The Celebrity Hunger Games

Chapter 22: "She Won't Live Long Enough To See It"

District 10

Louis Tomlinson’s p.o.v

Nobody came to visit me. Mum wasn’t well enough and none of my friends had bothered. I use the term ‘friends’ loosely, they were all scared of me. I sat in the empty room while Kristen said goodbye to her family. What were the odds that it had to be her? Why couldn’t it have been someone else, anyone else? I like her. I’ve always liked her. I lost my temper when she spoke about mum, but I never stopped liking her. If she hadn’t been picked, I wouldn’t have had a second thought about her, but she was 30 feet away, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

I made my way onto the train before she did, focusing my eyes on the floor. When she came in I looked up at her and remembered why I’d started dating her in the first place. The crying girl I dumped was not her, this was. A strong confident girl who could love someone who didn’t love himself.  “Kristen…” I started, trailing off as she looked at me. She sniffed before she spoke.  “I got it loud and clear Louis, you want nothing to do with me” she said, not meeting my eye. “You went behind my back” I said, rehashing our argument. “I was trying to help you, trying to help your mum. And you attacked me. How could you do that to me?” tears caused her eyes to glisten and I felt guilty for making her cry. It made her seem weak. “Is everything ok?” a woman said. We both looked in the direction of the noise. A blond woman came in, with a dark haired man in tow. “I’m Brittany Pierce, and this is Noah Puckerman” she said, gesturing to them both. “Noah’s your stylist and I’m your mentor” she said. Kristen looked confused. “Isn’t it usually the other way round?” she asked. Brittany laughed. “Yes it is, but I have first-hand experience with the Games and Noah has a great sense of style!” she said excitedly. She made me smile instantly.

By the time food arrived, we were chatting like old friends. Apart from Kristen and I, who were avoiding each other like the new EXs we were. “So, special skills? What can you do?” Noah asked. “I can work my way around an axe” I said, and it was true. When mum was well, she taught me how to use weapons. It was always just the two of us, we had to protect ourselves. “That’s great, it’s really unusual, but useful in the Games!” Brittany said. “What about you Kristen?” Noah asked her. “Climbing” I answered for her accidentally. She didn’t say anything, choosing just to nod. “Do you two know each other?” Brittany asked. I shrugged, looking away. “We used to date, until he dumped me for trying to help him” Kristen said, the bitterness still evident in her voice. “You went behind my back” I said softly. “Your mum needed help” she said. “I was handling it, we didn’t need you” I said, instantly regretting it. “Handling it? How were you handling it? You volunteered for the Games when she only had you to look after her. Now she’s going to die because you think you can win. Louis, even if you do win, she won’t live long enough to see it” she said harshly. I threw down my knife and fork and left the dinner table. I no longer saw her as a strong confident girl who could love me, I saw her as a strong confident girl that would fight to win, even if it meant killing everyone in her path. And I couldn’t let that happen.

Kristen Stewart’s p.o.v

The only way I could do this was to block everything out. Block out my parents, block out the break-up and block out my feelings. But dinner changed that. When Louis left the table I felt guilty. I couldn’t help it, he got under my skin! I hoped that my reaction didn’t mean that I still loved him. I never thought I knew what love was, but I knew the way I used to feel when he touched my hand, or when he stroked my cheek. I needed to get him out of my head. But once I let him in, I had to let everything in. Everything I felt about my parents and all of my emotions. Which is why I ended up crying at the dinner table. Brittany immediately started stroking my back and I mentally scolded myself for crying in front of her. She was my mentor, and she had to see me as a strong person. I couldn’t show her my weaknesses before the Games even began.

I woke up and changed. Walking back into the room that we had dinner in last night, I saw Louis sitting silently, staring into space. “Hey” I said softly. He grunted, not looking at me. He instantly made my blood boil. “You know, I’m sorry about what I said, but you didn’t make it any better” I said. “You said ‘She won’t live long enough to see it’” he said, as if this was his only explanation. I sat down. “I know what I said, and I don’t regret saying it. But I am sorry that I said it like that, and at that time. I didn’t mean it to come out as harsh as it did” I said apologetically. He took a deep breath. “Kris, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I know I said some bad things, but I regret them. I upset you because you interfered with my mum, but I think I always knew that you were trying to help. But I lost control and took it out on you. I’m sorry” he said. I touched his arm. “I know you’re sorry, but sorry doesn’t cut it anymore” I said, walking away.

There wasn’t much for climbing in the training centre. There were things that I could practice on, but nothing that would simulate the actual Games. I walked around slowly, not sure what I should do or who I should join. I saw Louis out of the corner of my eye, watching me. I avoided his eyes and walked over to the Knife Throwing area. I couldn’t face him. I wouldn’t.