❝FIRE ON FIRE WOULD NORMALLY
KILL US, BUT THIS MUCH DESIRE,
TOGETHER WE'RE WINNERS❞
in which a girl from district 4
meets a boy from district 2
during the 74th annual
hunger games.
[the hunge...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
LILIA STOOD IN FRONT of the full-length mirror in her bathroom, her fingers running through her wet strands of hair. She had just taken a long, hot shower, which felt incredible. The loose curls and siren makeup from the Tribute Parade were gone, replaced by the comfort of a simple pair of pajamas.
Lilia had decided on a soft cream top and matching cream shorts. In her room, the artificial window displayed a beautiful view of the ocean.
She sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed, letting the sounds of the sea calm her thoughts. Just as she was beginning to relax, there was a soft knock at her door.
"Come in," she called out, already knowing who it would be.
The door creaked open, and Adrian Reed stepped in, dressed in his own navy blue pajamas. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and his eyes looked tired.
"Hey," he said softly, closing the door behind him. "I couldn't sleep. Mind if I join?"
"Of course not," Lilia replied, patting the spot next to her on the bed.
Adrian crossed the room and sat beside her, his gaze immediately drawn to the screen. He smiled softly, "That's nice. Makes me feel like we're back home."
Lilia nodded, scooting back and leaning against the pillows, "I thought it might help. I needed to see it...even if it's just on a screen."
For a moment, they were both quiet, letting the simulated sound of the waves fill the room. Then, Adrian broke the silence.
"Do you remember the first time we tried surfing with those makeshift boards my dad made us?" he asked, a small grin playing at his lips.
Lilia laughed softly, "How could I forget? I was so sure I'd be a natural, and then that first wave knocked me out. And you kept laughing at me!"
"You were so mad at me," Adrian teased. "But by the end of the day we were both pretty good."
"I remember that," Lilia said, her voice softening as the memory washed over her. "And then we celebrated with those lemonades from that stand by the docks."
Adrian nodded, "Yeah, I miss those days."
"Me too," Lilia admitted.
They trailed off into silence again, both lost in their childhood memories in District 4. For a few minutes, The Capitol and the Games felt far away.
Adrian turned to her, his expression serious now, "We'll always have those memories, Lil. They can't take that away from us."
Lilia met his gaze and nodded. They stayed there for a while longer, sitting side by side on the bed, the ocean waves gently echoing throughout the bedroom.
───────────────
The next morning, the beaming sunrise pushed through the curtains in Lilia's room, filling the atmosphere with a warm glow. Lilia blinked awake, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings of her bedroom.
After a few moments, the events from the previous day came rushing back into her mind. The parade, the Capitol, the Games. Then the realization came to her — training started today.
She sat up, stretching and rubbing the tiredness from her eyes. The silk sheets slid off her as she moved her legs over the edge of the bed, and stood upright, heading toward her bathroom to get ready for the day.
After taking a hot shower and tying her hair back into a ponytail, Lilia dressed in the training uniform that had been laid out for her — a fitted black top and matching black pants with the number four on the back. It took a few moments to get adjusted to the new fabric, which lay tightly on her skin.
With a deep breath, she opened the door to her room and stepped out into the hallway, heading down to the common area. As she rounded the corner, she found Finnick, Annie, and Adrian already seated at the long dining table, which was covered with an array of breakfast foods.
Adrian was the first to notice her, and he looked up with a small, gentle smile. As she approached the table, Lilia noticed that he was dressed similarly to her, in a matching black training outfit.
"Morning," Lilia greeted softly, sliding into the seat next to Adrian.
"Morning," he replied, his voice just as quiet. "Sleep okay?"
"I guess," she answered, reaching for a piece of bread.
"Now that we're all here," Finnick began, setting down his coffee and ruffling through Lilia's hair. "It's time to get down to business. First day of training."
Swatting his hand away from her hair, Lilia joked, "Don't sound too enthusiastic."
"Ha ha ha," Finnick replied, shaking his head before continuing. "Listen, it's important to make a strong impression during these training sessions. The other tributes will be watching you two, and so will the Gamemakers."
Annie nodded, finally looking up, "Focus on your strengths. Lilia, you're good with a spear, knives, and combat fighting. Adrian, you're good with a spear too, and snares, knots..."
"You've both got the skills it takes to win these games," Finnick finished.
Lilia and Adrian both nodded, taking in their mentors' advice. After they discussed strategies for a while longer, the hour came where they would have to make their way down to the Training Center.
"Ready?" Finnick asked, his gaze shifting between them.
"Ready as we'll ever be," Lilia replied.
Finnick smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes, "Then let's get to it."
With that, they all rose from the dining table, leaving their half-eaten breakfast behind. The day ahead was filled with anticipation, but Lilia remained confident, standing tall as they made their way to the elevators.
