When the Mockingjay Sings - Coriolanus Snow/Treech

Chapter Seventeen

Mags and Athena spent the next month training on the beach of her house. She had gotten Treech to hide in the house whenever she did come over. Gracie has helped a lot with hiding him for her as well. It had taken constant nagging fro Gracie to let her around Treech.m 

Around the beginning of July, the pressure of training increased. The reaping was in two weeks, and Mags was doing good. Rumours of the two training spread like wildfire, but not a single person approached her for help, to Athena's disappointment.

Mags managed to master the spear pretty well and moved on to the machete. The machete was standard in district 4 to help with the fish along with the fish hook. When Mags wasn't volunteering, studying or training she was fishing with her dad to help make extra money for the family. They didn't have much money, so Athena barely charged anything for her tutoring sessions; she had enough money to be lenient on it.

"You keep hesitating," Athena nearly yelled when mags flinched to hit her.

"We aren't fighting Athena," Mags breathed out, trying to catch her breath; they'd been fighting for hours.

"But you could be." Athena protested, lowering her fighting stance.

"Why do you want me to fight so badly? What are you worried about?" Mags asked, dropping the machete to the ground.

Athena felt her eyes water in frustration. "I don't know," her voice quivered. Mag's eyes softened, and she instantly went to comfort her friend.

"I-I just worry about the kids here. You should've seen the defeated look on the kids last year. They were locked in that cage like animals, and when the games started, that's exactly what they became. Creating packs to hunt down the weak to slaughter them, but I knew even then they didn't enjoy the kill. They were doing what they needed to, to survive, and if I can increase the chances of the kids here winning, that's exactly what I will do." Mags smiled sadly at Athena.

"I think you forget you are still a child, Athena."

"I lost all  of that when I started mentoring for the games," Athena muttered.

"The games?" Mags asked in confusion.

"How could you mentor the games?" Athena then realized that nobody from District 4 knew her past, unlike District 9. The mayor never told anyone, and neither did she.

"I'm a capital kid," Mags' eyes widened in shock.

"That's why you're so smart," she said in a realization.

"How did you end up here?" Mags asked curiously.

"My father died," Athena's heart pained. She tried hard not to think about him, but she found that during those restless nights alone, the thoughts of his death resurfaced.

"I'm so sorry, Athena," Mags sympathized.

"It's okay," was her immediate reaction. Athena looked at the watch on her wrist and realized the time.

"I got to get ready for supper the Mayor, I'll give you a few days off with training but on Monday we will pick up where we left off," Athena told her. Mags seemed relaxed to hear about her few days off.

"Okay, I'll see you in a few days," Mags said, giving her a hug and going home.

Athena stayed outside for a bit, cooling off before going back inside.

"You okay?" Treech was lying on the couch with his long legs hanging over the arm of the chair. He had a book that Athena brought home; he has been improving his reading.

"Yeah, fine!" She gave him a fake smile and went into her room to change. She put on a white sundress and let her hair down in loose curls. She washed all the sweat off her face and grabbed a blue scarf to wrap around her arms and back as a covering.