The Future Mockingjay🕊️

Chapter Thirteen

▫️Katniss ▫️

I can't believe I forgot about the private training sessions. I smacked my head as I walked to the dining hall. Let's just hope that they did well. Today, Haymitch joins us. Drunk.

"Mommy!" Yells Willow. "The private training ses-"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I forgot. So how did it go?" I ask, interrupting my daughter with a dismissal wave of my hand.

"It was fine. Good, actually. I performed with the bow and arrows, knives and spears. They applauded me." Willow recalls, smiling ever so slightly.

"And me too. I just threw some weights. And used the knife too until they dismissed me." Thyme says.

"I didn't get dismissed, though. I just said 'watch out, Willow Mellark is here', curtsied and walked out winking. " Willow frowned.

I gave a gasp. That would either be an act of rebellion or just an act. I hope it's the latter.

"Oh, sweetie, you're supposed to let them dismiss you" I say, looking at her.

"Well, all that's done is done, so you can just forget it" Haymitch says, and guffaw. Guess he isn't that drunk.

"Well, Haymitch is right. We'll just wait for the results." Peeta says quietly, his face pale. Probably from the thought that Willow might have upsetted the Game Makers.

▫️Willow ▫️

After dinner, we all go to the sitting room to wait for the result. I wait impatiently, afraid of what I might find.

After a few minutes, Mark's familiar face pops up, and I catch my mom watching me carefully. Weird, but I carry on looking at the screen. He scored an 8. I sigh a little with relief, and when Perla's picture pops up, I look at Thyme, and realise mom was doing the same. I puzzle over it in my mind, but then Perla's score is flashing, and I am cheering. A 9. Slowly, tribute by tribute according to district, their scores are announced.

Suddenly, they are flashing Thyme's score. He received a 10. My dad hugged him tight, and my mom squeezed my hand in reassurance. My score is flashing, and there it is. They are flashing a 12. My mom is shouting happily, everyone is hugging me and I feel relieved. I guess the Game Makers liked my little performance there. I smiled to myself.

▫️Mark▫️

I watch my own score flash past. 8. Perla, 9. Thyme, 10. I wondered what he did that impressed the Game Makers. I just used the knives. Then, Willow's face is flashing. My heart raced for her.

A 12!

I almost screamed for joy, but didn't as I hear irritated remarks from my mentor. I saw Perla looking at her mentor warily. Her mentor's face was stony, sitting with her arms crossed over her chest. She huffed and puffed angrily. I watch my own mentor. He was more or less the same.

I sigh. Can I change the way they think about other districts?