#hey dt

“But they don’t like me!” Henry exclaims, throwing his arms out at his sides. “I’ve done nothing but ice them out for the last five years!” “Exactly.” Declan’s dark eyes flash at him. “How many times have I told you over the years that you need to tone down the attitude? That you need people to like you? Even before you went into the arena five years ago I was tellin’ you that. And this is why. Because I knew that one day you were going to have to be the one to take care of a tribute, just like I did with you.” His lip curls up on one side. “Do you think I like those ignorant bastards? I don’t. But I stayed in their good graces because I knew that my son could one day be Reaped and if he was, I was going to be the one who had to take care of him. Everything I’ve ever done has been for my son.” His brow furrows as his eyes flash down to the floor momentarily. “And I know what the Capitol is capable of if they don’t like you.” A chill goes down Henry’s spine and he has to suppress a shudder because he knows what Declan is talking about. The way that Declan had won his games – using the Capitol’s own technology against the other tributes – had royally pissed the gamemakers off and he’d come home to the news that his mother had passed away. It had officially been labeled as an accident, but anyone with two brain cells to rub together could see right through it to the truth. The Capitol had killed Mrs. Tisdale to sent a message to Declan: Watch your back and keep your mouth shut. A lump forms in Henry’s throat and he has to look away from his old mentor. “I don’t know what to do,” he managed to choke out. Declan’s hand is on his shoulder then, sturdy and strong. “You show them that what they previously thought about you is false, even if it’s a lie. You make yourself appealing to help her. The Capitol thinks you’re rude, aloof, and selfish. And you are two of those. But,” his hand is on Henry’s chin then, lifting his head so that he could look at him, “you are not selfish, Henry Haber. You have a bigger heart than you let on. I can see that.” He lets go and takes a step back, never breaking eye contact. “Now you have to convince them.” “But how do I do that?” Declan’s shoulders lift in a shrug. “You made a good start today, even if you didn’t mean to. You showed compassion to Susmita for the whole country to see.” His eyes gleam at the boy. “That girl could be your salvation.”