Our Love Could Be Lethal

Act II: Goodbye, Brother

The song for this chapter is "Rue's Farewell (Extended)," you can find it on YouTube here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaNUEy7hLTk

"Well, that's bad luck," replies Caesar. I don't think I've ever seen him get into a situation that he can't talk his way out of or brighten. It seems he's met his match in Peeta.

Peeta nods solemnly. "Yeah, it is."

After thanking Peeta and wishing him luck, Caesar shakes his hand.

All of us marvel at the display Peeta had just put on. Love and the Hunger Games aren't two concepts that are supposed to exist in the same sentence. Yet Peeta seems to have found a way to merge the two. But what I can't understand is why Haymitch wanted us to watch this if Peeta was going to announce he loves Katniss. There's no way that Peeta would turn against the girl if he's in love with her, right?

All of us watch as Peeta passes by us on his way back to the dressing room, being lead by his Escort. A few moments after he passes, we all hear yelling from around the corner where Peeta just went.

All of us poke our heads around the corner, not wanting to be seen eavesdropping. "...You don't talk to me and then you say you have a crush on me? You say you want to train alone? Is that how you want to play?" Katniss has Peeta pinned up against the wall and Haymitch eventually pulls her off of him. "Let's start right now!"

I turn my head upwards to look at Finnick, whose head is poking around the corner above mine. "So that's what Haymitch wanted us to see." They all begin to quiet down at the end of the hallway and we can't hear the conversation anymore.

Us Career Mentors huddle behind the corner, out of the view of the District 12 people. "She obviously didn't like that," voices Gloss.

Finnick shakes his head. "The question is, how does he feel. If there's even a little bit of truth in what he's saying, he's going to be loyal to her."

Gloss narrows his eyes at Finnick. "I forgot you were the authority on love." Finnick shoots him a glare as a response.

Cashmere rolls her eyes at the pettiness between the two men. "I say we take him on. Look at how aggressive she was towards him. She's strong, and we don't know what she did to get that 11. I say we take him on and then get rid of him once we find Katniss or figure out what her strength is."

We all nod in agreement, having reached a consensus. We're going to recommend to our tributes that they keep Peeta alive...for now.

~~~

Things start to quiet down once the Escorts take all the tributes upstairs. All that remains in the plain corridors are some Victors chatting away and gathering their things. Some VIP guests would soon be taken back to tour the dressing rooms, but no one usually stays around for that; no one wants to talk to the Capitolians more than they have to. Finnick stays downstairs with me as I pack up my bag to head back upstairs.

Out of nowhere, Finnick speaks up. "Could you imagine that?"

"Imagine what?"

"I know they're faking the whole star-crossed lovers thing and all, but imagine what it would be like to have to compete in the games against someone you love."

I put down the black coat that I had been folding to pack in my bag and turn around to face Finnick. "Well, it's a good thing you'll never have to worry about that because we both won already. And we're too old."

"I know it just--it just would suck."

I concede to his hypothetical story. "Yes, it would suck."