Make Them Burn

Delly Cartwright

CHAPTER 14: DELLY CARTWRIGHT

For some reason, I seek out Everdeen's company in the next few days. I've been a terrible friend to Everdeen here, even though we've never actually been friends at all. But now is when she needs friends most. Now Everdeen is able to speak, and she lost her neck shackle.

When I approach her in the halls, she merely looks surprised. Words aren't seeming to form on my tongue, so I gently take her arm and lead her to my compartment to talk.

I sit down on Chase and my bed, and she sits down at Lilyanna's close one. "How are you?" I ask awkwardly.

Everdeen shrugs indifferently.

I don't know what I'm doing until I do it. I sweep Katniss Everdeen up into a hug.

She reacts unfamiliarly to my touch, like she did in the halls, but I still hug her anyway. Once she realizes I'm not going to hurt her, though, she melts into the hug.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Everdeen."

She nods from inside the hug.

It's Haymitch who comes and finds us, still awkwardly hugging. It takes him a moment to get over the sight, but then he proceeds to tell us what's going on. They're going to try and help Peeta, find someone from 12 to talk to him. Someone who wouldn't remind him of Everdeen.

When we reach the hospital room that has been turned into a work space for Peeta, I see Plutarch speaking with a young girl. She smiles an overly friendly smile at Everdeen. "Katniss!" she calls out.

"Hey, Delly." Everdeen says.

The first thing I notice about Delly, is that her hair is beautiful. It's golden, in a practical braid. She's a very pretty girl, and for a split second, I wonder if she and Peeta might've been involved. No, of course not. Peeta's only had eyes for Everdeen since they were 5. Isn't that what they said in her interviews?

"How are you doing?" Everdeen asks her.

Her round and innocent eyes become wet with tears. "Oh, it's been a lot of changes all at once." She says. "But everyone's really nice here in Thirteen, don't you think?"

Everdeen nods. "They've made an effort to make us feel welcome. Are you the one they've picked to see Peeta?"

Delly sighs. "I guess so. Poor Peeta. Poor you . I'll never understand the Capitol." she says, innocent face contorting in confusion.

"Better not to, maybe." Everdeen says. She glances at me. "This is Alex Winter. Alex, this is Delly Cartwright."

I extend my hand and she takes it.

Delly smiles at me with unconditional kindness. I can see why her and Peeta got along so well. "You went in the arena with Peeta and Katniss!" She cries. Her face gets serious all of a sudden. "Thank you for taking care of them, you're a very strong woman."

"Delly's known Peeta for a long time." Plutarch tells me.

She nods, for once her face lightening up a little. "Oh, yes!" Delly cries. "We played together from when we were little. I used to tell people he was my brother."

"What do you think?" Haymitch asks Everdeen. "Anything that might trigger memories of you?"

Everdeen shrugs. "We were all in the same class. But we never overlapped much." She replies.

"Katniss was always so amazing, I never dreamed she would notice me," says Delly. "The way she could hunt and go in the Hob and everything. Everyone admired her so."