pie in the sky - [eleven/sammy]

[lyss]

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No amount of water had made the persimmon pie go down any easier. Each crumbly bite caused Eleven’s mouth to become drier and drier, to the point where he left the table feeling like he had eaten a sandpaper pie instead. He didn’t stick around long enough to see if he had even won a prize. He hadn’t ever felt so painfully full before, and he knew he should think it a blessing rather than a curse, but the sweltering sun and not-completely-ripened fruit in his belly said otherwise. He fled the event arena as fast as he could, clutching his bloated belly in agony all the way.

Luckily, a long nap in the shade of the tent helped ease the digestion process. His family was more determined than he was to make the most of their time, so he was able to experience uninterrupted, blissful silence for the first time in a long time. Still cocooned in his sleeping bag, he let himself imagine how much fun Six would be having at the fair. He could picture Six getting lost in the corn maze and helping the younger siblings carve their pumpkins. He could feel the joy that his presence would bring and could even hear Six laugh as they all watched Prop fall of his horse. The joy these imaginations brought Eleven was almost enough to convince him that these were real, concrete memories, but as he counted the number of sleeping bags strewn around him, he was brought back to reality.

He was laying here on the hard dirt, avoiding his family and any fun, because he didn’t think he could have any fun or be happy again. How could he enjoy these gluttonous experiences knowing that Six would never have the chance to? It was a question that broke him, and he knew he was too young to be so broken.

So he let himself imagine that his brother was still there for a moment, so he could hear him encourage Eleven to get out of the tent and enjoy the rest of his time in Ten. Eleven was a good brother, so he exited the tent and set out without a real purpose. He roamed the campgrounds, hoping that something of interest would catch his eye. Crowds swarmed the campgrounds as they returned from the day’s events, and he felt overwhelmed as he weaved in and out of the throng of people.

“Um, excuse me, I’m so sorry,” he mumbled as he pushed through. He gave everyone small smiles of apology as he passed, not paying much attention until he caught a glimpse of a boy his age. Something about him was familiar, but Eleven couldn’t quite place what it was. It bothered him that he couldn’t place this boy, so he decided to turn around and ask the boy,

“I’m sorry, but do I know you from somewhere?”

elegant

[bailee]

sammy pepperwood

The Pepperwood genetics really did not fail me today.

With my face covered in pie juice and crumbs and Biscuit in tow, I waltzed back to the campsite to clean up. Utter glee was plastered all over my face in the form of a wide grin, spreading its way across my cheeks as I flounced my newfound talent throughout District Ten. Who knew eating could be a talent? Mom and Dad usually just complained about how I did so much of it.

Hey, maybe I found my newfound calling. Professional pie-eating!

"Biscuit, they really just make it too easy for me," I tell my new companion as we run through the crowds of people touring through the campsites. I had never seen so many happy people throughout the District - everyone happily mingling, the smell of haybales and corn and fresh apple pie in the air. It really was a great time to be alive.

A tinge of sadness overcame me as I thought of Thad and how he would never get to experience something great.

But just as my grin slowly cascaded into a frown, a gentle voice called in my direction. I spun around to face it, and found myself face-to-face with my competition from earlier. That one ginger kid who I just beat by a second.

“I’m sorry, but do I know you from somewhere?”

Everything about him seemed familiar, even beyond the pie-eating competition. His voice, his face, his posture... he seemed soft, kind, like someone I could trust, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

"Yeah, we were in the pie contest together," I offered him a smile and my free hand, "I'm Sammy. Sammy Pepperwood. Nice to meet ya!"

We were runnin' onto somethin'
And we didn't say "forever, " but it's all we wanted
You were so in love with simple things
And now we're searchin' for the fire, drippin' kerosene

[lyss]

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"Yeah, we were in the pie contest together.” Ah, so that’s what it was. He must have finished before Eleven, as he hadn’t seen him as he staggered away from the contest. Eleven gave the guy another lookover, unsure of how he missed the crumbs littering his face. The kid stuck out his hand with a smile and continued,

"I'm Sammy. Sammy Pepperwood. Nice to meet ya!"

Eleven felt his own smile falter as he tried to process why not only his face, but also his name, was familiar. Pepperwood. Thad Pepperwood. All of the times Eleven had seen Thad and Six together on-screen ran through his head at 2x speed, including their last moments together. He caught himself before he started to spiral any further. Sammy looked like he was having a great time, and who was he to spoil it? Plus, Six would want him to live in the moment and make friends with Sammy.

Eleven stuck out his own hand and shook Sammy’s. "Nice to meet you, Sammy. I’m Eleven O’Malley," he replied with a smile.

Eleven let a beat of silence pass, unsure if he should address the elephant in the room. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around, trying to figure out what to say next. That’s when he spotted a puppy, cute as can be, sticking close to Sammy. Eleven crouched down low to pet the puppy and was met with a lick to the mouth.

"Guess I must still have some pie on me," he laughed and wiped at his mouth. "What’s this little’s guy’s name?"

elegant