The Capitol Games(Book 1)

Chapter 22: Not My Type of Game

"Do I really have to?" I whine to Peeta.

He nods, "Yes, you do."

"We're probably just going to get into another arguement!" I make a pouty face, but Peeta just laughs.

"Johanna's grudge against you is just going to become bigger and bigger if we don't extinguish it when it's still small," Peeta reasons.

Ever since our fight, Johnna hasn't spoken to me. All she does is glare bitterly at me. It's not like I see her much anymore because her mentoring is done for this round of the games. Honestly, I don't see many mentors in the Mentors' Room anymore because there are only four remaining tributes. Four tributes left, four mentors left. Actually five because Sandy has two mentors.

"Then, let it grow," I say stubbornly.

Peeta gives a slightly annoyed and unhappy laugh, "You and Johanna are not that different, you know?"

"Gale said the exact same thing," I mutter. Why would I even want to be like Johanna Mason?

"I guess it's everyone's opinion," Peeta chuckles.

I shake my head, "You and Gale are alike too. You both have a whole heck lot of determination, but determination in a different way."

"Don't try to change the subject," he smirks.

"You started it," I point out.

"It doesn't matter because you and Johanna need to figure this out before you guys start hating each other," Peeta exclaims, gripping my wrist and dragging me out of my bedroom.

I sigh, "Fine, but don't expect her to do any forgiving."

After Peeta knocks on Johanna's door, Johanna answers immediately. She looks a bit tired, but still the same Johanna I met during the Quarter Quell.

Peeta pushes me into her room and he closes the door, forcing me and Johanna to breath the same air, until we make up.

"Look Katniss." she looks down to the ground, "I never meant what happened to happen."

"Well, it did," I reply bitterly.

Johanna's face turns into a scowl, "All I wanted was a simple introduction to Gale. Clearly, that was too much for you to handle!"

I inhale and exhale, trying to stay calm, "Step in my shoes for a moment: My best friend, who killed two innocent children, one of which is a sister of somebody I killed and the other my own sister. You don't think that it would've been slightly awkward?"

"You two need to grow up! That was a year ago. Both of you have obviously never heard of forgive and forget!" Johanna sputters out.

I stare at her in disbelief, "You think that it's so easy to forgive somebody who killed someone you love?"

Her face immediately drops and a tear drop runs down her cheek. This is the first time I've seen Johanna cry.

"It's true. I will never forgive Snow for killing my brothers and my mother. The deed is unforgivable, but it is also unre-doable. You can't bring Prim back to life. Katniss, you need closure," he voice is steady, but the way she is avoiding my eyes. Frightens me.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that-" I quickly tell her.

She snorts, "Nobody ever knows about my past. I keep it deep down inside me."

"How do you deal with the pain?" I ask her. My nightmares are usually about the day Prim died. Occasionally, Finnick would come up and Madge would always be smiling in the back of my head.

"You mean, how does the pain deal with me? If you haven't noticed, I like to be harsh and hostile. As long as I'm harsher and even more hostile than the pain, I'm fine," she sits on the edge of her bed.

I ask a question that should've even asked when the sea-eyed boy was still alive, "How did you know Finnick?"

"Easy. He blew me away when we met as mentors. Been friends ever since," she shrugs as if it's no big deal, but I can tell that it is because it was to me. Finnick gave me a bit of humouring the awful situation of being placed into the arena for the second time. His love for Mags made me realize that not only does he care, but he chooses to.

"I thought the all mighty, Johanna Mason is too good to be friends with anyone," I chuckle.

Johanna rolls her eyes, "For some people, it's different. "

Johanna sits and I stand in silence. I hear birds outside whistle out a beautiful harmony.

"I'm sorry for not introducing Gale to you as you wanted," I state softly.

Johanna looks straight into my eyes, "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I bet that didn't give me extra points with Gale."

I laugh, "Forgiven."

"Forgiven," Johanna repeats.

"Am I supposed to hug you?" Johanna asks after another silence.

"No thanks," I deny.

Johanna pretends to wipe a droplet of sweat from her forehead, "Thank god."

I glare, "Do you want to come to the Mentors' Room with me?"

"It's not very entertaining over there," Johanna points out.

"What's more entertaining than watching kids kill each other on television?" I say sarcastically, which earns a snort from Johanna.

"I guess I'll come," she shrugs and pushes herself off of her bed.

To my surprise, when we arrived at the Mentors' Room, only Peeta and Enobaria are left.

"Where is everyone else?" I ask gesturing to the space.

"Your little Sandy killed two tributes today. She's obviously going to make it back. My tribute is a loser. Him up against Sandy as a final battle will be really short," Enobaria taps the table with her long and sharp nails.

I file through my brain, trying to figure out who Sandy is up against for victor.

I remember...

He has dark brown hair, tan skin, and black eyes. His figure is so petite that you can mistaken him for a ten-year-old. His actual age is fourteen.

Hopefully Enobaria is right because I really don't want to lose Sandy. She's still so young with so much potential. Maybe the odds will be in her favor...

A/N:

Short chapter... sorry!!! 

Question: Who do you think will win?

Thanks for reading and remember to vote!

-storytellr135 xxx