Broken Promises

chapter 8

Jason clasps his hand over her soft lips. She roughly pushes his hand away and moves closer to the leaves to hear the voices below. She looks beautiful in the dim of the moonlight, her grey eyes alert and glistening with curiosity. He just wants to reach out and pull her thin, curvy body towards his and kiss her with all the emotions he’s been keeping inside just allow them to pour out. His lustful thoughts are broken when Athena scoots back closer to him on the branch.  Her scowl is undeniable.

                “Your friends are down there.” She hisses through clenched teeth. Jason looks down to see the Careers talking and giggling about how disgusting the ‘Star Crossed Lovers from District 7’ are. He smiles at the sound of it. Star crossed lovers from District 7. Has a ring to it. He’s awoken from his daydream by Athena’s small hand smacking him in the back of the head.

                “Ow!” He whispers under his breath as he rubs his head vigorously. She glares at him like she’s never heard anything this barbaric.

                “Why are they talking about us?” She whispers as anger clearly drips from her words.

                “I may have befriended Gray.” He flinches back reflexively knowing she’s either going to start screaming at him or hit him. He’s come to notice that for such a small girl, she’s very vicious. He quite enjoys it actually, finding it a major turn on. As suspected, she smacks me across the face. A burning sting spreads from his cheek throughout the rest of his face. He stares at her in awe as she raises her arm to smack him again when he grabs her skinny wrist, preventing her.

                “We’re allies remember?” He whispers seductively into her ear.

*

                Athena rips her arm from his grasp and makes a mental note not to never let him grab her again. The dumb smile on his face isn’t helping the fact that she wants to pummel him until he cries. If Tyler were here, he would beat Jason up for her. If Tyler were here. She misses him so much already and they’ve only been apart for a little over a week. Her train of thought crashes when she hears Twinkle mention her name.

                “I want to find Athena and rip her limb from limb. The thought of her in that disgusting spinach dress makes me want to barf. What was her stylist thinking?” A round of snickers follows. Athena knew the dress looked like spinach! Wait until she sees Genevieve. If she even makes it out of this arena to see her.

                “Maybe they’re near the carousal.” Lux suggests. They gather their weapons and head in the opposite direction of their tree. Athena and Jason don’t speak until the sound of the Careers’ boots fade.

                “This is your entire fault!” She screams at him. He flinches then relaxes when he doesn’t receive the blow. She rolls her eyes venomously. He grabs her hand and pulls her close, encasing her in his warmth.

                “Why do you act like you’re so strong all the time?” He pecks her neck lightly with a tender butterfly kiss. She wriggles from his tight hold and rubs her neck in disgust. She hops down from the tree with her axe in one hand and backpack in the other. Jason soon follows after her and whips her around to face him.

                “What do you want from me Athena? WHAT DO YOU WANT?! YOU HAVE TO TALK TO ME. I'M HERE FOR YOU!” He shouts in her face not even caring if any tributes hear him. She glances away from his bright green eyes and thinks of his question. What does she want? She wants to go home and see Tyler, and kiss him again. She wants to see her parents and hug them again. She wants to able to run through the woods and be free again. That’s when she finally breaks down. All the emotions she’s been keeping inside just pour out of her like a geyser. She starts crying and falls to her knees with her face cradled in her palms. She starts trembling, gasping and bawling all at once. Jason’s muscular arms wrap around her instantly and he begins rocking her in his lap. He tries to soothe her by rubbing her back and whispering reassuring words into her ear that don’t even register in her mind. She only hears herself, she sounds like a wounded animal in the arms of its owner. She sounds weak. This is a side of her she’s never seen, and doesn’t want to see again. She pulls herself from his hold and wipes her teary eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. Jason stares into her eyes and can see the hurt in them and knows she’s not okay.

                “It’s okay to cry. Just tell me what you want me to do. What can I do to make it better?” He pleads with sorrowful eyes.

                “I want to go home.” She whispers finally, so quietly as to not make herself cry again. Jason nods understandably as if knowing that would be her answer.

                “Then you’re going to have to work with me.” His dark green eyes rip through her insides. She nods her head slowly. He outstretches his hand as Athena interlocks her fingers with his.