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“Scott Smajor.” is called and Scott wants to cry, but the next name makes his blood run cold, “Jimmy Solidarity.”
The first year they pull two names, no matter the gender, is the year Scott's name name, and the name for his crush get pulled.
Scott sits in the justice building of district twelve, and only one person comes to visit him before he is shipped off to the capital.
“You better win.” his mother says. She was the same person who made Scott put his name in for tessure. The same person who wants nothing to do with Scott, “we need the winning for you brothers, you waste.”
Scott swallows the sob he wants to cry, “yes ma’am.”
His mother leaves the room without a goodbye or a good luck to spare.
When Jimmy and Scott get on the train, Scott sees Jimmy cradling a golden feather on a simple chain, his eyes are red and puffy, much like Scott’s own.
“Where did you get that?” Scott asks.
“It’s from Grian, and Pearl.” Jimmy sniffles, “it was my fathers before he…”
Jimmy’s father had died two years before.
Scott’s own had been in the mine, when it collapsed. They both lost a parent that day.
Jimmy and his family helped each other.
Scott’s just turned cold to Scott. He was the only one still young enough to tessure, so they forced him to sign up.
-⬘♡⬘-
Jimmy and Scott ride through the streets of the capital in a chariot.
Scott is wearing the same miner outfit the tributes of district twelve have worn for years.
Jimmy on the other hand is wearing a simple sky yellow jacket and pants, with a pure white shirt. A long cape of yellow canary feathers (to represent the canaries they use in the coal mines in district twelve) that looks like beautiful canary wings. With that,and his fluffy blond hair, he looks like an angel to Scott.
The blue haired boy’s heart flutters.
-⬘♡⬘-
Scott stands on his pedestal with the last words his and Jimmy’s mentor said to them, “run for cover. Avoid the bloodbath at the Capricorn at all costs.”
Scott does not plan on this.
He can see a bow and quiver fairly close to him.
He is pretty skilled in archery. Him and Pearl would go to the woods to hunt, and she taught him how to use a bow, just like her dad had taught her.
Scott can see Jimmy. The blond has his eyes trained on a small backpack in front of himself.
The gong rings out, and Scott runs like his life depends on it. (Because it does.)
He grabs the bow and quivers in on hand.
The cyanett turns to run, just in time to doge a punch by a boy.
Scott doesn't think, he punches the boy in the face with his free hand.
The boy goes down instantly, and Scott jumps over the body. He dashes for the woods, snagging a small backpack, and throwing it on his back as he runs.
Cannons fire in the distance, but he does not bother to count.
-⬘♡⬘-
Good thing Scott grabbed that bag. It had a sleeping bag, iodine, a jug full of clean water, (which ha gredaly drank half of after running for so long.) and a small first aid kit.
He tied himself up in a tree, grateful of his light skinny body, from years of hungry nights.
The capital anthem plays, and he watches the sky from one person, and only one.
A brown haired boy from district eight is followed by his black haired friend Scott thinks was named Skizz. The fiery blond from district eleven. The pink haired girl from four, and several others, totaling thirteen kids, but no Jimmy.
Scott breathes a sigh of relief.
If he can’t win this horrid death game, he wants Jimmy to win.
-⬘♡⬘-
A boy from district three tried to climb the tree Scott had been sleeping in for the past two days, and kill Scott in his sleep.
Now he lays lifeless at the base of the tree, one of Scott’s arrows sticking out of his bloody neck.
Scott thinks his name was Martyn, but it doesn't matter anymore. He is dead.
He manages to climb down the tree and retrieve his arrow before a hovercraft comes and takes the body away.
Scott is officially out of food, and needs to find more water, so he goes out to hunt and find some water.
-⬘♡⬘-
Scott has shot three squirrels and one grouse, when he finds him.
Jimmy is sitting between two big roots of a maple tree. His knees are pulled up to his chest, his eyes are glazed over, his body is trembling as he whimpers quietly.
Scott crouches in front of him, and waves his hand in front of the blond’s face. That’s when he sees them, two Tracker Jacker stings. There is one on the right side of his neck, and one on his forearm where his sleeve is ripped.
Scott swallows, ‘I need to get the venom out.’ he thinks. He racked his brain for a remedy.
He remembers from training in the capital, there is a plant that its leaves can pull the venom from the stings.
Scott stands up, and begins his search for the plant.
-⬘♡⬘-
Scott finds a small stream, and fills up his jug, putting a few drops of iodine into the water.
As he sits waiting for the water to cure, he sees it!
He stands up, and starts picking leaves off the plant, putting them into his pocket, and some into his bag.
The blue haired boy grabs his jug or now cued water, puts it in his bag, and makes his way back to Jimmy.
-⬘♡⬘-
Jimmy has not moved an inch since Scott last saw him.
Scott sighs, kneeling in front of Jimmy.
He pulls some of the leaves from his pocket and chews them up in this mouth, before putting the chewed leaves over Jimmy’s sting, starting with the one on his neck.
When Scott is down he puts the rest of the leaves into his pocket for later.
Jimmy has stopped whimpering in pain, but his body is still visibly shaking.
Scott sits next to Jimmy, putting his back up against the tree, and his bag between them.
He knocks an arrow on his bow, ready to shoot anyone that tries to sneak up on them.
-⬘♡⬘-
Scott has drank one eight of the water, cooked what he caught, and has eaten a squirrel and a half when Jimmy starts to stir.
It starts with a small gasp. His legs move away from his body, so they are straight out.
His head starts to scan his surroundings, left to right. When his eyes and on Scott he jumps.
“What-where-how long have you been here?” Jimmy asks.
“I found you about two hours ago.” Scott says, “where did you get those stings?”
Jimmy looks down at his arm, “what is this?”
“Those leaves draw out the poison from the stings.” Scott says, “do you want something to drink?”
“You have water?” Jimmy asks.
“Yes.” Scott says, “do you?”
“No, I have not had anything to eat or drink since we entered the arena.” Jimmy says.
“Here.” he hands Jimmy the cut up mean of a squirrel, and the water jug, “take as much water as you need, I can get more, I found a stream.”
Jimmy opens the bottle, and takes slow long sips of water.
“Thank you.” Jimmy says.
“No problem, Canary.” Scott says with a smile on his face.. He is so close to Jimmy it’s killing him.
He does not catch the way Jimmy’s face flushes pink at the name, “I was wondering if you wanted to team up.” Jimmy says, “we might be able to keep each other alive longer.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Scott says, “I’m in.”
-⬘♡⬘-
It has been a week.
Scott and Jimmy have successfully kept each other alive.
Three other tributes died, leaving just five left.
Scott, Jimmy, a boy from district one, a girl from seven, and a guy from five.
Scott and Jimmy sit eating a wild turkey Scott shot.
“Scott.” Jimmy says, breaking the silence, “can I tell you something?”
“Go ahead.” Scott says, taking a bite of the drumstick.
“I’ve had a crush on you for years now.” Jimmy says. Scott looks up and sees the blond’s face is bright red, “it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, I-I just wanted to get that off my chest-”
“Jimmy.” Scott says, “I have had a crush on you for years.” he says, “I just felt like it was to stupid to admit. Especially after both our names got drawn.”
“Yeah.” Jimmy mumbles, “a stroke of poor luck for both of us.
-⬘♡⬘-
The girl from district seven, Gem, tries to kill Scott. She only has a hunting knife, but she is very skilled with it.
Jimmy throws himself at her. She stabs his thigh, but Jimmy distracted her long enough for Scott to thrust an arrow in between her shoulder blades.
She collapses to the ground with a pained gasp, and is dead not long after, a cannon firing to single her death.
Scott takes the knife from her hands and hands it to Jimmy as he tries to patch up his leg.
“That was really dumb.” Scott says, as he clans the wound with antiseptic from the first aid kit he got on day one.
“She would have killed you otherwise.” Jimmy says, holding back a pain noise.
-⬘♡⬘-
A cannon firing wakes both boys up.
They had found a small cave and had squeezed themselves into Scott’s sleeping back, to keep eachother warm.
Both boys look at each other.
One other.
That night the boy, Bdubs’ face was shown in the sky.
It was them and the boy from district one, Ren.
-⬘♡⬘-
They slowly made their way to the Capricorn.
All the water had been drained, and there was only one source left.
Jimmy had his knife, and Scott had his bow.
So when Ren comes charging up the hill, a battle axe in hand, a blood lust look on his face, Scott fired fearful of his life and of Jimmy’s.
He hit Ren but the brunet keeps climbing the hill.
Scott hits him again, panic filling his body.
And again.
And again.
Ren screams, and it’s more anger than pain.
Scott has one last arrow.
He fires it, praying it finds its place.
Ren goes down, and a few seconds later a cannon fires, signaling his death.
Scott drops his bow, he does it. Him and Jimmy are safe.
That when he remembers.
Only one can win.
“Scott.” Jimmy says.
Scott turns to Jimmy.
The blond holds his hunting knife loosely in his hand.
Scott runs up to him, “we did it Jimmy!” he says. He pulls Jimmy into a kiss, and grabs Jimmy’s hand holding the knife.
He jabs the knife into his own stomach, pain flaring in his body.
Jimmy pulls away, “Scott.”
Scott collapses to the ground, his knees giving out from under himself.
Jimmy falls to his knees at his side, “no, no, no.” he says, “why did you do that?”
“Because.” Scott says, he can taste the blood in his mouth, “I love you, and your family loves you.”
With that a cannon fire signaling Scott’s last breath.
Jimmy cries over Scott’s cooling body.
“You're still alive in my head, Scott.”