The Hunger Games- What If's (Fan Fiction)

Chapter Twenty-One

   We all reach the house at about the same time, despite the fact that they refused to slow down even a bit for me. I'm still faster than them though, so it wasn't very hard to catch up to their skinny little running legs.

   "Mom?" I call after I open the door to our home. "Prim?"

   I guess it was weird for me to call for my mother as soon as I walk into the house, because she and Prim come running to me.

   "Is something wrong? Oh, hello children," my mother says as she notices the three Hawthornes.

   "Is it okay if they sleep here tonight? I figured they could play with Prim, and Gale can spend a little bit more time with Hazelle." I could tell that my mother is a bit hesitant to let them sleep at our house, since nobody really does that in this district, but as soon as she heard about Hazelle and Gale, all the hesitancy left her eyes.

   "Of course you can," she smile at them, and they come up to hug her.

   "Thank you so much!" Rory says, then looks at Vick and Posy, letting them know that they must say their thanks too.

   "Thanks!" Vick and Posy both say at the same time.

   My mother laughs. "You're welcome. Now, why don't we go find Prim? She's in the kitchen, trying to make a special mixture of herbs to cure sore throats."

   As soon as she said that, all three children took off down the short hallway into the kitchen.

   I thought my mother was about to tell them to stop running in the house, but she didn't. She only smiled, a real genuine smile.

   "I have to go change, so I'll be back in a little while," I'm about to walk out the still-open door, but I turn around again and say, "Actually, I think I'm going to go visit Hazelle again. Is that fine?"

   My mother turns to me. "As long as you're home before the crickets start to sing."

   The crickets start to sing a little while after the sun sets. "Okay," I say.

   Before I go, my mother gives me a hug and says, "I love you," into my hair.

   There's a brief moment before I nod into her shoulder and say, "I love you too."

   She pulls out of my arms and smiles. She nods, then shoo's me out the door.

   All the way to the little hut in the Seam, I can't stop thinking about how I told my mother I loved her too. I love her a lot more after the Games, and now that she's out of her stupor of sadness, but do I really love her? I feel like I don't. I know I don't. But I won't ever tell her that. If I did, our entire relationship would start to slowly decay until there is nothing left of it. Even if we always live in the same house, which will happen if I do not marry, we might not speak. I'll always have to look after her from now on, make sure she doesn't leave me and Prim again.

   I arrive at the hut. I slowly let myself out of the heavy jacket first, and set it on the back of a chair. Next I remove my hunting boots and slip on the pair of clean shoes I now must wear. I unbuckle the game bag, and it falls to the floor. Katniss roots pour out all across the floor. I forget that they were still in there.

   I sigh and collect them all again, putting each one back into the game bag.  I'll just take it with me; it's not really that heavy with only katniss roots in it.

   Before I leave for the Hawthorne residence, I look back at the small building. Buttercup didn't even bat an eyelash when I walked in. I notice now that she managed to steal a katniss root from the spillage, though. Oh well, that's not a big deal anymore. . .