CHAPTER 2
PROMISES, PROMISES

"YOU look surprised to see us," Phoenix said, though it sounded more like a question. He turned to Iliana on his left. "Why is she surprised to see us?"

Bex frowned. Whenever her escort and stylist rolled up to the gates of the Victors' Village, her stomach lurched. It felt like rocks were stacking up inside of her, preparing themselves to topple down. She had no ill will towards her team – well, Iliana could be a little over the top sometimes – but as far as Capitol people went, they weren't that bad. Phoenix was built like a god with dark skin and bright eyes that looked like they had been crafted by the sun. Tattoos of different colors coated his entire body, even reaching up to his neck, and he got piercings wherever he pleased. (Currently, it was just his brows, ears, and septum, but Bex didn't doubt there would be more.) Iliana, on the other hand, was like a blooming flower. Always dressed head to toe in bright colors and pastels that accented her yellow and brown hair; her personality was reflected in the outfits she designed for Bex. If not for Iliana, Bex wouldn't have gotten the nickname, Flower Girl, in the first place.

Although she liked them, the sight of Phoenix and Iliana never sat well with her. It meant that she was being summoned, that the peace she was promised would never truly be her reality. She had a duty to perform, and that duty usually meant attending public events where she would be ogled and her life was once again everyone's business because she could never turn down a question, no matter how sensitive the subject. Feeding into their President's agenda was exhausting, but it needed to be done.

Bex didn't even want to think about Keaton's reaction. He would get red in the face, and his eyes would form into slits as soon as Phoenix and Iliana walked through the door. Bex never blamed him for his anger. Both she and her brother knew that whatever party she was being forced to attend wouldn't be just some party – it was a business event. She'd be gone for a few days, if she was lucky.

"Seriously," Phoenix continued, walking with her towards the house, "what's wrong? I reminded you before you left last time about this party."

"It's been a while," Bex sighed. "I thought I'd be given more time here before I'd have to go back."

Both Phoenix and Iliana went silent. Bex hauled the empty wheel barrel to the side of her house and met her team back by the stoop. "It won't be long," Phoenix assured, charismatic as ever with his accent.

"Yes, it will," she muttered under her breath. "Sue me for thinking I could have a normal existence."

Iliana released a huff. "Well, not in those clothes."

Bex rolled her eyes and held open the front door for them. Phoenix ushered their assistants in first, dragging the heaps of suitcases along with them. Bex raised a brow at all the gear they brought. "We'll only touch you up while we're here and get you out of those sweaty clothes. The rest can be done on the train," Phoenix explained, sauntering into the threshold of the house. "This party is pretty important, Bex. It's President Snow's granddaughter's birthday, and she's the light of his life. You need to look your best and be prepared for however long the President wants you there. I heard that he missed you and Johanna before you left the Capitol during the Games last year."

"Well, damn," Bex whispered sarcastically and shut the door behind them. "Just to let you know, if my brother comes in all mad, I'm sorry for anything –"

"What's going on here?"

Keaton was descending the stairs when he noticed the four extra people assembled in his house. His face went to stone as he remembered the familiar faces of his sister's Capitol team, and he looked at her with confusion. "What are they doing here, Bex?"

"They're here ... to see me. Yay!" She lifted her hands up enthusiastically, and after a long moment, her team caught on and repeated the action.

Keaton wasn't convinced one bit. He crossed his arms over his chest and arched a brow in his sister's direction.

Bex's hand fell limp at her hips. "Okay, I'm lying."

"Damn, you were? Couldn't tell."

She rubbed at the back of her neck and gestured for her brother to follow her into the dining room. They hadn't used this room since their parents vanished. They hardly stepped foot in it, preferring to eat their dinner in the living room or even the kitchen. Just the mere thought of using this room other than to gather with her parents made her freeze. The second they stepped into it, Bex imagined her parents at the table, and had to look away quickly to keep herself focused.

"This is a special night, Bex," he already started, pointing a finger down the hall. "It's important, and the last people I want to see are those foolish-looking –"

"Keaton, Keaton," she called, silencing her brother, "don't get yourself worked about over this. They won't be here for long –"

He blinked. "Oh, okay. That's good."

"– Because I have to leave with them to go to the Capitol."

His expression turned to stone again. Bex noticed the way his jaw went tight and his pale eyes were now blazing. This night meant a lot to him, and it meant the same to her, but a Victor's duties came before anything else. She didn't like it, but it wasn't like she had a choice anymore.

Since the Districts rebelled all those years ago, life had never been the same. Her life simply wasn't hers anymore.

"Why?" Her brother asked flatly.

Bex closed her eyes for a moment. "I have to go to an event for President Snow's granddaughter's birthday." When she opened them again, Keaton scoffing and shaking his head. "You know it's not my choice. I'll try to be back as soon as possible."

"It won't be quick enough," he quipped. "It's our parents' anniversary. Do you get that? Do they –" He jabbed his finger in the direction of the threshold. "– Get that?"

"It doesn't matter what they get, Keaton. I have to go." Bex sighed and grabbed his hands. "I can make the beef stew as soon as I get back and we can celebrate then. Promise. I don't break my promises."

Keaton slipped his hands out of her grip. "It's not about the fucking beef stew, Bex!" He ran a hand down his face. "You can't just cancel?"

Bex felt the blood rush to her face. She hated when he put her in these positions, when he knew very well that she could not cancel. With a heavy exhale, Bex approached his face and whispered harshly, "Last time I did, mom and dad went missing. I don't want anything like that to happen again." Keaton's eyes slid over to hers. She watched him swallow hard. "I have to go."

After a moment, he nodded, looking to his feet. Bex took his hand again and squeezed it before exiting the dining room. Her agreement with President Snow was nonnegotiable – it had been for years. These events were where she could please the citizens as much as they wanted. So they could view her like an object. It was her debt to the President and she couldn't break it. Keaton knew all of this, but he didn't like it. Not one bit.

He glanced at the dinner table, imagining the last time he saw his parents sitting there. He looked away just as quickly.

Bex found her team in the living room, flipping through the Capitol Times magazine that laid on her coffee table, untouched for weeks. (She really needed to figure a way to cancel her subscription.) Phoenix held up a page for Iliana and sneered, "This looks like one of yours, Ana! I told you that Petra Paramour was stealing your designs!"

Iliana snatched the magazine and her mouth dropped. "That conniving, little –"

"Hellooo," Bex interrupted, waving her hands around. "If you're all done gossiping, I believe we have to get a move on."

"You're darn right, missy!" Iliana exclaimed before chucking the magazine behind her, hitting one of her assistants in the face.

Bex cringed. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Keaton entering, and clearly everyone else did too.

Iliana cleared her throat, "Let's head to your room. We'll get ready there and help you pack a bag."

Nodding her head, Bex sent her brother one last smile and escorted her team up the stairs. There were only two rooms upstairs: Bex's bedroom and her parents' old room, which had remained untouched since they disappeared. They had only lived in the Village for a solid two months before it happened. Bex, nor Keaton, had been in their room since. Not even a peak. The door would stay closed no matter what.

Upon entering her bedroom, Bex picked a few stray clothes off the floor and threw them into her hamper. She went into her closet and yanked out her suitcase that Iliana had gifted her years ago. "Let me just pack first," she said, placing the bag on her unmade bed.

"Nonsense, nonsense," Phoenix said, ushering her towards the old vanity in the corner of the room. It had once belonged to her mother. "That's what Iliana's minions are for."

Iliana stomped over. "Phoenix!"

"Come on, Ana. Let's not fight." He cooed, sitting Bex down and hauling Iliana's large makeup case on the vanity. "Just do a natural look on her in case anyone sees her getting on the train. I'll pick out something less dirty from her closet. We're on a time crunch."

With a roll of her eyes, Iliana opened up her case and went to work. Bex could see her assistants stuffing her suitcase to the brink with various pajamas and other clothes, although she probably wouldn't wear them the second she stepped foot in the Capitol. They were always providing her with more of their style. When she closed her eyes so Iliana could apply a matte pink shadow across her lid, Bex listened in on Phoenix muttering to himself in her closet. He threw around words like, "Ugly," and, "Oh, no, we are not wearing that," even, "Who allowed her out in this?!" Bex sighed heavily through her nostrils and tried to ignore it. She focused on the rain as it began to pound against the roof.

Iliana only applied some mascara and a tiny bit of lip gloss before she was done. Thankfully, Bex didn't have to walk to the train in some kind of wild Capitol makeup that the residents of Seven would cringe to look at. She also left her hair natural and wild, much to Bex's approval. Phoenix came out of her closet with a pair of black pants, her favorite maroon sweater, and a dark brown peacoat to protect her from the rain. "Works for me," Bex said, taking the clothes into her arms and changing in her bathroom. When she walked out minutes later, Phoenix clapped.

"I am really that smart," he sighed happily. "I could probably find a needle in a haystack."

"Remember who the stylist is here, Phoenix," Iliana seethed. "You paired a sweater with a hardly-worn peacoat. I could've done better."

Bex exclaimed, "Hey! Doesn't matter. It's just for the train." She grabbed her best pair of rainboots beside her closet door and tugged them on. Iliana's assistants zipped Bex's suitcase closed before packing up the rest of her things.

"Oh, no," Iliana bit her lip. "Those boots totally clash! We can't –"

Bex stood up to reach her stylist's eye level. "It's raining."

Iliana frowned and gave up the fight. "Well, I guess you have a point."

Phoenix placed himself in the middle, sending them a bright smile. "Let's head out everyone. Remember: time crunch. Time crunch!"

The assistants were down the stairs first, taking the most time due to all the bags they were forced to carry. They hadn't said a word since arriving, and Bex almost wondered if they were like the Avoxes in the Capitol. Knock on wood; she hoped she was mistaken. After them, Iliana delicately strode down, careful of her high heels, before Phoenix walked with Bex. Keaton was waiting on the couch, but quickly got to his feet once his sister entered the room.

"We'll just be ..." Iliana jabbed her thumb in the direction of the kitchen. "Find us when you're ready."

Phoenix patted Bex's hand before following Iliana to the kitchen. He sent Keaton a warm smile, but her brother didn't return it. He met her in the threshold of the house, holding in his laughter at the rain boots she most likely fought with her team to wear. "Mom gave you those," he noted when their eyes met.

Bex tapped her boots together. "It's a good thing my feet haven't gotten bigger. I'd be shit out of luck."

Keaton chuckled and pulled his sister into a bone-crushing hug. She squeezed him tighter. Her head always fit perfectly on his shoulder, right near the crook of his neck. Her older brother was her rock, the last thing she had when things got tough. She couldn't lose him, which was why she had to go. If she didn't follow her duties with the Capitol – with Snow – he could vanish too.

"Promise you'll come back soon," he whispered softly.

"I promise," Bex said, muffled against his t-shirt. She did her best not to cry and ruin Iliana's work. Another minute later, Bex leaned back. "I don't break my promises."

Keaton smiled and cupped her cheek. "Course you don't, sis."

━━━━━━

A/N: I love these siblings 🥺🥺🥺 one of my favorite parts to write in this story is bex's struggling relationship with her brother. they clash over her duties that she's forced to perform and they're still coping with their parents' disappearance/death, but they do still care about each other really deeply, which is what I want to convey the most. keaton is one of the only people bex cares about and she wants to keep it that way, buuuuuuuut.............well, we'll see what happens 👁

I hope this chapter was enjoyable! next chapter: snow's party and an appearance from a certain golden boy 🥴