the way things go [s. plinth]

p r o l o g u e

Two children are playing in a meadow, the boy chasing the girl. He's never been able to catch her, she's too fast.

"Ophelia! Slow down!" shouts the boy.

The girl turns around, laughing. "You'll have to catch up then!"

Finally, the girl slows down long enough for the boy to reach her. The boy bends over, resting his hands on his knees as he catches his breath.

"Can we eat lunch now?" he asks. "All of this running is making me hungry."

"Of course," says the girl.

The children sit under the shade of a large tree. The girl takes her food out of her bag and places it before her, the boy doing the same with his own lunch. An uncomfortable silence descends over the two.

"What's wrong, Sej?" asks the girl.

"What do you mean?" the boy replies.

"You're acting weird," observes the girl.

"I am not," he says.

The girl raises one eyebrow but doesn't say anything.

"I'm moving to the Capitol," says the boy. He doesn't make eye contact with his best friend, instead opting to stare at the grass in front of him.

"You can't," says the girl.

"I have to," he says. "My dad got a job."

"You can't," repeats the girl, much firmer this time. "You can't leave me here."

"I don't want to leave," says the boy. "I don't want to leave you."

"When are you going?" she asks.

The boy swallows back the lump in his throat. He doesn't want his friend to see him cry, even as he watches the tears running down her face. "Tomorrow."

The girl moves closer to him, curling against his side. "Will I get to see you again?"

"I hope so," says the boy. He knows it isn't likely. He'll never go home to District Two, and she'll never go to the Capitol.

...

an: new fic alert! i am absolutely so excited to work on this new story, especially since ophelia will be a tribute in the games. i think it will be a fun challenge to write about. and she and sejanus are going to be the cutest ever. i hope you all are excited for the future chapters, i know this one was probably boring. have a wonderful day! -willow