ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ɢᴀᴍᴇꜱ

4-The Train Ride: Penn

I'm not surprised when Maeve sprints to the bathroom. Her face had been turning an ugly shade of green with every one of Stafford's words.

"Well, she's dead," he mutters, rolling his eyes.

Lenora's hands fly to her mouth. Librae lets out a breathy gasp. As for me, I clench my jaw and remind myself of all the things preventing me from practicing my murder techniques on him.

"Excuse me?" My voice drops.

Stafford shrugs, obviously unbothered. "She's already dead! If the girl can't even stand the thought of killing someone, she'll be killed before the end of the first hour."

You think I don't know that? Why do you think I volunteered? I hate that he's not wrong, but even more, I hate that he talks about Maeve like she's some sort of animal. I push back my chair and put both hands on the table, leaning towards the man. "That's my sister you're talking about. Take it back."

"That's the spirit!" My mentor exclaims, dryly enthusiastic. "Save that attitude for the arena and maybe you'll join us in the Victor's Village!"

I grit my teeth. "Take. It. Back."

"Boys-" Lenora starts, but Ron and I snap our necks in her direction and cast a death glare at her, shutting her right up. Librae, wisely, stays silent and simply observes the scene with wide eyes.

"Don't act like you don't know it's true," he continues. "The girl is useless. She's a stick and she has no guts-"

"Take it back!" My hands slam on the mahogany wood.

Stafford laughs ruefully. "Are you threatening me, boy?"

I incline my brow as if to say, so what if I am?

"It would be in your best interests," he says, dropping his voice dangerously low, "not to upset me, boy."

I wet my lips and regard him coldly. He's right and we both know it. Once we're in the arena, he'll be the one deciding my fate. What he chooses to send me with the sponsor money could define life or death. But he insulted my sister and I don't want to let him get away with that.

Finally, I lower myself back into my seat, chest rising and falling rapidly from the left over adrenaline.

Stafford grins. "Good choice. You may have a chance yet." He clears his throat. "As I was saying, utilize training as much as possible. You have more experience than the lesser Districts, but that's no excuse to get sloppy. Once you're in the arena, you find the Careers and you stick with them until you're guaranteed a kill."

"Be sure to choose the best allies," Librae says quietly. She hasn't spoken a word since Maeve left and, quite frankly, I forgot she was there. "The Careers aren't always the best choice. If you can't trust them not to slit your neck while you're asleep, don't ally with them."

Lenora nods sagely and Stafford even gives a begrudging huff of approval before continuing with his own advice. "Get to the Cornucopia and stay there. The other tributes will know right where you are, but you'll have the high ground. You've got the weapons and all the supplies, plus shelter right in the palm of your hand. If you want to win the Games, that's where you want to be."

I give him a curt nod to show that I understood, even though the last thing I want to do is take advice from him, and rise from my seat. I don't like sitting still any more than I like being in the same room as Stafford, so I wander to the next train cart, checking both concerns off the list.

"Mae?" I wrap my knuckles against a door that I assume is the bathroom and then try the door. It's unlocked so I poke my head in. "You alright?"

She looks up, curled in a ball with her back against the wall. She nods. Always has been a terrible liar. I crouch down beside her and brush the hair sticking to her tears out of her face. Maeve leans into me and rests her head on my chest, a position so very familiar. She stays strong until I'm the only one who can see and then falls apart on my shoulder. That's the way it's always been and that's how it'll always be.

Maeve sniffles. "I don't know if I can do this, Penn."

My steely heart shatters into a thousand pieces as I stroke her hair. "Don't say that. You're not doing it alone. That's where we've got the advantage."

She looks up at me, blinking the remnants of tears from her dark lashes. "Why did you volunteer? One of us-" she chokes on another sob- "one of us won't go home now."

"You really think I'd abandon you now? Here I am, keeping you alive for fifteen years and you're suggesting I let all my hardwork go to waste. Yeah, I don't think so."

A wry huff of amusement escapes her. Exactly what I was hoping for. She's silent for a moment before adding, "You'll win it, even if it means I die, ok?"

"Did you not hear my whole monologue?"

"Penn, I'm serious," Maeve says. I suppose there's no skirting this conversation.

"If that's what you want," I mutter unconvincingly.

"Promise?"

I almost choke. "Mae, that's not fair-"

"Promise?" She repeats as if I didn't hear her the first time.

I grit my teeth and avoid her eyes. "I promise."

A lie.

The train slows. I grab Maeve's hand and pull her out of the bathroom. We've arrived. 

*A/N if you enjoyed, go show your support by voting on my character's sections in @AnonymousMockingjay's Competition Book! Thank you!*