The Victor from District 10

Chapter 13 - Meeting Annie

We take a walk around the Capitol as we talk. Finnick tells us about another District 4 victor, Annie Cresta, saying that she came along with him to this year's victor party. I wonder if she is the one I'd heard in the background of the phone call the other day.

We go back to the victors' building. In the elevator, the three of us are silent. Finnick says goodbye when we stop on the fourth floor.

"Even though I really want to pick up where we left off," Johanna says as soon as Finnick leaves. "I think we still need to talk more, don't you?"

"Yeah," I say. We really need to talk things over.

We silently agree to go to my apartment. When we get there, I open the door and let Johanna through. I close the door and sit down next to her on one of the couches in the living room.

I go first. "You know, I talked to a few people before desperately calling Finnick and asking for help."

She chuckles. "Who did you talk to?"

"With my sister and my mentor." I reply. I tell her absolutely everything, without fear of being completely honest. I notice that when I mention Cora, her gaze seems to change, like a look of longing for something, for someone.

"Your sister is pretty smart for a 12-year-old." is the first thing she says. She pauses, seeming to think about what to say next. "And she's right. I am scared. With Finnick I was already afraid of getting close, afraid that I might lose someone important to me. With you, Daphne, it's even worse." she holds my face with one of her hands, looking into my eyes. "Not just the fear of losing a friend and of things escalating too quickly, but the fear of giving myself over to what I feel for you, the fear of anything bad happening to you."

I smile at her, putting my hand on top of hers. "Jo," she smiles at the nickname I've just called her. "I can't really understand what happened to your family, how you feel about it all, but you can't live letting fear guide you. Besides, I'm a victor too, and I don't want to brag but I'm one of the Capitol's favorites," I chuckle at what I've just said. "I don't think anyone has the guts to do anything to me that could have public repercussion."

She nods, seeming to agree with what I say.

"Johanna." I say and she looks me in the eye, waiting for me to continue. "Who did you lose?" my voice comes out weak because the subject is so delicate for her.

She looks down. I see tears forming in her eyes.

"My father, my mother and my little brother." she replies, voice just as weak as mine.

I let the tears that have just formed in my eyes flow. I think about how painful it must have been to come home and see that your whole family died, I think about what it must have been like not to have had time to say goodbye to them. I don't even know how old her brother was, but imagining him reminds me of Cora and how I would feel if I lost her.

"I'm sorry." I manage to say. I lean my forehead against hers. Tears fall from our eyes.

I pull her by the neck and hug her, a strong, tight hug. She hugs me back with the same intensity.

We spend what seems like an eternity in each other's arms, and I could go on a little longer. When we start to pull away, her gaze stops on my lips and she kisses me.

The kiss starts to get more intense, but we're interrupted by a phone call. I freeze, already having an idea of what it might be. I hesitantly pick up the phone and confirm my fear: I'm being asked to 'entertain' someone from the Capitol.

I look at Johanna and she seems to understand my gaze. Her face is dark, a mixture of anger and fear. She gets up from the couch, walks over to me and cleans the tears that are on my face.