Black Bird

24

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. The sun was up and looked like it had been for awhile. I looked over at Brandon, he was still asleep.  I untied myself from the tree and shoved my sleeping bag back into the pack. After eating some of the food, I woke up Brandon. I handed him some food and he took it graciously.

"Did you eat?" He asks whiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Yeah." I reply, "before I woke you up."

"What time do you think it is?" He asks.

"10ish." I reply taking a sip from the now warm water in my bottle.

The warm sun was shining on my back making my shirt warm up. I can get a clear view of the cut on my leg, it's not deep but it can prevent me from running.

"You okay?" Brandon asks, he must've caught me staring at my cut.

"Y-yeah." I say.

"Ouch." He points at my cut.

"Yep." I say, "They're gone now so."

"Right, you were supposed to tell me about this." Brandon says.

I start to grab my stuff and climb down the tree, Brandon following after. I'm not sure if it was the anxiety and stress from the games or if it was Brandon's obsessive need for this question to be answered, either way I couldn't be near him.

"Phoebe wait." He calls. I keep walking.

"Phoebe." He calls again, I know he's stopped walking.

"What?" I yell whipping around.

"I just want to know." He says.

"Because they would've killed me Brandon, what else could I have done?" I reply, "It's not my fault you decided not to kill, that rule isn't going for me. I don't know about you but I actually want to make this out alive, this is The Hunger Games Brandon, wake up and see that. Kill or be killed."

His face remains blank.

"I'm sorry." I croak, my eyes start to swell and I take off. I can hear Brandon's heavy footsteps behind me.

What am I doing? I can't go on my own, I can't leave Brandon on his own. Turn around. But I can't, I don't know why. I run as fast as I can with my leg, each step causing more pain. Before I know it in on the ground. I quickly scramble backwards. My eyes finally adjust and I see Melanie. However my chest is still tight for all I know she could kill me.

"Phoebe." She says, all the surprise drained from her face.

"Melanie." I reply with no tone to my voice.

"I see you made the first day." She speaks with a smile.

"I did." I reply.

"Oh Brandon. Hi!" She says looking over my shoulder and waving. I watch her as she runs by me and into Brandon's arm. I rudely imitate her before turning around. They hug for a bit until I announce that I'm still there.

"Where's Hallen?" I ask. Honestly Hallen was the only one in the arena who understood me, if Brandon and I don't make it I hope he does. I mean he's strong and he's smart, I think he can, I just hope it doesn't come down to us.

"Back at the camp with Alice and my district partner." She says pointing a thumb behind her.

"Who the hell is Alice?" I ask.

"District 4." She replies.

"You invited a career into your alliance?" I almost yell.

"Woah, Phoebe. Calm down." Brandon interrupts but right now I'm just blowing off steam. How could Melanie be so stupid? Inviting a career into the alliance? Whatever, its her death bed why should I care?

"No Brandon, I won't 'calm down. Melanie where is camp set up? I'm going." I state.

Melanie points to a huge tree surrounded by a bunch of bushes. I give Brandon and Melanie a stare down then run off towards the camp. I charge through the bushes to see a girl with long brown hair and Hallen roasting something that looks to be a squirrel on the fire. They laugh like they're friends, the way Adrienne and I did. My mind wanders to Adrienne and I just start to break down. I fall to the ground and bawl my eyes out. Right now I'm thinking about home, my dad, my brother, Adrienne, my mom, my step-mom, anyone who had ever been ripped away from my life.

I feel hands on my back and hear Hallen's voice, "Phoebe, are you okay?"

I hug Hallen until I settle down.

"I'm sorry." I say, "I broke down."

"It's fine." Hallen says.

I notice that Brandon and Melanie had came to the camp as well with her district partner.

"Are you alright?" The girl who I assume to be Alice asks.

I nod, "thanks for asking."

"No problem!" She cheerfully says. I guess she was okay, but never trust a career. Ever. In fact, don't trust anyone.

"Come, Phoebe let's get water for everyone." Hallen says.

I smile, "okay."  So we collect everyone's water bottles and head down to the stream.

I hand the bottles to Hallen and he fills them up.

"You know, the careers set up camp not to far from ours." I say.

"And?" He asks.

"We should plan out an attack." I reply.

"Like?"

"Like, something. Anything." I say.

"We'll talk about this as a group." Hallen says standing up. He hands me a few water bottles to carry and we head back to camp. The fire that they set up a while back has lost its flame. The careers must've seen the smoke, I saw it from the stream. They just didn't attack. Strange.

I stare at Melanie's district partner as he takes a bite from the jerky he must've had in his pack. He holds it close to his body and glares at everyone, I know he doesn't want to be here. He doesn't want to be in this alliance.

"If you don't want to be Here then why are you?" I ask him. Everyone looks at me.

"Phoebe." Brandon says.

I give him a look saying 'shut up'

"I need to live too." He says taking a bote of his jerky. I watch him closely.

"Its obvious you don't want to be here either." He says.

"I don't want to be anywhere but home." I say.

"Then we have an agreement." He replies.

"Your an ass." I smirk.

"Ditto." He says taking a sip from his water bottle.

"Don't drink to much, you might get poisoned." I laugh a bit.

"Phoebe, don't be rude." Melanie squeks.

"Melanie, your flirting with an engaged man." I spit. But after I realize what I said I noticed, so was I.

"Okay Phoebe, a word now!" Brandon says standing uo and taking me down to the stream.

"What the hell." I say rubbing my wrist because he held on to it so tight.

"Phoebe your being a bitch to everyone except Hallen. Were supposed to be partners." Brandon says.

"That's because Hallen gets me and of were supposed to be partners then why are you all heart eyed for fricking Melanie?! Huh? Your the one getting married soon!" I yell.

"Shut up!" He whispers back to me.

"Why, because LeAnne will find out your flirting with a bimbo?" I ask.

"Phoebe!" Brandon says.

"Sorry. That was mean. I'm sorry, I'm just getting off steam." I whisper in defeat.

"Whatever let's go back to camp." He sighs. I know he's still pissed at me though.

My last final is tomorrow!! Yaaay!!