On The Edge

Chapter 2

We all ate lunch on the train together, and frankly I couldn't have felt more lonely. Matt was messing around with Lily and trying to get her to kiss him, which annoyed the crap out of me. Ben still won't look at me, also increasing the size of the fracture that started forming in my heart. Effie was oblivious to the situation and Haymitch seemed too drunk to care at the moment, but knowing him he will ask me later. Lily, if she makes eye contact with me, flicks me off every time. Well, she has changed a lot from that shy girl who couldn't be rude to anyone. And the one who is at fault there is me.
Another half hour of this madness went on, and to make it worse Effie kept blabbering about how we need to be 'punctual' and have 'adequate manners' which we lacked because we were raised in a district of 'Wolves' and because we left 2 minutes late, the rest of our lives will be screwed up. Considering I already screwed up my life and it wasn't over something as silly as that, I lost it.
"EFFIE NO ONE GIVES A DAMN," I screamed at the top of my lungs, joining Lily on the cursing train.
Everyone looked totally shocked at this statement, wondering what had happened with my head. "Well, no one does!"
Everyone glared at me even longer, except for Ben who just looked away. Lily mouthed the word 'slut' again at me and I ran out of the room. I sprinted to the back compartment and started crying again. Remembering when I was crying in this same place before the games, I realized how worse of a situation I am in now. It really would have been easier if I had just died or if Snow decided to kill me right away.
"I wish I would have died," I thought aloud. "It would have been better for everyone."
These thoughts kept bombarding my mind and I kept saying them louder and louder when I heard footsteps. Great, it's probably Haymitch here to yell at me about my behavior.
"Please don't give me the lecture right now," I pleaded, tears still spilling out of my eyes. "I can't take it right now."
"Well I'm not here for that," I heard a sweet, semi-low voice say. "But you need to explain some things."

(Ben's pov)
I slowly walked into the room that held the weeping victor. What bothered me was that she constantly saying things about how she should've died before I interrupted her. Sitting down beside her, I noticed how strange it was for her to be this upset. The last time something like this happened was when we were about to enter the arena, but that seemed more understandable then than what was going on now.
"W-What do you n-need to know?" She stuttered, obviously trying to act like she wasn't crying.
"Well, I need to know why you are crying," I started then changed my mind. "No, I need to know what was with your words before I walked into the room."
"No, I won't tell you," Ava looked at me with puppy dog eyes. "You wish it would happen as well, just like Lily does. All I've done is mess everything up."
"What happened with you and Lily?" I asked. "Haymitch is wondering as well."
"Oh so that's why you came in here," She rolled her eyes. "Well, she confronted me about how Matt and I kissed and sh-"
"Wait, what did you just say?" I said in shock. "You and Matt kissed?"
"Oh you didn't know that," She sheepishly responded. "It was an accident I swear! After she told me she knew, she called me really nasty things that I refuse to repeat. And then there is also you hating me now... I'm just done with this. Then Snow threatened to kill me and everyone I love if we didn't prove our romance was real."
"S-So I guess that whole thing I was about to say about just being friends is off the table eh?" I said in shock, because she mentioned me as part of the reason she is this upset.
"It would have to be," Ava smiled then mumbled, "Not that I mind it though."
"Sorry for what I said earlier Ava," I glanced at her then away quickly. "It was out of hand."
"Well what you said was half true in the fact that Haymitch did tell me to act like I was madly in love with you," Ava blushed and covered her face with her coral red hair. "But what wasn't true was that I was acting."
"O-Oh," I stuttered, blushing in relief. "So you haven't liked Matt all along have you?"
"Not all along," She said honestly. "I think I may have a small amount of feelings for him now, but that would be purely your fault for ignoring me."
"Well, I don't know how to respond to that," I hugged her and kissed her forehead. "The only thing I can think of is I'm so sorry, and if you never want to talk to me again, I understand."
"Trust me, I don't want that," Ava looked up at me. "As long as we are talking again and not being awkward in conversations, I am very happy."
"To be honest, that's what I would like more than anything as well," I walked out of the room then mumbled to myself. "Now knowing that your feelings for me are real, there is no need for me to feel sorrow around you."
There was one thing left that I needed to do; find and reprimand the blonde bimbo for doing that to Ava. She was sitting in the main cabin alone, trying to sharpen a knife with a fork. Well, she has lost her mind. I can understand the feeling, it shocked and hurt me knowing they kissed as well, but there is no need to be rude to them in my opinion! Making a beeline towards her, she looked at me and smiled evilly.
"Ben, we are going to get revenge on that slut Ava," she said, making me cringe. "She kissed Matt, this is the time to fire back."
"Lily, what are you doing?" I said in shocked as she kept moving closer to me. "Stop, I don't want to get revenge."
"C'mon, kissing me will make them feel the pain," Lily looked at me and tried to kiss me again.
"Stop!" I yelled but she was going full on rapist mode. "What has gotten into you child?"
"Give in," She jeered, as a heard a sob and saw a flash of red hair. "Good, the plan is already working."
"ENOUGH!" I heard Matt yell. Oh gosh, I'm dead. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING TO LILY, LITTLE BOY?!"
"Well, I'm not trying to do anything," I lowered my head in fear. "The truth is that this girl tried to rape me because you kissed my Ava!"
"Hey I'm not trying to rape you!" Lily screamed. "I'm trying to make out with you and turn you on to make Matt jealous and get revenge on Ava duh!"
"LILY GET IN HERE NOW!" Haymitch screamed then locked her in a room. "I just found evidence that yesterday Tracker Jackers were used to make her act like this. We can reverse this."
"But why would they do such a thing," Ava reentered the room. "Have they ever done this before?"
"Yes," Haymitch shook. "Though no one would remember it but 4 people. They used it the last time there was a rebellion, to tear the hero apart by who she loved."
"Who did the use it on?" I asked, curiously.
"Peeta Mellark," Haymitch whispered to himself, but I could hear him. "It doesn't matter, it was a long time ago anyways."
"Whatever, I'll get it out of you somehow," Ava smirked.
"Oh and by the way missy," Matt blushed as he talked to her, making jealousy race through my veins, "You better apologize to Effie for screaming a curse word at her earlier. The Capitol doesn't like that type of etiquette, so forget your rebellious pride and apologize to her."
"Well Matt," Ava sassed him, which I know was her way of flirting, "You can't tell me what to do. Neither can Lily, Ben, my sister, my friends, or anyone else!"
"Avalon apologize to Effie," Haymitch said seriously.
"You really think I wasn't going to?" Ava laughed and started leaving the room. "Please, I was already planning on it. Ms. Sapphire out!"
"Sorry Matt," I said to him. "It was all 'Lily'. I swear I would never do anything like that."
"Eh it's cool man," He gave me a fist bump. "Now let's go stare at the flowers as we go past them. Flowers are MANLY!"
"YAS," I exclaimed as we went to look at the neon pink flowers we were driving past.

(Lily's pov)
I awoke suddenly and found myself hooked to a device on a train. That's weird, the last thing I remember is Snow confronting me. Haymitch walked up to me with a glass of wine in his hand, way less than normal.
"Haymitch what's going on?" I said fearfully. "Why are we on the train? Has the tour began already?"
"Well," Haymitch started then explained the entire story to me. Great, now I felt like crap. Even though I'm kinda upset about the Matt and Ava kiss, but I would never take revenge on them! Plus, I kissed Ben. And trying to pretty much rape Ben right in front of Ava? Also I called Ava all those nasty things. Welp, it's time to go apologize.
"Ava?" I asked as I walked into a corridor of the train. "Where are you?"
"Yeouch!" I heard a scream followed by glass breaking. "I'm okay! I just tripped and knocked over some glass. Don't tell Effie."
"Sorry about everything Ava," I said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to-"
"Hey, there is nothing to worry about!" Ava smiled. "Snow had you under his spell, it's not like you meant to do this. Plus, it's my fault for kissing Matt. Oh and by the way, apologizing to Ben may be a good thing for you."
"Thank you!" I hugged her then ran to find Ben.
"Ben?" I asked when I saw him hiding behind a box upon seeing me. "I came to apologize to you. Ava sent me."
"It's okay, just don't ever kiss me again," Ben stood up and began to leave the room. "I'm going to go find Ava now. Go to your little boyfriend please. He is dying to see you okay after learning about what had happened."
(3 hours later)
Finally, Matt came out of his room. It seemed as if he was taking a nap. I ran up to him and hugged him upon seeing him.
"I'm so sorry," I cried while hugging him. "The thought that I cheated on you makes me so freaking mad!"
"Lily, you were in a trance, I can't get mad at you for that," Matt laughed then kissed me again.
"Hey didn't you say you were really good with Panem's history?" I asked, trying to know more about what Haymitch said.
"Yes I am," He smiled then tensed up. "Why are you wondering this?"
"I was wondering if you knew about a rebellion about 20 years ago," I scrunched my eyebrows. "Or about man named Peeta Mellark."
"Peeta Mellark," Matt scratched his head. "Well, I don't know a lot about him but I do know about Katniss Mellark, er, Everdeen."
"Tell me everything that you know," I demanded.
"Fine," Matt gave in. "So I know that at some point in history, she lead a rebellion that worked, and was a victor of the games. Snow then took over again because she didn't kill him. That's all I know about that. It was in a restricted library, but being the bookworm I am, I read every book in there. Over half of it was ripped to shreds, so there wasn't much on the topic."

I walked into what I assumed was my room. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Something was up here, and there was no way I'd just let this fly by. Snow, you better watch out, because the truth can be stronger than hope, counteracting fear. Have fun trying to control us then, with more hope on our side than you could possibly imagine, stupid old man. Hypnotizing me has let your worst nightmare arise, possible knowledge about a more recent rebellion.