Breaking Down Bridges ▸ Hunger Games

Chapter Seventeen: Alia Fletson

Chapter Seventeen:

Alia's POV

Everybody's waiting for you to break down

Everybody's watching to see the fallout

Even when you're sleeping, sleeping

Keep your eyes open

—Taylor Swift, "Eyes Open"

It took every fiber of my being to not explode with rage as soon as I saw Shawn's score. I was shaking and twitching with anger, clenching my fists into tight balls. If I had it my way, I would've run right up to Shawn and beat him to a pulp. But this was the real world, and things didn't always go my way.

Just, breathe, Alia. Relax. You know you deserved the score and he didn't. You earned that score. Be proud of that. Be optimistic.  My thoughts sounded really pathetic. It was like I was my own therapist to my occasional outbursts of anger.

But, unlike Cato, I had the willpower to control it and remain calm.

I turned to Cato, whose blue-green eyes filled with madness as the rage consumed him whole.

Without a single word, he stormed into the Training Center gym. I saw the whole thing on the nearby flat screen, of course.

He was laughing manically the entire time, which made Frost and his slave Gamemakers exchange confused glances. The next thing he did didn't shock me one bit, since I knew Cato so well. He threw a flaming sword right through a Gamemaker's chest. Of course, it just so happened to be the exact Gamemaker who he injured with the knife last year.

I had to admit, the look on President Frost's face when the blood splattered across him was funny, but that didn't change my anger towards Cato.

I could almost hear Alexis jeering, "See what you're marrying, Alia?" I'd like to beat her to a pulp, too. But she'll get in the arena; I know that for a fact.

As soon as I caught sight of Cato, a red tint came to his face. He knew I'd seen the whole thing. He then faked an innocent smile–like I'd ever fall for it–and said, "Hey, honey, how's it g—?"

Before he could finish his sentence, I smacked him across the face and whisper-hissed, "Are you crazy?!"

"Maybe," he replied with an indifferent shrug.

"Cato, you saw what happened to Cyra!"

"Yeah, but that was during the demonstration... and besides, Frost likes us..."

"That's not the point," I huffed.

I tried to keep up my serious act for as long as possible, but when I thought of Frost's reaction to it all, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Cato just gave me a confused stare.

"A second ago you were mad and now you're laughing...?"

I smiled. "Well, I'll admit, the look on Frost's face was priceless... but, seriously, I don't want him to try to kill you in the arena. He's got all  the power now... and we all know he's gonna abuse it."

"You saw the banners for the Opening Ceremony. He wants us to win... so he's not gonna wanna kill me," Cato responded matter-of-factly.

I sighed. "You've got a point... but please just save the killing until the arena... for me?"