To say that Bellona was pissed would be a crazy understatement. Honestly, it was a good thing Festus Creed walked away when he did because if he didn't, Bellona was sure she'd be put in the Hunger Games for what she would do to him.

The rest of the day, Bellona walked around with a raging storm cloud above her head, snapping at anyone who came in contact with her. Of course, Father snickered at this, knowing he was right in not wanting Bellona to go to the Funeral.

But Ma, however, was quite concerned for Bellona, pulling her aside as she stormed into the house.

"What's wrong, my love?" Ma asked, grabbing onto Bellona's arm, "Is it a boy? Festus perhaps?"

Bellona let out a loud grunt at the mention of that man, rolling her eyes profusely as she pulled her hand away.

"Don't even mention that snake to me right now," Bellona muttered, storming out of the room toward her bedroom. Of course, she would feel terrible later for giving Ma grief, but right now, that wasn't her concern.

Instantly Ma turned toward Sejanus, looking for any hint as to why Bellona was angry.

"Festus said something to piss her off about Sabyn," Sejanus whispered to Ma, causing the woman to widen her eyes.

"I HEARD THAT!"

-

It was fair to say that Bellona's night was not the best. When she wasn't fuming over her conversation with Festus, she was in tears over Sabyn. The entire night, Bellona lay in bed, tossing and turning as she tried to stop her thoughts, but nothing seemed to work.

The image of Sabyn's body being dragged down the street was not an easy sight to forget. And the rage she felt after only made the memory stick more.

So by the time she got to school the next day, her grumpy mood had not passed.

Bellona let out a huff as she shoved passed her classmates toward the tributes, plopping down loudly in front of Mizzen.

"Rough morning?" Coral asked sarcastically causing Bellona's anger to dissipate. Right. This meeting wasn't about her.

"Long story," Bellona muttered before turning to Mizzen, "How are you feeling?"

Bellona was too preoccupied crying on the ground to see it at the time, but according to the whispers of the crowd, it seemed like the Capitol took the opportunity to humiliate the remaining tributes again, pulling them around in trucks like before.

Mizzen gritted his teeth at the reminder, looking at the table for a moment silently. Bellona took this as a sign that he would rather not talk about it, moving on swiftly.

"Sorry," Bellona whispered, looking down at her paper to find an item request form, "Anyways, I guess we should talk about your interview. It's coming up in a few days, you know."

Mizzen nodded intently, thinking hard about what he could do for his interview to make him stand out.

"What about a trident?" asked Mizzen, looking over to Coral's table for a moment, "Or a knife. Coral's probably going to want to use the trident."

"We could do both," Bellona replied, noticing the slightly deflated tone of Mizzen.

Guess he was already feeling the competition, Bellona thought. Poor boy.

"We can?" asked Mizzen, eyes brightening slightly. Bellona smiled at that, happy to have made him smile.

"Well maybe not the actual weapons, but I could work something out," said Bellona, playfully smiling at the boy, "Don't you worry. I'm a sweet talker."

Mizzen laughed at that, relaxing slightly in Bellona's presence as she wrote the request form.

"So," Mizzen cut in, turning his head from Festus's table to Bellona, "Why's your friend staring at you? Did you get in a fight or something?"

Bellona tried her best not to sour the mood as she turned to look at her classmate, noticing Festus's eyes on her. Quickly, the girl turned back to Mizzen with a scoff.

"Something like that."

-

Once interviews with the tributes finished, Bellona had hoped the day would be done. But of course, Dr. Gaul had different plans, beckoning all the tributes in her lab for a debrief.

Bellona continued to ignore Festus as he attempted to grab her attention, opting to stay attached at the hip with Vipsania instead.

"Really Bell?" Vipsania asked as Bellona liked their arms, but Bellona just shrugged.

"What? Now I can't hang out with my beautiful friend?" Bellona responded innocently. Vipsania laughed at this, squeezing Bellona a little tighter.

"You're such a charmer."

Bellona's slightly happy mood didn't last long though. Not that she expected it too. After all, Dr. Gaul was involved.

"Where's your tribute boy?" Dr. Gaul taunted Sejanus, causing Bellona to tense.

"Possibly on his way to freedom," Sejanus replied, standing up taller, "Possibly captured. Or hiding. Or dead. I have no idea. Do you?"

Dr. Gaul's eyebrows raised in intrigue, going to speak before she was cut off again. Bellona let out a loud laugh at Sejanus's attitude, finding Dr. Gaul's clearly rattled demeanor funny.

"No," said Sejanus, "Don't answer that. He's either dead or about tobe when you drag him through the city in chains."

"And that would be our right," Dr. Gual spat back, approaching the boy. Sejanus fumed at that, eyes filling with rage.

"No it isn't!" Sejanus yelled back, "You have no right to starve them or take away their freedom just because you won a stupid war. There's nothing you could do that would give you that right."

Quickly, Bellona made her way over to Sejanus, placing a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. While she was glad Dr. Gaul was finally getting the back talk she deserved, arguing with her was only going to hurt Sejanus more.

"Jumping in to protect your brother, are you, Ms. Plinth," Dr. Gaul taunted, turning her attention away from the angry boy. Bellona rolled her eyes at that, ignoring Dr. Gaul as she got closer in favor of clinging onto Sejanus.

"What a lovely big sister," Dr. Gaul muttered disgustedly, staring down the siblings, "Tell me, Ms. Plinth. Why didn't daddy buy you the girl, that friend of yours from Two?"

Bellona's jaw clenched at the mention of Sabyn closing her fist tight to stop herself from slapping Dr. Gaul right then and there.

"It's none of your business," Bellona muttered back, staring down at the vile woman. Dr. Gaul laughed at that.

"I suppose you didn't need the punishment, huh? After all, you play the part so well that sometimes I think we all forget your District," Dr. Gaul whispered in Bellona's ear for only her to hear. Bellona clenched her jaw as she looked around the classroom, noticing her classmates' eyes on her.

"Almost," Dr. Gaul finished, pulling away with a callus smile.

"You geriatric bit-" Bellona started, making her way toward Dr. Gaul, only to be pulled back by Sejanus.

"Don't. It's what she wants," Sejanus muttered, forcing Bellona to look at him. The girl let out a loud scoff before pulling out of his grip, angrily falling back in her seat.

Dr. Gaul smiled at this, happy to have won an argument against two teenagers. Pathetic.

"Well that was fun," Dr. Gaul joked, "Time for what I really called you here for. War."

"I thought the war was over," Livia Cardew cut in, causing Bellona to loudly sigh.

"Did you?" asked Dr. Gaul, "even after what you witnessed in the arena?"

Bellona flinched at the mention of the bombing, trying her best to distract herself before the flashbacks hit again. Immediately, Vipsania reached for her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"I certainly did," Lysistrata cut in, "And if the war is over, shouldn't the killing be too?"

Bellona smiled gratefully at her friend's stance, glad that someone other than the Plith's was standing up for the districts.

"I'm beginning to think it'll never be over," Festus cut in, though his gaze never left Bellona.

He must've been speaking to get her to respond. A sign that there was still something between them. Well, Bellona was not going to give him that satisfaction.

Instead, Dr. Gaul replied.

"How right you are, Mr. Creed," said Dr. Gaul, "Let's consider for a moment that war is constant. There's no winning. Then what should be our goal?"

Bellona scoffed at the question, but remained silent, biting her fingernails to make the time pass.

Of course, Coriolanus had to cut in.

"We control it," the annoying boy responded, "Just as we do now with the Hunger Games and the Peacekeepers. To have the upper hand."

Sejanus bitterly laughed at that, getting visibly agitated by the conversation.

"Well I for one have no interest in being either," said Lysistrata, "War isn't necessary."

"What a big heart you have," Dr. Gaul replied, smiling as if she got another sinister idea, "Yes, well, heart is what we need in war."

"Now what a lovely idea!" Dr. Gaul exclaimed to no one, seemingly lost in thought, "For your next assignment, I would love for you to write me an essay on what's appealing about war. Something you loved about it."

"Loved about it?" Lysistrata muttered sadly, frowning at the older woman.

"That shouldn't take long," Festus cut in nonchalantly, earning a smack from Lysistrata.

Bellona gritted her teeth at that but continued to be silent.

Don't respond, she told herself. It's what he wants.

"Bring your essays to Sunday's meeting," Dr. Gaul replied with a smile, "I look forward to reading them."

-

After the meeting finally ended, Bellona made her way outside, plopping on some headphones and loudly blaring her tape. The girl sat peacefully for a few minutes, enjoying the sound before she felt the headphones being pulled off of her.

"What the hell," Bellona muttered, turning toward the culprit. Festus Creed.

Bellona let out a loud scoff, reaching to put the headphones back on before noticing the sandwich in his hand.

"What do you want?" Bellona muttered, keeping the headphones around her neck. Festus took this as his invitation to sit down before offering her the sandwich again. The Plinth girl begrudgingly took the food before muttering a halfhearted thank you, going quiet once again.

"Let me guess. Pluribus gave you those," Festus asked, pointing toward Bellona's headphones.

"Wow, you finally thought of something smart," replied Bellona, once again ignoring the boy as much as possible. Festus bit his cheek, finally realizing that Bellona was still pissed about yesterday.

"Listen, Bellona. About yesterda-"

"Don't. Just forget it. I've already moved past it," Bellona muttered, quickly shutting the boy down in hopes that he would finally shut up.

But, in proper Festus fashion, he didn't.

"But-"

Bellona let out a loud grunt as she turned to face him.

"Festus," Bellona shot back, sending the boy a look that caused him to uncomfortably squirm for a moment before clearing his throat.

For a while after that, the two sat quietly, not knowing what to say. That was until Festus pulled out a tin of strawberries.

"Want a strawberry?" asked the boy, holding out the tin for Bellona to take one. Bellona furrowed her brows as she eyed the tin before hesitantly taking one. Festus smiled at that, taking it as a sign that Bellona's cold demeanor toward him might've been melting.

"Where'd you get these?" asked Bellona, confused about why a boy like Festus would be carrying around strawberries.

"Got them for my mom at the market," replied Festus, smiling at the fond memory of his mom before continuing, "She scolded me all day for wasting my money on something so trivial, but I knew they were her favorite."

Too bad she doesn't know about the dog fights, Bellona thought. She'd love to know how Mrs. Creed would react to that.

"So why'd you bring them to school if they're for your ma?" asked Bellona, trying her best not to make her rude thoughts about Festus out loud. She wasn't looking for another fight anytime soon.

"I thought you'd like them," Festus admitted honestly, causing Bellona to pause as she bit into a strawberry.

And while Bellona knew Festus only brought them as an indirect apology, she couldn't help but feel touched by the gesture. Festus had not been one to say sorry. But then again, neither was Bellona.

"Do you like them?" asked Festus, knowing her response would tell him whether or not he was forgiven. Bellona hesitantly nodded at that, smiling weakly as she chewed her food.

"Strawberries are my favorite," answered Bellona, "During the summer Ma makes these lovely strawberry tarts for me and Sejanus. Best things I've ever had."

Festus smiled at that, both proud of himself for gaining her forgiveness and happy to finally hear more about Bellona without an argument.

"Really? My mom would love those for sure. But she's not much of a baker herself," Festus replied with a chuckle. Bellona thought for a second before answering.

"Tell you what. Next time Ma makes them, I'll bring you some. But only if you share them with your ma," Bellona warned, eying Festus to make sure she understood her condition. The boy happily smiled.

"I'll hold you to it," Festus shot back with a smirk. With that, Bellona held out her pinky, beckoning for Festus to follow. Festus however, stared at her with a confused look.

"What did you hurt yourself?" Festus asked with furrowed brows, examining her pinky for any signs of an injury. Bellona scoffed at this.

"No, you idiot. It's a pinky promise," Bellona insisted.

"A pinky what?" asked Festus with a dumbfounded look. Bellona rolled her eyes at his beady eyes.

"Just hold out your pinky, Creed."

Wearily, Festus followed Bellona's orders, holding his pinky out just as she had done earlier. Bellona smiled happily at the obedient boy, interlocking her pinky with his before pushing their thumbs together with her other hand.

"There! It's a promise," replied Bellona with a smile. Festus's eyes flickered from their intertwined pinkies to Bellona, laughing at the look on her face.

"Where'd you learn that? Is it a District Two thing?" asked Festus, curious about Bellona's odd ritual. Bellona laughed at that, keeping their pinkies interlocked.

"Not really. It was something I came up with when I was younger. But I only really use it with Sejanus now," Bellona replied, laughing as she reminisced on the times she would force all the kids in her grade to pinky-promise her.

"And me now," Festus added, bringing Bellona back to earth. Bellona let out an odd chuckle before unhooking their pinkies.

"And you."

-

a/n:

here's me making up for festus's stupid actions by making him a mama's boy <33 anyways yall don't worry !! bell is not forgiving and falling for festus that easily (but I don't think the dude messes up too much after this honestly) also... screaming crying throwing up over them bonding over strawberries... "maybe strawberries will be our always" (I'm sorry yall i think this reference is gonna really reveal how old I am...)

I'm also kinda obsessed with how bell refers to festus's mom as his ma, knowing he made fun of sejanus for doing that. it's like her own little dig at him.

anyways, I have this irrational fear that sometimes I accidentally type sejanus instead of festus... if that happens yall lmk... that's a whole different area I do not want to touch (I'm looking at you freud)

also I'm writing this at 2am... so sorry yall... it most likely sucks idk what to say. also it's a long chapter for no reason... whoops !!

anyways thank you guys for reading and supporting me as always !! I love all of your comments sooo much !!

love you lots,

hannah <33