❛ 𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬- 𝘵𝘩𝘨

CHAPTER 18

The next few days, there was much commotion around invading the capitol, and the different groups, but in the end, Johanna, Vada, Oakley, and Arya didn't have to be in a squad.

Ryker, however, was a different story. Vada sobbed for at least a day when she found out her boyfriend was being sent into the capitol, so Arya hugged her.

The days were filled with restlessness, with many different broadcasts saying that Katniss and her team was dead, not dead, dead, but then, not dead again.

Eventually, Arya and her friends just stopped watching them because of anxiousness. But then, suddenly, Haymitch burst into her room.

"They've done it! They've captured Snow, and finished their work in the capitol!"

Arya, Vada, Oakley, and Colton burst into smiles, but then Johanna asked. "What's the death toll?"

"82." Haymitch hesitated. "But there's some you should know about. Including Primrose Everdeen, and..."

He took a deep breath, and the 5 of them braced themselves for whatever was to come. "...Finnick Odair."

Arya gasped, and tears filled in her eyes. Even though the two of them hadn't really interacted often, she was still very sad as he was just married a few days before he was killed. "But Johanna and Arya, Coin wants all the victors to meet in the capital, so we need to get on the hovercraft."

Arya furrowed her eyebrows, but Johanna just stood up and followed Haymitch with asking any questions, so Arya followed.

Johanna had gotten a lot better than how she was when she was rescued, with her hair starting to grow back into a pixie-cut.

When the hovercraft landed outside of Snow's mansion, Johanna shivered, and began to shake. Arya guessed she would have had to be in there during the toture, so she gave her a tight hug. "Baby, baby, it's gonna be okay. He's not there. They're never gonna hurt you again." Arya whispered into Johanna's shoulder as Johanna's shaky hand stroked her hair.

Haymitch watched them with a faint trace of a smile, but as the two of them stood up, he straightened up and walked out of the hovercraft with Arya and Johanna following him, hand in hand.

Haymitch pushed open the doors, and Johanna went to pull her hand away, but Arya held on tighter, and gave Johanna a look, saying that it was okay to hold hands in public, to which Johanna glanced at there intertwined hands, then looked at Arya, giving her a faint smile.

They took two seats, and waited for Katniss and Coin to arrive. Peeta, Annie, Beetee, and Enobaria were staring at the two girls oddly, and kept staring at their hands, still grabbing onto one another.

Eventually, Coin and Katniss sat down, and Coin explained why they were there.

"Thirst for blood is a difficult urge to satisfy. So I offer an alternative plan. A majority of four may approve it, no one may abstain. The proposal is this: In lieu of these barbaric executions, we hold a symbolic hunger games."

"You wanna have another Hunger Game with... the capitol's children?" Johanna laughed.

"You're joking." Peeta chimed in.

"Not in the slightest." Coin said. Haymitch scoffed, "Is this Plutarch's idea?"

"It's mine." Coin replied. "It balances the need for revenge. The least loss of life. You may cast your votes."

Arya thought about it, and decided absolutely not. Even though the Capitol was their enemies, she remember the fright she and families went through every year, and decided that no one should ever have to feel that in their lifetimes.

"No, obviously not, this is crazy!" Peeta said.

1-0

"I think it's more than fair, Snow has a granddaughter, I say yes." Johanna said, and Arya gave her a hurt and surprised look.

1-1

Enobaria spoke up next, "So do I. Let them have a taste of their own medicine."

1-2

"Y-you guys, this way of thinking is what started these uprisings." Peeta argued.

"I vote no. With peeta. So would Finnick, if he were here." Annie voted.

"Well he's not! Snow killed him." Johanna exclaimed.

2-2

"No. We need to stop viewing each other as enemies." Beetee said.

3-2

"It's down to Arya, Katniss, and Haymitch." Coin looked at the trio.

"I say absolutely not. All of us felt the pain and the hurting when we were reaped, and no other person should ever have to feel that in their lifetimes. Besides, families would be broken and devastated if their children got picked. Two wrongs don't make a right!" Arya said, looking directly at Johanna.

4-2

Johanna bowed her head, and everyone looked at Katniss and Haymitch.

"I get to kill Snow." Katniss said, bluntly.

"I expected no less of you." Coin responded, waiting.

"Then I vote yes." Katniss added on. "For Prim."

4-3

"Haymitch?" Coin asked.

"I'm...with the mockingjay."

4-4

"Very well. We will continue this conversation with Plutarch after the execution tonight."

Arya could tell that they were being dismissed, so she and Johanna stood and walked back to the hovercraft in icy silence.

Once Johanna voted yes, it felt like there was a jagged, sharp piece of glass in between the two girls.

"Look, I think it would be simpler to just agree that we disagree, and have different opinions. Even though we love each other, we don't need to think the same way. Okay? Sounds good?"

"Okay..." Johanna said, and the two girls walked back to their separate rooms with polite conversation.