Cayce's Game 97: Hills and Valleys: Battle of Bows and Arrows

The Reaping

Back to the grind in D6. School started and I was back to coaching. Maren started getting bullied in school and after two months of mediation with the principal, teacher, and both sets of parents, still the creep picked on her and pushed her. I finally forayed out of the gym to keep an eye on her during lunch. Third day I did that, I found the guy with not just Maren but also her friend backed to the wall and handing over their lunch money. His buddy picked my sister up and tried to push her into a nearby trash can and I spoke up, very calmly advising that I wouldn't do that if I were them because big brother didn't like that. They both looked at me and ran away as though I'd told them I would kill them. Needless to say, all that bullying came to an end. One perk of being a survivor-victor--people tended to fear me and certainly no one wanted to mess with me.

December came around and posters for the 96th Hunger Games Victory Tour with District Ten's Tanner Brown advertised all over the place. Once again, I was stashed with the other survivor-victors and once again, Daytona was a royal pain, muttering terrible things about what a sissy boy he was. The five of us kept snapping at her but she wouldn't shut up until I literally kicked her butt, cleverly disguising it as a fall. She tried to claim I did it on purpose but four witnesses claimed otherwise and Daytona got punished instead of me. Birdie and Tanner came over to say hey for a few minutes before he had to sign his stupid poster and go on to Five. I was glad to hear his ribs were healing and he did a perfect Yurchenko vault last month so he was getting his skills back. I had no clue what all that meant but I told him I was happy for him anyway. He'd be happy for me if I hit a home run, after all.

February brought another first for me--a girlfriend. I'd met Carrie at a local baseball game late last year and just got to talking. We had a lot in common and we'd been friends for several months before I decided to ask her out to a movie. She'd only been to a couple in her life and was excited to go to one with me. I'd warned her it wouldn't be easy going out with a guy like me but she wanted to anyway. Our first kiss was on her back porch that night and it had been awkward. The second one in the park was an improvement, and the third one at my house was even better even if Maren and Sissy did catch us. March, April, and May were a fun whirlwind for me between baseball and dates with Carrie until some idiot caught us picnicking in the park (OK, so maybe more kissing than picnicking). So three guesses what was in the social section of the newspaper the next day--Hunger Game 95 victor Cayce Orisse Caught Making Out with Unknown Girl in Lyons Park! Mortifying. She wouldn't talk to me for two weeks after that and was about kicked out of Victors' Village when she came over to try to make up. It was a good thing Dodge was there to step in. I warned her once again that while I liked her a lot, it'd never be easy with me in the limelight so much, my PTSD, and my going away next month for Hunger Game 97. Carrie accepted it and with a kiss, we were boyfriend/ girlfriend again.

Rowan leaned into me on June 1 as we gathered for our annual ritual of our sacrifices to the gods--err, tributes to the Capitol. "Last year... last year... next year I'll be in the clear..."

"It'll be OK," I said, patting him. I prayed.

Carrie gave me a nervous look. "I'm so scared."

"Don't worry," I told her, trying not to do my own worrying. I gave her a quick kiss on the lips and wiped a tear away before the Peacekeepers decided that was enough lovey-dovey for the day and drove us all apart.

At least this time I knew where to go and went directly to our victors' section confidently. "Hey."

"Hey," Vin greeted me easily as Portia hugged me.

Dodge grinned at me. "You ready to mentor on your own this year?"

"No," I groaned, rubbing my eye. "I did horrible with Cohen last year."