The Mentor - A Hunger Games Story

1 - BEFORE

The sun set slowly into the woods, casting crooked shadows across the Seam. Hardly anyone was out on the streets, except for a few homeless trying to find decent shelter for the coming chill. The fading sun was the only source of light as Haymitch dangled his feet from the top ledge of his house. Well, what his family used as a house. It really was an abandoned storefront with a sheet-metal roof that barely kept rain out of their beds.

"Mom is wondering where you are." An annoying pre-teen voice rang out into the stillness of the night.

"Shhhhhh." Haymitch rubbed his temples and tried to still his heart rate after being startled. He turned back to see the silhouette of his little brother carefully navigating the shaky roof. "And be careful. At this rate you won't have to tell mom where we are; us crashing into the living room will do that for us."

"Ha ha." Harrison mocked as he normally did. Haymitch really only blamed himself for his little brother's attitude. With his blonde hair, blue eyes, and sarcastic wit, he was basically a mini-Haymitch. Poor kid. Haymitch liked to tease him and call him the 'Downgrade'.

He sat down next to Haymitch and swung his feet back and forth.

"Seriously though, get out of here."

"Whyyyy?" Harrison whined.

"This is the only time I get to escape your migraine-inducing voice."

"Nah, you love me." Harrison decided. Harrison looked off into the setting sun for a beautiful moment of peace and quiet. "You're meeting her aren't you?"

"Nope." Haymitch lied through his teeth.

"You are!" Harrison practically screamed.

"Shhhhhh!" Haymitch repeated, throwing a hand over his brother's mouth and putting him in a headlock. Harrison giggled underneath his hand. "You are going to get us reamed!"

"Mitchy has a date!" He muffledly sang through Haymitch's hand. He let his brother go, shaking his head.

"It's not a date."

"Ah yes. And how long have you two been not going on dates?" Harrison pried, luckily lowering his voice.

"Uhhhhh. Not sure."

"Two years and four months, jerk." Aimee's appeared behind them, making both Abernathy boys jump out of their skin.

"I literally almost just threw myself off this roof." Harrison said in between laughs. Aimee scooted in between the brothers and threw her arm around Haymitch's shoulders.

"You both need to be much quieter." Haymitch complained, accepting a kiss on the cheek from Aimee.

Despite never wanting to admit it, their not-dating dating was the only thing that kept Haymitch sane. The receding light made Aimee's amber skin look golden. She had her brown hair tied back into a bushy ponytail, which had remnants of flour from the bakery in it.

"How's the last day of your lives going?"

"Just dandy." Harrison responded with a giggle.

Haymitch reached around Aimee to give Harrison a shove. "It would be much better if I could have a moment alone with my_"

"With your what?" Harrison pried. "Girlfriend?" He looked across Aimee at Haymitch with large eyes, raising his eyebrows almost comically.

"Yep." Haymitch said after a beat. Both Aimee and Harrison's head snapped to him. Even in the limited light their faces were undeniably in complete surprise.

"Oh god, this really is the last day of my life." Aimee squeezed Haymitch, giggling.

"I'm not sure what I just witnessed." Harrison was staring out to the forest dramatically.

"Beat it, Downgrade." Haymitch gave him another shove, to which he finally stood up and made his way back to the makeshift ladder on the side of his house.

"Fine, fine." Harrison said as walked carefully. "But you're the real loser here, you just admitted to having a girlfriend."

"Yeah, I'm definitely the loser in this situation." Haymitch called back as the image of his brother disappeared behind the house. Once he was gone, he grabbed Aimee's chin and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

"Hey." He said through a smile.

"Hi." She said with a dazzling smile. Haymitch could have sworn she was literally shining.

"How was work?"

"Terrible as usual. I hate baking. It could not be more boring." She snuggled into his chest as Haymitch wrapped an arm around her. She may hate it at the bakery, but Haymitch did not hate the smell that clung to her after work. "I wish I could work with you."

"Ha." Haymitch responded. "I'd spend all day fending off creeps in the Hob from hitting on you."

"Dang, if I'd known the Hob was a good place to pick up men, I would have gone there years ago."

"Yeah, sorry you had to settle."

"Mmm, but it's okay. You bring me booze."

"Damn straight I do." Haymitch reached into the bag sitting next to him and pulled out a dusty bottle he'd stolen from the Hob's stash.

"Yummy!" Aimee grabbed the bottle and took a long swig.

"Easy there, tiger." Haymitch gently took back the bottle and poured it into two small cups he'd packed.

"I really think this is the year I get reaped."

"Shut up, Aimes."

"No really, I can feel it."

"Better really drink up tonight, then."

"That's what I'm saying." She said as she drained the cup he'd poured.

"Hey, one drink equals one kiss."

"That's a bargain!" She hollered too loudly and threw her arms around Haymitch.

They eventually stumbled down the ladder and snuck into Haymitch's room. 'Room' is probably an over exaggeration, but with the fancy curtain he'd hung around his bed, it was almost as if they had privacy. Haymitch had to shoosh the drunk Aimee giggles at least ten times so they didn't wake Harrison or his mother. They happened to be right on the other side of the curtain, but both were historically heavy sleepers.

They cuddled in Haymitch's small bed, entangling their legs for warmth. Aimee's head was tucked into his neck, and Haymitch stroked her hair.

He heard the gentle cadence of her breaths as she fell asleep on top of him. He knew she wouldn't hear him, but it still took every ounce of courage he had to open his mouth.

"If this was the last day of my life, I think I'd be just fine."