world. And he would give up everything for her if he needed to. "I'll quit tomorrow."
"No, Conrad, you can't," Maeri sobbed at that and grabbed his hands tightly as she shook her head. But how could he not quit seeing her crying like that? He was considering going back right now to quit if it made her feel better, even if giving up after all of this time would destroy him a bit. All those years of the scholarship, working so hard to do something bigger than working the quarry…
But for her, he would give it all up.
"I will," Conrad said with sad resolution and gave her hands a small squeeze back. He'd give up his dreams for her – and their baby. "I knew I'd start a family with you someday, just…I guess we're just starting a little earlier…" But fuck, he wasn't ready for that yet. He always had the plan for the Games, then marriage, then kids a few years down the road… And he didn't realize he was tearing up until he felt the tears on his face and quickly wiped them away before she could see and get upset. "It's okay, we'll figure it out."
"No, it's not okay," Maeri told him and he shook his head a little bit at that. She was right, but they didn't have the ability to accept it as anything else. "Conrad…"
"It's okay, Maeri," he told her quietly and took her hands again, meeting her teary eyes with matching ones. They were still kids themselves, now they had their own kid on the way to take care of… "I'll quit training and go get a job at the quarry, or maybe see if the Corps will still take me. Our parents will help and we'll figure it out, okay? I will make this work for us and we'll have our little life, and-"
"It's not yours," Maeri blurted out and Conrad froze up again. She let go of his hands, able to slip them out easy as she moved back from him a bit, shame on her face before she hid it in her hands. "I-it's not okay, you can't do all that for me!"
"What…?" Conrad asked quietly as he stared at her again, a wave of cold betrayal washing over him. His eyes blurred with tears as he just couldn't process that. The baby, sure…it wasn't expected, but not out of the realm of possibility. But…cheating on him? And getting pregnant from them…? "No," he said, shaking his head and not wanting to believe it for one second. She would never do that to him, this was his Maeri! They grew up together, they were always supposed to be together! They're parents were joking about being related someday from the time that they could walk. "Maeri, please." He didn't know what he was begging for, he just needed it to not be true.
"I'm so sorry," Maeri sobbed out as she couldn't even look at him as she used the swing to pull herself up to her feet. She looked down at him but he couldn't even meet her gaze, too hurt by her doing that to him. Betrayed the years they built together, and shattered the future they dreamed about. "Just…forget about me. Go be the victor."
"I can't," Conrad said with a gasp as he curled in on himself, sobbing quietly as his whole world fell apart. He heard the footsteps and sobs as she left him there, left behind everything they were together…
Everything he did was always for her and their future. He gave up the chance to have a normal childhood to work harder than most of the other trainees to prove his worth on that scholarship. His parents worked so hard to allow him to be able to train and not work to help pay for things. Yet it was worth it, knowing the future they could have when he was victor.
And what was it all for? Betrayal in the worst fucking way.
"Conrad? Dinner's ready!" Andrei called out to him from the back door, yet he couldn't make himself move, even when he heard the footsteps approaching him. And when his father saw his red tearstained face, he gasped and dropped down beside him. "Are you hurt?"
Conrad had to let out a laugh at that as the tears started anew at that question. Hurt didn't even come close to the gut wrenching betrayal he felt that his whole life to fall apart in just a few minutes. He didn't want to feel anything, he didn't want to exist right now. Just wanted to melt into the ground and forget about everything. "Maeri's not coming to dinner," he said, the only thought he could really form right now.
And as the denial was starting to shift into rage, he clenched his fists in his lap as the tears kept pouring down his cheeks. How could she do this to him?! Was all of it a fucking lie? It had to have been, because how could she have ever truly loved him and done that to him? And he was going to waste his whole life for her?!
No. He wasn't doing that.
"She's never coming back."
One Month Before The Reaping
The training academy was bustling that morning, people of all ages and training level gathering to watch the final round to see who this year's volunteers would be. The top ten trainees fighting it out, trying to be the one that the victors picked. All the trainees were watching, taking notes on strategies, making bets and discussing what they would do differently. The trainers were studying each potential volunteer, also making notes, but some using it to give strategy to their protégés. And the victors had the most important roll, able to decide at any moment to disqualify someone – which the Peace Corps were ready to swoop in and snatch up immediately.
It was a glorious day in District Two, one looked forward to every year by everyone in the academy. Yet Conrad could just sit to the side, watching the last two girls fight for their spot, and feeling numb about it all. Everyone kept telling him he should be proud to make it to the final fight, up next, but he felt nothing. He didn't even have anyone there to cheer him on and support him, his parents unable to take time off work for this. And of course…no Maeri. She was still there, he always searched every room for her immediately, but she was sitting in the back of the bleachers with Iryna Moralis and little Cyrus, baby bump starting to show and making him want to throw up any time he saw it.
He didn't turn to acknowledge the man who sat down next to him, knowing right away from his posture in his peripherals who it was. Instead he just kept watching the fight with out of focus eyes, waiting for him to speak up first.
"Watch your monitor," Moralis said quietly, only to be heard by Conrad over the crowd cheering when Sharlene got a good blow in that knocked Flora to the ground, who got up right away to keep fighting as she wiped blood away from her nose. "He's paying some kid to rip it out."
"Why are you helping me?" Conrad asked as he glanced over at Moralis while subtly touching his side, pretending he had an itch but confirming it was still there. He wasn't surprised by that, not really, but to stoop to sabotage he wouldn't even commit himself? That was low even for Van Buren.
"You know why," Moralis told him and gave him a glare before he stood up with the whole ground jumping up to cheer for Flora as she was declared the winner of the fight, and slipped away from sight. Of course Conrad knew the reason, just no one wanted to say aloud the truth. Moralis would be nothing without Van Buren here, and right now, Conrad was the only thing standing between Van Buren going to the Games or not.
"Alright, alright!" Pit said over the speaker system as she tried to settle down the crowd, which slowly quieted as she approached Flora. She took her arm to put it up in the air, and the girl grinned at the cheers she got, even if her nose was bleeding still and she had a nasty black eye forming already. "Our first volunteer is Flora Delgado-Torres!"
Her family hurried over to congratulate her right away while Leo Griffin was swooping in to snatch up Sharlene for the Peace Corps. Her grandma was the loudest of all, giving her such a big tight hug. "I knew you could do it for your Great Aunt Isabella!"
"Of course, Abuela," Flora replied as she hugged her back tight and her grandma pressed her face into her shoulder for a moment, before she was getting hugged by her huge family. So many siblings and cousins, aunts and uncles, and it made Conrad feel an ugly flash of jealousy for her. She had so many people there, and he had no one. So many people to disappoint if she faired the same way her great aunt did 53 years ago.
Conrad stood up at a look from Pit, knowing his turn was up next after they finished cleaning up the blood from the mat. He stretched his neck a little bit before putting his arms behind his back as he walked over to the victors, subtly protecting his insulin pump as he passed through the crowds, all too aware of any time he bumped someone. Who would Van Buren have gotten to do this? Some young hot shot he promised to give special training to when he got back from the Capitol as victor? What fucking bullshit. Didn't think he could win a fair fight against him, so he had to resort to sabotage.
He felt someone bump him hard and felt a pull on the pump that had him whipping around to shove the kid back from him. The kid fell to the ground with a look of shock on his face and held up his hands pathetically as Conrad had a foot on his chest with just enough pressure to warn him. "Don't fucking try it," he hissed at the kid and gave him a look for just a few more seconds to make sure he got the hint, before letting up and continuing over to the victors.
Of course Van Buren was already by their side and watching the whole thing, making sure he had his alibi. And his eyes burned with rage at Conrad's approach, and Conrad just gave him a grin. "Ready for a nice fair fight?" he asked him, playing nice in front of the victors.
"Ready to kick your ass," Van Buren said as his fists tightened at his sides while his face stayed neutral, the only hint that he was pissed at Conrad foiling his plan. Good. Conrad had nothing left here in Two for himself if he didn't get this, he had to win the volunteer spot. Too many years of hard work and training on the scholarship to let it all go to waste now because Van Buren was a fucking pussy who had to sabotage him to win. And it wasn't even a good plan! If he was going to do that, he should have done it hours ago for his levels to actually get out of whack!
"Alright, save it for the mat," Pit said, but she was grinning at the fight about to happen. "Rules are there are no rules, no one in the arena is going to play fair. Last one standing is the volunteer. Understood?"
"And if you lose, it's not the end of your life," Amarantha chimed in from where she stood next to Pit and gestured over at her son-in-law. "Leo has a great life in the Peace Corps and a happy family."
Conrad's eyes narrowed at that comment, all hope of him having a happy family someday gone. "I'll have a happy life as victor."
"Or you'll go crawling back to Maeri begging her to take you back," Van Buren said with a laugh as Conrad's mood immediately dipped at that. Oh, he was trying to egg him on to mess up, but he fucked up. He just made him fucking mad at the reminder of everything he lost. "What a waste."
"You're a fucking waste," Conrad said as he stepped closer to him and Pit put out her hands between them.
"Save it for the fuckin' mat," Pit complained before gesturing the two of them out. "Go on already."
The crowd was cheering as the two of them walked out onto the mat, and Conrad wished he could feel something from it. Of course Van Buren was waving and grinning at their cheers as Conrad watched him, eyes narrowed in rage. This fucking bitch thought he could sabotage him and win the spot?! No. Fucking. Way. He glanced around quickly, keeping an eye on him, finding Moralis looking so distraught at the thought of Van Buren winning, then he looked to the victors.
No rules. If Van Buren wanted to fight dirty…he'd fight dirty right back.
Before they could pick their weapons to fight with, Conrad lunged towards him as the crowd gasped and cheered at the surprise attack. He punched him right in the fucking dick first, watching him crumple over on himself a bit as half the crowd winced and the other half cheered at that. "Fucker!" Van Buren yelled at him as his eyes teared up at the immediate pain and he kicked out at him, landing a sharp blow to Conrad's knee.
Conrad let out an angry cry at the pain as his knee buckled a little bit and took a couple steps back from him, gauging his next attack. Fuck weapons, the victors already knew what he could do with them! He was going to show them that he was willing to do whatever it fuckin' took to win. "No rules, right?" he asked, trying to egg him on into a fight so he'd be stupid in his rage. He knew every fucking move of Van Buren's, and vice versa. It was impossible not to after years of training in the same academy. And the only way he was going to win was Van Buren slipping up and letting his guard down.
"Oh you're gonna fucking regret it," Van Buren said with a harsh laugh as they were circling each other, already in pain. But the pain felt good, it had been so long since Conrad really felt something.
As so the fight began for real, both of them dropping all restraint to fight with everything they had. Dirty hits that would have gotten them disqualified in other fights, anything to bring the opponent down to the mat. Too many times where one seemed to get the upper hand before the other flipped him off of him, not ready to give up just yet.
Until finally Conrad got him pinned down on the mat, sitting on his chest as he squeezed his neck, choking him out. Van Buren punched and clawed at his arms, but Conrad was so full of adrenaline and rage at this point that he didn't care what pain he felt, he wasn't letting up. And the pain felt good because he felt something.
And Van Buren wasn't giving up, even as he was gasping for air and growing frantic with his actions. Conrad just squeezed tighter, desperately holding on to him as he was bucking and trying to throw him off of him, and let out an angry scream. He would not take this away from him, it was the only thing he had left. He didn't even care if Van Buren yielded or not, as long as he won.
Some in the crowd started yelling at Van Buren to yield, but he refused to. "You've lost," Conrad hissed at him as he leaned closer to his face, a grin slowly spreading across his face watching him gasp and sputter for air underneath him.
"Fucking yield!" Moralis screamed at him as his face was turning red, and only then did Van Buren finally tap out and yield to Conrad. He still held on for a second more, knowing he could keep going, but Moralis was running over and shoved him aside to tend to Van Buren, who started coughing right away as he rolled over and put a hand on his throat.
Conrad stepped back from Moralis at the look he gave him, honestly a little fearful of him hurting him then. The crowd was cheering for him, and yet…he still felt nothing. All he felt was the rage of the fight and his blood was pumping, just wanting to keep going. And no one was coming to congratulate him, anyone he cared about not even there…
"Good job," Pit told him as she approached and gave his back a couple hardy slaps. He clenched his fists at first, adrenaline still pumping through him, and had to stop himself from the impulse to attack her. He felt stiff as she raised his arm up in the air and the cheers grew louder as Moralis helped Van Buren up to his feet to walk to the side. "Our second volunteer is Conrad Hunt!"
Nothing. He felt nothing at the cheers as he stared ahead. And then the slow feeling of sorrow started to wash over him, and he just wanted to be away from there. He should have had Maeri running over to hug him and kiss him, not be standing their alone. Even Van Buren had someone there supporting him when he lost – when he fucking lost! And here he was, alone in victory.
He turned to go gather up his stuff, starting to feel the aches in his body and the deep bruises that were going to be there probably until the Reaping, not wanting to talk to anyone as people started coming up to congratulate him. But he stopped and looked up from the ground when a girl stopped in front of him, offering her hand with a grin. "Nice fighting," Flora said as she waited for him to shake her hand. "Congrats. I'm glad it's you, Orion's a fuckin' bitch."
"Huh?" Conrad asked, so deep in his self-pity, and also not used to anyone using Van Buren's first name. "Oh…yeah, he is. Tried to sabotage me."
"Of fuckin' course he did," Flora said with a scoff and rolled her eyes, while he stood there just wanting to leave already. "Well…I wanted to say congrats. And…I noticed no one was there, so if you want…I know my family is throwing a big ol' party and barbeque to celebrate. You're welcome to join if you like, but I cannot promise that one of my little brothers won't bother you the whole time about beating Orion."
"No thanks," Conrad said right away, the last fucking thing he wanted right now was to be around a bunch of strangers who he'd have to put on a fake fucking smile around. All he wanted now was to go home and lay on the floor, ice his knee, and let the ground swallow him up.
Disappointment immediately washed over Flora's face that almost made him feel bad, before she cleared her throat and put a smile back on. "Well, your loss," she said with a shrug, even if Conrad didn't feel that way at all. "Abuela is cooking up something real special, a recipe she picked up from some Capitolite traveling the Districts. Confused all of us with my sister named almost the same thing as them!" She laughed at that and Conrad managed to force the smallest of smiles, but she still sighed at his apathy. "Well, guess I'll see you tomorrow for training."
"See ya," Conrad replied quietly as she left him there, standing in the crowded room and feeling so alone. At least until Moralis and Van Buren approached him. "I don't want to hear any shit from you right now, I know what shit you tried to pull."
Van Buren scowled at that before he started coughing, his throat still red from Conrad choking him. Moralis immediately was concerned with him and glared at Conrad as he patted Van Buren's back. "Fine, you won, we both fought dirty. But fuck you man, a dick hit?"
Conrad just shrugged a little bit as he crossed his arms, not feeling bad in the slightest. "Too bad," he told him, looking around and wanting a way out already.
"You weren't fighting to kill," Moralis hissed at him as he stepped closer to Conrad, who just stood his ground. What was he going to do now? He should be happy with Conrad for winning so he could keep Van Buren in Two with him.
"Pit said no rules," Conrad shrugged at him and Moralis took another step towards him, fists balled at his sides. Conrad just lifted his chin up defiantly, daring him to hit him.
"Gentlemen, great fight!" Leo Griffin said as he approached them, his wife on his arm and smiling at them. Moralis took a step back from Conrad at that, falling back to Van Buren's side. "Tough break, kid, but not the end of your life. It's just the beginning!"
"Yeah give it a couple years and you'll be the one showing off your pregnant wife to the trainees," Cheri said as she put her hands under her belly to lift it up a little bit, wincing in discomfort before crossing her legs. "Oh I gotta go," she said before she was waddling off to the bathroom, just trying to make it before she peed herself for a second time today.
"I don't want to be showing off a wife to get new recruits," Van Buren complained with a raspy voice before coughing and glaring at Conrad.
"Well, thems the breaks, kid," Griffin told him as Moralis's eye twitched a little bit at that mental image. "Don't you want to have greatness? Hot wife? Kids to carry on your legacy?"
"Well you had to go and swoop up the hot victor's daughter," Van Buren grumbled a bit and had his arms crossed as he looked over at the very pregnant Cheri waddling back from the bathroom to go stand with her mother May, talking with Pit.
"What, you don't want to date Pit's daughter?" Hunt asked, genuinely curious because Peregrine didn't seem terrible, just…odd.
"Please," Griffin said with a snort at that, but he still valued his life so he was looking around to make sure Pit wasn't going to do that thing she loved to do and pop up behind them. "You can do better than her. I mean, not better than my wife, but that's your loss."
"Yeah and too bad she had to have two pussy boys after her," Moralis commented at that and got glares from both Van Buren and Griffin at that, which makes him hold up his hands defensively. Hunt just raised an eyebrow at him because he had a pretty good idea what Moralis thought about one of those boys – and the other was close friends with the other two. "Alright fine, one pussy boy."
"And the other will steal the girls from you if you don't act fast," Griffin said with a look to Van Buren. "Rumor has it he's got an eye on some Capitolite girl though. Friend of his friend's wife, that politician. But just saying, these are the possibilities you can have if you get stationed in the Capitol."
"Yeah, and get my balls dyed blue? Fuck no," Van Buren replied with a snort before rolling his shoulders. "Alright, fine, give me the form to sign up, because fuck me if I'm not volunteering."
"You could be a trainer with me," Moralis added as Van Buren was already walking away with Griffin, and sighed when he was out of hearing. "Fuck, man."
"Yeah, no kidding," Hunt said in return as he was rolling out his shoulder with a sigh. He'd have to check his glucose monitor soon to make sure Van Buren didn't actually rip it out, but later away from prying eyes. "Well…guess I should go home and celebrate, I suppose."
"Can your parents even afford to get you a cake?" Moralis asked and Hunt immediately made a face at that. "That's what I thought. Alright, go celebrate with your parents and then I'll get you some cake later."
Hunt stared at him for a few seconds at that before glancing around, surprised at him not even trying to be a little more discreet about it. Maybe he was just being careless in his excitement over Van Buren being stuck in Two with him. "Really? That's the best you can do?" he asked. "Kind of pathetic."
A dark look passed over Moralis's eyes at him insulting him and he took a step closer to Hunt. His hand twitched up a little bit but he stopped himself from putting it around his neck, all too aware of everyone having eyes on them right now with Hunt as the chosen volunteer. "I'll show you pathetic later," he hissed at him and was standing close enough that Hunt could feel a little spit on his face. And yet, he didn't make a move to wipe it away, instead just staring right back at Moralis until he backed off and left to go check that Van Buren was, in fact, filling out the form that would keep him here in Two. And of course, when Iryna saw him going there, she was quick to intercept him, baby Cyrus on her hip, and not about to let him talk to Van Buren alone. Control, always had to fucking control his life.
Maybe it was for the best Maeri cheated so he couldn't get sucked into such a lifeless marriage like that. But no, as soon as that thought crossed his head, he knew it wasn't true. And he found himself scanning the room again as he gathered up his stuff, a couple people still coming by to congratulate him, and eventually locked eyes with her. Just the sight of her belly showing almost sent him into a spiral right then and there, and he had to push down the nausea that rose up. And despite everything she did to him, she still showed up to see him go through with this, and now gave him a small smile and a nod. Just a quick, silent gesture that had him turning away right away.
He didn't need her approval anymore. She made the choice to cheat on him and abandon him after years of friendship and dating. And he was going to prove to her that he could win the Games without her, while she was stuck at home raising a child without him.
And nothing she said would get him to take her back.
I ain't sorry about all the references lol. Love me a good District Two tribute and Conrad was the first tribute concept to be fully fleshed out! Also the first intro to be written and what a way to get into it.
Gonna keep up with weekly updates because hell yeah, love a stockpile.
Next up, District Three and Hope for the Future.