Be My Teacher - (Jack)

"Well fuck you, sunshine." He utters at the other cadet. "Who's Matthew Dunham?" He says, looking at the sheet of paper he's pulled from his pocket. "He's my mentor, know him?" Tom asks. The cadet opposite is being rude, and Tom doesn't like it when people are rude. That's obvious, but it really pisses Tom off to a whole new level. He's surrounded by the kind of people that he's been avoiding for his whole life; and now he's forced to love them, not loathe them. Keepers. They're the bane of any lone wolf, or scavenger. That's what Tom was before this. He and his gang used to go around taking what was left in the empty houses in order to live. His mother didn't want him, but she refused to take his name from the charter of the house, so he couldn't apply for a new position in a new place. He had to endure his mother, endure the torture of not being fed properly; having to live from his own sweat.

Who is this guy anyway? To Tom, he's just another brainwashed victim of the system. He has no sympathy for people like him who are blind to the real problems in the district. Anybody who chooses to come here has to be better off. Tom has little to nothing, living from scraps. Thankfully though, there's a lot of houses to steal from. It's an art that can turn in your favour once in a while. He never liked the idea of stealing from people, so he decided to take small amounts from many places so that nobody lost much. It wasn't just him though, he had friends. It was peer pressure for the most part, but the necessity for the food; the starvation was too hard to stray close to. He didn't ever go a day without food, though. Thankfully, he and his friends found constant sources, and they started to find better places to sleep at night. In old abandoned houses, and such.

The likes of which got him caught, and got him arrested. Then, he got assigned to this stupid Academy, to sit and listen to stupid insults from quite frankly; stupid people.

"You know what, forget it. I'd probably find more fun with the ladies anyway." Tom rolls his eyes, grabbing his bag from the top bunk. He isn't going to leave just yet though, because this is his dorm after all. This one idiot doesn't own it.

"Who's the others then?" He asks, about the other roommates. They aren't in it seems.

"That must be a mistake." He starts. "Matthew's not taking anybody under his wings." The way in which he says 'Matthew' is peculiar. Almost as though it was uncommon. Tom doesn't notice it, he just shrug his shoulders. Tom can almost feel the pair of eyes that are on him now, judging him. It's an uncomfortable feeling. His mind likes to notice these little things; what people think of him. He hates it, a lot. "Good luck with that." The other cadet says. His grin is something that Tom can only notice now. This cadet is laughing internally, mocking him. Tom can tell.

When Tom asks where the others are, the other cadet simple responds properly. "The others are on a run like they're supposed to be." 'Like they're supposed to be' It's said almost as though it were malicious toward Tom himself. Am I not supposed to be here then? He would think, but not in reality. He doesn't have a care as to whether he's doing this process correctly. He just cares that he's here, like he was told. "Who the heck are you, newbie?" Tom almost laughs. "Newbie? Please, I'm not stupid you don't look a day over twenty yourself."

Tom's sarcasm is subtle, slight and in little amounts. When it does happen, it's plain and boring; almost too obvious. "Well I'm Tom, it's a pleasure." He sighs. "Should I salute?" He mocks, holding his bag's strap over his shoulder. The thing is, he was told that his mentor was here. So surely, this is his mentor. Maybe he just wasn't told himself.

Tom gives a brief smirk. "You thought they would just give me a name, didn't you?" He throws over the paper that's stapled together. "Here, see for yourself Mr Dunham."

The file has atop, Matthew's picture.

The look that Matthew gives him can only tell Tom that he is quite... dim. He seems not to understand what Tom had even said, and it was simple enough. "The pleasure's all yours." Tom just shrugs again. He's not looking for somebody's approval here. He is simply here to get what he has to get done, and to leave. He doesn't want to ever be a peacekeeper, and he'll likely never change his mind; ever. Tom asks if he should salute, the tone in his voice should be obvious. "Damn right you should. Now we're getting somewhere." Matthew replies. "That was er... Sarcasm." Tom informs Matthew just to cover his back from the thought of stupidity.

All of a sudden, Tom has his shoulder pushed against and Matthew is gone, quickly out of the door. Tom can only wonder where he's gone, probably to see the Commander, to check that Tom had gotten it all wrong for definite. As Matthew barges through the door, the Commander gives him a glare, but then says; "You're dismissed, Mr Orca." Looking to Joe Orca, a large man with cuts over his arms and a deepness to his eyes. The cuts aren't fresh at all, but more scar-like. He is large in muscle, or at least you could tell that he used to be. He no longer is, but he's not fat at all. He's been on Peacekeeper rations, but the rations in which they induce on prisoners, not themselves. He gets up, and leaves. He probably can't even remember who Matthew is.

"Sir, could you please explain this to me?" Matthews asks. The Commander takes a good minute, all sixty seconds of it, to look at the paper. He slowly looks up to Matthew and says quite simply; "If he fails next term, you fail next term." He has a brief smirk on his face. "This kid is what us Peacekeepers call 'Scum of Panem'." He has his fingers motion a sarcasm to his words. "He's a scavenger. He's a thief. He takes what isn't his. He breaks laws, he disturbs the peace. We had no choice but to execute him but-" He takes a drink of his coffee. "-I, thought he was useful. He is a survivor, unlike his other friends who are getting executed. He has a drive in him. He hid instead of running, and did so, by what our cameras show, to protect another person. He has what I would call, a Peacekeeper's mindset. He just needs to be ironed out. However you do that," The Commander shrugs. "Is up to you. This isn't coursework Dunham. I just want the result at the end."

Meanwhile, Tom has decided that sitting around idle in the dorm is a bad idea. He's going to go downstairs and outside. Right into the courtyard. Coincidently, it is the courtyard to which the Commander's office overlooks. Tom simply sits on the stairs that would lead into the Academy's main building, and wait. The fresh air is so much better. He prefers it to anything this Academy has to offer.

The silence of the courtyard was sufficient. It reminded Tom of the light lingering sounds that the trees would make outside of the houses that he would sleep in at night. His friends, gone. Probably shot on the firing line. He'll never see the people who he grew up with again. He's not sad, though. All of them knew that it would probably happen one day. There are peacekeepers everywhere, though. Somehow, Tom is going to have to get used to it, and he'll need to stop eyeing them suspiciously.

"Sir, may I ask, why sir....next term. So you mean once I graduate?" The Commander places his hands together and gives a serious look. "I'll be honest, Dunham. We needed somebody who could relate. We know for a fine fact that you and your little gang are simply the legal version of this kid's former tribe. You've also faced the hardships that he probably has. The incident at the gym was one of few things you've witnessed, I daresay this 'Tom' has witnessed more. We Peacekeepers are relentless, ruthless. We rarely leave any stones unturned, and some stones we turn get cut in half. He will have seen his friends die before. You, of all people, can hopefully relate to him on that." The Commander releases his serious glare. "You want me to turn scum into a gem." The Commander shakes his head. "No, I want you to turn scum into a dog. A hound. I don't care how many chains it will take, I just want his teeth sharp."

"I'll try my best but what if he doesn't comply?"

"Then make him comply." The Commander politely dismisses Cadet Dunham, finishing his coffee and taking to the window to observe the courtyard.

The file wakes Tom from his daydreaming state. Slam, right onto the ground next to him. His expression is that of 'do you mind', to whoever's feet that are now next to him. He hear's "You're fucked." And then he looks up to see Matthew. "You're a criminal and somehow ended up here." Tom wouldn't call himself a criminal. He would call himself a normal person. "If you ask me they should hang you right now and here. But no, they won't. So I'll make sure your next weeks here will be an equal punishment, you scumbag."

"Scumbag, criminal. You don't even know who I am." Tom says in slight defence, but Matthew is already walking away to the main door again. Tom stands but he isn't sure whether to follow or not. "Are you coming? The latrines are waiting." He gets yelled at.

He sighs. Toilet brushing won't teach him anything.

He follows Matthew. "Who pissed in your cereal?" Tom asks after a moment. "Daddy issues?" He laughs to himself, the irony would have been funny in his gang as they all knew of Tom's lack of a father. He isn't used to being with nobody he knew. This whole place is foreign. Even the uniform isn't his.

Tom's physique is quite aesthetically pleasing. He is clearly somebody who does a lot of exercise, but he has never been to a gym before. In fact, he barely knows what a gym is. He's been out in the wild for a long time. The wild being out of home, and out of school. The facts are on the table though, and Tom knows it because he had Matthew's file. It had some brief information on it. Matthew is younger than Tom, which can't get any funnier when Matthew stops in his tracks and turns straight around at the new recruit.

"Don't talk back to me. Only speak when I tell you to! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

This is just some stupid stunt by Matthew, Tom knows that. In fact, Tom didn't answer back at all. It's like a pathetic parent's way of telling their child that they need to shut up, thinking that they won't understand. The truth is, Matthew isn't doing a very good job with the whole intimidating look. He'd be better off getting to know Tom rather than outcasting him. Tom has lost a lot of people recently, but Matthew didn't even pick up on that. Not even in the slightest.

Tom could just do it. Hit Matthew right in the face and run off. His mind contemplates it. He wants to, but he knows for a fine fact that he would never get away with it. He can run, and it will be faster than Matthew without a doubt, but there's the chance that somebody else would stop him. Hell, the Commander could be watching right now and Tom wouldn't even know. Tom just takes a deep breath with a heavy sigh. He's going to take this on the chin, for now. Maybe if he's compliant, this asshole will get it into his thick skull that Tom isn't a bad guy. "I understand." He says with a reluctance. It took a lot for him to change his ways there, but he's going to have to adapt to survive. He's always been good at that.

He sees the whole academy like a giant field. Herds of different animals fighting for survival. Cows with all the meat, herding together in the mess hall, sheep with all their pomp prancing around somewhere else. Then there's the tigers, the lions and the panthers. All of which can't be killed, but only avoided or bitten by. Tom is getting bitten right now, and he needs to find a way to get in on a group, and to save himself from the predators.

"Get your tooth brush. The latrines need a good brush. Tell me when you're done. We'll see if you're sleeping on the floor or in a bed tonight."

Maybe just this once, he can accept a little hardship in turn for some favor. Maybe if he does this, Matthew will warm up to him. Maybe if after all this fuss, there'll be a reward. Or maybe, Matthew will just knock him down to the floor anyway. Tom has always been somebody to prefer people who are older than him as friends, because they aren't naive. He shakes his head, shrugging. "I don't even have a toothbrush." He says, turning away from Matthew and heading into the toilets. He'll have to come up with something.

He slumps down onto his knees, under a grimy sink. He runs a finger along the edge and his fingertip is corrupted by the dirt. "For fuck sake." He mutters. There's usually somebody in here doing some chore, so it comes to no surprise to Tom when two older peacekeepers walk in and stand by the other two sinks whilst Tom uses a hand towel to scrub the first.

"So what are you going to do?" One says to the other. "Heck, I don't know. I'm already three cadets down. I don't think I can lose another and still keep my job." They wash their hands. "So who was it that handed their notice in?" There's a pause, probably out of confidentiality, one of the peacekeepers looking around but apparently Tom isn't a candidate for eavesdropping. But, he is. "Well there's Scars. He's going on medical leave right before the final test. I have to pass him, I've had orders. His brother and some other girl are the others. It's strange because all three were doing so well." There's another silence. This time, the first peacekeeper is clearly wondering something. "You know what they say, when a lad and a lass leave together, they stay together. Just another couple not fit for separation. Stupid teens." There's a laugh, and they leave.

Tom spends around forty minutes in there. Boring minutes, which he genuinely spent working hard. He hates to admit it, but he does want to try and make friends here. There's got to be some bad guys just like him. He can't be the only one.

He leaves the toilets after washing his own hands, the toilets are left clean, very clean. Tom has never worked in his life, so that was a long time coming it seems. The moment he steps out though, holding the water bucket, he gets knocked into and the bucket goes all over another cadet, both of them slipping to their backs. Tom grumbles, pulling himself half up whilst the other guy stands up quite quickly and analyses how much water he has on him; a lot. All down his uniform. The cadet has short, dark brown hair with eyes that are equally so. He's quite a strong looking guy, but in the athletic way in that he clearly has similarities to Tom; he doesn't 'gym' all the time, but rather gains from what he does in general life. He has a tattoo on one of his arms that stretches up and into his sleeve, which is short. There's a hand held out to Tom, surprisingly. He hadn't noticed it at first but he sees it through his hands which were wiping his own face of water. He takes the guy's hand and gets pulled up. The other cadet was even kind enough to pick up the bucket and hand it back to Tom.

"I'm sorry, mate." Tom admits, a bit nervous that this is a game and he'll get hit in the face any minute. Maybe this is a panther ready to strike. Sneaky, hiding in the trees. "Don't worry about it... I won't be wearing this uniform for very long any way." That's when Tom notices it. Or rather them, not it. "You're... Scars?" Tyren's face looks a little disappointed. "Only the Keepers call me that." He holds out his hand again for a shake this time. "I'm Tyren." Tom nods. "Tom." He replies. This is the guy that the Peacekeepers were talking about, him and his brother. "I'd better go get changed. I'll see you around." Tyren says, turning to the dorm which is opposite the toilets. He opens it up with a key and heads in. Tom didn't get a chance to say that he'll be in that dorm too. He doesn't want to go back in just in case it is too awkward. Both of them returning covered in water, Matthew would be mortified to know that Tom had soaked somebody, probably assuming it to be on purpose. He picks up some kind of hidden courage though, and opens the door a moment after Tyren.

"Alright, Matt?" Tyren greets casually, as he would any other day. He heads straight to his bed, which is the bottom bunk of the opposite bed to Matthew. Then, Tom comes in. Thankfully, Tom wasn't entirely stupid. He's not a kleptomaniac, but he had to take two uniforms because he had a feeling that something would happen. So he reaches up and grabs his bag from the top bunk and he pulls out the spare uniform. Tyren hadn't noticed that Tom was even there because he was too busy getting changed out of the wet clothes. "Some idiot knocked into me, got the cleaning equipment everywhere." He sighs, pulling a new t-shirt over his top half. He wasn't changed what was underneath, thankfully. That would be a strange first sight for Tom.

Tom also changes, but he doesn't say anything. He doesn't want to spur any suspicion that it was him. Then Tyren turns and sees it is Tom that is there. "Oh." He narrows his eyes briefly. "You lost?" He asks. "Nope, this is my dorm."