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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43. dread
"You're leaving the Capitol?" Treech echoes, his eyes wide in surprise. "I know you said you were going to visit so I wouldn't be alone, but..." He trails off, uncertain.
Of course, he's happy. How could he not be when the girl he's in love with is outright confirming that she'll leave the Capitol? Where else would she want to go except Seven to be with him? At the same time, it also scares him and makes him feel nauseous with guilt.
Is he taking her away from her brothers? Her parents? He's less worried about the latter, but her brothers - that gets to him. Just being away from his own family for these past few weeks has been hell for him, but he now knows he'll be home soon. But when June leaves, it won't just be a temporary goodbye; there's no way the Capitol would take her back just like that. They'd brand her as a traitor, and she'd be exiled for good.
Cas. Her own twin brother. All this time, they've been inseparable and always worked together. Treech owes him his life, too. And what is he doing in return? Taking his sister away from him. He's doing the same to her little brother, too. He only talked to Max once or twice, and he could immediately tell that he was a good, cheerful kid. A bit spoiled, maybe, but with a good heart.
How parents like theirs raised children like them is something he'll never understand.
But not only is he taking her away from her brother, he's taking her away from her friends, too. People she loves, people she has grown up with. People she spent every single day of her life with, and people that she would miss. He especially thinks of Sejanus, the boy with the kind eyes and the sandwiches, and Jessup's mentor. From what he could tell, she's very close with June, maybe even the closest to a female best friend she has.
And she's willing to leave all of that just for him? A life full of privilege should be ahead of her, not living in what the Capitol would consider a backwater District. He remembers her telling him she might want to become a doctor as well, and with her family's inheritance, she should have no issues living a wealthy life until she passes of old age.
Life in Seven is wonderful, but it can be very hard too. Treech knows first-hand what it's like to have to share everything you have. From toys and clothes to food, he doesn't think there's anything he hasn't shared yet.
He feels selfish for even being happy at the thought of her coming with him. He doesn't deserve that. But his longing and his need to be with her are so intense that it makes his chest hurt. As much as the guilt would eat him alive, he also knows that being without her would take even more of a toll on him.
To him, the Games have shown how selfish he can be. Maybe he should stop pretending to be a good person and just embrace that side of him.
June frowns. "I know it's a big decision and very sudden, but..." She sighs and shakes her head, scrambling to explain her inner turmoil.
