The Panther Girl: 55th Hunger Games

Chapter 6

Though my mind's been trained to avoid certain memories of the past, they'll instantly come back if provoked into doing so. Still, I can't forget most memories, however irrelevant or useless they may be. Sometimes, when particularly weird ones come up in my head, I feel sorry for Eli. It's almost impossible to get rid of the useless parts when you have photographic memory.

Though I have tried hard to forget the worst times in my life, certain ones in particular; my attempts have never ended successfully. Just so, ever since my name was drawn, I have known that this moment could not be avoided. If there is one part of his old personality that Ash has kept, it's his ability to always show up where he's needed. Especially after he watched his girlfriend get the life stabbed out of her by a Career.

I am still gawping dumbly at Ash before he shakes his head at me and gives me one of his old smiles, one that he often reserved just for Eli and myself. "Are you glad to see me, guys?" His soft voice empties the room of all sound, and everything is still. The ceiling could crash down and no one would ever notice.

Before I know what I am doing, I find myself squeezing the life out of him, grinning and saying, "Yes, you idiot, of course I'm glad." Eli joins our tight circle, and I hear him laughing, something he hasn't done with all of us together in a really long time. Finally, the moment is broken when Cedar gives Ash a slap on the back that almost sends all of us sprawling. Then we all spread out on the various colorful, weirdly-shaped couches in the living room. Eli and I end up on this curvy red couch standing on three legs; Cedar sits on a blue couch with mahogany panels that somehow does not break under his weight; Gem harrumphs alone on a burgundy armchair, and because there are no couches left to sit on, Ash plops himself neatly on the floor. Then we get down to business.

"While you two have been frolicking in the parade with your costumes," Gem begins, looking at Eli and I with very lightly veiled contempt, "I have been slaving to get you two sponsors." Eli shoots a look at Ash, and Ash gives him a dismissive wave. Gem sees the gesture and glares icily at them before continuing. "So far, you two do not have a very promising start. The sponsors I have been trying to convince to sponsor you are demanding more to work with." Gem looks at us from under half-closed eyelids, and I wonder if she is waiting for us to finish her message.

"Are you trying to suggest that we're doomed?" I say coolly, raising my eyebrows at her.

"Precisely," Gem replies matter-of-factly, as if she has been expecting this the entire trip.

"Well, I don't see you trying very hard to open up a better future for us," I mutter. Conveniently, or maybe not so much, Gem overhears me. I don't even know if I was trying to provoke her, but a second later, she's shaking me, screaming something about etiquette and how stupid I am. I hear Ash yelling something and feel Eli trying to separate us, taking my curled fists from Gem's dress and smacking Gem's fingers away from me. I can't help but be thankful that I have donned some convenient protection by wearing the tree trunk. Then Cedar rips us apart, and I fall sprawling on the couch.

Gem is cowering on the floor, while Cedar towers over her, his eyes dark with rage. I see Ash out of the corner of my eye, his face pale, and I know I am seeing another one of Cedar's mood swings. He brings his hand up, and I know he's going to hit Gem. Before any rational thought registers in my mind, I rush in front of her, and hear her let out a shriek before I feel the weight of something heavy come down on my face. I hit the floor, and then everything goes black.

. . .

When I wake up, I find myself in an artistically furnished room, lying on a bed. My quarters is a likely place. I push the thin layer of blankets off of me, and find that I am not wearing my parade wear anymore. Good. But I am still wearing the simple black body suit that Vernus insisted that I have on underneath, and my braid is laid out across the pillow.