ยณ-. ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐
Peetas eyes fell onto the doors when they opened in the corner of his eye. Haymitch has encouraged both of them not to show off their skills, using a bow and strength, in their three days of training. Today had been the first, making the pair stick to small things such as tying ropes, and in Peetas case, painting his hand to blend in with the prop tree. Katniss had walked over in curiosity, her gaze following his when the doors had opened too.
The redhead girl and the small boy from five walked in. The boy stormed off immediately, rolling his eyes while the girl hung back. Zoya was with them, clearly walking them to the training room that morning. She'd been speaking to the fox faced girl, giving her a warm smile as she watched her join the rest of them. Zoya clearly hadn't seen Katniss and Peeta looking at her, nor did she see the careers death staring her.
"She has a motive." Katniss had to admit to Peeta, because even though she was still skeptical about him as well, she definitely didn't like Zoya, "There's a reason she's staying around our district so much. Maybe to help her tributes win."
"Haymitch saved her life, I think she's just trying to repay that." Peeta had to defend Zoya after last night. He wanted to tell Katniss she wasn't as arrogant as she came off, but he knew, deep down, it wasn't his place to say what a sad, depressing person she truly was, "I trust her."
"I don't." Katniss commented again, watching the doors shut when Zoya walked away, "She shouldn't be allowed to mentor us."
"Well, they aren't letting her train us for the arena, just give us advice." Peeta pointed out, which all the advice Zoya had given seemed ridiculously smart and helpful, "If she was asking what are tactics would be in the arena, I wouldn't trust her then."
"So you think she's just helping Haymitch out?" Katniss asked in disbelief, because she couldn't believe how easily Peeta trusted someone else who could easily be telling Foxface, or the boy from Five, exactly what he'd told her.
"I think she's trying to help us." Peeta corrected her, finished off the painting along his forearm, "Maybe you should just talk to her."
But Katniss didn't want to talk to Zoya. She knew if she did, she'd end up trusting her the same way Peeta did.
"Hey there." Katniss heard that following night, sitting on the roof, her head turned back to find Zoya had walked up there, "Couldn't sleep?"
"Did you follow me?" Katniss asked her with a odd look across her grey eyes.
"You say followed, I say lingered." Zoya shrugged, sitting next to Katniss on the small bench, thats arm rest had been grown over with plants, "Cinna showed you the roof already?"
"He showed Peeta, Peeta showed me." Katniss corrected her, legs brought up to her chest as she glanced over. Zoya had expensive pajamas on, green, about the only thing Katniss liked about her right now.
"I know you don't trust me, and I don't blame you for it." Zoya shook her head, Katniss wanted to curse at Peeta for telling her what she'd said. Peeta didn't say anything to Zoya though, Katniss was just terrible at hiding her clear discomfort and annoyance every time the Butterfield girl walked into the room, "But you should know that i'm only trying to help. Haymitch isn't a horrible mentor but he struggles to stay sober, it isn't his fault, but he does and that effects his ability to help the two of you."
"Isn't his fault?" Katniss asked Zoya with a odd look her way, almost annoyed that she said it.
"The games messed all of us up, Katniss." it was Zoyas turn to be annoyed with her. She'd never had said it to Peeta, never scare him for the aftermath if he were to win. But Katniss was stronger then Peeta was, she knew what was to come regardless if Zoya said it out loud or not, "We all have to find ways to cope."
"What's yours?" Katniss asked her in curiosity. While Zoya never seemed to turn a glass of white wine down, she wasn't nearly as heavy of a drinker as Haymitch was. Katniss thought Zoya handled it all relatively well, from what she'd seen, anyways. She was arrogant like the other victors were, flaunting herself and what she had everywhere she went.
Zoya glanced at the capital, the wind hitting her as the chestnut locks flew back slightly, "By pretending to be someone else."
Katniss didn't expect that to be her answer.
"It helps, sometimes. When my mind slowly drifts back to the arena, trying to trap me there, I just become someone else so I don't have to be me. Someone that wasn't bothered by what happened in The Hunger Games, someone who didn't die in there." Zoya spoke her mind before she could realize that she was speaking to a tribute, someone who she could easily be terrifying right now. But Katniss should be terrified, she already was, Zoya was just telling her things she'd already known.
"Do you have a family back in Five?" Katniss asked her after a few minutes of silence between the pair, the air getting chillier, "A sibling?"
"No." Zoya said immediately, barley letting her get her words out. She picked at her fingers, Katniss saw she'd been trying to chip the finger nail polish but it wasn't working, "Not anymore, anyways."
"You lost them?" Katniss asked, getting a look of disbelief.
"My mother died a long time ago, my father a few months ago." Zoya swallowed as she crossed her legs and bit on the inside of her mouth rather then picked at her fingers, "Do you understand, Katniss? My family is gone. All I have is friends that have turned into Family, the victors."
Katniss went silent again for a moment, "Haymitch."
She understood now, Zoyas close relationship with Haymitch. She had no one, no family, all she had was Haymitch really. Katniss now could see she was trying to replace the void of not having her father anymore with Haymitch, that's why she was trying to help them. Not because she wanted to betray them, but because Haymitch was her only father figure, and she wanted to do everything to help him.
"I'm sorry about your family." Katniss told her a second later, Zoya didn't bother to meet her eye, "I lost my father too."
Zoya then looked at her again, "Has it made you closer to your mother and sister?"
"My sister, yes." Katniss nodded, a small smile on her face as she thought of Prim, "My mother, well, no. It's pushed me farther from her."
"How so?" Zoya spoke out loud, not bothering to realize she'd been rude for asking, considering Katniss bluntly asked if her parents were dead moments before.
"A Mines explosion." Katniss said back, twisting the mockingjay pin in her her hands slightly, "He taught me everything i've ever known. How to hunt, about Nightlock."
Zoya almosted laughed at her words, "Too bad the tributes last year didn't have your father."
Katniss' eyes widened, "That was dark."
"Maybe a little." Zoya shook her head with a small smile, one Katniss had to crack as well. She watched Zoya try to pick at her nails again, "My father wasn't a hunter. He didn't like the outside much, but he was very smart. He could fix anything with a hammer and a few bolts."
"I heard you were a mechanic before." Katniss spoke to her in curiosity, "Peeta told me so today. Your father taught you?"
"Yeah, he did." Zoya gave a sad smile as the dead plants on the roof before turning her head to Katniss, "Peeta didn't tell me much about his family but from what i've gathered, he has a older brother that isn't over eighteen yet. It shocks me he didn't volunteer for him."
"I don't think him and his family are close like that." Katniss said honestly, ignoring the feeling like she'd been one of the capital residents that gossiped to their friends about others, "His mother's a real witch. When we were eleven, my entire family was starving. I was trying to sale some of my sisters old baby clothes at the Hob, no one wanted them though. It was raining and I ended up infront of the bakery, starving and cold. I couldn't go back home and see my sister starving, my mother still lost in a void that I couldn't pull her out of. Peeta had burnt some bread, maybe he dropped it in the fire, I never asked. His mother was yelling at him to feed it to the pig, called him a stupid creature and hit him pretty hard across the face, I could see it all the way from the tree."
"Seriously?" Zoya asked in disbelief, because it really pissed her off how anyone could bother to hurt Peeta Mellark, the boy who had a heart of gold and one of the kindest souls she'd ever seen. Katniss nodded with a similar look, "I don't understand how parents can treat their children like that. It's not like any of us asked to be brought into this world, the least they can do is try to be decent to us when we make mistakes."
"I know." Katniss agreed, because her parents never hit her and Prim either, "He threw it to me. The burnt bread, instead of feeding it to the pig. That was the first time my family and I had eaten in so long."
Zoya had to give a sad smile her way, "Peeta is a good one."
"He is." Katniss had to agree, "His father isn't so bad though. He doesn't say much. His sister and brothers too."
"I wouldn't either if I was married to such a wet blanket." Zoya spoke about Peetas mother as if she'd known her personally. Katniss could tell it angered her that Peetas mom had hurt him, she was glad she wouldn't have to see her reaction if and when someone would kill him in the arena, "Maybe thats who he takes after then."
"He promised to keep my sister feed, I think he meant it too." Katniss spoke about Peetas father with gratitude, Zoya could tell how important he was to her after the promise, "I hope so, anyways."
Zoya hesitated, seeing the sadness and fear on the Everdeen girls face, "Katniss."
Her grey eyes looked over at Zoyas much darker ones. Katniss never understood Peetas fear of Zoya until now. He had said so many times now she terrified him, Katniss thought he was weak for it. But now she saw it, the look in her eye, the killing gaze, the intimidating stare. She was terrifying, but it was clear her intention was not to hurt Katniss, and definitely not Peeta.
"If you don't make it back, I will take care of your mother and sister." Zoya promised her, swearing to it by her heart and hoped to die if she didn't go through with it, "The only thing between District Twelve and Five is six, not even a hour train ride, I could see them everyday and feed them. I have all the money I will ever need, the least I could do is use it to protect two people close to you."
Katniss was in no position to put her pride above her and say no, that it wasn't Zoyas place, "Thank you."
Zoya nodded her head, crossing her legs as they looked out at the capital again.
โข
kylie speaks
not really any zellark
this chapter but FINALLY
katniss and zoya bonding and
not treating each other like
rivals, i've been waiting for
this one!! x
also giving you guys small
things about zoya in every
chapter is one of my favorite
things about this book. there
will always be more to learn
about her, and i can not wait
to introduce her more and more
as the chapters go on.
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