In Power We Trust - Haymitch Abernathy

Chapter Four - Allies

Amelie

I tried to fall asleep, really I did. But the bed was too soft. The room was too quiet. There was no support under my back, nor any whistle of the wind. Everything was exactly as I pictured it, terribly and practically perfect.
I sat up in bed and looked over at the small digital clock on the nightstand.
2:07
I had refused to eat the food presented to me earlier, on a count of my own stubbornness, I suppose I was trying to prove a point. What the explicit point was, I'm not entirely sure. But, seeing as the Capitol dwellers were all laid up in bed, I thought, what's the harm in a late night snack?
The kitchen was beautiful, in an objective sense. A paper-like light fixture hung from the ceiling, hovering over the white leather couch and matching armchairs. I was half tempted to try the couch out, see if it would feel more like home than my feather bed upstairs. I almost did, I would've, If I hadn't seen him standing there.

The tall blonde Abernathy boy from my district stood staring into the fridge across the room from me, his body illuminated by the inside light.
I started to turn around, hoping to avoid all contact. Not because I didn't like him, but because I did. Because every time I talked to him, or to Maysilee, or even to Marcus, all I could think about was the possibility that I'd have to kill them. Or they'd have to kill me.

Of course, stealth was never my strong suit, as I tried to tiptoe away I heard his voice call out my name.
"Amelie? That you?"
I stopped for a moment, back to him, debating whether or not to turn around.
"Hey? Amelie? Are you ignoring me?"
This was enough to make me turn around, I don't really know why, but I didn't want Haymitch to think I thought ill of him, or that I didn't care. So I turned around.
"Hi Haymitch"
"What are you doing up?" he said, a slight smile on his face.
I started walking towards the fridge light where he stood.
"Could ask you the same question."
He chuckled a bit, "Bed is too soft. Can't sleep, you?"
"I suppose I'm just hungry. I don't know." I lied.
"Well if you're hungry I'm staring at a whole damn fridge full of food." He said, a twang of enthusiasm piercing through his voice.

My face fell, "Haymitch, we can't."
"What? Why not? They won't even notice we took anything." He assured me.
"No- no not the food. I mean this," I motioned my hands in between us, "we can't be friends."
His smile turned into a frown, "Well why not? You don't wanna be my friend?"
"It's not that I don't wanna be. We can't."
He tilted his head up at me, "How come?"
"I don't wanna be killed by my friend, and I don't wanna have to kill my friend."
He studied me for a minute, It felt like he was taking in all my features. Usually this would make me uncomfortable but oddly I didn't mind it, because I was studying his features right back. His ice blue eyes, the small mole above his lip, everything.
"How about," he said after a while, "I just don't kill you?"
"What?"
"If I don't kill you," he said, "and you don't kill me, then you can't say that you won't be my friend."
"Haymitch-"
"No, no don't Haymitch me." He placed one of his hands on my crossed elbow and continued, "We could be allies, have each other's back. This could be good for us."
"Allies?" I questioned. He nodded. The thought never really crossed my mind, but I didn't see anything inherently wrong with the idea. It involved a lot of mutual trust. I mean your ally could be lying and kill you when you least expect it, that's happened before in a previous year. Two girls from 4, everyone thought their unconditional friendship was heartwarming. Until the one slit the other's throat while she slept.
I didn't think Haymitch would do that though, or I'd hoped he wouldn't.
"On one condition." I said, "If you have to kill me, you don't let me suffer."
"I'm not gonna kill you Ameli-"
I put my hand over his mouth to shut him up, "I said, if you have to kill me Haymitch Abernathy, you best not let me suffer."
After a moment he nodded and held out his hand, "So it's a deal?"
I shook it and nodded back, "Okay ally."

•••

Haymitch

Me and my new ally sat on the windowsill staring out at the bustling Capitol. We snacked on triangle shaped cucumber sandwiches and strawberry slices that we ransacked from the fridge.
She began to speak, not breaking her gaze on the window. "If you had a chance to live here, in the Capitol, live ignorantly in bliss and never go back to 12, would you?"
"Honestly?" I asked.
She turned to look at me now and nodded.
"If I could like, wipe all my memories of 12 and the rest of the districts. And I suppose, bring the people I love with me, then yeah. Yeah I think I would."
She blinked at me, like she was thinking real hard about what I said, "Why would you wanna forget 12?"
The question seemed so innocent. Like it came from a Capitol child who knew nothing about the districts.

"Why wouldn't you." I said simply.

She didn't answer this, she just looked back out through the window.
I wondered if this was because she didn't know the answer or if it was because she agreed with me.
We sat in silence for a couple minutes before she spoke up again, "Who would you bring, who's your loved ones?"
I took a bite of my cucumber sandwich before answering.
"Don't know."
Her face changed a little, "What do you mean you don't know?"
"I mean, my ma and my little brother are dead, and so as of late I don't got many people who love me. But, you never know the next person you could love. Hell, the next person you see on the street could be your future lover and you'd never even know it till you just knew it."
Silence fell over the room. Amelie adjusted her position from cross legged to now having her legs dangle over the side of the ledge. Then she spoke, her brown eyes piercing into mine.
"What if you're wrong?"
"Bout what?"
"Bout love of course."
"People are wrong all the time Amelie, the world keeps on a spinning."
"That's for damn sure." She said, her accent extra thick. I watched as she stood up and made her way past the couch towards the stairs. When she reached the first step and turned back to look at me I think I almost caught a glimmer of a smile.
"Haymitch?" she whispered.
"Amelie."

"I hope you win."

She didn't wait to hear any reply or answer from me before she turned back towards the stairs. I was glad she didn't wait. I don't know if I could've possibly responded to that. She said it so simply, so matter-a-factly.
But I guess I don't blame her for saying that because in all honesty, I had just been thinking the exact same thing about her.