Origins of a White Rose: A Hunger Games FanFic

Chapter 16

I twisted the ring around my finger and sat back against the pillows.

The door to the bathroom opened and steam escaped.

"I thought you'd be gone by now," Cori said, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"I really should have gone," I said. "I'm not camera-ready yet."

"Then what are you still doing here?" he asked, wandering over to the wardrobe.

"Your bed is very comfortable," I said. There had to be at least of dozen pillows of varying shapes and sizes and the sheets were soft and warm and the mattress was-

"What time does the train for the district leave?"

"8."

"It's 6:30, my dear."

I rubbed my eyes and climbed out of bed.

My dress from the previous night was lying on the floor. Cori was still at the wardrobe, inspecting a suit.

I changed back into the dress. Very few Capitol residents would be up this early in the morning so I didn't have to worry about looking bad.

I walked over behind Cori and watched as he debated between two ties.

"Is this what you do every day?" I asked. There was a blue one and a red one.

"Sadly, yes," he said.

"I'm surprised you don't have someone to pick your ties for you," I said.

"I actually did," he said. "I had my own stylist and everything. But I put my foot down when he wanted me to wear orange suits. So now it's just the tailor."

"I like the blue one," I said. He turned back to look at me.

"Are you going to tell anyone?" he asked.

"No," I said. "Our secret for now. I really want you to meet my parents."

"Well I don't want to steal your sister's thunder," he said.

"In three days, the Games will be old news," I said. "Can you spare the time?"

"And come to District 1?"

I nodded.

"It definitely wouldn't hurt," he said. "I've got some business in the district and nothing exciting is happening here—"

His voice trailed off.

"I'll be there in three days, then," he said. I smiled and wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you, thank you," I said.

"Now you need to go," he said. He pried my arms off of him and pushed me away, playfully.

"I love you," I said, kissing his cheek before hurrying off.

The halls of the mansion were empty.

Did he ever get lonely?

A car was waiting out front and I went straight to the Training Center.

Maia was eating breakfast by herself, with only an Avox to wait on her.

"Where's the prep team?" I asked as soon as the elevator doors slid open.

"They're meeting us on the train," Maia said. "Where have you been?"

"It's none of your business," I said, sweetly. "I'm going to change."

"You haven't changed since last night?" she asked. "Did you sleep with someone?"

"No!" I shouted. "It's not your business either!"

I slipped into my room. There was an extra gown in the closet. I slipped it on. It was a soft yellow dress.

I slipped a short white peacoat on over it.

The alarm clock said 7:02.

Time for breakfast.

Maia was watching Capitol Morning News on a TV screen.

"All of the news is about me," she said.

"Give it a week," I said. I sat across from her and spooned some fruit salad on my plate.

"I was thinking I'd return to the Capitol for awhile," she said. "After the Victory Tour."

"Don't you want to go back to school?" I asked.

"I want to be famous, like you," Maia said.

I rolled my eyes. There would be no convincing her otherwise.

"Are you going to be in any new movies?" she asked.

"I finished filming one a few months before the Games," I said. "I imagine it'll be premiering soon."

"You'll take me to the premiere, won't you?" she asked.

"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem," I said.

We had a oddly normal conversation for the rest of breakfast.

We were on the train by 8.

Maia went off with the prep team, leaving me alone with Paris who was asleep on the couch in the dining car.

It was a short train ride to District 1. Our parents met us at the station and there was a grand reunion. My mother cried when she saw Maia and my dad even teared up a bit. It reminded me of my homecoming.

Bastion asked one of the stylists why he had neon green hair. That got a round of laughs.

I stood back, watching my family as if I was indifferent.

Eventually we were ushered forward to the town hall. It wasn't until we were inside that my mother finally noticed me.

"How are you, Cassia?" she asked, kissing my cheeks. I half-heartedly participated in the gesture.

"I'm fine," I said. "I actually need to ask if I could have a guest over in about three days?"

"It's your house," my mother said. "You don't have to ask."

"The house needs to be cleaned," I said.

"Is our guest prestigious?"

"Quite," I said.

"Well then I'll hire someone from the city to take clean it up," she said.

"Good," I said. A camerawoman pulled her away from me to go stand somewhere else. The doors to the stage opened and we all walked out, Maia first. There was a more cheerful response from the crowd. Vine's parents stood off to one side. They looked heartbroken. There were two younger girls and then a teenage boy.

Maia began giving a variation of the same speech she had given through all 12 districts.

I kept my eyes on the teenage boy. His anger and sorrow seemed to reflect mine.

He could be the next tribute from District 1 after losing his brother. And that was the twisted logic of the Games. You could try and outrun it but every year it would come, each time more violent and terrible than the last. And no one knew what it felt like worse than the Victors. Because we relived the Games every single year. We saw ourselves in that arena.

Maia's speech was designed to remind us all about the necessity of the Games. But it was mindless killing at the hands of people who had never suffered in their lives.

Vine's brother reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small gun.

"Maia!" I scream, running and diving for her, and in the process, getting shot.