Ashton Najem, age 18
Citizen of District 2 and friend of Remus La Rocque
Ashton,
Nadia, and Valerie stared at the TV screen as the hovercraft took away
Remus’s still, lifeless body. District 2’s last chance of Victory, gone.
But bigger than that, Remus La Rocque was dead.
Ashton pursed his lips as a strange sinking feeling started in his chest. Suddenly his couch seemed too big, his house too empty. His parents were watching the Feast at Lyme’s, the local pub, but he, Valerie, and Nadia had decided to make it just the three of them at his house. It made sense at the time because Valerie, who was waiting for Remus’s Victory the most, was never one for the noise of large crowds. But that was when they were sure that Remus, with all of his strength and training, would leave the Feast one step closer to coming home. Now…
Now it was too quiet.
Nadia was the first to speak, breaking the heavy silence just as Ashton turned to face Valerie in concern.
“I’m going to the Academy,” Nadia said, her voice soft but her eyes determined as she faced Valerie. “Valerie, do you want to come with me? We can go to the ropes station, where it’s less crowded.”
Valerie’s eyes were still glued to the screen and, somewhat surprisingly to Ashton, completely dry. His friend was a sensitive person who cried a lot, but that was something that was part of her and it wasn’t like he’d change it. Then Ashton remembered how depression and grief could be experienced in different ways, ways that didn’t always include tears but would need support and understanding anyways. He didn’t know why that didn’t occur to him earlier, and he silently chastised himself - sure, he wasn’t sure what kind of doctor he wanted to be yet, but he should know better. Ashton was about to say something when Valerie responded.
“Thanks, but I’d rather not,” she said with a slight grimace, but other than that she was still unmoving from the way she had been sitting this whole time - leaning forward, eyes focused on the television screen, gently chewing her knuckles.
“Do you need me for anything?” Nadia asked cautiously.
“No, it’s okay, you can go if you want to,” Valerie said, and Ashton noticed how she was breathing more heavily. He refrained from putting his hand on her shoulder, though. He knew that he didn’t really like to be touched, except by her family and Remus. Remus, who was dead.
Shit…
“Alright, you know where to find me,” Nadia said as she slowly stood up and stretched. “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll drop off some McRonald’s at your house later, okay?”
“Okay,” Valerie said, managing to give a clearly pained smile at Nadia.
“Get a Patty-O-Pollock,” Ashton said, hoping that it would help more than hurt. “Valerie, that’s your favorite, right?”
“Right,” Valerie said, looking down. “Thanks.”
“Will do,” Nadia said softly. “I’ll see you guys later.
Then she was gone.
Valerie turned to Ashton. “What the hell?” she murmured as she laughed bitterly. “Th-that happens, and the first thing Nadia thinks about is the Academy?”
“Yeah, that wasn’t the best thing to say to you,” Ashton said, shaking his head and giving his friend a pained smile. “But different people grieve in different ways, and maybe training is Nadia’s way to… deal with this.”
“I suppose that’s just who she is, competitive as ever,” Valerie murmured, standing up very slowly. “Do you think I should’ve stopped her? I don’t want her to train. I really don’t. She’s my friend and I think it’s kinda stupid right now. But I also don’t want to be a dick and stop her from doing something that’ll make her feel better.”
“I think… I think doing what you did - letting her go to the Academy - made sense,” Ashton said. “She did say to let her know if you needed anything, so if you want to talk to her later, you can.”
“Alright,” Valerie said, stretching. “I’m… I’m going home.”
“You sure?” Ashton asked, knowing a thing or two about the struggles Valerie had with her overbearing parents.
“Yeah, it’s not like I have anywhere else to go at this point,” Valerie said with another bitter laugh.
“You’ll be safe, right?” Ashton said. He knew that his friend’s depressive tendencies were a sensitive topic, but after what had happened today, it was better to be safe than sorry.
“Yeah, don’t worry,” Valerie said. “I’ll message my other friends.”
“That’s good,” Ashton said with a small, pained smile. “I’ll see you around, then.”
“See ya.”
Ashton watched as his friend left. He was honestly worried, but not enough to make him go after the grieving girl. District 2 sent trained volunteers every year, and losses were happenings that they’d been strong enough to deal with for decades. Valerie’s grief would probably change the way it expressed itself - there’d be tears and heartbreak and sadness, and Ashton knew he’d help her - but she loved Remus La Rocque, and she would go on because Remus would want her to. Nadia… Nadia would come around. Being chosen to volunteer for the Games was very important to her, but if she knew what was right, she’d stay in Two, her home, and be as competitive as ever while growing up with the people who truly cared about her and would hate to see her lose.
Ashton pursed his lips as a strange sinking feeling started in his chest. Suddenly his couch seemed too big, his house too empty. His parents were watching the Feast at Lyme’s, the local pub, but he, Valerie, and Nadia had decided to make it just the three of them at his house. It made sense at the time because Valerie, who was waiting for Remus’s Victory the most, was never one for the noise of large crowds. But that was when they were sure that Remus, with all of his strength and training, would leave the Feast one step closer to coming home. Now…
Now it was too quiet.
Nadia was the first to speak, breaking the heavy silence just as Ashton turned to face Valerie in concern.
“I’m going to the Academy,” Nadia said, her voice soft but her eyes determined as she faced Valerie. “Valerie, do you want to come with me? We can go to the ropes station, where it’s less crowded.”
Valerie’s eyes were still glued to the screen and, somewhat surprisingly to Ashton, completely dry. His friend was a sensitive person who cried a lot, but that was something that was part of her and it wasn’t like he’d change it. Then Ashton remembered how depression and grief could be experienced in different ways, ways that didn’t always include tears but would need support and understanding anyways. He didn’t know why that didn’t occur to him earlier, and he silently chastised himself - sure, he wasn’t sure what kind of doctor he wanted to be yet, but he should know better. Ashton was about to say something when Valerie responded.
“Thanks, but I’d rather not,” she said with a slight grimace, but other than that she was still unmoving from the way she had been sitting this whole time - leaning forward, eyes focused on the television screen, gently chewing her knuckles.
“Do you need me for anything?” Nadia asked cautiously.
“No, it’s okay, you can go if you want to,” Valerie said, and Ashton noticed how she was breathing more heavily. He refrained from putting his hand on her shoulder, though. He knew that he didn’t really like to be touched, except by her family and Remus. Remus, who was dead.
Shit…
“Alright, you know where to find me,” Nadia said as she slowly stood up and stretched. “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll drop off some McRonald’s at your house later, okay?”
“Okay,” Valerie said, managing to give a clearly pained smile at Nadia.
“Get a Patty-O-Pollock,” Ashton said, hoping that it would help more than hurt. “Valerie, that’s your favorite, right?”
“Right,” Valerie said, looking down. “Thanks.”
“Will do,” Nadia said softly. “I’ll see you guys later.
Then she was gone.
Valerie turned to Ashton. “What the hell?” she murmured as she laughed bitterly. “Th-that happens, and the first thing Nadia thinks about is the Academy?”
“Yeah, that wasn’t the best thing to say to you,” Ashton said, shaking his head and giving his friend a pained smile. “But different people grieve in different ways, and maybe training is Nadia’s way to… deal with this.”
“I suppose that’s just who she is, competitive as ever,” Valerie murmured, standing up very slowly. “Do you think I should’ve stopped her? I don’t want her to train. I really don’t. She’s my friend and I think it’s kinda stupid right now. But I also don’t want to be a dick and stop her from doing something that’ll make her feel better.”
“I think… I think doing what you did - letting her go to the Academy - made sense,” Ashton said. “She did say to let her know if you needed anything, so if you want to talk to her later, you can.”
“Alright,” Valerie said, stretching. “I’m… I’m going home.”
“You sure?” Ashton asked, knowing a thing or two about the struggles Valerie had with her overbearing parents.
“Yeah, it’s not like I have anywhere else to go at this point,” Valerie said with another bitter laugh.
“You’ll be safe, right?” Ashton said. He knew that his friend’s depressive tendencies were a sensitive topic, but after what had happened today, it was better to be safe than sorry.
“Yeah, don’t worry,” Valerie said. “I’ll message my other friends.”
“That’s good,” Ashton said with a small, pained smile. “I’ll see you around, then.”
“See ya.”
Ashton watched as his friend left. He was honestly worried, but not enough to make him go after the grieving girl. District 2 sent trained volunteers every year, and losses were happenings that they’d been strong enough to deal with for decades. Valerie’s grief would probably change the way it expressed itself - there’d be tears and heartbreak and sadness, and Ashton knew he’d help her - but she loved Remus La Rocque, and she would go on because Remus would want her to. Nadia… Nadia would come around. Being chosen to volunteer for the Games was very important to her, but if she knew what was right, she’d stay in Two, her home, and be as competitive as ever while growing up with the people who truly cared about her and would hate to see her lose.
-
Ashton sat quietly on his couch, leafing through his favorite biology textbooks and greeting his parents when they came home.Nadia stayed at the Academy, swinging her sword, more determined than ever to volunteer for the 128th Annual Hunger Games.
Valerie stood still, waiting for a Patty-O-Pollock that never came.
-END-
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