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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52. sketches
June spends the rest of the workday with her and Lydia at the tailor shop. The girl takes her measurements, they go over ideas regarding designs for possible adjustments that can be made to clothing she has taken here from the Capitol, and while Birdie helps tend to some customers, June helps the old lady in the background with some paperwork.
The Capitol is strict, or so it seems. They demand what must be a hefty sum for the upkeep of the tailor shop alone, and the electricity bill is high. It’s no surprise the store sticks to oil lamps for the most part. Her best guess is that tuning in for the Games and interviews significantly raised their bill this month, though, but Lydia assures her that they can afford it.
Birdie is a natural at conversing with customers, and June is beginning to wonder if the entire family is just naturally charismatic. She finds it a nice change of pace, since this is a real and authentic kind of charisma, and not the cold and sterile kind she’s used to from her parents. The Beaumonts certainly have a good reputation in the Capitol, however, none of it has to do with their friendliness. The Catalpas are on the opposite end of charisma; the kind that makes you want to talk to them even if you’ve been having the worst day of your life.
June is unsure when Birdie’s shift ends, but the sun is still high in the sky by the time they exit the tailor shop. Birdie promptly drags her over to the shoemaker and although it’s now a lot busier than around noon, it’s easy for the girl to hand the measurements over to an apprentice. They look at multiple pairs of shoes and eventually settle on a pair of dark boots that look likely to last her through the next fall and winter. Birdie assures her that she’ll pick them up for her the next day, since June won’t be coming to work with her every single day from now on.
But June appreciates it anyway. As much as she loves being inside and spending time with Treech and his mother; she can’t help but be relieved there’s another girl her age here that she can spend time with. She assumes it will take some time until she can safely build an identity of her own here within the District, and the thought of having to register herself formally makes her stomach turn. She knows she’ll need to go to the Hall of Justice for that, and she hopes whoever it is that she’ll encounter will take her bribe as well.
As if the universe heard her, a Peacekeeper truck appears in her field of vision just as they’re leaving the marketplace. June stiffens immediately and Birdie gingerly pulls her to the side of the dirt road so as to not get in the way. The tension in the air is palpable as residents are forced to make way for the truck, many pairs of eyes curiously watching them from the vehicle.
“Fresh recruits,” Birdie informs her, watching as the truck passes them. Her voice is a little louder so the other girl can hear her over the sound of the engine roaring. “They usually bring them here or somewhere else where it’s quiet. An easy start, I suppose.”
