[Flowers] • The Hunger Games

Twenty Seven

"Okay, can we be honest with each other for just one second?"

Haymitch's voice called through the thin veil of consciousness she maintained.

Asteria raised her head from where it had been, flat against the table. She nursed her fifth glass of whatever Haymitch kept lying around in one hand while she made eye contact with him.

They were back home, in the district. For however long that would last. The victory tour had ended three weeks before, and Asteria had practically been drunk in every moment since.

"It's not that I don't enjoy the company, you're much more palatable drunk." Haymitch told her. "But it's obvious that you're hiding something. Tell me again, what Snow said."

Her head thumped back against the table. Her hands rested on the back of her head, trying to drown out the world.

"There's nothing, Haymitch. Nothing we can do." Asteria mumbled to him. "Might as well drink until doomsday."

"Now, hold on- Snow doesn't operate like that. He wouldn't have wasted the breath on you if he didn't want something. If he had already made up his mind then he would have just done something about it. But he wanted to talk to you. Forgive me if I'm being frank- but I don't believe you!" Haymitch accused.

"It's my mess and he won't let me clean it up. I won't have anyone else fix this for me." She shook her head, already saying more than she wanted to.

"Kid, you've gotta meet me halfway. It's been three weeks. Snow isn't one to wait for these kinds of things." Haymitch told her. "What did he want?" He asked again.

Asteria dragged herself up into a sitting position. Her eyes had darkened. She looked to the world like a ghost, a memory of something long passed. Her expression was unreadable.

"He wants Gale and Madge to get married."

Haymitch watched her for a few seconds. He seemed to be working through his internal monologue as Asteria brought up her hands to rest her head on. She was tired, but didn't want to fall asleep.

"That's it?" He asked, incredulously.

"Stop." She shook her head. "Don't make it seem like it's an option-"

"As far as options with the President goes, that might just be the best one I've heard!" Haymitch argued her.

"No, because- they aren't in love! This year, it's a marriage proposal. Next- he'll want a pregnancy announcement. They'll be forced to spend their lives together for all of Panem to see. Life like that isn't life at all. It's- it's surviving. But there's no hope at the end of that story. Just a damnation for the both of them." Asteria told him. "I messed this up. I should've just let them die in that arena. It would've been the humane thing to do. Like putting down a hurt dog." She huffed.

"Asteria, he will kill their families if they don't comply. Everyone they care about! Why wouldn't they take that deal?" Haymitch asked.

"Of course they'd take it. Gale, at least. I'm not an idiot!"

"Well, then, what's the problem? Because from where I'm sitting, everything's already solved!" Haymitch said.

"Gale could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve that girl."

Asteria shook her head. Anger remained in her voice as she continued. "I went into last year's games rooting for Gale to win. He was strong, dependable. Madge came and hit me over the head out of nowhere. She's kind. She stared the games in the face and came out the other side still whole. I didn't know anyone could do that." Asteria told him.