"elowen, if you say those three words again i swear i will put an axe through your skull."
"go to sleep, johanna."
╰┈➤ In which Elowen North of District Seven, dealing with fresh trauma from her Hunger Games, falls in love with Seven's other feisty...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The virtual window in my sister's room shows a moving video of the forest, not at all unlike the dense, lush forests in our home district. Rowan herself is sitting on the floor with her back against the bed, her porcelain fingers stroking the fabric of the silk sheets.
"Hey, little redhead," I say, leaning against the doorframe. Rowan offers me the strongest grin she can muster and motions for me to sit down next to her.
"I miss home. I miss the forest and the scent of the trees and the people who live there and even the dullness of the buildings. I always hoped that I would die at home. The training centre, and even the arenas, they're all too Capitol."
I take both of Rowan's hands in my own, forcing her to abandon the silk. I want to tell her that she'll be okay, but that's bullshit. I can't ensure her safety. I just stay silent instead. Perhaps silence is enough of an answer.
After a few minutes, I speak up. "How was your session with the Gamemakers?"
My sister shrugs, her hands once again occupied with the silk. "I poisoned an axe blade with nightlock juice and buried it in the heart of a dummy. The Gamemakers seemed impressed enough."
I beam. "That's really good, Row."
Rowan changes the subject. "I've been thinking, and I think I've finally noticed why I made the rash decision to volunteer for Kaede."
"And?" I prompt.
Rowan looks straight at me with her soft blue eyes. Rowan and I barely look alike in terms of appearance, as she stands out among most District Seven kids and I tend to blend in. However, we both have a strong will to protect people we care about.
"It's because Kaede is too gentle to have any sort of chance in the Games. She writes poetry and has delicate hands. I have at least some skills that could help me in the arena."
I blow out a breath of air. "You love her, Rowan. People do stuff like that for people they love."
Rowan cringes. "That's cliche."
I roll my eyes. "I know, I just didn't know how else to break it to you." I playfully rub the top of Rowan's head. "I'll see you later when they announce the training scores. I have to find Johanna."
"Is she your girlfriend?" Rowan asks innocently as I'm walking away.
I stop in my tracks. "No," I say pointedly. "I just pissed her off before."
Rowan shrugs indifferently. "Okay. See you later."
As I gently close the door of my little sister's room, I can't help but blush at Rowan referring to Johanna as my "girlfriend".
-
"Look at who came around," Johanna tuts. I found her on the roof, the wind blowing through her spiky brown hair.
