Do you think I [WOOD] make happiness? ~Jess and Kittyoemily~

It had been a short while since the 67th Hunger Games ended, the male from District 4 having been crowned the victor. I didn't have anything against any of the District 4 tributes this year, so I guess it was a good thing. The tributes from 7 had done...fairly well, but the final showdown was between both tributes from 4, which was something you rarely see in the Hunger Games. Plus, 4 hadn't had a victor in quite a while so it was a win for them. The blood and pain had barely affected me when I watched it, my knees brought up to my chest and my eyes fixated on the screen as the battles unwound before me.

I guess the main reason for that was because of all the pain I've been through. Hair pulling, kicking, scratching, punching, you name it, I've been through it. They even cut me with a knife once, but they were too scared to do anything super severe, like stab me. They were probably worried that they'd be caught by the Peacekeepers and sent to that detention centre or something. Cowards. I'm one to talk, seeing as I let them hurt me and don't fight back.

I'd had the good luck of not running into any of them that day, until that fateful time in the market. Without warning, one of them ran up to me, grabbed me by my hair and brought their knee up in between my legs. I knew it would hurt much more if I was a boy, and the tugging on my hair hurt much worse, but I still cried out, "H-Hey!" The boy who'd attacked me smirked and let me go. I stumbled to the ground and he ran off again. Most people were ignoring me, the minority flashing me worried glances.

It was kind of an unspoken rule. You help the underdog out, you get the same treatment.

Tears rolled down my cheeks without any warning. I hope Mama wasn't looking out the window when that happened. Mama still didn't know the majority of rude things they did to me. All she knew was that they'd pulled on my braids and teased me. She hadn't liked that, but she'd told me to get over it and try and stand up for myself. I'm sorry Mama, I tried, I really did try. I just wasn't good enough. My legs shook as the silent tears made their way down my face. Not one person stopped to help me up. Not one.

Until a boy came up, someone from school probably, who'd witnessed the bullying but ignored it, to save himself. I didn't know he was comforting me until his hand was rubbing against my back and he was saying, "Don't cry. What's wrong now?"

Was...was he actually asking me what was wrong? Part of me thought this was kind and...and unusual, and another part of me saw this boy as blind. Oblivious to everything that had been going on. I blinked away some tears. He...he didn't need to know...did he? "U-Um...nothing..." I didn't want to pour my heart out to him. He did nothing to deserve the extra pressure. "You...you can just continue with...your day..." Like nothing ever happened. That's what most people did. You'd be safer if you did too.

The last time anyone had cared about her was so long ago she'd almost forgotten it. Someone came up and asked her if she was okay, and she nodded, tears still in her eyes. That person had then given her some food to take back to her house, and that night she and Mama went to bed with their bellies full. Leoni had never seen that person again after that, although she was sure she remembered what they looked like. Slightly. But now this was different - he wasn't giving her food, he was...taking her somewhere? "Come with me. I will show you something that will make you feel better okay? And I am not leaving until you smile." Leoni hadn't smiled in a while, at least a genuine one. She sometimes faked them so Mama didn't realize what was going on. But it was hard to pretend nothing was happening when someone had seen it.

"O-Okay..." He took her hand and her cheeks turned slightly pink. She never really held hands with anyone except Mama when she took her on walks around the district. Mama rarely left the house so Leoni had resorted to making her. Luckily it was usually really early in the morning or at evening when most people were inside getting ready for bed or eating, so she didn't encounter  anyone from school. "Come on, come with me. My name's Chai, by the way. So what is your name?"

Now he asked what her name was. She looked up at him and replied, "Leonice...or Leoni if you want." Only Mama used her nickname, when they were at home - the bullies only ever used it when they were teasing her. She doubted many of them even knew her name, except the ones in her class at school. Leoni's head still throbbed from the previous incident and she hoped the boy hadn't seen it. That would certainly be embarrassing. 

"Where are we going?" she asked, realizing she didn't know where this stranger was taking her. She almost cursed herself for letting him take her away so easily.