Love And Sacrifice [The Hunger Games]

Part Ten

Amelia's POV

I didn't want to get out of bed.

I didn't want to face the hell which was waiting for me, and the Careers who were going to make it their mission to kill me.

And for what? 

Some stupid revenge for something my mother did more than twenty years ago now.

They really need to sort their lives out and get their priorities sorted.

In spending their time attempting to kill me, I will be able to kill them before they even have the chance to get to me; I will make sure of it and I won't give up without a fight.

None of them scare me.

I just don't feel like facing them today. They can wait a couple of days, and then I'll show them how afraid of them I'm not.

"Amelia. Up. Now. Things to do." Livvie spoke quickly, not even bothering to knock before she walked into my room.

"I'm not getting up. I'm staying here all day." I shrugged, pulling the covers back over myself and rolling over so that I was no longer faced with the face of some freakish clown.

"Unfortunately, for you anyway, you have no choice but to go to training. It's a requirement of the Games." 

"Well, the Games are sick." I snapped at her.

"Be careful what you say. The President is always listening, and he hates rebellion." Livvie shivered as she replied, but I couldn't help but laugh at her reply.

President Snow hated rebellion, yet he ended up dead with both my parents still alive at the end of it all.

He tried, and failed miserably, to seek his revenge on the people who rebelled against the system; and all because my parents refused to kill the other and decided they were going to both die instead.

"What's the worst The President can do Livvie? She's already had me sent here, my parents are both mentally unstable and my own best friend hates me. So, whatever she's got, let her throw it at me." I practically shouted in her face, although I quickly realised I was actually crying and was more upset than I first realised.

"She's right. There's nothing more that can be done." Haymitch pointed out from behind her and, as I almost expected, he held a bottle with alcohol in his hand.

"Urgh. You Victors. You're all the same." Livvie huffed.

"You know, you really should try drinking. Might help you calm down." Haymitch laughed at her, which simply made me chuckle as Livvie stormed out of the room; actually being lost for words and not knowing what she was supposed to reply with. "Now, why don't you want to go to training?" 

"Why do you care?" I questioned, falling back into my pillow and admiring the ceiling above me which was painted black with some gold specks here and there; I assumed they were supposed to represent stars.

"Amelia, I've watched you grow up, I'm not about to watch you die too."

"Look, we both know I'm not coming out of this alive. Those Careers are going to see me as nothing more than breakfast." I sighed.

"Then show them you're not. Show them you're not going to give up without a fight." Haymitch smiled and, for the first time since all of this had happened, it actually felt like someone believed in me and had the faith in me to be able to do well in these Games.

"How do I show them?" 

"By making up with Elijah and joining the alliance which he had created." 

"Elijah? He created an alliance?" I asked in shock.

I mean, I knew he didn't want me to die and he had promised he was going to do whatever he could to keep me alive, but I didn't think he was actually being serious.

I didn't want other people to die, simply to keep me alive. That wasn't fair to cut their lives short for the sake of making mine longer.

"Yeah. He's got the two from Four, the girl from Seven and the two from Eleven." 

"Wait? But aren't the girl from Four and the girl from Eleven only about twelve? No. I'm not going to let them die for me." I cried, remembering how my mother ended up being in an alliance with a twelve year old and just how much it broke her when the poor girl was murdered.

I wasn't going to leave myself open like that.

I wasn't going to become attached to anyone in these Games because it would only become my weakness.

I already had Elijah, and that was enough of a weakness for anyone.

"Too late. They already agreed. Now, up and ready for training." Haymitch instructed.

"No."

"You're just as stubborn as your mother was. Let me guess, is your Grandmother stubborn too?" he enquired sarcastically but, to be honest, I couldn't have given him an answer because the last time I saw my Grandmother was just after my tenth birthday.

After that, my mother simply stopped speaking to her and she simply stopped coming over for her weekly visits.

"I'm not going down there. I know enough." I retorted.

"You know, for a moment there, you sounded as arrogant as a Career. Perhaps you're right. Perhaps you don't need anyone because it's all about you, you, you." Haymitch stated before he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him and leaving me there to digest what he had just said to me. 

He had effectively told me I was just the same as a Career and that I should join with them over staying with the people who genuinely wanted to protect me from this hell.

I was nothing like them.

They were ruthless and showed no mercy to their victims.

I had never hurt a person in my life and, when people were injured themselves, I would always stop and help them; something I picked up from both my Grandmother and Aunt.

I was the total opposite of them, which is why they were going to hate me as much as they did.

They got everything with a simple click of their fingers.

We had to work hard for what we had and, even then, we still had very little - well, we would do if it weren't for the fact my parents were living in Victor's Village.

"Are you coming down or what?" Elijah spoke in a hurry, clearly still annoyed with me over last night and me telling him I wouldn't care if he died.

"Yeah. I haven't really got much of a choice." I sighed, sitting myself up and observing the outfits which they had for us to train in.

They were all red, apart from the silver stripe which ran down the sleeve. The number TWELVE had been brandished onto the back of the outfit, almost as though they were showcasing each of the Tributes as a piece of meat.

"You do have a choice. You just need to stop being so damn worried and get on with it." Elijah spoke bluntly.

"Yeah. I guess." I replied quietly as I vanished into the bathroom and prepare myself for the day which I was about to face.