𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐊 ... 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗸

𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

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𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 : 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨
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since hattie has gotten home, she had spent the entirety of her time in her room. cypress has gone home to welcome his mother home for the first day. after hattie arrived, and when he had gotten back, he found hattie in a mountain of blankets on her bed, watching the meaningless TV.

"okay, crazy lady, what's the get-up for?" cypress confronted, throwing some blankets around the bed to make room for himself. "i can't let them die." "who? peeta and katniss?" "i'm a fool. i made myself become a mentor to make sure they didn't end up like rue, and now i can't let them die." "can't?" cypress rhetorically asked. "if i let them die... no, that won't happen. it can't happen." the 16 year old told herself.

"hattie." "i have to watch out for them." "hattie." cypress said a bit louder. "i made attachments and relationships with them. i'm such an idiot." "hattie !" cypress shouted, making hattie jump. "listen to me." he looked at her, then shook his head, "get outta those blankets. i can't take you seriously in them." she somersaulted out of the blankets, and laid herself down at the bottom of the queen-sized bed. cypress brought himself down to lay beside his best friend. he turned his head to her, but her eyes stayed on the ceiling.

"as long as they have you in their corner, they will never fail." he insisted. "yeah?" she asked, unsure. "of course. you've always had my back. i bet it's no different with them. and you're not stupid for making relationships. never see that as a weakness." he assured. hattie finally looked at him, and cuddled her head into his chest. "i guess you're right... how's your mom doing?" "she's been like you, stuck in her room. i heard her sobbing all night long." he sighed. hattie nodded, "yeah, she was a wreck the other night."

they stayed quiet for the next couple minutes, just laying next to each other in the dark, until cypress looked at hattie. "so... peeta?" hattie looked to him, confused. "huh?" "i mean... there had to be something going on. come on, harri, i know you. i saw that envelope he gave you when i walked in. so cute, it said 'to my harriet'. why don't you read it?" "he told me to only read it if something bad happened or if he died." cypress' lips turned into a thin line, nodding his head. "well, it's like romeo and juliet, then ! tragic romance. come on, hattie, don't make me do all the optimistic thinking." hattie sighed, and sat up. "what are you suggesting?" he scoffed at her, "that he's in love with you."

at that, she scoffed louder. "we've known each other for less than a week. how do you suggest he's in love with me?" cypress glanced at her, and realized that she seriously wasn't taking it. "love waits for no man." he said. "i don't care, cypress. he barely knows me. i'm the enemy's daughter." "it's seriously forbidden-love ! romeo and juliet called, they want their story back."

she rolled her eyes. "he's engaged to katniss, cy." "engaged my ass, harriet ! didn't you say you didn't believe in their shit?" cypress said, starting to stand up and point his finger at hattie. she shrugged pointlessly, "cy—" "no, tell me, yes or no." she rolled her eyes at him, "...i did say that." "and did that opinion change when you mentored them?" "no." hattie shook her head. "and their wedding is obviously cancelled, yes?" "yeah." she sighed, "then why does it matter? it's obvious they're not in love, so let your imagination run free !" she couldn't help but laugh at her best friend, "why, you want katniss to yourself?"

cypress stared at her with wide eyes, a grin growing on his face. "oh-ho, you wanna say that, now? come here." he grabbed a pillow and wound up, making hattie giggle and jump off the bed. "no !" cypress hit her right in the face, making her fall to the ground. "hey !" she grabbed the pillow and stood up, seeing him with another pillow in hand. they both let out battle cries, and started fighting with the pillows in the dark, the city illuminations being their only light.