Highway to hell

01. A fight

Mara's POV:
I wake up from the nightmare, sweating and panting. The worst one yet. Again the same thing, this time more intense.

My nightmares basically consist of the same story: my father's death. I was there, in front of him when he was brutally killed by a peacekeeper. Reason? Unknown. Peacekeepers do all kinds of stuff to get respect, even going as far to kill a father in front of his seven year old daughter I guess.

I get up and walk around my room, trying to concentrate on planning my day. First I gotta change clothes, do my hair, get to school, try not to get into any fights after school. And if I do somehow get in a fight (which is very likely) I have to win. And then go to training with Clove and get back home. I think.

I go to my wardrobe and get my clothes ready. A large shirt, cargo pants and my hunting boots. I do my black hair into two long boxer braids, get my bag with my school material and tuck a black knife in my right boot (just in case).

"Hey Mare." my brother Jester says

"Don't call me that." I hiss. I hate that name, it makes me look childish and uncapable. The exact opposite of what I am. Or what I want to be.

"What did you say Mare?" my other brother Caspian teases.

"Shut it will you?" I ask.

"Gee, alright then." he smiles mokingly.

"I'm out. Have fun being stupid." I say.

"Hey, wait up!" Jester gets up quickly and gets his backpack.

"Ew, no, I don't wanna be seen with you." I can hear Caspian's laughter.

"Mean." Jester follows me out the door while I make my way to school

After crossing the whole District to get to school and a lot of fight between my brother and me, we eventually get to school. Jester stops in front of his class to bid be goodbye.

"I'll be in my class if you need me." he assured.

"I's more likely to you needing me but alright." I sass.

"Whatever." he walks away to his class and I make my way to mine.

Before I can even cross the door an older boy walks in front of me. I've seen this boy before, in the training center. His specialty is quite different from mine. But I noticed the way he walks, talks and acts like he's better than everyone else. Which is honestly ridiculous.

"So you're the kid who everyone is talking about?" he says.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I am tryna get to class and you're in my way, so get out of it." I push him away of my way and try to get into my classroom. I can see my best friend, Clove looking at me in confusion and I give her a nod. She'll understand that I need her to be alert. Just in case.

"Yep, that's definitely you." He takes me back by my arm and gives me a grin. "I hear you're going to volunteer for the Hunger Games this year. That true?"

"What do want?" I hiss, my strong British accent hitting hard on that sentence.

"I want to know who my district partner is going to be." He admitts.

"Right." I don't trust him one bit. Well I don't trust anyone in general to be honest.

"Now it's your turn to answer the question." I can see a grin appear on his face.

"Yes, I'm volunteering. So what?" I snap.

"Nothing. Meet me after school today?"

"Can't, I've got stuff to do."

"Like what?"

"Training." I say coldly.

"Well, I'll meet you after your training. How about that big tree next to school?" He suggests.

"Whatever, I'm late to class" I finally get in the class and sit next to Clove.

I can tell she wanted to ask what happened, but the teacher started talking about how the Capitol provides everything we have. Oh yea, that's why they need the districts to mantain them. Bullshit.

"I'll tell you later." I assure her.

"Okay."

The day goes by slowly, so slow it feels eternal. But when the day finally ends, Clove and I are getting out of school to go train when a guy with a black eye from my grade steps in front of me.

"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" he teases "a little princess?" he takes my face in his hand "You think you're so tough, don't you?" this is the moment when I remember who he is.

This guy asked me out a few times, but after I rejected him every time he asked, he started to hate me. Or at least, that's what he says. I don't know if it's true or not, nor do I care but yesterday he crossed the line.

He started making fun of me and my family, I tried to ignore him but then he started messing whit my father. And that's a subject you don't wanna touch.

He said stuff like how he was useless or how he never respected the rules, shit like that. So i did what i would've done with any one else.
I shut him up. Harshly, like being a total bitch. He got pissed and tried to hit me. That's where he fucked up.

You don't try to hit Mara Black unless you're a tousand percent sure you wont end really messed up. Of course he didn't know that,(stupid kid) I tried to warn him. He said he wasn't scared of a girl so i showed him that he should be scared of a girl. And that's how he got the black eye.

"Nice eye." I slap his hand away from my face "Get out of our way and I'll consider not matching the other one."

"I told you. I'm not scared of a girl." he says.

"You sure? Last time you said that you ended up with a black eye." and this is why I absolutley adore Clove.

"Shut up Kentwell!" he snaps.

"Come on Clove, let's get outta here." I take Clove's hand and get past the guy, but he takes my arm.

"Not so fast Black." I feel Clove tense and I let her go.

"Let go." I say in a menacing tone as I get my face closer to his.

"I'm not done with you yet." he lifts his fist and swings my way. I easily dodge and tanking advantage on the fact that I have to bend down to do so, I grab the knife that I tucked erlier in my boot. I decide that I might not use it unless it's completly necessary, just to scare him a bit.

"You must be very brave, or maybe just very stupid." I rest my knife on his neck as I look up at the sky. It's started raining. He clearly takes his chance and uses my knife to slit my left cheek. That's it, I'm using the knife. I think. I take my knife back whith a swift move I give him a nice but not too large cut on his thigh. He lets out a scream that could be heard by all of District 2.

"Shut it, will you?" I can see a familiar face hide behind the school building, but I can't tell who it is. So much for exaggerating I think. "Let's go, Clove."

"Well, that was fun. Don't you think?" she asks

"Oh yea, for sure."

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