CAP Second place (open)

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

Even though Matthew's constantly putting Kyanite and Gala within the female category, he questions the very first time the little career actually gives it back for a change. She wasn't quite sure what she meant, just that it feels as though that's something a dude would say. How chicks only want winners. Certainly that's true for the average female as she witnesses her sisters constantly discussing how strong some guy is. But with Kyanite being involved in this conversation, the pieces don't fit together. All in all Gala finds herself baffled, unsure with how to react with her lack of practice with friends. Her twin Gwen was always the one to give advice, not the other way around.

"I don't know." Gala admits with a shrug and a short chuckle because it's not the right time for a laugh. At least Matthew admits to knowing that Kyanite's not a normal chick, one small step closer to an understanding. What exactly was this fight about anyways? Everything changes when Gala pulls out that her trainer was pitying himself; bad move.

Was this the time that Kyanite left? The anger being directed towards Gala is tempting to make her leave, but being stuck in bed for days changes that. Entertainment's at a new slim, so even a verbal fight is better then silence and staying still. Apparently the girls are sensitive and had high expectations. This throws Gala off guard as she was never expecting this. Wasn't it obvious how proud she is over her trainer? Even if he lost against Tyren, she would feel no different. In her eyes he's the best, and losing every fight wouldn't change that. The joys of having a young, optimistic mind.

"What'd I do?" Gala's face is scrounged together with confusion and a tad bit of anger. Now that her help was no longer needed with cutting through something she sits back within the closest chair. She wasn't leaving. "I wasn't expecting you to win." She explains, and giggles begin as she forms her next words in her head for a change. "I just figured you would. I didn't know you'd be going against a psychopath." It's a little insulting to hear that the little career had no chance at winning, and that the problem was her and the other chicks. Way to point out the obvious, but she wasn't going to leave that easily.

[Jack Lexington]

Gala sucks up most of my anger that has been falsly directed at her. But finally she has enough and asks me.
"What'd I do?"
"You're just the same." Is my way too fast reply fuelled by anger rather than my brains. In truth Gala didn't do anything. She's not been demanding a win, she's not been hurt by Mark before, she's just been cheering from the sidelines.
That she actually claims that she didn't expect me to win is a surprise.
"Why not? You didn't think I'd stand a chance against Mark or what?" I can barely hold back now because my resentment against my own failure has finally found a vent. Poor Gala.
"I just figured you would. I didn't know you'd be going against a psychopath." She tries to console me but I won't have any of that.
"He's not a psychopath, Gala. He's just fucking good at what he does. He's fierce, perfectly conditioned and totally screws with your mind by talking all this stupid prep talk. It's all strategy and I fell for it." I blame my loss on listening to his remarks rather than the injuries I brought into the fight.
My final conclusion is. "You don't get it, do you? I could have won this if I would have made smarter choices. Instead I let my gutt guide me."
Right now it's all about me. I'm not concerned about how she feel about the whole ordeal. Who cares? Gala's just a 13 year old wanna be who never had a chance at winning.
"Maybe when you're 18 you'll know what I mean."
Is this what a good trainer would do? Certainly not but truth be told I want her to leave just as much as I wanted Ky to leave. I don't need anybody here right now so I turn my head away from her with an icy expression.
She can think whatever the hell she wants of me.

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

"I am not!" Gala protests when Matthew's reasoning for his anger towards her is due to the little girl being just the same. What was that ever suppose to mean? That she's like Kyanite, or chicks? Either way the results of being a twin comes out because the only goal besides proofing herself is being an individual. Of course she looks up to Kya more then any other female, but she doesn't want to be just like her. A normal youngster probably would, just not one with a double already. Why was Matthew pushing her so much anything? The hospital's so boring! He should be happy for the company. Instead he drowns in his lose though.

"He's not a psychopath, Gala. He's just fucking good at what he does. He's fierce, perfectly conditioned and totally screws with your mind by talking all this stupid prep talk. It's all strategy and I fell for it." Matthew explains his reasoning for the lose. Honest Gala wasn't sure why he lost. Her Trainer's the strongest career of them all, so Mark must have something nasty up his sleeve to actually win. If only Matt would realize the little one was fully on his side. Maybe when he gets out of his funk, till then she'll die trying to show him. All of her sisters never take her seriously, and her trainer was the first to person to change that and actually teach her something valuable, how to fight. "You don't get it, do you? I could have won this if I would have made smarter choices. Instead I let my gutt guide me." Why is he so determined to shut Gala out?

"I thought you're suppose to listen to your gut?" Gala decides to only concentrate on his last bit. Stewing over his lose wasn't going to change anything. Maybe some distraction will help. So she avoids the other bits. "Well I think you did great." After all he did go through three entire rounds, wounded three different careers. Sure he didn't win, but he came to damn close.

"Maybe when you're 18 you'll know what I mean."

More crap about her age, how Gala wishes she was closer in age to her only two friends. But no, she has to be the young one that doesn't understand. "Or sooner..." Gala comments quietly. If she kept the fighting out, he certainly drive her out like he did Matthew. But if she calms it down? She wasn't going to leave, not without a fight at least. "Especially with your training." She chimes in quietly, hoping another compliment may help. Even if he keeps his face and eyes away the entire time she'll stay just to proof him wrong. She's not a typical chick.

[Jack Lexington]

"Or sooner..." she comments but I'm done talking "Especially with your training."She's trying to be nice but I'm questioning whether she should not be so happy about having me as her trainer.
I keep my eyes trained on the window where I can see a few clouds travelling high in the sky. They simply fly away to other districts, maybe even the Capitol, whereas we're stuck in our district.
I sigh heavily when I think about what she just said.
"There are better trainers out there." The statement perfectly matches my current picture of myself.
"Somebody who can teach you to win one day." I bite my lip and shake my head.

The nurse, who enters the room sort of saves me when she says.
"Time for the checks." She is very friendly but I couldn't care less.
The woman in her light green outfit holds takes my temperature in my ear and then looks over her shoulder "Could you wait outside, Miss Dunham?"
I'm stunned at the name she calls her but it soon occurs to me that she told them we're related.
"Don't bother coming back. I'm good." I tell her in a low tone and hope that for once she'll take my order.

[Cameo {RIP Charlie}]

There's very little that can really upset Gala. She's been through so many lectures and verbal fights they're simply entertaining now. There's no real point in taking them seriously when they're all clearly built up anger. Why not just go at a round with the punching bag or spar? That seems more logical to the young career, but in this case she can understand her trainer's position. He has no way of ventilation and is dealing with losing. Sore loser to say the least. As his trainee Gala puts up with it though, unsure how else to show she cares. But the idea of losing her spot as Matthew's trainee? The title she's grown so proud of over the pregames...that finally pushes it.

"You're joking right?" Gala questions, personally she wants to ignore it all together. The only one supposedly better then Matthew is Mark, and how would he feel to pass his trainee over to that jerk? As if she'd even allow it, not to mention what Kyanite would say to these words. The face of wanting to cheer up a friend shifts into anger as it always does to any other feeling aside from being happy. "You made it to the last battle and you want to drop me?" How is this fair? If anything they should be training more. The hard part is the fact he doesn't see how well of a trainer he is. Yeah Gala did it make it past round one, but she did go through two battles. Both of which resulted in some nice attacks from the little one, maybe even a bone break or two.

Before Gala has a chance to protest further, of how well she's proofed his trainer ability, or how Mark wouldn't make a better one, a nurse comes in. Great those are even worse then careers with their horrible, preppy attitudes. "Could you wait outside, Miss Dunham?" The nurse asks and brings a baffled look upon Gala's face. Right, she used the sister card to get in. They're over friendly and stupid. Gala's actually willing though, figuring a few minutes to cool down may be the perfect thing. Except that's not what Matthew wants.

"Don't bother coming back. I'm good." Normally these words wouldn't effect Gala one bit. Maybe she'd stick around and let him cool off, try again in an hour. Or possibly go home and return tomorrow. But after his last remarks that she should get a better trainer, the statement actually stings. If he's not her trainer, does that mean they're not friends as well? Does he finally want to rid of the annoying little career that's unable to listen?

"Whatever you say boss." Gala actually gives up on the protest, her angry expression cooling into sorrow and defeat. It's one thing try to cheer up a stubborn friend, but something completely different when she's simply not wanted. She gets up to leave, but drags her casted and uncasted feet to the door just incase a bit of guilt, or maybe realization, sets into Matthew. Unlikely though.

[Jack Lexington]

"Whatever you say boss." Gala tells me as a reply to my request not to come back. She's just as grumpy as I am and dragging her small frame to the door as slowly as she possibly can. Just like Kyanite before I just want her gone. I feel so grumpy and unworthy. Like I don't deserve their attention and friendship even though they don't seem to feel the same disappointment in me as I do.
The nurse doesn't wait until she's gone to ask me to lift the blanket so she can give me one of those burning shots to prevent blood clots in my abdomen because I'm not moving around.
"Really?" I protest like a little girl and watch how Gala slowly ventures to the door.
While the nurse goes ahead I keep a straight face in case the little one looks back. There's no way I'll take back those words to her though even if she's crawling like a snail because she wants me to beg her to stay a little longer.

Then she finally steps outside leaving me to breath a sigh of ...it's not relief. It's just...I'm not sure. I keep staring at the door until the nurse also leaves after noticing what we did with the cast and lecturing me on it. Finally I give in to my need to just sleep. Maybe when I wake up again the whole world will be so much better. Right!