Chapter 9

Azzi’s POV

Me and KK have been in the car for hours, driving blindly.

Before we left we didn’t think this out 

I’ve tried falling asleep so many times, she was somehow connecting with me before so maybe she will again.

“Isn’t this road familiar? I swear I remember it.” I point out to KK.

“Girl boo, you remember this from an hour ago.”

Oh

of course I do

I slowly lay done across the backseat, pulling out my phone, getting ready to do the thing I always do while she is away.

I immediately open the texts app, clicking her name. it opens up to a bunch of worried texts I’ve sent since yesterday. I quickly scroll up to what I’m looking for.

bingo.

two week ago – Voicenote sent by LiL paigey 💗

“Hey princess, I left before you woke up but I’ll see you tonight. Be prepared, I’m taking you out tonight. You don’t have to dress supernice, you can wear pajamas for all I care. Love you baby, see you tonight.” 

I find another one, from the begining of the summer.

April 7th – Voice note sent by LiL paigey 💗

“Good morning, pretty girl. I miss you, I hope to see you soon.  Call me when you wake up.” 

A few more play and somewhere a long the way I fall asleep. Her soothing voice playing in the background. 

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Azzi’s dream

I open my eyes, in a car. I look towards the front seat where there is no driver sat. “Where did KK go? How is the car driving by itself?” I say to myself.

“Don’t panic.” I hear a voice next to me whisper, I turn my head towards the source. only to see the one girl I’ve been looking for, “P? Your back? Can you tell us how to get to you?” I say trying to touch her arm to see if she’s real. As soon as my skin makes contact her arm feels, warm and comforting, but cold and distant all at the same time.

She shakes her head. “I told you not to come here Az, they are waiting for you. You can NOT come here. Please.” She begs me intertwining her fingers with mine. 

“If I go home, how long will it take for you to get back?” I ask her 

She doesn’t answer, she doesn’t have to. I know the answer. “They can’t make you play again.” I say firmly still holding her hand tightly as if letting go would make her leave me.

“I have to go now okay? your going to wake up soon. But please don’t come here, they are preparing for you.” She says implying they are not quite ready.

I nod slowly and sadly, letting her grip pull away from my hand as she opens the moving car door, her body being sucked away by the wind.

______________________________________

Azzi’s Reality

I jolt awake, sitting up to my former postition. 

“Girly-pop you okay?” KK asks concerned. 

“She came to me again,” I admit to her.

She looks at me through the car mirror waiting for an answer, “We have to go to her. They are making her play the hunger games again and its going to be sooner then it’s supposed to be.”

Her face fills of even more concern, making the car go slightly faster.

Hours go by when we finally reach a stop outside the familiar building. it seems extremely suspicious, there is no guards outside, no cars, no anything just the tall slim building. KK and I slowly nudge our ways closer to it keeping close to the ground not wanting to be seen. The moment we enter the building we are met with a 2nd door which requires a key card. 

“How do we get past this?” KK asks me unsure of how to move forward. I think to myself for a while before looking down at my muscles wondering if I can destroy the lock. I take the leap of faith, punching It with my fist. The lock falls clean off hitting the ground, I slowly open the door spotting no body around.

Kamorea and I wonder around for some time before finding a door labeled “Containment room.” the door has a window and I peak through it immediately spotting the 6ft, blue eye blonde. I duck my head quickly not wanting her to spot us before we can get in the room. 

“This one doesn’t seem to have a lock.” I tell her moving my hand closer to the door knob. KK stops me, “Doesn’t that seem suspiscous?” She asks genuinely concerned at my absent minded state. I shake my head, shrugging turning the knob entering the room quietly. I close the door behind me, locking it, pulling the blind down so no one can see in. “P!” I whisper shout running over to where she is sat at in a odd looking labatory chair. 

The moment she spots me her eyes begin to water, “Get out of here, right now.” She says trying to get us to go away. I shake my head. “What? We are here aren’t you happy? We need to get you out of here as soon as possible.” I say grabbing her arm attempting to pull her out of the chair but she resisists. “Go.” She says her voice firm, and unwavering. “I don’t want you here.” She speaks again her voice raw. I feel KK pull my opposite arm away, and I drop my arm to the side letting KK pull me away out of the room tears rolling down my face.

“Girly-pop I know you crying and stuff right now but we gotta go. She clearly doesn’t want us here for a reason.” KK says still pulling my arm moving us away from the room.

We quickly sprint the way we came, the path completely clear. 

Until its not.

“Look who it is?” A lady says, I can’t quite recall her name. “I guess the bait worked. Now come, come. Both of you.” She says ushering me and KK both towards a staircase. 

As we walk up the steps I whisper to KK, “What the fuck is going on?”

“Paige, was bait I think. They knew you would come looking for her.”

We both end the conversation keeping our eyes on the ground.

At the top of the stair case is a bedroom, we both look around the room and spot Paige in a corner, guilt covering her face. Tears begin drenching my shirt, making it look like I walked into a shower with clothes on. The door closes as we step into the room and we hear it lock from the otherside.

“I’m so sorry Az.” Paige whispers her voice cracking. She purposely led us here. She wanted this to happen didn’t she?

I don’t respond, I sit down on the floor back leaned against the base of the bed letting myself stare at the yellowish white painted wall. “Girly pop you can’t ignore her forever.” KK whispers to me. I shake my head, “I can definitely try.”

________________________________________

Paige’s POV

My legs give out, making me sink down to the ground, Kamorea walks over to me and sits with me after a conversation with Azzi they both didn’t think I heard.

“She’s pissed at you.” KK whispers low enough for only myself to hear.

“I know.” I say resisting the tears. “why did you do this? After everything she has forgiven you for, you keep adding things to the list and one day she won’t be able to anymore.” KK reminds me, I nod. “I know.” 

“Stop saying ‘I know,’  and go apologize to her.” 

I shake my head. The tears finally rolling down my face, I dig my face into my hands not wanting Azzi to accidentally glance up and see.

KK just groans and walks to the center of the room annoyed, she claps once to get everyones attention. 

“Posittive attention! Azzi you can go to sleep in the bed its late, Paige and I will sleep in the chair.” KK says making Azzi nod standing from the ground slowly climbing into the bed.

I reach up to the light which I have knocked over a million times during my sobs and turn it off so she can sleep peacefully. KK climbs into the chair and I walk into the bathroom straight to the sink.

“This is your fault bueckers, you did this. You can’t cry about this.” I say splashing water on my face. I stay there repeating the same thing to myself for a while, before I hear footsteps approaching the open door. 

“Go to sleep Paige.” Azzi says annoyed and tired. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. KK is sprawled out in the chair right now so this is just the thing to do of the night I guess.” I say trying to lighten up the mood.

It doesn’t.

She groans, “You can sleep in the bed I guess. Just go to sleep I can’t keep hearing that on repeat.” I watch the girl walk awaAzzy towards the bed, leaving enough space for me to slide into it next to her.

The bed is small, its around the size of a full but slightly thinner. I walk over sliding into the bed trying to give her enough room without her being uncomfortable. Once I slide in I lay facing the same direction as her watching the back of her head. 

I  think she felt my eyes on her because after a few moments she reaches over and grabs my arm wrapping it around her waist, allowing me to scoot closer to her.  

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The next morning, I wake up to the feeling of my arm hitting the bed. As soon as I open my eyes I see Azzi standing from the bed.

She notices my drowsy eyes blinking slowly trying not to go back to sleep. “Go back to sleep.” the curly-haired girl says as she turns to look at me. “I’m just going to talk to KK, I’ll be back.” 

I close my eyes again as I hear the sound of feet shuffling.

“Okay girly-pop we need to talk about-” She stops midway through her sentence only for another voice to cut in. “she’s still awake.” Azzi says.

They wait a few more moments before KK speaks up again, “We have to escape, and we are leaving her.” 

there is a loud silence in the room for a moment before I hear my girlfriend say anything,  “We can’t just abadon her.”

“girl boo, yes we can. she lured us here! She cheated on you two days ago, for who knows how long. Not to mention she faked her death and told literally the entire country except for you.”

I shift in the bed, as tears begin running down my face. I turn my head to face the girls, slowly to make it seem like I’m turning in my sleep.

“I’m not going anywhere, this conversation is over.” Azzi says her voice firm.

I hear her walk over towards me crouching down to me. “I know your awake.” She whispers, her voice softer, gentler then it was last time we spoke. “We aren’t leaving you, I don’t know why you lured us here but we can’t leave you to die.” She says as my eyes flutter open. She walks around the bed climbing in, her face pointing outwards. I turn over in the bed to face the same direction, wrapping my arm around her waist pretending the previous conversation never existed.

“I had to do it.” I whisper, my voice quivering. 

“I know.”