The Hunger Games - The Rise of the Phoenix

Chapter 9

    I watch the TV backstage as Ceasor introduces River to the audience. "So River tell me, how are you winning these games?"
    "Good looks." River says. I start to laugh. The boy really has a sense of humor.
    "Oh well your not wrong!" The audience laughs. "Do you have any allies?"
    "Yeah, I do. It's Sage."
    "So are you two- you know- like, a thing or something?"
    "No! We're just friends! And besides, my Pa would kill me if I had a girlfriend!"
    "Ha, okay, we'll see in that arena then!"
    "Oh please, she would probably kill me if I said anything about being in love with her. I'm not exaggerating either." The audience laughs. I do too knowing it's true. His time is up and he comes back stage. "Hey. I hope you're not mad about what I said about you I-"
    "I thought it was funny!" I say laughing. Then my parents come in.
    "Sage Primrose Mellark, did you not remember anything we told you?!" Mom says.
    "Why did you say that?" Dad asked.
    "I was just being honest!"
    "Well 'being honest' in the hunger games is how you wind up dead!" Mom says.
    "They're not putting me in the games to punish me, they're doing it to punish you two for your previous actions! So yeah maybe I will die!" I yell.

    On the ride back to the Training Center, I don't talk to them. I just cry. I want this all to end.

    I lay in my soft, silky bed crying. The makeup is running down my face ruined. I hear a knock at the door. I know it's my parents so I don't answer it, but it's not. "Hey. It's River can I come in?" He's the only person I would want to talk to right now.
    "Sure." I say choking back tears. I wish I could make it look as if I was never crying, but it's practically impossible with all this makeup. The door opens and he shuts it behind him.
    "I just wanted to make sure you're okay." He sits at the end of my bed.
    "I'm not. I hate how I'm going into the hunger games because of my parents actions not mine. And I don't like how they are trying to blame it all on me. We never fight like that I used to have actual good relationships with both of them, but these games- they- they screw up everything!" I start to sob. "I don't want to die River I don't! Just because I got a good training score doesn't mean I could win it! And besides, we are the youngest! They're much bigger than us! We are both going to die! I tried to look fierce and brush it off, like I always do, but I can't! I have no confidence I'll even survive a day. We both won't!" I can't talk anymore my sobs have taken over. River leans in and gives me a hug. I find him easy to talk to.
    "I honestly thought I was alone. I thought you thought we could win." He laughs a little. "I also didn't know you could cry. You know Sage? This really sucks. We both don't deserve this. None of it. It's- it's like-" he struggles to find what he's trying to say. "Like we're his puppets in his puppet show."
    "Or like pieces in his game." I heard mom and dad say that once, but now I finally understand what it means.
    "Yes exactly. Pieces in his game." River is so easy to talk to, it's so weird. I've never talked to anyone like that before.

    I lay awake. As of tomorrow I could be dead. I could be alive, but cold, or I could be severely injured. I don't know what to think or do to console myself. I'm scared.