Break The Rules But Be Smart About It: The Second Quarter quell

chapter nine

6:00am

My head makes a sharp turn down, and I glance at her, hoping she won't see me.

I couldn't kill her, and she couldn't kill me. My best bet would be to leave her alone and not say a word to her. I try to sit back, and what some might say 'relax.' I sit back, and I hear her humming and skipping. The bright light reflects on her honey-colored hair, she hums an old folk song, but I try not to hum along because she will quickly lay eyes on me. I lay back, and she walks right in front of the branch I am strapped on.

Penelope looks up at the tree and says, "Oh god no," her eyes roll at me, and I reply, "did you miss me?" Penelope replies sarcastically, "i know you love me Haymitch Abernathy" I roll my eyes and take off my jacket. She looks straight at me and says, "well aren't you going to ask me to go up or am I supposed to just sit here" I reply, "Penelope, Penelope Marie, Miss well, how should I put this well, Ms.Dramatic would you care to join me for well nothing to eat but well fine company" she does a curtsy and climb the tree. She gets stuck onto the vines, and In helps her unravel herself. She ends upright on the branch that is on top of me, and she says, "this is the first and last time, I pray that I will ever be in this position" I reply, "agreed" she ties herself to a higher branch and gets acquainted with the area, she sets her backpack on a branch and lays back on it. She says, "Well, Mr.Abernathy do you intend on killing me anytime soon?" I reply, "shut up." She laughs, and I say, confused actually, "wasnt your hair lose in the bloodbath?" She replies, "well yes, but I have a head full of curly hair and I can't stand to have in everywhere, 'afro' like so when I entered this jungle I made a hair tie" I reply, "really.. you didnt look for food, didnt look for shelter? you just went gee i'm going to make a hair tie!' she says "well yes, in eleven we didn't have money or manufactures to make or buy hair ties so my friends and I would make our own.. and I could care less for shelter, or food. If somebody doesn't kill me, I'll die of starvation. I don't care. Plus, back in 11, I have gone months without eating and years without shelter," I reply "it's not like any of the other districts haven't gone through that but to make you happy, I guess, ill say, "thats though."Anyways I had a hair tie that was made by a friend, Dahlia," she replies "Dahlia? What are the whispers about Dahlia? Since we're going to die soon, I might well have some gossip to look forward to? You might have forgotten, but I'm a girl. We like these things," I reply "don't worry," we laugh for a seconds and I say "well, random, but Dalhia is annoying.. not much about her. She's quite serious. Dahlia was a nurse to my mom when she gave birth to my brother" she replies "brave, I hate blood" I look down at myself as my shirt is drenched with blood and my upper body filled with scars "so this doesn't bother you?" She replies "your dumb" I nod my head but silence raises on the air, hours pass by and to spark conversation I say "Coffee?" She replies "are you like an alcoholic or something?.. I heard Maysilee talking to one of the girls saying how you all would drink every night," I reply "wow, news travels fast. it's not like Maysilee didn't have a bottle for herself one in a while but, No I am Not an alcoholic, but it is one of my proffered drinks. Coffee Ms.Dramatic," she replies in a capitol accent, "why yes, Mr.Abernathy" I unzip the main zipper from my backpack and take out the gold thermos from my backpack and hand it to her. She removes the cap and raises the thermos slightly. "To us, and may the odds be ever in our favor," she says again in her interpreted capitol accent.

Time passes by, and we drink, sharing the hot coffee; we mostly talk nonsense but, around 10 am and the sunset starts to form. I say, "we should leave.. get out of here find somewheres else to go to," she says "so were a we now," I reply, "im not killing you or leaving you, so were a we," and she gives an honest smile.

We pick up our things and slowly make our way out of the tree. Her legs are short verses mines, and I have to help her off the tree so she doesn't break them. Weird how if I were to grab maybe, Amy or Effie by the waist, they would take something by it, but Penelope doesn't even think about it twice. We fall to the mud ground and head the opposite way in which we both came from. In the meantime, we walk through the jungle. Penelope tries to kick a pebble, but it turns to be a turtle shell, and she bruises her foot. I say to her, "oh yeah everything is extremely heavy for some reason." She says, "that was a turtle but now is when your brilliant mind decides to let me know," I say as she finds a place to sit "hey you never asked so I never said," she replies, "so you dont intend to kill me just torture me" I reply sarcastically "my thoughts exactly Ms.Dramatic" Penelope rolls her eyes. She places her hand on what appears to be a rock, but she screams.