ANEMONE FELT A pair of arms wrap around her. Hearing only a few, quiet words she could recognise Jovian. He was at the zoo together with Phoebe, his girlfriend.
"Let's go home." Jovian insisted once the medics took Arachne's body. He helped Anemone stood up trying to act strong, even though her legs felt sore.
Together with Jovian, she crawled to his car. Phoebe, who was already sitting in it, turned back to Anemone and spoke up, wiping off a few tears, "I'm so sorry, Ann."
Anemone swallowed, but dared to look up at her, "It'll be good. Won't it?"
The ride to Phoebe's house was quiet. Jovian decided to drop her off sooner than it was supposed to, but his girlfriend didn't even bother to argue. Although Phoebe never had siblings, she treated the Crane twins as her own sisters, so Arachne's death was a heavy burden for her too.
Inhaling a breath, both Anemone and Jovian entered their own apartment, unsure of their parents' reaction. As soon as they stepped in, Marilla and Junius approached them, tears gathering in the woman's eyes.
"Please tell me it's not true." She sobbed. "If it wasn't true, she'd stand beside us," Jovian mumbled.
"No!" Marilla let out a strangled cry, keeping her balance by pressing her hand to the wall. Junius breathed heavily, fists and jaw clenched.
"Dad?" Anemone spoke up quietly. Junius let out a yell, punching the wall with his fist. Anemone jumped in place and clung to Jovian, who slightly hid her behind his body figure.
Junius didn't stop.
He grabbed the nearest vase and threw it onto the wall with rage. Next was one of the portraits of their family, a glass... He didn't stop either crushing things or yelling.
Anemone's eyes widened in horror as she stared at her father, scared to move. God knew what he would do while being mad.
But she didn't stand still either. Jovian shielded her with his body, quickly walking towards his room. He locked the door behind him, closing his eyes as the shouts of their father mixed with the cries of their mother.
Anemone sat on her brother's bed, trying to calm her breathing. "Hey," said Jovian, sitting down next to her. "They'll calm down. Soon."
"Do you think they'd react the same if one of us died?" asked Anemone quietly. Jovian swallowed, "I-I don't know. Mom probably yes, but Dad..."
Anemone nodded slowly. Of course, he wouldn't. Although she kept telling herself he loved all of his kids since she was a child, Junius always favored Arachne and never hid with it.
"Are you hungry? I can sneak something from the kitchen," said Jovian after a short moment of silence. "Do you want me to throw up?" asked Anemone. "Sorry, that sounded mean."
Jovian let out a small chuckle, "Kinda. I'd say the same, though."
Although the world seemed to stand against Anemone Crane, she knew she had her brother. And having Jovian when the world seems to be shattered by a dagger was like a sweet treat for Anemone.
•*⁀➷
During dinner, the Crane family consisting of four people now, was quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were forks and plates hitting each other or a glass with juice placed back on the table.
"The funeral's in two days," said Marilla quietly, as if she was reading everyone's mind. "We invited your whole school, Anemone."
"Can't we just do it for the closest friends and family?" Jovian spoke up. "She died at the hands of an animal, Jovian. Her death must echo through the whole Panem." Junius declared. "Should we tell them about the tributes?"
"What?" Anemone spoke up. She exchanged glances with Jovian, who clenched his jaw.
"The girl's body is going to dangle from the hook placed on a truck with the rest of the tributes."
"No."
"You're kidding me."
"Quiet!" Junius hissed. "This is what would your sister want."
"Dad, you can't just hang her bullet-ridden body so the whole Panem can watch it! She had family back in Ten." Jovian declared. "Would you like to see the body of me or Anemone hang from a hook because I killed a girl who taunted me with a sandwich?"
"Your sister was doing her job, Jovian. She was entertaining the crowd! Besides, what happened to you two, hm? You never cared about those tributes." Marilla scoffed.
"Maybe because we grew up," said Anemone quietly. "And we realized these whole Games can suck." She added, before storming off to her room.
For as long as Anemone could remember, being alone wasn't really something she felt often. And although she enjoyed peace, she enjoyed wandering with her friends more often.
As she laid on her bed, angry and broken at the same time, she thought about Arachne, who'd never come back. Yes, she did bad by taunting Brandy with a sandwich. But also yes, she was a part of Anemone. She was her twin.
Anemone realized that Arachne spent her whole life with her, but Anemone wouldn't spend her whole life with Arachne.
Losing a twin wasn't something Anemone wanted. And even though Arachne could destroy her humor for the whole day, Anemone knew she'd miss her every day.
They were born together. They played with their toys together. Anemone even remembered when before the war, when the Arena was supposed to entertain the Capitol in a different way, they both sat in sequin dresses. Arachne would yell and play with her toys, while Anemone just had a picnic with her stuffed animals, from time to time looking at the performance and giving a little applause.
Those memories gathered in Anemone's mind like cruel ghosts glued to her memory. Single tears started to stream down her face as she hid her face in her pillow, regretting every bad word she had said about her twin.
•*⁀➷
"Ann? Hey, wake up!"
Anemone slowly opened her eyes, sitting down on the bed and rubbing her eyes. "Jovian?" She mumbled with somewhat a raspy voice, frowning.
"Why are you sleeping in Arachne's room?" asked Jovian. Anemone glanced around the room. "I was probably sleepwalking. Perhaps I just miss her. Arachne." said Anemone.
"No wonder why." Jovian sighed. "Do I have to go to the Academy today?" asked Anemone. "Yesterday parents said that yes, so the Cranes won't look scared and anxious." Jovian grumbled.
"I woke you up earlier so you can have time to take a shower. You didn't come out of your room last night." He added. The corners of Anemone's lips slightly wandered up, "Thank you."
With a heavy sigh, Anemone came back to her room, grabbed the uniform, and led herself to the bathroom, hoping a cold shower would sober her up.
Sadly, it didn't.
Jovian dropped her off at the Academy, giving her a hug once he pulled up in front of the building. "Stay strong, Ann." He sighed. "I love you, Jo," Anemone mumbled. "I love you too, Ann."
Pulling away from her brother and inhaling a breath, Anemone made her way into the Academy.
She didn't even manage to step inside when she started to drown in the waterfalls of I'm sorry's.
"Anemone!" A hand reached for her, dragging the girl to its owner - Persephone Price. The girls hid themselves in the girl's bathroom, letting Anemone breathe. "You can finally escape those fake smiles, can't you?" Persephone chuckled. "Thankfully, yes." Anemone pressed her lips in a thin line.
"How are you feeling?" asked Persephone as her pupils became full of care. "I just... Can't imagine what it's like to lose a sibling."
"It's depressing."
"I already know that." Persephone rolled her eyes jokingly. "I'm asking you for real."
"I don't know." Anemone sighed. "It feels like my chest is going to explode, but also I know she could stay alive by just giving the girl this damn sandwich."
"She could." Persephone nodded. "If you want to talk to anyone then... I'm here, you know?"
Anemone looked up at her and smiled softly, "Thank you."
Since then, she had not only Jovian. She had also Persephone. If you told Anemone Crane a week ago that she'd express her feelings to Persephone Price - she'd laugh straight in your face.
Persephone and Anemone were guided to listen to the speech about Arachne. As dean of the Academy, it should've been Highbottom who led the schoolwide assembly, but he did not make an appearance. Instead it was Satyria who spoke of Arachne in glowing terms.
She also noted, that if Anemone or her family needed help, the whole student body would help them with warm smiles. Professor Sickle took the mic and commended Anemone, Coriolanus, and to a lesser extent Festus, for their response to a fallen comrade in arms.
As Hippocrata Lunt started to invite anyone with grief issues to visit her office, Anemone started to feel nauseous. She started to shake a bit, trying to stop the urge to throw up. Well, it didn't work out.
She ran out of the room, ignoring every pair of eyes focused on her. It would be much worse if they saw her vomiting. She'll just tell them that she felt like crying or so.
Sprinting towards the nearest girl's bathroom, Anemone burst into one of the cabins.
As she let out the things she had consumed in the morning, someone crouched down behind her and pulled her hair back, holding it as if they were making a ponytail.
Once she was done, she felt like throwing up again. Not because she felt anxious, but because someone just saw her vomit.
Turning around to face the person, she spotted Festus. His lips were pressed in a line as his hand let go of Anemone's hair and he sat across her in the bathroom cabin.
Great. Her crush saw her vomiting.
"Thanks." She mumbled. "Sure. I'm sorry about Arachne," said Festus "Everyone's sorry about Arachne." Anemone sighed.
"Are we going to eat those floppy fish on toast?" asked Festus after a while of silence. "Do you want me to throw up again?" Anemone cocked an eyebrow.
"No."
"Then we're not."
•*⁀➷
After lunch, the mentors gathered to meet with Professor Demigloss again, although no one really felt like going. Anemone placed herself in the seat between Clemensia and Festus as Demigloss passed out a mentor sheet, updated with the tributes' names, saying, "This should facilitate keeping track of your progress in the Games."
10th HUNGER GAMES MENTOR ASSIGNMENTS
DISTRICT 1
Boy (Facet) Livia Cardew
Girl (Velvereen) Palmyra Monty
DISTRICT 2
Boy (Marcus) Sejanus Plinth
Girl (Sabyn) Florus Friend
DISTRICT 3
Boy (Circ) Io Jasper
Girl (Teslee) Urban Canville
DISTRICT 4
Boy (Mizzen) Anemone Crane
Girl (Coral) Festus Creed
DISTRICT 5
Boy (Hy) Dennis Flint
Girl (Sol) Iphigenia Moss
DISTRICT 6
Boy (Otto) Apollo Ring
Girl (Ginnee) Diana Ring
DISTRICT 7
Boy (Treech) Vipsania Sickle
Girl (Lamina) Pup Harrington
DISTRICT 8
Boy (Bobbin) Juno Phipps
Girl (Wovey) Hilarius Heavensbee
DISTRICT 9
Boy (Panlo) Gaius Breen
Girl (Sheaf) Androcles Anderson
DISTRICT 10
Boy (Tanner) Persephone Price
Girl (Brandy) Arachne Crane
DISTRICT 11
Boy (Reaper) Clemensia Dovecote
Girl (Dill) Felix Ravinstill
DISTRICT 12
Boy (Jessup) Lysistrata Vickers
Girl (Lucy Gray) Coriolanus Snow
₊• ↳ a/n
Hey guys! Just wanted to say that you can feel free to leave your thoughts on this chapter. Please don't be a silent reader! I LOVE reading comments💞
I don't plan on publishing everyday. Js posted today since I have a day off:)
As usual, thank you for the support💘
Love,
May