The Victor -Pollux-

Chapter 21

Carson sat crossed-legged on the bench. Her head rested on her palm, where the sweater she was wearing was bunched over her hand. The sweater didn't belong to her. It belonged to Pollux. It was a weird feeling she felt. An action so simple made her heart race.

The people around her chat as they eat dinner. They talk about normal things. Cressida made jokes about the weather being nice. It was funny to the others because they didn't know what the weather was like. They lived underground. Castor commented on how useless he felt. They couldn't leave. There was fighting going on in District 2. Truthfully, there was fighting everywhere. They were at war. The film team was only useful when Katniss was doing something, but she was still being monitored. Her vocal cords were severely damaged when Peeta tried to kill her.

For a moment, she felt entirely normal. Conversations were being had. Everything seemed fine. Everyone pretended like she was part of the conversation, although her focus was clearly elsewhere. Nobody commented on how the sweater she was wearing didn't belong to her. Although, Castor did try, unsuccessfully, to catch Pollux's attention.

Carson glanced across the room. She noticed Annie and Finnick. They sit together, bodies wrapped around each other. He whispered something in her ear. She smiled. The frown left her face for a few moments. Her smile made Finnick smile. It had always been that way.

She supposes she's a bit like Annie. Unpredictable. Irrational. Scared. People used to call Annie mad. Often referring to her as the Victor who lost her mind. She supposed it was true, in a sense. However, Annie slowly pulled herself together, allowing herself to get as close to normal as she possibly could.

But unlike Annie, Carson was too afraid to love again. Fear was the hardest to overcome. She feared everything. The world was scary to her now. Finnick's voice echoed in her head. She's been hurt. That much was true. But she couldn't shut out the world to protect herself from something that may never happen.

As the conversation shifted to something happening across the room, Pollux tapped her shoulder. "What are you thinking about?" He signed to her.

You, she thinks, but Carson didn't say that. "Nothing interesting." It was an easy response.

He can tell she's uneasy. Carson was different around him when they were alone. She was more relaxed. Around others, she was always on edge, as if someone was about to attack her. "Do you want to take a walk?" A walk sounded nice. "We can talk or not talk. Whatever you want to do."

The last words he signed, whatever you want to do, stuck with her. Nobody ever asked her what she wanted to do. She was always told. She was always expected to do something. It was not like that with Pollux. "Yeah," she breathed. "Although, I fear I may do all the talking."

"That's okay," Pollux signed. "You have a very beautiful voice." The grin returned to her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They sat on the ledge together in silence. Carson's legs hang over the side. They walked for a while, but there was only so much to see. Right now, they were enjoying each other's company and the brief moment of calm. Carson knew it wouldn't last forever. Right now, things were calm in District 13. They wouldn't be forever. Soon, Katniss would heal and be sent somewhere else. Carson would be forced to join, and with the revolution growing more dangerous, it was unknown what would happen.

Pollux glanced at her. He watched as she fiddled with her necklace. The one her father gave her. He was curious about it. Most people from Districts, especially the outlying ones, didn't have many, if any, personal belongings. They could rarely afford anything beside's food and housing. From what Pollux knew about her, she came from the lowest end of District 10, like Katniss in District 12.