Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

xiii. absence

thirteen - absence

- - - ➳

two days pass with little going on. we stay close to the pond at first, but figure we should start exploring more of the arena. now we are lingering not too far from the beach. i'm sitting on a rock next to matthias, nibbling on some tree bark as matthias taps his foot on the grass. asher and carly are standing guard, refusing to talk to each other. they haven't gotten along very well.

"asher is just another annoying, playboy career who thinks he's some sort of rebel hero for ditching districts one and two and bliss," she had ranted to me yesterday.

asher also had some negative things to say about carly. "she's so uptight. i mean, she's clever and quick and all, but she takes everything so seriously."

but don't think i don't catch the little glances asher shoots her way when he thinks nobody's watching, or how carly will subconsciously scoot a little closer to him.

"if this is how the rest of the games will go, they're not all they're cranked up to be," carly says absentmindedly. i don't think she wants any of us to reply, but asher does, anyway.

"well, what do you want? gory deaths every few hours? a huge rock avalanche to come kill us all?" he demands sharply.

carly rolls her eyes, shifts her weight, and says something like, "that would be much more exciting than this," under her breath.

"it's so obvious," matthias whispers to me so quietly that his mouth is almost touching my ear. i don't blame him, though. if they caught us talking about them, we'd be dead, allies or not.

"what is?" i ask softly.

"they so like each other." he says it like he has no doubts.

"i can't believe it," i say.

"really?" matthias's nose crinkles adorably. "i thought it was pretty clear–"

"no, i mean..." i trail off, then start again. "here we are, in the hunger games, and we're gossiping over who likes who." 

matthias's cheeks are glowing. "well, i like you."

my eyes go wide and i choke on the tree bark. coughing, my eyes water when i finally regain my composure. i look up at him, not knowing what to feel, unable to tell if he is joking or not. my people skills start deactivating and i don't know how to respond. it's like when we first met, and i didn't know what to say to him.

"wha–"

before i can even finish the word, an explosion booms from the distance. i jump up, half from fright, half on instinct. i've already pulled my knives from my belt and dropped the bark on the ground.

i take a second to make sure matthias is following. he has his sword in hand, his blue eyes wide. "go! go!" he urges, scrambling to get all of our things in the pack. "i'll be right behind you."

"promise?" i ask, not wanting to leave him in fear he'll get left behind.

"promise."

and with one glance back, i'm gone.

asher and carly have almost disappeared by the time i catch up. i follow the end of carly's blonde ponytail, my arms pumping. all my muscles are sore from the constant moving, so i'm a little slower than usual.

we stop at the beach, and i discover matthias really is right behind me. popping out of the thicket of green, we skid to a stop in the sand.

"there!" matthias points to a place across the water from us. deep in the forest, smoke and tongues of fire are rising above the trees. someone's desperate screams can be heard, but only faintly. my stomach twists.