miss americana and the heartbreak prince | katniss everdeen

the aftermath.

THE PROLOGUE
Four | The Aftermath
•••

"ARE YOU SURE?"

Fleur stood silently beside her mother and father as the medic spoke to them. Her mother, who hadn't stopped crying since they received the call nodded her head. The man pursed his lips and grabbed the top of the sheet before pulling it down.

Fleur watched as her mother reached out a shaky hand, stroking her finger over Glimmer's cheek. Gone was the beautiful face that Glimmer had been known for. Her face was swollen and with her eyes shut, she was almost unrecognizable.

"I'll give you all a moment," the medic says as he walks out of the room.

"My baby," her mother says, "Look what they did to you."

Fleur doesn't look away. The sight isn't beautiful, but it's Glimmer. And it's a reminder of what happened, what they took from them, from her.

"You didn't deserve this," her father says holding back tears of his own. Fleur certainly agreed with him. Of all the ways Glimmer could have gone out, this was arguably the worst way.

Her mother retracts her hand from Glimmer's face and looks up at Fleur. She can feel her mother's gaze on her, so she looks over at her and she really wishes that she hadn't. Her mother's eyes are cold as she looks at her and she knows that her parents blame her for Glimmer's death.

"This is your fault," her mother says.

Fleur avoids eye contact with her mother and hangs her head, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to bring Glimmer back, is it?" her mother demands. Fleur doesn't say anything. She just bites down hard on her back teeth to keep quiet. That seems to anger her mother more as she reaches out and grabs Fleur's chin, forcing her to make eye contact, "Is it?!"

"No," Fleur sobs out.

"Look at her," her mother orders as she forces Fleur's face closer to Glimmer's, "Look at what you've done! What you've taken from this family!"

Fleur's body tenses and she can feel her pulse drumming in her ears as her mother forces her to look at Glimmer.

"Look at what you've done you stupid girl!" her mother yells.

"I'm sorry!" Fleur sobs, her body shaking, "I'm so sorry."

"You should be!" her mother states.

"That's enough," her father says as he removes her mother's hand from her head. Fleur stumbles back into the other medic table, causing equipment to drop and there to be a loud clang on the ground.

"She destroyed this family!" her mother yells, "You should have died in your games like the stupid whore that you are!"

Fleur's lip begins to tremble as she looks at her mother with wide eyes.

"You think we don't know why you're always running off to the Capitol? We know that you're there spreading your legs for whoever you disgusting vile creature," her mother says shaking her head.

Fleur once again says nothing as her eyes drop to the ground at her mother's harsh words.

"You are my biggest disappointment," her mother continues, "And I wish that it was you that was lying dead on this table. Not her."

"Gemma, you don't mean that," her father states.

"I mean every word," her mother spits out as she shoves her husband away from her. She looks Fleur in the eye, eyes that she had passed on to her daughter, "I never wanted you. I tolerated you. But no more. Get out."