miss americana and the heartbreak prince | katniss everdeen

the simulation.

THE MOCKINGJAY
Sixteen | The Simulation
•••

KATNISS SIGHED AS SHE LOOKED AT THE SCHEDULE THAT DECORATED HER FOREARM. Her schedule called for training, which she was not looking forward to. She felt that there wasn't much that she could learn. She's already been in more near-death experiences than she could count and if that wasn't training enough, she didn't know what else could help.

Gale walked over and placed his arm into the machine, watching as it gave him his schedule as well. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell her what he had. But Gale says nothing as he inspects his arm.

"Training?" Katniss asks and Gale looks up, acknowledging her for the first time.

"Yeah," he answers bluntly.

"Me too," Katniss says, holding her arm up to show him. Gale looks at it for a second before looking away. Katniss had only seen Gale distant like this once before and it had been after she and Peeta had returned from the Games. She sighs, "Gale-"

She's cut off by loud laughter down the hall. It captures Katniss's attention since she knows the sound far too well. Both she and Gale look up to see Fleur and Finnick walking side by side with wide smiles on their faces. Fleur looks up and her smile disappears at the sight of Gale. And if it was possible, Gale's frown seemed to deepen.

"Excuse us," Fleur says as she steps between Gale and Katniss to reach the machine to get her schedule for the day. She'd been trailing Plutarch for most of it, which meant that her schedule usually aligned with Katniss's.

Finnick sticks his arm to get his schedule and sighs loudly, "I guess they won't let me hide in my compartment anymore."

"Training?" Katniss asks him.

"Yep," Finnick responds. He looks at Fleur expectantly. Katniss had noticed it, but the purple and blueish bruise that had once decorated the bridge of her nose had faded. Fleur's face had been restored to its beautiful and distracting glory.

"Me too," Fleur says.

"Well this should be fun," Finnick states with a smile, "Maybe I'll get to see the gun take round two."

"Ha ha," Fleur says dryly and Finnick chuckles to himself as he throws an arm around Fleur's shoulders. The two of them head down the hall and Katniss watches as they go. She knows she shouldn't be jealous, it's just Finnick, but she can't help it. Especially when Fleur barely acknowledged her.

Gale begins to follow after the two and Katniss's attention goes to him as she begins walking toward the armory.

"Gale," Katniss says, "Come on."

"What?" Gale asks her.

"You can't be mad at me," Katniss tells him, "We're best friends."

"I'm not mad at you," Gale responds.

"Then why the cold shoulder?" Katniss asks.

Gale shrugs and that's the only response that Katniss receives.

When they reach the armory, there are a few others gathered there, along with Boggs. The commander looks around the room.

"I think this is everyone," Boggs says, "Today's training is going to be a little different. Since the attack in District Eight, President Coin believes it's a good idea to simulate real ground threats and that's what we're going to do. You'll be divided into two teams. Each team will have an objective which I will tell you once the teams are sorted. The team to succeed with their objective first wins."