Deleted Scenes: Cheater

((In one-shot form because this one is more serious and I thought it'd be better))
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It was the night before interviews. Prentice Tholberg was pretty confused when he heard a knock on his door so late at night. Not that he had been sleeping, he couldn't even if he tried, but... It was strange. When he opened it and saw June standing there, he was more surprised. 
"June?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes. 
"Hi," she said quietly. "Can I talk to you?" 
"Um, sure." He stepped aside to let her in. "You can sit if you want to." He gestured to the bed, where she sat, and he sat next to her. He knew to keep his distance, of course. "What's up?" 
"I..." June stared at the ceiling, which Prentice had set to be covered in little holographic stars. "I don't know if I can do this anymore, Prentice." 
The mentor glanced over, surprised. "Isn't this something to talk to Vale about?" 
"He was sleeping."
"You could have talked to him tomorrow."  
June bit her lip. "He... Wouldn't have listened. I just..." 
"This is the best strategy, I think." 
"But it's not fair!" 
Prentice blinked. "Huh?" 
"It's not fair to Jasper," she said, crossing her arms and looking away to try and keep from crying. "It's not fair that he has to do this." 
"June..." 
"If I were him, I'd want to be far away from me too. I can't blame him. I fucked up. He probably hates being around me and... It's not fair!" She sniffled a little bit. 
Prentice handed her a tissue and she blew her nose. "June... I know it's not fair. But... I think you'll find that sometimes there are some things that are more important than being fair." 
She glanced over, glaring slightly. "That... That's not true... I'm a cheater!!" 
"Yeah? I'm a cheater too."
"Wh-What?" She glanced at him with watery brown eyes. 
"Yeah." Prentice laughed a bit, a sad, trying-to-keep-it-light laugh that was hollow and fake. "I'm a cheater. Before the Quell announcement and stuff, I was seeing Gian pretty much exclusively. I mean, he understood that I had to prostitute myself, but... I was forced, and he got it. I didn't want to do something that would take more time because I was already so crunched for time on every other front. It's easy when you can go, have five quickies, and be on the train back home for supper." 
June sniffled a bit, and Prentice could tell he was scaring her, so he kept going. "That's not the point. The point is that we were, in a way, committed. It was kind of a blurred line, but I knew that if I slept with Honore, the Head Gamemaker, he'd be hurt. I knew it'd make him mad because I was choosing to have relations with someone else. I knew it'd hurt him, but I did it anyways." 
"You..." 
"Yeah. I'm a cheater and I broke his heart. But I knew that what I'd get from the ordeal would be worth it. Because, well, giving District Nine that advantage was something that was important to me. More important than being fair." 
June couldn't help but feel a brief pang of anger. "You knew you would break his heart! And you did!" 
"Yeah. Yeah, I did. I'm a cheater. But I want District Nine to have a Victor. This is someone's life that we're talking about. This is the fate of an entire District of people who are just learning what it's like to not be starving. So that's what I chose. I chose to do some snooping, even though it made Gian mad at me. You can always get second chances, June, but you absolutely can't get a life back when it's gone." 
"I don't think that's true," she said quietly. "I don't think you can always get second chances." 
"Maybe it's not true. But I was willing to risk it." 
"You destroyed an entire friendship over this?" 
"Yes. But it's your life. And Jasper's too. And hundreds of others back home. I stand by what I did. And you'd better stand by it too because you know something that none of the other tributes know. And that is absolutely critical." 
"What's your point?" she asked, sniffling. 
"You say you want things to be fair now, but when you touch foot in the Arena, you'll soon realize that survival is more important than being fair. And this is the way you can survive longer. The Capitolites totally bought it. You guys are doing great and everyone is buying it." 
"Oh... But... Aren't you supposed to be on his side?! He's your tribute, not me!" 
"June... You have to understand that both Vale and I are devoted to getting a Victor from District Nine. Just because we split and each picked a tribute doesn't mean anything. We just want to get a tribute home from our District. No matter who that is. So yes, I'm on your side. I'm on his, too." 
"You can't be on both," she sniffled.
"Then I'll be on neither. I just want one of you home out of that Arena. And based on scores and skills, you're the one with the better chance." 
Tears poured out of June's eyes. "You can't say things like that!" 
"I can. I just did." 
June let out a small sob and Prentice just gave her the whole box of tissues. "That's not fair!" 
"Some things are more important than being fair. You'll see. Once you're in the Games, you'll see." 
June let out another sob, shaking her head. Prentice sighed, shaking his head. He had been the same way, but once he was really at risk of death, he'd realized that it was true. 
June cried a little while longer before she forced out, in a tiny voice, "I... Still love him." 
There was a silence, only filled by June whimpering and a drawn-out sigh from Prentice. "I see.  Well... God, you're going to hate me for saying this. But... Some things are more important than love." 
"Of course you'd say that," she said bitterly. She didn't like hearing what Prentice had to say, but she was still here. She could have gotten up and left by now if she was done with it, but Prentice had a feeling she knew deep down it was true and was trying to accept it. 
"I would. Surviving is more important than love. Some people sacrifice themselves, but you know what, that's nothing more than throwing away the chance you have to get back to your family and friends, your District, who are all counting on you. It's just as bad as suicide." 
June sniffled. "Did you tell Jasper that too?" 
"Yes, I did." 
June glanced up at Prentice with watery eyes. "Do you think he'll listen? He wouldn't..." 
"I can't tell you for sure, June." Prentice bit his lip. There was so much he could have told her, but he restricted himself. It just wasn't his place to say most of those things. Instead, he just decided to try and give her a hint. "I think you know him much better than I do. Don't you?" 
June let out another strained sob in response. Prentice thought maybe she got the hint. 
"He's not planning to expose me then?" 
"Nope. He's ready to pretend until the very end. I... Have no idea if they'll even consider allowing two Victors, but... If you just keep up the act... It could happen." 
"And if we're the final two?" June choked out, glancing up at him. "What if they don't allow two?" 
Prentice frowned, feeling genuinely sorry for the words that would come out of his mouth next. "Then you have to remember that some things are more important than love." 
June let out another sob, blowing her nose. Prentice reached out and awkwardly rubbed her back. 
"Pretending is hard," she sniffled. "Especially when you still feel that way, and you know he probably doesn't." 
Prentice smiled sadly. Jasper had told him the same thing just hours previous. "I know," he said, not giving anything away. "Just a little bit longer, though. You know what you have to do, June. That boat is going to sink. You have to be ready for it." 
She sniffled and nodded silently. Prentice sat with her as she let out the rest of her tears, and summoned an Avox to bring some water for her. Once she had calmed down and sipped the water, she stood up. 
"Thanks for having this talk with me," she said quietly. "It... Helped." 
Prentice smiled slightly. "Sure thing. Just keep it in mind, okay?" 
June gave a small nod. "Of course." 
"Sleep tight, kid. It's a long day preparing for interviews tomorrow." 
"Right. ...And Prentice?" 
"Hm?" 
"You... You're doing a really good job. As a mentor. I... I think we have a real shot. At having a Victor." 
Prentice smiled a bit. He didn't let it show, but the comment meant a lot to him. "Thanks June." 
"Good night." 
Prentice gave her a nod. "Night." 
Quietly, June tiptoed past Jasper's room and Vale's back to her own. Once she was in, she programmed the ceiling to display holographic stars. 
"Some things are more important than being fair. Some things are more important than love." 
She heard those words in her head, watching the stars, as she drifted off to sleep.