Heart of Havoc

Fireflies

No one bothers to shower before we head to dinner straight from the field.

Everyone is covered in colored power, and I'm sure we are truly a sight to behold. 

But, brisket sandwiches wait for no one, and I for one am starving.  My stomach lets out a loud grumble to emphasize my hunger.

As soon as I sit down, a flowered crown is placed on my head, and this causes girly cheers to erupt through camp.

I relish in the cheers as I bite into the juicy sandwich and believe this might be a perfect moment in the history of Elliot Montgomery.

I almost miss the intense looking conversation that seems to be happening between Hunter and his "backup-plan". 

I don't even bother to hide the wolffish smile that spreads across my dirty face. 

And just like that it's wiped away as I see Hunter walking Leah towards the entrance to camp.  I have sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I have to fight the deep desire to go after him.

"That was great!" Joelle screams as she and Nova are suddenly at my side with sandwiches in hand.

I laugh as I wipe the pink powder off my sister's otherwise clean face. 

Somehow she'd managed to stay relatively clean.

For a moment, she looks at me seriously as though I'm someone other than myself before crushing me to her in a real hug.

Moments like this are rare, so I hug her back making sure to rub as much of my color onto her as I possibly can. 

She squeals and backs away giggling.

The counselors have gathered near the stage and a hush grows over crowd apart from a few lingering shouts of victory.
"Okay, okay so we know the girls are relishing in the moment, but if you guys are planning to make it for the firefly viewing, we better get a move on." Thomas announces.

**********************
Thirty minutes later and we're standing in front of the falls at the edge of camp.
Close enough for the tiny droplets to sprinkle down on us.

Tiny green specs light up the night as the fireflies weave through the sky as though their dancing to some mystical song. 

It's really quite beautiful when you take a moment to watch, but my mind is somewhere else entirely. 

I look over my shoulder wondering if Hunter is coming and nearly  jump out of my skin when I hear his voice beside me. "Looking for something Montgomery?"

I bump into him in a teasing manner, because I know I've been caught. 

"What would you know about what I'm looking for?" I ask, tone sounding more flat than I intended.

He looks down at me and something like vulnerability twinkles in his eyes before it morphs into mischief.  "I was kinda hoping it was me."

"That so?" I say stupidly.

"Mmmmhhhmmm." He hums out placing an arm around me and pulling me closer. My body tenses, and I hold my breath willing the moment to last forever.

***********************
When we are back at the cabin, Hunter looks at me seriously. His hand rests on my shoulder, and I know I won't like what he's about to say.

"Look, I've got to go take care of some things at my pack over the next few days, but I'll be back Monday night for sure. Nixon's going to take my place in the games while I'm gone."

He kisses my forehead, and I suddenly notice the small bag by the door. 

And, I realize that the sight of a simple item has never cause as much pain as in this moment.

It's scary how affected I am by his leaving, and my heart sinks as I watch him walk out.