highs and lows | { teddy / mackenzie }

Sometimes, a call wasn't enough.

It was easy to forget about the life he had in the Capitol when he was home and surrounded by so many people who cared. But there were people here who cared, people who understood more than anyone what he was going through, people who meant it when they said they didn't blame him for his actions.

He'd spent the evening with Stella and Ex, said his goodbyes when the sun began to set, but he wasn't ready to go back to the 7th floor yet. Not when he'd have to remember all the places Diana and Zion had been. Even now, he remembered seeing them sitting at the table for breakfast, sitting on the couch when Training Scores were announced. He had to walk past both of their vacant rooms to get to his own, had to walk through the kitchen where he'd been told Zion died to get a drink. They were everywhere, looming like ghosts. And he couldn't face them yet. Not like this. Not sober.

So, after saying his goodbyes to Stella, he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button labeled 6.

The contents of his pocket grew heavy and he found himself actually suppressing a smile. The thought of Teddy, the pinnacle of self-control, giving his sobriety over to a joint was laughable. The doors opened and he walked, quietly, to Teddy's room, knocking three times against the surface.

"Ted, it's Mackenzie. Come hang out!" he said, walking away from the door and taking a seat on the couch. While everything on the next floor was forest themed, overdecorated with plants and pictures of trees and smelling of pine, this floor smelled of parchment. Bookshelves lined the walls, statues sat still and quiet. It felt irrecoverably clean, which made him feel a bit dirty when he emptied his pocket and began rolling a cigarette while he waited.

By the time Teddy was out, he was finished. He made no effort to hide it; Teddy knew. Everyone who paid attention knew.

"Hey, loser. Don't tell me you were going to sleep when it's only nine o' clock."