Was I Right? {Sage JB Oneshot}

The Justice Building. In District Twelve, it was a place where many children went to say their final goodbyes to their families. Very few of them would ever return to see them again, so it was often a place of sadness. Despite the velvet couch and surprisingly pleasing view of the District out of the room's single window, it wasn't a place that many of the people in District Twelve wanted to be. Most people that ended up there didn't ask for it. Most people. Sage had asked for it.

The 75th Hunger Games consisted purely of volunteer tributes this year. Only those who were requesting to fight in the death match would have to. Most of the time, it wouldn't be expected for someone like Sage to volunteer. He wasn't a career. No, not in the least. He dreaded the idea of the Hunger Games, and truly feared them. He hated to see anyone die, and certainly didn't want to kill another human being. If this was the case, though, then why in the great world of Ripred, would he put himself forward?

It was because of his life.

He'd always had the worst luck. He wouldn't have been surprised if he were reaped the next time there was a regular reaping. On a daily basis, he'd get hurt somehow, whether it be due to someone doing it to him on purpose, or just part of his usual clumsiness. Sage's parents both died before he ever got the chance to get to know them, and he lived with his sister and an older woman that had taken them in. Most of the time, however, he just considered it living with his sister, as he interacted with Parsley much more than the older woman. It wasn't uncommon for Sage to feel that Parsley was one of the only two people that cared about him. The only other person was Affron.

Affron. he thought. That's my fault, too.

Since Sage volunteered, Affron had followed. At this point, Sage didn't know why, but assumed it was because they were such close friends, and he didn't want to see him go in on his own. Though, if that was the case, didn't Affron know that only one of them could come out? Besides, their chances this year were worse than ever. There were bound to be more tributes than usual, especially when it came to Career tributes. Careers would volunteer simply because they thought they could win. Sage's reason was the opposite. He thought that maybe he could die.

Now, though, Sage knew he would actually have to try to do well in the Games. He didn't want to have Affron see him die, but he also didn't want to see Affron die. They'd have to protect one another. They were best friends, and Sage would hate to lose that. For him, it would be like losing a loved one. Was Affron a loved one? Sage realized then that he had felt some slight feelings for the older boy at one point, but he wondered if those feelings were still there. Surely, if they were, they'd surface during their time before or in the arena. Sage wondered how long he'd make it in the arena. Would he make it past the terrifying bloodbath at the cornucopia?

I wish I could just help Affron make it out.

Sage just wanted to make sure his friend survived.

The next thoughts that flooded into his mind weren't about Affron, but Parsley. His sister hadn't known that Sage was planning on volunteering. She hadn't known that he wanted to put himself forward for a death match. She hadn't known that he had a slight urge to actually die. Parsley, the one female in his life that he felt actually cared for him as a motherly figure, didn't know that Sage wanted to die. Sage didn't want to win.

Running his fingers over the woven bracelet he had on his wrist, Sage could remember the day he had gotten it. Affron had bought it for him with money he'd stolen. At first, Sage argued with his friend, telling him he shouldn't steal. After all, Sage always tried to do what was right. After a bit of convincing, however, Affron got Sage to let it go, and even used the illegally obtained currency to purchase him a gift. Now, Sage was using it as a token. It was going to be the one thing he had to remind him of his District. Though, Sage wasn't sure if he actually wanted to remember District Twelve. He'd never really enjoyed it there when he wasn't with Affron or Parsley.

Waiting for a while, Sage hoped that he'd see Parsley enter the room. At the same time, though, he didn't want to see her. He didn't want to see her tear-stained face as she mourned her brother before he even died. They both knew that he had no chance of becoming the victor. Though, Sage wasn't sure if victor-ship mattered to him. He didn't think he even wanted to win. Crossing his arms and leaning back on the plush sofa that he was seated on, Sage gazed out the window onto the District below, just hoping that he had made the right choice.