Wren woke up in the familiar plush bed and silk sheets she had grown accustomed to the past two weeks. She sat up and stretched, popping every vertebra in her back. A deep sigh left her lips as she stood up onto her feet and headed for the wardrobe. Today consisted of her last day of training with the other nine tributes from her games. Wren slipped on the black spandex shirt and pants. The tank top had two little silver spots at the armpits. Wren cringed as she glanced in the mirror. She hated anything tight.
Wren made her way down to floor one where she found Clove, Cato, Ivory, and Rue waiting on the couple. Wren went to say something as Marvel appeared in his training outfit ready to go. The boy from One smiled at his friends as he waited for his girl. Minutes later Glimmer's shriek echoed throughout the whole building.
"Glim?" Marvel asked. "What's wrong?"
The blonde came into the living room and kitchen area in a flash. Her hair was sticking up in every direction possible and the frown on her face was hard to miss.
"Woah, Glim, did you get electrocuted or something?" Marvel asked with a slight chuckle. The blonde, however, did not think it was funny.
"No," she snapped. "The hairbrush broke."
Marvel's eyes went wide and Rue giggled.
"So that's your bedhead?" Rue asked through giggles. Glimmer crossed her arms in a huff and everyone knew that it was true. The green-eyed girl stormed away leaving a group of laughing teenagers.
...
Cato Hadley's sword went through the chest of the dummy for the third time that morning. His blue eyes wandered over to Wren. She walked into the simulation with her whips. Cato decided to walk over to watch her and he wasn't the only one. The eight other tributes gathered around the glass as well. Wren's fingers skimmed over the levels before pressing the last one.
The lights in the glass box dimmed around her. The whips by her side unraveled with the click of a button. Orange lights moved together to create a person running at her with a dagger. Wren's whip was quick to wrap around its neck and with a harsh tug with simulated person turned into orange blocks.
Two more orange people sprinted for the girl and her whips but they were no match for her.
That's how the simulation carried on for a few minutes. Wren's whips flew in every direction creating small piles of orange blocks. Cato's smirk found its way onto his face as he watched Wren fight in the simulator. Someone nudged his side; he looked to his left. Thresh had gotten his attention.
"She's pretty good with those whips, man." Thresh's voice was much deeper than Cato's. The blond boy nodded.
"She is."
Thresh glanced back at the brunette in the glass box. Her hazel eyes were looking at every person surrounding her.
"Don't let that one go, Two. She's a good one, you hear me?" Thresh said before he made his way to the swords.
"I won't," Cato said with a smile as Wren walked out of the simulator. Marvel wrapped an arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair.
"You've been holding out on us. I didn't know you could use your whips like that!" Marvel said. Glimmer rolled her eyes.
"Marv, we were fighting to the death the last time she had her whips. When would she have gotten the time to tell us?" Marvel shrugged before removing his arm from Wren's shoulders before tacking Glimmer into a hug.
"Come on Glim," he said. "Let's go work on your archery skills; we wouldn't want another incident like almost hitting Wren now would we?" the boy finished by planting a kiss on her cheek and dragging her to the archery station.
"You looked pretty good in there," Cato complimented the girl from Ten. Wren's cheek blazed as she smiled.
"Thank you. You didn't look so bad yourself with the swords." She winked before heading over to the plant station. She met up with Finch from Five and the two caught up.
Cato turned his head and looked at Clove. The tiny girl had her hazel eyes focused on the two girls at the plant station. Only, Cato couldn't tell who she was looking at, the red-head or his girl.
...
"Do we have to go to this stupid dinner?" Ivory whined from the couch. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a thick, curly ponytail.
"Yes, Ivory, we do," Glimmer said entering the room. She was finishing up braiding her hair.
Both blondes wore lightly colored dresses. While Clove wore a black dress. Clove was also complaining about having to wear one, but the rest of her group forced her to because of the man they were having dinner with. Wren sat down next to Clove and smoothed out her pink dress. Clove's cheeks went as pink as the girl's dress when Wren was next to her.
Cato and Marvel fixed the sleeves of their dress shirts as they too sat down.
"What time did he say we should meet him?" Cato asked as he finished rolling his sleeves.
Marvel, who was standing next to Glimmer, lifted back his sleeve as if he was looking at a watch. The boy from One did not own one as he said, "Well, according to my watch we should leave now."
Clove rolled her eyes, "You don't have a watch, dumbass."
Marvel smirked and shrugged as if to say who cares?
The group squeezed into the elevator and hit the button to take them to meet with Plutarch Heavensbee.
"I wonder why he wants to meet with us?" Wren asked aloud to nobody in particular.
The elevator hit the bottom floor and Cato's hand interlaced with Wren's. He squeezed three times. Wren's eyes met his as he gave her a smile.
"What's three squeezes?" she whispered as the group walked out of the elevator and down the hall. Taking a few rights and a left they appeared in front of a large door with the initials P.H. engraved in the middle. Cato leaned down next to Wren's ear.
"It means I like you." Wren's cheeks went pink as she returned each squeeze gently. Cato's face formed a wide grin.
Marvel knocked on the door. An avox appeared and let them enter. She led them to the dining room where Plutarch, Rue, Thresh, Finch, and Roman all sat at the long mahogany table. The heavier set man stood up with a gentle smile.
"Welcome!" he boomed. "Please, please, take a seat anywhere you'd like."
His hands outstretched in front of him and gestured to the empty seats.
Wren sat in between Thresh and Cato. Avoxes came out from their posts and served food of all kinds. Wren was quick to snag a cup of hot chocolate. Her plate held green beans and mashed potatoes. Plutarch let the group of kids eat before he decided to share his plan.
The group of eleven sat in silence as they ate their dinner. Once the plates were empty Plutarch cleared his throat. Avoxes began cleaning up the table but Wren kept her hot chocolate close.
"As I'm sure you all are wondering, why have I brought you all here tonight? Well, you all know my plan of rebellion," he said as ten heads nodded. "In the games I want you all to protect Katniss Everdeen-"
"What?" Cato and Clove yelled simultaneously.
Wren slammed her hand on the table earing everyone's attention.
"Why the hell should I help protect the girl that killed me? Hmm? Give me one reason, Heavensbee, as to why I shouldn't shoot an arrow into her stomach?" Wren spat. Her hazel eyes turned brown with anger. Plutarch cleared his throat.
"She's the key to the rebellion. She's the symbol. Districts all over have been painting a Mockingjay on the ground- hell Eleven has been retaliating. But," he held up a finger, "you all wouldn't know that. You all have been locked away for this year's Games. So I am asking you all to protect the Mockingjay. District Thirteen and I-"
"District Thirteen doesn't exist," Thresh snapped. His voice alone was enough to silence the table.
"They're alive," Finch said quietly. "I always figured they survived- underground right?"
Her blue eyes looked at the older gentlemen. He nodded. "Yes, District Thirteen is alive and well, and together, with Katniss, we can overthrow Snow."
Clove, Wren, Cato, and Roman were all skeptical. Roman's brown eyes narrowed at Plutarch.
"Why should we believe you?" the boy from Ten asked.
"Because I'm giving you all a second chance at life."
Thresh, Rue, Finch, Ivory, Glimmer, and Marvel agreed with the man, but the others wanted something more.
"If we help you," Cato started, "what's in it for us."
Plutarch laughed. "You get to see the destruction of the Capital. The downfall of Snow."
Cato looked at Wren. Her eyes were still brown, but this time her anger was directed at President Snow. President Snow took her father away from her, and she wanted revenge. With a slow nod from the brunette from Ten, Cato followed suit, then Clove, and finally Roman. Plutarch lifted his glass of champagne.
"To the end of the Capital's reign," the glass was raised high. Wren raised her mug of hot chocolate.
"To the death of President Snow."
...
That night the girl from Ten couldn't sleep. She untangled herself from her sheets and walked to the glass elevator and pressed 'R.' The elevator shot up a few floors before landing at her destination.
Roman heard the elevator leave his floor as he took the stairs following Wren. He opened the door to the roof and peered over at the brunette leaning against the ledge talking to another person.
"Why are you up here?" Wren asked the shorter girl.
"Couldn't sleep," Clove muttered.
Wren nodded in agreement before looking ahead at the buildings around them. The glass windows held the reflection of the stary night above the two girls. Clove's eyes wandered from the ground to Wren. Her freckled cheeks heated up as she was caught by Wren.
"Is there something on my face?" she asked. She inwardly giggled at the same comment she had made to Cato one night almost a year ago. Clove shook her head and returned her sight on the city below her feet.
"Then, what is it?" Wren asked the girl. Clove's cheeks heated once more as she said quietly, "Nothing, you're just pretty."
Wren's eyebrows pulled together.
"What did you say? Clove, I can't hear you when you mumble." The girl joked ever so slightly.
Clove spoke louder, this time Roman could hear her too.
"I said you're pretty, okay?" Wren's jaw dropped slightly. She didn't expect Clove to compliment her.
"I, uh- thank you," she said. Clove didn't meet her eyes.
"Can I- can I try something?" Clove asked. Wren was confused.
"Try what?" Wren asked the shorter girl.
"I just want to see if something is there."
"What are you talking about, Clove?" The taller girl was puzzled by the girl from Two. "Clove, what do you mean? Clove-"
Clove cut Wren off by leaning up and pressing her lips against hers in a quick movement. The freckled girl pulled away having realized Wren didn't kiss her back. Tears formed in the shorter girl's eyes.
"I-I'm sorry Wren," Clove said frantically. "I shouldn't have done that. I-It was stupid, just forget about it," Clove said before storming off.
"Clove!" Wren called. The tiny girl turned around. "It's okay. Look, I won't tell anyone, okay?"
Clove turned back around and got into the elevator.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. Wren watched as the elevator shot down to floor two. She felt bad for the girl. Clove was just a confused child- exploring her feelings like most teenagers do. Wren walked back to the elevator and went back to her room.
Roman stood on the roof with a large smirk plastered on his face.
"So," he mumbled to himself, "Clove likes Wren. Well, it would be a shame if Cato found out."
The boy walked back down the stairs with a plan formulating in his head. Three people liked Wren. Cato, Clove, and himself. He didn't like the competition, so he would have to work harder to remove the other two. A lightbulb seemed to float over his head as a genius plan had presented itself. He was going to tell Cato Hadley that his District partner kissed his girl.
Roman shook his head. Wren was not Cato's girl. She was his; Wren would be his when she came to the realization that he was better than Cato. Roman scoffed.
"District Two," he spat. "She's mine."