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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54. the Pine
On Wednesday of the following week, a little over a week after Treech was finally able to come home, he resumes work at the lumber yard.
After Rachis had a long talk with his father, he stopped by a day after Treech’s and June’s visit to let them know that the man is willing to accept Treech’s offer — but only as long as the boy is not overexerting himself. Wounded deeply by his daughter’s death but knowing he needs to be strong for his son now, he caved after hearing the truth about what actually happened in the arena.
No one is to blame for the false information being spread. Even Birdie assures her little brother time and time again that misinformation can accidentally spread when people only pick up little bits of the truth, and that she’s sure there’s no malicious intent behind it. The only ones to blame are those who know they’re spreading misinformation about the boy, and his family and friends would be damned to let it slide if they witnessed it happening right in front of them.
But that’s just the problem. They don’t know how many people have heard the lies surrounding Lamina’s death, and while the girl was not known by everyone, Seven’s community runs so deeply that it doesn’t even matter. She was one of theirs, and betraying one of theirs can have harrowing consequences.
During the war, the Capitol feared Seven exactly because of that. They’re down-to-earth, humble, and easy to talk to, but a single drop of blood spilled on their end leads to disaster.
That aside, Lamina’s father felt so bad about June’s swollen nose that he sent over a bouquet of flowers for the girl. June was so touched that she almost cried and immediately put them in a vase upstairs in her and Treech’s room.
It's what she’s proclaiming it as now, although she can never quite get used to seeing him first thing in the morning. His warmth always engulfs her like a warm blanket, making it as good as impossible for her to get out of bed.
It’s a surprisingly cold morning that day; the sun has barely set when Treech, his father, and his little brother Buck are getting ready for work. His mother is awake as well, but that’s not common. Ever since she sustained her ankle injury and had to stay home, she has been making good use of the little extra sleep she could get until her younger children had to be up for school.
But today is special. It’s Treech’s first day back, and to say that he’s nervous would be the understatement of the century. He bounces his leg beneath the table the entire time he’s eating breakfast, often needs to be snapped out of a daze, and barely even touches his oatmeal.
He does, however, promise his mother he’ll eat sufficiently during the little lunch break they get. His father swears he’ll keep an eye on him (his wife makes him promise more than once that he will), and by the end of it all, Treech’s brother has a hard time containing himself. His amusement seems to outweigh his worry for his brother, but honestly, June almost feels like Treech appreciates it.
