Hazel
It all felt like a dream. A really bad, ugly, twisted up dream. I felt my heart drop as the heavy doors closed and the Peacekeepers led me away from Grover and into an empty room. The room was blue with wooden furniture and floral decorating. It smelled of Capitol perfume and it was making me sick. I sat on the pink couch and stared at the double doors, waiting.
Finally, they opened and I saw curly hair, copper skin and an all too familiar smile. Sammy. I was up in a flash, my dress flowing behind me and I was hugging him. My only friend. Ever since my mother had died, Sammy's family had taken me in. We had only grown closer and I knew that me going into the Hunger Games, without him, was probably the hardest thing I'd ever had to do in my life.
"Hazel," I heard him breathe. And then the tears were coming, too fast and too hard and my knees buckled and I knew I was going to be sick. I was going to be sick, but I swallowed it down and wiped my nose because this was no way for a proper good bye.
"Sorry. I know I'm being a mess," I said chuckling to myself. Sammy had his arms wrapped around my waist, as he was supporting most of my weight. He looked down at me with wavering eyes.
"Oh God, Hazel you don't have to apologize. Not you," he said hugging me again.
"I'm going to miss you, Sammy. I'm going to miss you so much," I whispered, breathing into his curls. He smelled of the sun and soil.
"I don't know what to do...without you," he said quietly into my ear. I pulled away slowly, looking into his eyes. He was crying.
"Hey, I will always be here. I know it sounds a bit cliché but...but you know I will never leave you. Ever. I could never leave you, Sammy." He smiled at me with that half smile of his and chuckled. His eyes then widened and he reached down into his trousers pocket. He pulled out a necklace made of leaves and plants and flowers from the fields we worked on with a on silver box on the end. He opened the box and held it out for me to see.
I leaned over him and inside the box was a picture of me and him. We were in the fields and we were sitting in a tree, laughing at each other. He had his head thrown back and you could see all of his teeth. I had a huge grin on my face that stretched all the way to my ears. His arm was around my shoulders and our hair was mushed up together on one side. It was in black and white and kind of blurry but it was still so beautiful.
"Sammy, how did you..?" I sniffed. "I love it," I said taking it into my hands.
"I knew you would," he said quietly.
"Its yours. A-and when you get back, we'll take another. We-we will make our own little scrapbook, alright. You and me just...happy." I closed my eyes as I put it around my neck. He said when I get back not if I get back and I knew he was trying really hard not to break down. I opened my eyes to a very close Sammy Valdez and almost didn't register the quick peck on the lips he gave me. I felt my ears turn hot and I looked away.
"Thanks, Sammy."
"Hazel, I-" just then the doors opened and in stormed two Peacekeepers.
"Time is up!" one bellowed. I nodded stiffly as Sammy started his way towards the door, holding my hand.
"See you when you get back?" he asked halfway smiling, except this time, it wasn't real. His eyes were sad and his shoulders were drooped. I flashed a smile back anyway.
"Love you, Sammy," I said, ignoring the question that I could never answer. He stiffly nodded.
"Love you too, Hazel and don't you ever forget it." He squeezed my hand once more and
was gone all too soon behind the double doors.
--------
Frank
It was weird eating the meat instead of cutting it up. When I first boarded the Capitol train with Clarisse, our representor for District 10, Claire Goldmen, sat us down at a long table and told us to eat. There was steak and turkey and pig and chicken and greens and potatoes and carrots and wine and soda and water and punch. I had never seen so much food in one area at one time. I immediately dug in while Clarisse sat next to me, glaring at the wall.
Finally, Paisley Green, a victor from five years ago, came in and sat down across from me. She had curly blonde hair and green eyes. She had a long scar running from her right ear down to her chin but smiled a happy smile. I vaguely remembered her Games. She was a great fighter despite being only 14 at the time. She was immediatelly grouped with the Careers and once there were only a couple of people left, she went crazy and started slaughtering everyone on sight.
I stopped eating and sat up straighter. Even Clarisse softened her glare.
"Well, hello. I'm Paisely and I will help you both to prepare for the games," she said in a steady tone. I stiffly nodded.
"I'm Frank," I whispered. She nodded and smiled and then turned her attention to Clarisse. Clarisse's black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and her brown eyes were filled with hatred and anger.
"Clarisse," she said through gritted teeth. Paisley's stare lingered a little longer before she broke it and turned to me.
"Frank, how old are you?" she asked. I swallowed.
"15 in a couple of weeks," I told her. She nodded and patted my shoulder.
"And how about you, Clarisse?" she asked turning towards her.
"16, today." She nodded again.
"I am sorry," Paisley said quietly. "I am deeply sorry." Then she stood up and Claire walked in. She had purple hair that was standing straight up on her head. She had tattoos on her cheeks and blue eyes. She started clapping when she saw us.
"Well, how are my favorite tributes? I'm glad you've already met Paisley. A strange one, isn't she?" she asked in a bubbly voice.
"Not as strange as your purple-gravity-defying hair," Clarisse deadpanned. Claire didn't even look phased. She just blinked.
"Do you like it?" she asked with a concerned look in her face. Clarisse scoffed and got up from the table. Claire stared after her with a confused expression. "Was it something I said?" I shook my head and went after her. I found her in a hallway, her back to the wall. She had her head in her knees and was muttering things to herself.
"Clarisse?" I tried. She looked up and rolled her eyes.
"What, Zhang?" she asked with a soft voice. I made a move towards her and sat down. "We're not friends," she said looking at me. "You can't comfort me because, if the time comes, I will kill you." I pursed my lips and patted her shoulder.
"I know, Clarisse. I know," I said quietly. She started shaking and that was when I realized that she was crying. I didn't comfort her. I just sat there, next to her so that she knew that she wasn't alone. And sometimes, that's all people really need: to know that they aren't alone.
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Built Out Of Killing Sprees (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)
Fanfiction"All we are is bullets; it's all we'll ever be."
