Just like candy ✔️ Treech

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Treech sat at the table in silence, when his family walked in, and Henry pulled out the chair infront of him, sitting down quickly, as the rest of his family took spots around the room.

"You must be hungry." His mother touched his shoulder, making him flinch away, and she withdrew her hand in concern, "sorry. . . Ill make you some food."

Treech didnt answer, only staring at his folded hands, his brother infront of him watched him skeptically. "Treech?"

The boy hummed in response, not bothering to even look up.

"What are you doing?"

Treech was confused at the question, and he frowned, his eyebrows scrunching down as he tried to form an answer, "thinking?"

"About what?" Henry continued, leaning forward, maybe Treech would open up to him about the arena, about what he went through.

"Someone." Treech answered honestly, finnally looking up at his brother.

The family around the room paused, "Who?" Henry smirked slightly, and when he noticed Treech smirking back, not answering, he leaned forward, "You got a lil girlfriend, you want to see?"

Treech didnt answer, but the smirk remained on his face, and his dad patted him on the back.

"Thats my boy." He laughed, "I knew you'd find someone."

"Who is it?" Henry inquired, suprised, he hadnt heard of Treech crushing on anyone before the reaping, so it had to he someone in the games, "Is it Lamina? Is that why you two were looking at eachother like that?"

"Oh my! Lamina is such a sweetheart." His mother gushed, "I know you two just look adorable together."

"Its not Lamina." Treech shook his head, "Me and her aren't exactly on the best terms."

Henry frowned, "why? You've always been friends."

"Not anymore." Treech tensed, his finger drumming on the table.

Henry noticed the way, he refused eyecontact now, and he pressed forward. "Did something happen during the games?"

Treech didnt answer for a moment, shaking his head, as he bit his cheek, like he was holding something back. "I did what I had too."

"What do you mean?" His younger brother Haltin stepped forward, standing beside him.

"Nothing Haltin." Treech stayed silent.

"Son." His dad took a seat, "is it something you can fix?"

Treech let out an unsettling laugh, "No. . . I dont think so."

"What did you do?" His father questioned, and Treech finnally looked up, his eyes seeping with guilt.

"I left her alone in the arena, some of the other tributes offered me an allaince, and I had to take it."

His father frowned, taken back by the words, "You just left her? Treech, that was your district partner, you shouldnt have—"

"You dont understand!" Treech snapped, making the whole room flinch back in suprise at his sudden anger, "They would have killed me if I didnt."

"You just left your district? Do you relize what that means?" His father scolded.

Treech sighed, "I didnt have a choice." He explained.

"But you did!" His father argued, "You always have a choice."

Treech shook his head, like the thought was funny, and pushed his chair back, "Are you really going to yell at me for this?"

"Im not yelling."

"You are!" Treech shouted, his eyes seeping so much anger, it startled his father. He had never seen Treech like this before. "You werent there, you dont know what it was like. If I stayed with Lamina, I was as good as dead before I even got the chance—"

"Dont say that." Treech's father stood up aswell, "Your making up exuses, imagine how Lamina feels."

"I know how Lamina feels!" Treech told him, "Trust me I do, but I dont regret it."

Treech's Father frowned, confused at his words, "Are you hearing yourself?"

Treech stayed silent for a moment, looking to the floor, before raising his eyes to his father, expressing so much hurt, and sadness, "would you rather me dead?"

"Thats not what im saying." His father shook his head.

"It is, I did my best, ok! And im sorry it wasnt enough for you, and im sorry I got my hands a little too dirty for you liking!" Treech shouted, showing so much betrayel it hurt his family members. "But I cannot deal with this right now." His voice was almost begging for them to stop, and he turned around and stormed upstairs without another word, and slammed his bedroom door shut.

The family stayed silent, frozen in shock at his words, not expecting what he had to say about the situation.

"Whats wrong with Treech?" Tilly asked sadly, frowning at the boys reaction.

"I dont know." The father brought the young girl into his arms, and Henry raised from his seat.

"Ill handle it." Henry walked up the stairs, going to push his brothers door open, but it wouldnt budge, like something was blocking it. He could hear quite desperate sobs from the other side. "Treech?"

The crying quickly went quite, and after a few moments, Treech's broken voice broke, "leave me alone, henry."

"Im not gonna do that." Treech didnt answer, and suddenly the door swung open, revealing Treech's dishevealed shape as he crashed into his older brothers arms, his loud sobs being muffled by his shoulder. Henry led him forward, closing the door behind them, Treech's sobs only became louder as they sunk to the floor. Henry let him cry, rubbing his back comfortingly.

It took a few moments for Treech to speak up, and Henry could barely understand him, "I loved her."

Henry was taken back by the sudden words, his hand that was rubbing his back froze, "who, Lamina?"

"No, Not Lamina." Treech denied.

"Who are you talking about?" Henry asked confused, there was no other girl Treech could be talking about. Treech pulled back from his grasp leaning against the door, and Henry took in just how broken over this he was.

"I met a girl, while I was in the capital." Treech explained, wiping his wet cheeks, as he tried to calm himself down.

Henry leaned back against the door aswell, sending Treech a knowing look, "A capital girl?"

Treech let out a shaky laugh, and shook his head, "No, far from it."

"Was she a tribute?" Henry asked.

Treech shook his head again, "She was my mentor, from District four, she won the games like, two years ago."

Henry looked at him, like his explanation didnt make any sense.

"She saved my life." Treech told him, "I wouldnt be here without her."

"Treech." Henry began, his voice dropping low, "are you making this up?"

Treech's head snapped towards him, "what?— no!"

"Listen, I know you've been through alot, but you dont need to make up some love story to defend what you did." Henry shook his head in disbelief, standing up from beside Treech.

"Im not lying!" Treech stared at him feeling betrayed, Henry didnt say anything, going to leave, "Henry, I swear!"

"Dont." Henry warned, and Treech got up from the door.

"You dont believe me?"

"How can I?" Henry asked.

"Becuase Im telling you." Treech's voice begged him. "Henry, Im telling the truth."

Henry pulled open the door and shut it without saying anything further.

AUTHORS NOTE

OOPS NOBODY BELIEVES HIM... in all honesty i prob wouldnt either....

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