MPHFPC ➵ The Hunger Games AU (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 10

.☆ POV- Hugh

Bronwyn and I stared at all of the stations. I yawned, half from my sleep-deprived days following Victor's death, and half just to remind myself that this world was real.

"So, where should we be off to first?" I asked. While her brother's death still hung coldly over my heart, I wasn't broken. That was something.

"Hm... weight-lifting?" Bronwyn pondered. Her strong suit, no pun intended. I nodded, figuring I should build up some muscle to replace my skinny arms, and followed after her. There were three other people at the station. A small, scrawny boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, struggling to hold the lightest weight they had. A girl appearing to be about 15 or 16, with sandy blond hair and green eyes, trying for an insanely heavy sack of flour that caused her upper body to shake, but she ceased to give up. A young-looking female with big eyes, yellowed skin, and incredibly long brown hair. She was obviously a morphling addict, and though she could manage a bit heavier than the small boy, her gaze was unsteady as were her arms, and she looked like she could collapse at any given moment.

"Hello," the boy said, looking up from his hands.

"I'm Bronwyn," my companion greeted him, both of us offering a genuine smile. He smiled shyly in exchange and we stood like that for a moment before he answered, "I'm Horace."

"Hugh."

As soon as that was settled, Bronwyn grabbed the heaviest sack they had and heaved it up, holding it with a firm arm- one arm. Horace gaped at her, the girl with long hair seemed mesmerized. But the last person glared at Bronwyn's strength.

"Who're you?" she demanded.

"Bronwyn," Bronwyn answered, uncertainty obviously present.

"Well, then. Care for a challenge?"

I knew the answer, I knew Bronwyn's words before they left her mouth.

"Do I."

And it was then that the alliance formed. A silly challenge that somehow meant a lot to the both of them, as they both held the sacks for as long as they could.

The blond-haired girl's face was sweaty and red while Bronwyn's cheeks hardly flushed and she was desert-dry. Finally, the girl gave out and let the bags fall to the ground with a loud floosh sound at impact.

Bronwyn grinned, and surprisingly enough, the girl grinned back. "Emma," she introduced herself, and the two shook hands.

"Who are you?" Bronwyn turned to the unnamed morphling addict.

"Althea," she answered, her eyes darting around some more.

"Well," Emma cut in, moving the attention back to her, "I say we all do camouflage while we chat, eh?"

"Good to me," I agreed, and we moved the group to the station where people were painting themselves. There was a tall boy smearing blue juice on his dark skin, to which Althea said, "That's Millard."

"Hello!" I jumped in front of Millard, who jumped in return. Straight up, straight down.

"Heavens- you startled me!" he whined, laughing nervously and smoothing his shirt.

"I can tell," I replied, smiling.

"I'm Millard Nullings," Millard said, "from District 5."

"I know, I've talked with Althea."

He considered this. "Would you be interested in being allies?" the tall dark-skinned boy with the blue paint asked hesitantly.

For some reason, I didn't have to think before saying, "Sure!" And I didn't have to doubt myself after, because I was absolutely certain that I'd made the right decision. Something about this person made me feel good, and I decided to trust it.