Johanna Mason- 68th Hunger Games (EDITING- ON HOLD)

Chapter 19

   I see lights, cameras flashing, voices booming. Goosebumps crawl over my skin in excitement. I walk out to the stage, and voices come louder. It was just like yesterday, at the interview. But today is different. I know some of these faces. Some I hate. Few I love.

   I put on a convincing smile as I step out to the stage of District Seven. I walk to where the mayor is, and he shakes my hand pleasingly. I shake back briefly, then drop my hand. I look at the crowd of thousands. Young, old, female, male all cheering for me. I can hardly believe it. Nearly everybody came, it seemed. But then something makes me stop smiling.

   I see Quill and Della. Only are they in the crowd, but they are next to each other. I see Quill's arms around Della's shoulders, and they are staring into each other's eyes, not even paying attention to the crowd or to me. But that isn't what makes me want to cry, or scream, or both.

   Quill leans in and kisses her. I gasp, and it's echoed over the crowd. I try to cover it as a gasp of happiness. Hope is next to me, also waving to District Seven. I can feel her eyes resting on me, knowing something's wrong. But she doesn't comment.

   I do a little speech that they made me do. "Thank you. I- thank you all." They become silent. "This is a really great time for me." I try to push back my feelings of sadness and jealousy. "I really appreciate it that you helped me during the Games, when I needed your help."

   With much, much effort, I turn to my mother in the front of the crowd and say, "Thank you too, mom. I thank you for the gloves." But I give her a look to say I still don't forgive her. But nobody else knows what she did, I hope. At least not in District Seven. They would think I'm a stubborn girl who doesn't love her mother. I don't, but this is for sure on live TV.

   I blink. "Thank you." I step back and the mayor says something else I don't hear. I stare at Quill, then he raises his gaze to mine. I blink painfully, and he realizes that I know. He draws away from Della, and whispers something to her. She looks up at me with guilt.

   My own friends. Quill... 

   They all betrayed me! I knew it! I couldn't trust a single face anywhere. I glance around the crowd, like I expect them all to come and attack me. I am dismissed, and I rush off the stage. I think about staying away from Quill, but I need to say one last thing to him.

   I rush to him in the crowd, and I pull his shirt so he can't get away. "You!" I shout. I can feel people's gazes resting on us, but I don't care. "How dare you?!" I can feel my throat getting tight, but I try to keep it down. People are still watching.

   He looks around guiltily. "What?"

   I can feel tears wetting around my eyes. "I saw you with Della! Quill..." My voice is disappointed, almost ashamed. Della comes up quickly, her face scrunched up.

    "Jo-" she starts.

   "Get away from me!" I shout. "I hate you both!" I push Quill away, shoving him into the stage's corner. A peacekeeper comes up, but I only snap, "Touch me and I'll tear you up." He doesn't tgo to me, but he helps Quill up. I stomp away and join Hope. She tries to talk, but I ignore her and walk away.

   The next person comes up to me. It's my mother.

   "Please, Johanna." she says, stopping me. "I know what you're thinking. I can explain."

   I whip around to face her. "Explain?" I hiss. "What you did is enough. I am never talking to you ever again, so just get out of my face. I don't care for vermin next to me." My words shock her. It burns, I know. I've been through worse. I snarl in her face and I turn around. I am sick of people lying, cheating, betting on me. I am tired of being used by just anybody. I am a victor, not a plaything. I won the Games, and I could tear any one of their throats with a flick of my stupid axe. I wipe my eyes and try to stay away from people's view.

   I should've known better than to trust anybody.

    Nobody questions as I ask a driver to take me to my new victor's village house. I climb in the back, and people take more pictures as we drive away. I rest my head on my hands and stare out the window. 

    What did I do to deserve this? Now I had nobody. Not Quill, Della, my family, or friends. They were the only ones I trusted, and they went and betrayed me. Quite a welcome home. Quill must've thought I wasn't coming back, and that he thought I would die in the arena. But why was he with Della at my return to the District? Did he want to say, right to my face, that he doesn't care for me anymore? Heartless, is the word that comes to my mine. They are all heartless. Every single person on this planet. And with heartless people, brings out the hate in me.

   The driver stops and says that I'm here. I climb out of the door, and they hand me my bags. Earlier they asked if my mother and father were going to stay at my house, but I told them no. I gave them some coins to last a few months, but no more. Not even a glance their way.

   I walk into the house and open the door with the key I have, open the door, and slam the door behind me. I stop and gaze around. It's so large! I drop my bags and walk to the living room. Chandeliers, fancy rugs, leather couch, and a hologram for the TV. All of this in the giant room that is my living room. I walk into another room, which is the kitchen. This part is almost normal, except for the real marble counter. I wander around the house, and find multiple bathrooms, bedrooms, and a big room that has a long wooden polished table, used for meetings or something like that. I can't image that I'll ever use it, though.

   There's an upstairs, which I find a room that I like. A big bed with a canopy over the top of it, and a large window. I scan my eyes over it one last time before retreated back downstairs.

   I turn on the television. "...Johanna Mason!" It's Caesar. I pause, listening to what he says about me. "In three months, her Victory Tour will begin-" 

   "Don't remind me," I snap at the television, and I turn it off. I don't want anything to do with these idiotic Games anymore. I don't want to look at a single soul. I want to live here, alone. Forgotten, hopefully. But I know that's not going to happen, no matter how much I want it to. I sigh and sit on the couch.

   The Games will forever haunt me. The way I killed the girl. . . the other tributes, and how I let Cetus die. . . And because I left, Quill is now will Della. I hope guilt burns their wretched hearts forever. Is there no escaping the wrath of Snow, and what he did to us, presenting us with the Hunger Games? 

   One day, I think to myself. One day he's going to regret it, and I feel that it's coming.

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OMG ENDING! :O OH NO! haha i really loved writing this story, and i've had writer's block for this chapter for... what? Three months? Anyways, it's done, and I will probably write an epilogue. :D thanks for the support, votes, comments, and awesome views this book has been getting! 

GO JOHANNA MASON!

-Katniss_on_fire13