Tomorrow Will Be Kinder

After, Liv fell asleep it took all my will power to get up. I had things to prepare. But, I would do anything to lay in bed with Liv all day, for the rest of my life...

I went straight to my room and striped out of the outfit from the reaping and jumped into the shower. I just stood there for awhile, thinking. I didn't know what to do. I really liked Liv, but I shouldn't get her hopes up. We could never be together, how could she want someone like me? Someone so dirty and used and so broken... I can't go a day without freaking out about the Hunger Games and when we reach the Capitol, Snow will expect me to sleep with other women...

I can't do this to Liv.

But, maybe she'll understand.

After my shower I search for something new to wear. I ultimately find a grey sweater and jeans. I let my hair fall into my face and leave my room.

***

"Abram! Good to hear from you!" Perprismia chirped from the other line on the phone.
"Perprismia, always a pleasure. Sorry for the last minute notice on Liv, but I knew you could dress her best."
"Anything for my favorite victor! And besides, she's so beautiful!"
I smile at that. "Yeah, she is." I say simply.
"Oswald said you had an idea of how to present her?"
"Yeah, I was thinking mysterious and deadly." It was the exact opposite of who Liv really was but I had a feeling she could easily pull it off and the Capitol would love her.
"Oh! Abram, the ideas are flooding my brain! I need to get to designing!"
I give a small chuckle and say: "Very well, see you soon."
"Buh-bye!" She squeals before hanging up.

I put the phone down and turn around, about to walk back to Liv's room. Maybe, I can slip in before she wakes up... A pair of hands grab at my biceps, harshly shoving me against the wall. I looked into a pair of muddy green eyes.
"You picked her over me!? Why? Are you fucking her?! Is that why!?" Brutus shouts. I let my anger get the best of me and kick him in the lower stomach. Startled, he falls back and I punch him square in the nose. He falls down to the ground, the framed picture behind him shattered to ground when he hit it. "I chose her because I believe she can win." I say simply as Brutus grabs for his now bloody nose.

"Wha-What happened?" Liv said looking startled. I give her a weak look as I walk towards her, blocking her from Brutus.
"Your dead, Connery. I will kill you if its the last thing I do." He says, so low, it's almost a growl.
I crouch down, looking at him straight in the eyes, I make sure my voice is clear. "No, you won't." I say before grabbing Liv and pulling her towards the kitchen.

"What was that about?" She begins. I give her a look trying to tell her exactly what happened. We were in the kitchen cart, men and women from the Capitol bustling around us. So busy, they didn't notice me take six butter knives and slipping them into my back pocket.
"Don't worry about it." Is all I can manage to say.
"Don't worry about it?" She says, sounding shocked.
"Yes, it's none of your concern." I say simply as we walk out of the kitchen cart and towards her room.
"Brutus was threatening to kill me and you tell me its none of my concern?"
"Yes." I say simply.

***

We walked back to my room quietly. Whats Abrams deal? He was so sweet and open to me earlier and now...Now he's so closed off and cold. And what was the deal with Brutus. What could Brutus ever do to get beat up like that by Abram? When we reached my room, Abram closes the door with a small click. He walks over to one of the framed pictures pulls it down, setting it down on the ground. He pulls out the six butter knifes from his back pocket and walks up to me, handing me three of them.
"When we reach the Capitol. I expect you to make some friends with the careers."
"What? Why?"
"Because, Brutus won't come near you, if you have powerful allies or anyone for that matter..."
"Alright, makes sense but, what do butter knifes have to do with this?" I say, flashing the knifes in my hand, awkwardly.
"The careers won't want to become you allies unless you have talent. You know plants and you can climb. Thats a good start but you need to learn how to kill or at least defend yourself."
"Wont we get in trouble for this?" Abram shrugs.
"What they don't know won't hurt them."
"And I'm suppose to learn all this in a few hours?"
"No, we have all night. Why did you think I told you to go to sleep earlier?"
I take a deep breath. This whole thing becoming too real.
"Alright. Where do we start?"