Ripped - Hunger Games Fan Fiction

Punch - Chapter 5

"How's Chase?" I ask and he nods. "Good. "Just good? I would've thought he would have been through the roof?" I say holding his hand and entertwining our fingers. "He was at the start, he doesn't show it very much though," He says and I hug him. "I didn't realise how much he misses me," He says. "Well, maybe you should hang out with him sometimes," I say and he nods, "I will," He nods and takes a bite out of a roll. 

"So what did you guys do?" I ask and he answers once he is finished chewing. "Trained but not boring training, boxing mainly. Just play fights," He says and I laugh. "Chase took on you?" I ask and he looks at me and nods. "Yep. He's a tough kid," He says, "obviously," I say and he leans into me. I wrap my arm over his shoulders.

Isn't it usually the other way around?

"I don't like it this way," I say pushing him up and snuggling into his side. "Huh?" He says chuckling. "I like you hugging me, it feels weird the other way," I say pulling his arm around me. 

We sit like that for a while, not one of us talks, and it isn't awkward at all. That's the thing about us, there is never an awkward scilence. Never. We could not talk for 3 days and it wouldn't be awkward. I'm not saying I like sitting her in scilence, but it's comfortable.

"The list is up," He says and I snap my head up. "Great, have you had a look?" I ask in a shaky tone, "no," He says. "You going to?" He asks. "I suppose," I sigh and he stands up. "Where are you going?" I ask. "Look at the list," He says and I stand up. "I'll come." I say walking in front of him.

"Ah, Miss Emerald, you going to look at the list?" Mr Ross says walking past me. "Yep," I say walking past him and avoiding eye contact, "Good," He says. "Not really," I mutter under my breath.

We stand outside the door looking at eachother. "Ready?" He asks and I take his hand in mine and nod. "Yep," I say and he pushes the door open. We walk over to the list. "Do you want me to look?" He asks and I shake my head. "No, I'll look at the girl list, and you look at the boy's list," I say and he nods. 

I walk over to the list and scan my eyes through the list. Marina, Aurelia, Katrina & Taniesha. Not me. Yes! I don't really know any of the girls, but I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for anyone who has to be forced into these games. Not that they are forced. 

"Emerald?" Cato's voice says coming over to me, "Are you on it?" He asks. "No," I say, "you?" I ask and he pauses. "Are you?" I say, worry creeping into my voice. "Cato," I say grabbing both of his hands in mine. "Are you on the list?" I say and he nods. 

It feels like a punch in the stomach. "I might volunteer, my dad will probably make me, but I don't want you too. If I go there with you, one of us will die, if you don't come, I can win and come back to you," He says squeezing my hands. 

Tears well up in my eys and I throw my arms around his neck and bury my face into his chest. "Please, don't go," I say sobbing. "I couldn't watch you kill people," I say and he strokes my hair. "The other guys up on the list, I've seen them work, they aren't that good. Don't you want district 2 to win?" He says and I nod, "But not you," I say. "Honestly, Emerald look at me," He says pushing me back. 

"I won't let anything happen to me," He says, looking at me with his beautiful eyes. "I promise," He says. "If you go, I'm going," I say and he shakes his head. "Don't you see that one of us will die," He says and I nod. "It will be me, but if you die, and I'm back here in district 2, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I would lose it, I couldn't just sit here," I say more tears falling over the edge osf my eyes.

"Emerald, don't come with me. I might not even go! Someone else might volunteer, who wasn't on the list. I might not even have to volunteer, I might get reaped?" He says and another punch in my stomach. I might get reaped too. "What if we both get reaped and no-one volunteers," I say and he shakes his head. "Don't worry," He says.

"Come on, You can stay at my house tonight," He says, pulling me into a hug and kissing the top of my head.