Raina

You know, I've been very grateful for the amount of hugs I am receiving, but it it's starting to feel out of pity. But when Prim hugs me when I see her in the dining hall, I don't feel an embrace out of any pity, I sense friendship. I know this because it's a tight, literal breathtaking hug. The thought makes me smile.

"Well hey," I chuckle.

"I want today to be fun! Being a refugee doesn't mean that our lives are completely gone, so I can't wait," she tells me as we sit down at a lunch table with our trays of wild dog stew.

"Sounds exciting," I say truthfully.

We skip out on small talk and tell each other interesting things about our lives. Including our problems and insecurities. Prim explains how after her sister won the hunger games, everyone in her classes at school wanted to become her best friend, solely for just what she had. Winning fame and forever fortune hadn't changed her lovely personality at all, but she was annoyed by all the teens trying to take advantage of her. She tells me about District twelve's bombing, how she had ran back to save her cat, causing Katniss and Peeta to run back into the ash filled no-mans-land to look for her.

"I feel guilty, you know? Risking my life to save my pet, causing them to risk their lives to save mine? I mean, don't get me wrong. I would go back for Buttercup any day. It's just that you have to try, at least. Try not to leave your friend behind."

"I see why you went back for him. You can't leave him behind. I know how that feels. More than you'd think. But, knowing that I couldn't do anything to save Kolton and bring him back to thirteen puts a burden on me."

"Well as you said, you're watching over his family. That's more than what he could ask of you. That's a real friend."

I guess Primrose and I can relate to each other on more levels than I thought.

"I just don't understand why they are keeping Kolton, and haven't killed him already." I state.

"That's because district thirteen can technically be the face of this rebellion. We have Katniss and Peeta to lead us. Who does President Snow have? Kolton. They're using your ally as a weapon, the same way they're ours. Without your friend, Snow has nothing to use against any of us. He's trying to break you. And by keeping him alive, he aspires to do just that."

I look into her intelligent blue eyes.
"That's a really.. Smart evaluation."

"It's the only logical one I can think of."

I tell her about my life and how it was back at home before the games. The older sister who was never there, just in other people's pants. The beautiful younger sister I had, who was twelve. The lovely, caring mother who really did love me. My once perfect father, who died from illness.

"It hit me that they're truly gone the same day I found out my mom had left me Rosie. The journal I was given said that they made sure the baby would be taken to the hovercraft first. I conclude that they were too busy writing in that journal to get the hell out of that bombing. We were always late to everything, I guess they were too little, too late."

"Think of this, now you have a beautiful little sister to help raise. She'll be the best thing that'll ever happen to you, considering the circumstances."

"That makes me feel better," I exclaim.

"So about Kolto-" she starts, but I then hear a loud slap on the table. Prim and I jump.
The slap was Charity's lunch tray.

"You don't find if I sit here, do you?" she puts a fake smile on, turning to look at Prim. She sits down without our consent anyway.

"Talking about my boyfriend, aren't you? Well, newsflash, psychopathic murderer. He's mine."

"First of all, I don't want your boyfriend." I state.

"And second, if it weren't for Raina, your precious boy toy wouldn't be alive." says Prim. My eyes widen at her, surprised by the lip she gave Charity.

"If you don't want my Koltie bear, then why are you always around his family, sweet talking them up? Knowing they hate me!"

"Because he's my friend! I vowed to protect his family and I'm going to. Because that's what friends do!"

"You want in his pants!"

"I don't care what you think I want, Charity! I just want him alive!" I raise my voice.

"And I don't?"

"They're all right, it really is charity work to put up with you," says Prim, rolling her big doughy eyes.

"Listen here, blondie-" she's interrupted by the sound of Prim's name being called by Katniss. I stare down Charity as Katniss slowly makes her way to the table.

"Hey, where's the other half of Everlark?" I ask.

"Ever- what now?" asks Katniss, biting her nails.

"You know, Everdeen and Mellark...Kolton made it up."

"Kolton made it up," mocks Charity, repeating my sentence, high pitched like a child would. I roll my eyes.

Katniss looks at Charity like a career in the games. A threat. She must be so confused to who this annoying clod is.

"Peeta is sleeping with Rosie while she naps. I came down here to check on Talisa. Can't seem to find her."

She looks around and over Charity's big fat head. The next thing I know I hear the sound of Caesar Flickerman introducing a special guest. I look up from my poor excuse for a meal and see the screen cut to Kolton. (No offense Greasy Sae.)

I watch, pretending to be less interested than I actually am. Charity does the opposite, and dramatically gasps.

"What are they doing to my baby? His cheeks are hollow! I don't want to date a skeleton!"

"Listen here you selfish little-" Prim goes to threaten, but Katniss cuts her off.

"Don't even bother." She tells her. Soon the room goes quiet as they listen to the interview.

"Now, Mr. Helia. Did you know that your mentors were planning a deranged scheme to spark a rebellion?"

"My allies and I. We had no idea."

"Something tells me your answer can be debatable, Kolton."

"What else is there for me to say? I didn't know what they were planning, or how they were going to do anything. But they tried to promise me that they'd get me out of the arena. And they didn't. The important thing is, they tried. That I am thankful for."

"But it is claimed that you said you don't want them to pull out a rebellion against the Capitol. What are you saying, so you still want a cease fire?"

I see the flicker in his eyes. The look he gives before telling a lie. This. This is a huge lie. He sighs deeply.

"Yes. My answer remains the same. Lay down your.." he pauses.

I close my eyes, shaking my head as he continues.

"Lay down your weapons, hide your family, take cover. They're coming for you. District 13, if you're watching. You'll be dead by morning. All of you!"

Kolton immediately stands and a peacekeeper knocks the camera onto the white tiled floor. I hear his faint voice screaming.

"Raina! If you're alive, Protect your family!"

The television screen goes black.

It feels like I've been punched in the stomach, with the wind knocked the hell out of me. Protect my family? What family is he talking about?

"Well, if they weren't going to kill him, then they certainly are now!" I blurt out.

"Like I said, Raina. They can't kill him. Then they'll have to surrender. They'll have nobody at all to use against us. But believe me when I say they'll punish him."

A "this is not a drill" announcement is made very shortly after by President Coin. Every resident of District 13 stands up and heads to the exits. Going to the place where we take cover when a bombing strikes. Everything would be fine if people didn't freak out. Charity included. Some are running, screaming. Others try and tell them to remain calm but that doesn't help. In the chaos I lose Prim. My breathing is unsteady. What if Peeta is still sleeping? If Katniss is looking for Prim? The same way I am?

"Excuse me." I start tapping people on the shoulder in my hysterical state.

"Can you please help me?" I ask so many people, but they don't even stop to turn down my question and just keep walking.

"Please, help me find my family."

More people ignore me.

"Prim? Where are you?"

Soon after everyone starts to stare at me, the girl who is breathing so heavily and can barely stand as she pushes through people.
I hear Prim's name along with mine being called loudly. I turn my head behind me. Nobody. I look to my right and see Katniss, cutting through people. Gale and Peeta following, holding my sister.
"Where is she?"
My breathy words barely answer on the edge of tears.
"I don't know."

Katniss and I exchange confused glances before we conclude.

"She went back for the cat!" shouts Katniss, saying it a second before I could.

Peeta carefully places Rosie in my possession.
He places a hand on Gale's shoulder and turns to him.

"Please, keep them safe."

I don't have time to understand the look in Gale's eyes when he instantly agrees. I've only met Gale one other time, when it was said that we was Katniss's friend. If he is associated with her, he must be trustworthy.

Katniss starts running through people, calling her sister. Peeta quickly behind her, apologizing for all the shoulder bumps.

"Here, I'll carry her." says Gale, opening his big, massive arms. I stare at him for a second. Trying to decide if I really should trust him. I then rethink, knowing it will only be easier if he carries her.

"Okay." I gently give Rosemary to Gale, and he starts to speedwalk a different route than Katniss went.

"Let's get you both to the bunks."

"What about Prim?"

"They'll find her."

"And my allies? One of them is pregnant."

"They'll be okay."

"How do you know?" I ask, stubbornly.

"Because, if they follow Coins directions, they'll get to the bunks safely. I promise."

I keep my mouth shut. Letting Gale bring me to safety.

We are brought to a series of spiral steps, that seems a mile long.

"Don't trip. Water will spray soon, and it could get slippery, don't stop for anything." Gale says, leading the way in front of me.

I follow him, and soon enough, lights go dark and everyone on the stairs gasp, as water sprays from the top of the ceiling. It's still light enough to see where to go, but crowds of people have trouble.
I see a girl slip on the stairs beside me, and she goes face first into a step. People either quickly go over the girl or nearly stomp on her. I can't leave her there to get trampled. Gale stops to let an elderly man go by, and he turns to look at me. Making sure I'm still behind him.

"Come on," I pull the girl to her feet. She coughs a little, blood dripping from her nose.

"Raina?" she says. I know this girl. It's the career I saved from the arena. District partners with Roman. The person who could have easily ended my life, but didn't.

"Let's go!" I grab her arm and continue down the staircase, letting her put weight on me. I spot the last couple of steps. Gale leads us on through open cement doors and I cough some water that lodged in my throat.

"Why was it spraying water?" the girl asks me.

"I don't know. Is my sister soaked?" I walk over to Gale, letting the career follow me. Rosemary starts to fuss and cry.

"She's dry. Just the bottom of her blanket got wet."
He takes the blanket off her and hands her over. I hold her close to me on my shoulder, placing my hand on her head, the other supporting her. Her cries go quiet and she grabs strands of my dripping wet hair.

I'm assigned a bunk with Prim, in a compartment. But Prim isn't here. Katniss and Peeta aren't checked into bunks either. Which means they're still searching. I thank Gale, and walk over to the girl before heading to my compartment.

"Are you alright?" I ask her. She doesn't look entirely beat up, but not great. Her pant leg is pulled up showing the minor scrapes from her fall. Her nose has stopped bleeding, as she was given a cloth.

"Yes, the games have got us worse." she smiles at me.

"I never caught your name," I say, adjusting Rosie so she's more comfortable.

"Kalani."

"Well, thanks for not killing me, Kalani."

"Thanks for almost killing me," she answers.

"Yeah. Sorry for that."

"I forgive you. But yanking a girl's ponytail is off limits, you should have known that." she smiles playfully.

I chuckle. "Well, see you around. Stay safe," I tell her. She nods.
I watch the door intensely, waiting for Katniss.

Katniss

"Go, Katniss. I'll get her."

I hold Prim's cat. My sister was trampled by a stampede of selfish dumbass refugees trying to run to the stairs as they count down the seconds where the doors to the bunk close. If you don't make it in time, you're stuck out here. Peeta lifts Prim into his arms and carries her, people finally take notice she's hurt and they all step out of the way, letting us get by a little easier.

These spiral steps make it look like it's down pouring.
I take the first step and slip on my ass. The cat starts to squirm in my arms and I yell at it.
"Stay still if you want to live!"
He flips out due to the water that soaks his fur. I give in and stuff the animal in my shirt, holding it at the bottom to support him. I stand up and start running down the stairs, Peeta behind me.

"Go, Katniss. Hurry!"

The amount of stairs there are becomes tedious. But when I see the bottom, the door starts closing. I look to my left and see Roman passing me, carrying Talisa.

"Keep that door open!" I yell to them. They nod.
As soon as they reach the bottom, Roman places her down and they both push either side of the door to further extend it. It only works for so long. Enough time to get another forty people to safety. I'm still on the last few steps and I barely make it through the doors. I shake the cat out of my shirt and pull the door open as hard as I can, trying to get Peeta and Prim through. I'm yelling for them to pull, and I see Finnick come and join me to help, along with Gale. They eventually make it through the doors, with no room to spare. I flinch when I see the cement doors shut tight. They could have been stuck out there.

"Is he okay?" I hear my sister ask from Peeta's arms.

"Is who okay?"

"Buttercup."

Peeta places her down on her feet very gently. I look down to see buttercup pass by my feet and snatch him. He hisses at first, but then spots Prim and begins to purr.

I place him in her open arms and she brings his wet fur close to her face.

"You need to stop being so kind. You need to stop playing hero."
I say gently, taking the loose hair in her face and tucking it behind her ear. She's already went back for this cat once. Almost resulting in our death. And here we are again, almost dead. That cat has caused us real trouble. But I know she would always go back for him. I can't be mad. I know the feeling of having to protect your family. That's the entire reason I volunteered for her. I couldn't let her die. Could she stand a chance against Clove? Or Cato? There's a chance she could have made it, by allying with Rue and Peeta, but what would have been the outcome? Peeta making it home and Prim not? Or vise versa? What am I saying?

"Katniss." I hear my name, and see Finnick with a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Just soaked," I reply.

"Come on, let's go get you assigned a bunk." says Peeta, grabbing my slimy wet hand.

I look over at Gale standing there. Raina and the baby beside him.

"Thank you," I say to him, before going with Peeta.

He just nods.

"It's just what friends do."

•• okay so hey guys!
(Make sure you read this authors note, because I rarely do them)
So, it's been a while, yes. 18 days to be exact since my last update. I have wonderful news, though.

1- it's official, I'm filming a hunger games short film using these four characters. And filming starts October 2nd. I will be playing Talisa! (She won't be pregnant oops)

2-since I just started high school, it's been hectic for me, but good news. In school, I have a forty minute study hall everyday and I'm aloud to have phones in school so I'll be writing much more often! So expect some longer chapters.

3- I have decided to really interact with you guys! Since thg fandom is literally deceased, I'll be replying to comments and questions! I can answer questions on my short film, we can fangirl/fanboy over the characters of my book together, and we can do QOTC! (Question of the chapter) and then afterwards, you can ask me a question about the book.
This will spice things up in the comment section, make it fun, and it will motivate me to write a whole lot more!

Thanks for reading, we are very close to 40k reads! I love each and every one of you and want to individually give y'all a hug.

Now for this chapter's question:

QOTC- who is your favorite character in my book, and why?

(example answer- I love buttercup because he's fluffy and problematic, it makes me laugh. What is your favorite chapter to write?)

It's as simple as that! Thanks for commenting and voting, stay rad

-jennifer