Blood Of Panem: The 101st Hunger Games

Chapter 9 - Farewell

I was sitting in the lodging house, reading a book on our day-offs, when Shade thought that now was the best time for a joke. 

"Baby born with two heads? Must be from 2!" Shade joked while reading the paper, I rolled my eyes, Shade made these jokes every week, and somehow made them funnier every time.
"Very funny Shade!," Cypress said sarcastically
"Oh, come on sweetheart! At least kiss me!" Shade yelled at Cy
"NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!!" Cy yelled back, and they then proceeded to start to yell at each other for a solid 10 minutes, to which I rolled my eyes, seriously this happens every week, why am I still surprised when this happens?

"OH MY GOODNESS!! YOU TWO SHUT UP!!" Timber yelled
"Sorry Tim, forgive us, "Shade and Cy said simultaneously
"Ok, now kiss!" Willow yelled, and we all laughed, and they both blushed before we heard a throat getting cleared.

"Excuse me? Can I say something?" Cissa said loudly, I look up 
"Uh... Sure Cissa, what is it?" I ask
"Hold on, let me guess... FOUND SOME EXCITING NEWS!!" Silver said behind me
"Depends on how you look at..." Cissa muttered
"I got an opportunity... A really big one. President Gaul personally offered me a chance to study at The Capitol Academy," I could almost see everyone's jaw drop.

"The Capitol Academy? That's amazing!" Cy said enthusiastically with her eyes bulging, I then heard Shade whistle loudly
"Wow, Cissa. That's huge. What's the catch?" He asked, he looked like he was going to squeeze as much info as he could from her
"Well, I'd have to leave District 7. I'd be living in the Capitol. And one of the rules is that I can't come back here until I finish high school, or even contact anyone from the districts, President Gaul's orders," She said nervously

"So, you wouldn't be able to visit us?" Willow asked concerned about Cissa, and I was too, not being able to come back, hell she can't even talk to us
"Not until I graduate. It's a big commitment." Cissa said, and I agreed, it was a big commitment not being able to go back home until you finish high school
"That's a tough decision, Cissa. How do you feel about it?" Tim asked, Cissa just sighed
"I don't know. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but I'd be leaving all of you. This place has been my home, you're my family, I can't bear to not see you all for so long!" Cissa said almost crying

"Cissa, you have been given the biggest opportunity, that a District 7 citizen could dream of! You should take it!" I said to her standing up and approaching her
"And it's not like you're leaving us forever, we'll still be here, rooting for you," Conifer said nodding at what I had said
"Yeah, and think of all the stories you'll have to tell when you come back!" Silver said smiling
"It's okay to be scared, Narcissa. Big changes are always scary. But we'll always be here for you, no matter what." Cy said gently
"Plus, you'll get to show those Capitol folks what a real District 7 person is made of!!" Shade said grinning.

"You guys are the best. But... I don't know if I can do it. It's such a big change!" She said, tears in her eyes, I held her hand to comfort her
"Cissa, you've always been brave. Remember when we had to deliver those papers in the middle of that storm? You didn't back down then, so you shouldn't back down now." I told her
"Yeah! I remember that storm years ago! Got so sick!" Shade yelled
"And we told you to stay back here, and you didn't listen!"I yelled back
"Yeah Shade you should have stayed here, thank you, Hickory, you always know what to say," Cissa said smiling through tears
"We all believe in you, Narcissa. You've got this." Willow said support fully, She is right, we're all rooting for her
"And we'll be here, waiting to hear all about your adventures," Timber said
"I don't know what I'd do without you all. Thank you so much!" Narcissa said to all of us
"So, you're going to go for it then?" I asked smiling
"Yeah, I think I am, Hickory," She said nodding, I decided this the time
"Good, because we've got one more thing to say," I said grinning, as everyone nodded to tell me to do it, and so I did.

I leaned in and kissed Cissa softly, I had been wanting to do this since I was 8, and now I'm 13, I could hear the cheers of the other Newsies when I kissed her, I loved this girl so much and the best thing was that she was kissing me back, I was so focused on the kiss that I could hardly hear what everyone else was saying.

"About time!" Silver and Conny said while whistling
"Cy pay up!!" Shade yelled
"Fine... Here's the 5 Dollars..." Cy said depressingly

The kiss was the most passionate and best kiss I ever had because it was the only kiss I had ever had, I wished she could stay in the district with me, but her studying at the Capitol and enjoying life there was what truly mattered to me, when we finally pulled away, Shade was holding a 5 Dollar Bill, and Cy looked sad that she had lost money.

"That lasted for 10 Minutes!" Tim yelled, 10 minutes? It felt longer than that!
"We all knew this day would come!" Willow said happily
"You guys!" Cissa said blushing
"Now you got even more of a reason to come back!!" Conny said, I knew she would come back, if not for the Newsies, it would be for me
"I love you all! Some much! Thank you so much for everything," Cissa said tears in her eyes
"We love you too Cissa, now go show them what District 7 is made of!" I said loudly and everyone cheered as we all hugged Cissa

I woke up after the hug, sweat on my forehead that I quickly wiped away, I turned on my flashlight and realized that I was still in the cave, and I was still in the Hunger Games, I had dreamt about the day I kissed Cissa, but I knew that was real, it was 4 years ago, just after the 98th Hunger Games, when the flashback had accrued.

I looked over at Laura who was still sleeping, I checked my watch, it was 4:00 AM, I laid back down in the sleeping bag, thinking about her, Cissa, I knew she was in the Capitol, she couldn't go home after all, I didn't how much she had changed, maybe she doesn't want to go back home? maybe she doesn't love me? I shake my head getting rid of these thoughts, Cissa is a person who can never be corrupted, she's incorruptible, I thought about why she was selected, and then it hit me.

Cissa was always a speaker, someone who would voice a rebellion, someone who could lead a rebellion, and the peacekeepers must have noticed this and thought that sending her to the Capitol so they could corrupt her and twist her mind would make her loyal to the Capitol, it all made sense, President Gaul personally invited her to the Academy, something a kid could never get unless their family had the money.

The only thing I can't tell is whether she meant that she couldn't go back home, maybe she lied about that, but either way, Gaul might think that he had twisted Cissa's mind but from the sponsor she sent, it was clear this could have been farther from the truth, Narcissa Moriko was only loyal to one place... 

District 7.