drapetomonia - the overwhelming urge to run away.
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When Junia Beaumont, her brother and their classmates get a last assignment before the end of the school year, she doesn't know just how quickly things will change for her.
Who would have thought t...
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09. mentor and tribute
When they exit the hall and are on the way to a short debriefing at the biology lab before lunch, the interview is still fresh on everyone's minds.
Especially the results — or in most cases, the lack thereof. Junia, for one, decided she's proud of herself for breaking the rules (although they were never properly set in the first place so she still finds the idea of a punishment questionable). If she hadn't done it, her interview with Treech would have been a lot more awkward.
"I thought you were exaggerating, but he was really on guard, you know?" Clemmie says, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "All I've got is his name and it's exactly what I had right after the reaping. Reaper Ash. Can you imagine naming your child Reaper and them ending up in the reaping?"
Lyssie sighs, "There was no reaping when he was born, Clemmie. That's just a farming name."
Clemmie hums. "I suppose you're right."
"Well, you did your best," Junia says and smiles at her friend. "I'm sure he'll come around eventually. Just give him time."
Cas nods. "Exactly," he agrees. "At least you talked normally and didn't do anything stupid. Gaius made so many jokes I thought Panlo might eat his way through the chains just to get away from him."
A shame she couldn't see that. Junia knows their classmate and fellow mentor, Gaius Breen, always has a good joke and witty comment at the tip of his tongue. He's well-liked but she can't blame his tribute for finding that sort of behavior even more unsettling, given their current situation.
Clemmie's spirits seem a bit more lifted at his words and she has to stifle a laugh. "Did he? That almost makes me wish I could've sat a little bit closer to you two," she says. Then, she rubs her arms. "When I tried asking Reaper for more than his name, he slammed his hands on the table. Just to see what I'd do! That was terrifying."
Junia blinks. "He did?" she questions in confusion. Surely she would have heard that kind of commotion but Clemmie has no reason to lie about something like that either. She believes her.
Festus looks at her in disbelief, "How could you have possibly missed that?"
"You wouldn't be surprised if you were in my shoes," Pup says and she shoots him a warning look. Undeterred, he goes on, "They were talking the entire time. I didn't know June had it in her to be so chatty."
