A Caged Bird: The 67th Hunger Games

Chapter 7

Back to Piper’s POV

            I lay on my bed contemplating how my life got so messed up so fast. It was only a few short days ago that I was content living in District 4. Going to the water every day and fishing was what I had planned out for the rest of my life. And I was completely fine with that. The job itself was not tedious, as I had been doing it my entire life. But now, I am in a new place with few friendly faces surrounding me. I wish Gull was here to talk to me and tell me everything is going to be alright.

            And the whole Brant situation makes everything even worse. Things got so complicated so quickly since that night we had our paper conversation in my room on the train. I like him, I really do. But I can’t let that influence my judgment in these Games. If I’m ever to get home, I need to keep a clear head and make the best decisions for myself…and Brant.

            No! Only me! If I think too much of Brant, there is no possible way I can win. Tears stream down my face as I realize what I’m thinking. I care too much for him. I could never see him die and be sane. His life, marred by disability and misfortune, is too important to me.

            I keep telling myself I don’t care and the only important thing is me winning. But I’m not the only one that deserves to win. Brant shouldn’t even be here, but the Capitol doesn’t care or think of those things. All of us tributes only serve as a token of our District to the Capitol, almost as my piece of rope from Gull serves as my token. Which reminds me, I never found out what Brant’s token was.

            I feel horrible. Brant never did me any wrong and I keep pushing him away. It’s clear that he likes me and I like him. But we could never be together. The Capitol would never allow it. There can only be one victor.

            I don’t know what to do. I feel helpless. Finally a boy likes me, and I can never be with him. I like him. A lot. There’s so much about him that intrigues me more and more every day we spend together in the Capitol. I want to know what he’s thinking all the time. I love it when he holds my hand or hugs me. His skin on my skin makes my stomach do a flip. His eyes are the most beautiful blue. I could just swim in them like the ocean itself. I almost like the way his face looks when he’s thinking hard about something that he knows he can’t tell me. I love how he thinks so logically about everything and puts up with my random antics. He really does care for me.

            I sit up on my bed. What am I doing? All the things I just said about him say it’s right to be with him, when my head says the opposite. Ever since I got here, I’ve been forcing myself to use my head and think strategically because that might get me out of these games alive. But the Capitol wants me to think like ruthless killer. What if for once, a tribute used their heart to win, and not their head? Maybe they wouldn’t even win, but the principle of the thing could send shockwaves of hope to all the districts.

            My head says Brant will hold me back from the ultimate prize, but my heart says I need him with me through this trial to survive, physically and emotionally. For once, I think my heart may be right.

            Without Brant in my life, I don’t know how I could cope. Just being around him makes me want to smile, and without him, I might never smile again. His strength makes me stronger and in his weakness makes me want to magically fix him even though I can’t.

            My heart IS right.

            I DO need him in my life. And even though I don’t know how long that life together will be, I still want to make the most of it. But how do I tell him after all the times I pulled away from his touch or his adorable smirks just to save my own heart? I figure the same route that I always go with Brant is the right one: the straight-forward truth.