The 70th Hunger Games

Chapter Twelve

As we pull apart I hear a soft splashing but I ignore it. His hand is still on my cheek. His eyes look into mine and I smile, biting my lip. I just kissed Chris, my best friend in the entire world. He's like a brother to me. Is it wierd that I kissed him? Absolutely most defiantly. But I have a strange glow inside that makes me wonder if I liked it more than I should. After all, the small voice in the back of my head keeps saying 'finally. You should have done this years ago.'

The splashing sounds again and I look towards the lake to see a parashoot almost silently moving towards us.

I grin, scooping it out and opening it quickly. Inside is a pot of cream and some bandages. I pull out a slip of paper. "Close to believing it myself. Now wink to assure me it's not true - F"

I look to the floor and then look up to the sky and wink. But then I look back at Chris and I'm filled with doubt and confusion all over again.

I push the thoughts of the kiss to the back of my mind and turn back to the parashoot. I open the small silver pot to find some gel which I guess to be medicine. I take Chris's hand and gently massage it into his cuts. He doesn't flinch. He just watched my face with a small smile, his ocean blue eyes misted with thought. Using the bandages I wrap it around his cut a few times. I find a sharp stone to cut away the excess bandage and place it in the chest pocket for safe keeping.

"Two parashoots so far," I say.

"We must be popular," Chris grins back. I know we're popular. The capital showed us that in our interviews and on the night of the chariots parade. Its because we have romance. Love in a career pack is strange. Doesn't quite match. And they must know that there's more to our story than we're letting on. Its not like we haven't hinted enough.

I stand and offer him a hand, which he excepts, and I pull him to his feet. I keep his bandages hand in mine and lead him back to the cornucopia.

Marla is sitting in the corner, a sulky expression on her face. She glares at Chris who smiles cheerily back. Something or someone has miraculously calmed him down.

Tiger has a smirk on his face, though this is not new. He seems spiteful and cruel and overly pleased that Marla's plan failed. I hate the two of them, more than one can imagine.

I sit by the deer and pull out the knife. "You don't have to do that," Vine begins.

"I know. But I will. Someone find me something to put the guts in. Ready to take to a hole to bury or something," I instruct and she nods. She pulls on Butch's arm and leads him away to search for anything.

I slice open his stomach and open it up, grimacing at the view. I can see it all, the lungs, the heart, the liver, the stomach, all the colour of raw meat, all surrounded by blood. I bite my lip. There is only one way to do this.

Reminding myself that this is a deer, not a tribute I take hold of the heart with my bare hands and begin slicing away. I gulp. I want to screw up my eyes and look away but if I do I could cut myself. I resist the urge to throw up and move to the lungs, then the kidneys, then the stomach.

A hand is placed on my shoulder. I look around. "Want me to carry on?"

I shake my head. "Not with your hand like that. I'll continue," I say.

Chris sits down besides me for support. My hands are now covered in blood and I'm breathing quickly to restrain from bursting into tears. I'm on the last organ now. I look at Chris who looks deep into my eyes. He channels his faith. I can tell my the look in his eyes that he's remembering the kiss. He smiles slightly and I blush. But his faith has given me strength. I cut through the last organ and pull out the ribs. After I've skinned it I cut up the meat, putting the rest in a thermal sheet for safe keeping. Then I wash off the blood... And throw up behind a bush.