Black Bird

17

"What are we doing?" Brandon asks.

"Follow us." Richy says returning to Dill who did not look amused.

Music started to play and Dill and Richy started to dance. Brandon and I tried to follow but we ended up on the ground in a fit of laughter. Dill started to lighten up at our childness and actually smiled, a real one. Brandon and I got back up after Richy gave us the evil eye.

"Let's do this." Brandon says taking my hand. We follow Chris and Richy around until we get the hang of it.

"So how do you think Leanne will feel when she sees this?" I ask.

"She won't see it." Brandon says.

"They're always filming, they see everything." I reply.

Brandon flashes his flirting smile, could he possibly be flirting with me? "Jealous." He says.

I nodded.

"See that girl in the corner?" Brandon asks. He turns us around so I can look.

"The blonde avox?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says, "she looks like Adrienne."

My eyes widened, "that's because it is." She had the same mole, the same hair color, the same look in her eyes that told everyone exactly how she felt. We turned sideways and we stared at her.

"It's true, she did become and avox." Brandon says.

"She was my best friend," I say, "I want her out of here, out of the capitol. Back where she belongs, in district 10."

"I agree, we didn't get a long but she was still considered a friend to me." He says.

"What was I?" I ask.

"I always considered you as a best friend, even if you didn't." He says.

"Then why did you leave?" I ask.

"Because I didn't want to ruin what we had." He says.

"What did we have?" I ask.

"Um.." He paused, "if we're being honest here, I used to have a crush on you I didn't want to ruin our friendship so I left."

"And that ruined our friendship, we traded insults everyday." I say.

"Sorry." He chuckled spinning me.

"Oh look I didn't fall into a cake." I say.

"I got more coordinated." Brandon says.

"Did you?" I asked.

"I did." He smiles.

"Prove it." I reply.

"Want to do a lift?" He asks.

"Hah!" I laugh, "Not with you." I flash a smile.

"Point taken, I can't do one anyways." He says.

We both laugh but my attention was mainly focused on the avox who may kr may not be Adrienne.

"Poop eyes." Brandon says.

I looked at him, "I'm just worried, I'm almost positive that is Adrienne."

"We'll get her out." He speaks.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." I tell him, "we don't even know if we can make it."

"What was that? I'm pretty sure you were the one telling us we will make it." He says.

"That was before, Brandon I'm scared that Klinton kid cut me bad just because I got a little cocky , imagine what he'll do in the games. " I say.

Brandon stayed silent, I knew he didn't know what to say and neither did I.

I felt a tear drip down my face when I started to think about my family and Adrienne. I quickly wiped it away.

"We're the only ones not dancing." I say backing off a bit.

Brandon looks over at Richy who is smiling at us.

"I'm going to talk to Richy, I'll be back." Brandon says.

I sit down as Brandon leaves and I grab a drink of water.

I watch Brandon talk to Richy. I see Brandon laugh, his laugh is so obnoxious I hate it but it's the best laugh I've heard. His laugh is almost never fake, he always laughs and it's always honest. He finds a way to laugh even at the scariest moments, he may die in a few days yet he still finds a way to laugh. I haven't exactly laughed for real in a while honestly.

Brandon walks back over to me.

"What was that about? " I ask. He sits next to me.

"Richy was talking about how we should be a couple because we're apparently in love." He says.

I chuckle, "riight." But I think I was in love with him, I think I always have been but I know I can't have him and it breaks me.