| A Twisted Fate ❀ Cato Hadley |

I Am a Fighter

Chapter 2

I Am a Fighter

You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have. 

Two peacekeepers escort me from the stage, and leads me into a small, vacant room. I stand beside the window, fixating my eyes onto the door. It feels like only yesterday that my family and I were standing in the same room, but only we were saying goodbye to my brother.

A minute later the door swings open, revealing my two siblings and my mother. There's a deep look of hurt in Leo's green eyes, and a stoic expression on his face. His jaw is clenched, almost as if he were trying to prevent from breaking down. Sparkle's appearance mirrored his, only her bottom lip was quivering and her eyes were shiny with tears.

"Sweetheart, you didn't tell me that you were going to volunteer? Were you planning this and not telling me?" My mother questions me, and is strangely calm in this dire situation. I can't find my voice quick enough to answer, especially with a lump the size of a baseball formed in my throat. I slowly start shaking my head, but I'm interrupted my brother abruptly shoving me backward.

"Why did you do that?... How could you do this to me- to us?!" He hisses angrily, waving a hand in between himself and Spark. I stare at him in shock, wide-eyed and unsure of how to react. This wasn't what I wanted to happen. I didn't want him to be mad at me just before I had to fight for my life against 24 other kids. Apart of me knew that it wasn't possible for me to win this. The other half urged me to have some faith and stay strong. I swallow my fear, trying to stop my hands from trembling nervously.

"Leo, I'm sorry, I wasn't planning for this to happen.. P-Please, don't hate me. Please, Leo." I beg him, my voice growing weaker and weaker by the second. I wouldn't let myself cry. I had to be strong for them. I had to show them that I wasn't afraid, in spite of the fact that I was crumbling inside.

He stands still in front of me, avoiding any means of eye contact with me. My heart breaks when he doesn't respond, so I force myself instead to talk to Spark. When I turn to face her, she now has tears streaming down her face, frowning at me sadly.

"Hey, come on, honey, don't cry. I'll be just fine. You don't have to worry about me one bit, okay? Trust me, I'll be okay." I softly whisper into her ear as she's locked tightly into my embrace, resting my head on top of hers.

"Blaze said the same thing, a-and now he's g-gone." She replies, stumbling over her words. Don't cry. Be strong for them.

"Well, I'm not Blaze. I'm Rosalie, and I'm telling you not to worry because I'm going to be alright. It's going to be alright." I tell her, gazing right into her eyes. I tuck a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear, before carefully resting my hands on her shoulders.

"C-cross your h-heart??" She asks, shakily lifting her pinkie finger out toward me. The gesture causes a bittersweet smile to tug at my lips, along with a fresh coating of tears in my eyes.

"I cross my heart. Okay?" I wrap my pinkie around hers, waiting for her to give a nod. I stand up straight again, waiting for my mother to say something, anything.

"You can do this. Your father always said you were a fighter.. So win this, Rosalie. Win for us." She says, promptly wrapping her arms around me. Her goodbye wasn't what I needed to hear. I needed a "You can do this," or "I love you no matter what happens." Not that I had to win. The burden of her request weighed heavily on my shoulders, making me feel ten times worse than before. Still, I hug her back because God knows if I'll be able to hug her again.

Just then, the door opens up again, and a couple of peacekeepers rush inside to take them out. My mother and sister begin to walk outside on their own, but my brother is still standing in place, a looking at me with a stone expression. One of the peacekeepers grabs his arm, pulling him away and nearing the door. When they begin vanishing from my sights and behind the door, my heart drops.

I slightly jump when the door is barged open, and my brother comes back into my sight.

"I could never stay mad at you."

And with that, the peacekeeper tugs him away from my view, until he's fully disappeared. Those words were enough to make me feel somewhat content, and suddenly gave me the boost of encouragement that I needed to keep going. I would win these Games, for Leo, for Spark, for my parents.. For Blaze. I had to win.