And We Danced All Night

Realizing that he’s not going to respond, Sue continues, “It’s time for you to become the Mockingjay.” To his credit, Eddie doesn’t laugh even though he really wants to. He bites down on his lip to keep the sound from escaping. He’s pretty sure he catches Sue’s eye twitching. The Mockingjay? Are they fucking serious? Sue goes on about filming propaganda footage — “Or as I like to call them propos.” — with a team that will make him up, dress him, write his speeches, and orchestrate his appearances as if that doesn’t sound horribly familiar. It isn’t enough that Eddie has defied the Capitol multiple times in the Games, serving as a rallying point.  Now he needs to become their leader, the face, the embodiment of the revolution — the Mockingjay. Sometimes he wonders if they forget that he’s only seventeen years old. “We need the Districts to know that you are alive and well,” Abby adds when Sue finishes her pitch, “to unite them against our common enemy.” Eddie lets it sit for a moment, his fingers twitching to reach for the pearl burning a hole in his pocket. He can feel the word in his mouth, turning it over and over like Buck’s pearl. “No.” He finally says. Neither look surprised by his answer, in fact, Sue looks downright determined, like she’s finally found a challenge worthy of her game-making abilities.  “Eddie,” she says in a voice that’s supposed to be calm and soothing, but it grates at his nerves, “the Districts are only going to rally behind someone that started this revolution.” He grinds his teeth. “Then you should’ve saved Buck,” he says, his voice dark and twisted. Because that’s the truth of it. They should have saved Buck.