Sweetheart // F.O

1.

4th July; Reaping day. To the districts, it was a day of mourning and regret but to the Capitol, it was a day of triumph and celebration.

Each district had different traditions for the reaping day as a way to commemorate. In district 4, they'd hold a bonfire at one of the many beaches. There'd be fireworks, liquor, music.

The cue seemed never ending as Niamh Murphy finally arrived to have her finger pricked like they were made to do every reaping. She felt childish as she waited in her white sundress, it was littered in tiny light blue flowers which only made her feel more like a child despite being only a week and a half off of sixteen.

"Nia!" A shout from only a feet away sounds through the crowd before Niamh feels a pair of arms being wrapped around her tightly.

Callie Marino; Niamh's best friend since childhood. They'd been neighbours growing up and found themselves soon becoming more like sisters than friends. With no irony to her name meaning 'beautiful', Callie was beautiful. It was almost as if the gods graced her themselves.

"Where were you this morning?" Callie pouts to her best friend, their dresses were almost identical aside from Callie's being coated in pink flowers instead. "I missed you, I went to your house earlier and Charlie said you'd been out since like dawn."

It was no surprise to anyone when Callie confessed to Niamh about her crush on Niamh's own older brother. Charlie was a couple of years older than them, having turned eighteen a few months ago and had also grown up with both girls.

"I went to the beach, y'know the one I told ya about." Niamh speaks in her soft accent. Almost everyone in district 4 had a variation of the accent and even the victors failed to lose theirs despite the Capitol's attempts to strip the district from them.

She giggles as Callie finally lets go of her and instead they link arms as they are called up to have their fingers pricked like every year.

When the two teenagers walk, arm in arm, to their place in the rows of girls, Niamh finds her gaze moving to the stage where the victors of district 4 stand in row. Beside them was the district 4 escort, Esther Sickle and in front of them was the mayor of district 4, Malik Abbott.

Victor of the 11th annual hunger games, Mags Flanagan stood first in the row. She'd won at sixteen and was district 4's only Victor for many years. Beside her was Caspian Blair, victor of the 41st games. He'd been the third victor of district 4, the second having died of a morphling overdose only a few years after he'd won the 24th annual games.

Next came along was Zander Crowe of the 57th games. He'd won by making an alliance with the other careers before killing them one by one at seventeen. Two years later, he'd mentored Donna Simone and it was no surprise when they'd been caught kissing in the presidential palace during her victory tour.

Finally in the row of victors; Finnick Odair. He stood, seemingly proud, in the plain black trousers, white button up shirt which had a third of its buttons undone. Everyone in district 4 knew of Finnick Odair. How could they not? He'd won his games at fourteen and at barely eighteen, he was considered the heartthrob of the Capitol.

For a moment their eyes met through the crowds and Niamh say the look of exhaustion he was hiding from everyone. What she'd never tell people was how during her morning walks to the beach she'd often see him there.

They'd never speak but as he swam, she could see that deep down he was the same boy who'd been reaped four years ago. Behind all the jewellery and accessories the Capitol would drown him in, he was just a boy. Though now everyone saw him as barely something to look at and touch.

Her attention is turned from the victor onstage and to her best friend when she hears Callie feign an exaggerated gasp. "What's wrong, Cals?" She asks with a knowing look that it would be something ridiculous.

"You don't have your bow in!" Callie whines at the girl, gesturing from her hair in half up half down with a baby pink bow then back to Niamh's hair without its powder blue bow.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, your highness." Niamh teases with a giggle, times like this remind her that they are just teenage girls after all. She passes the blue bow to Callie with a playful smile so she can put it in her hair.

Almost like habit, every year the two girls would match. The only difference being their favourite colours; Callie's was always pink whereas Niamh's was blue without a doubt. Even their hair would be put up in the same way, this year's choice being half of their hair down with a bit held up by a bow.

Niamh mocks a pouting face to her when she sees Callie smile at their matching outfits. Even their friendship bracelets matched, having a mixture of pink and blue thread. The two girls would rarely take them off after nearly nine years of them.

Almost simultaneously, they roll their eyes as the mayor begins his annual speech. They'd been to the reaping for years before they even had their names in so the speech was practically memorised by the two teenagers.

It took no time for Esther Sickle to be walking up to the front of the stage. Her dress was a shiny gold colour and went to the ground in ruffles. It takes everything in Niamh and Callie to hide their giggles as she trips in her ridiculously tall heels.

Finnick couldn't help but have to cover his laugh when he hears the muffled giggles in the crowd of adolescents. He forced himself to keep his usual Capitol facade up as he knew the cameras would be watching.

"Now, ladies first!" Esther calls to the crowd in her high pitched perky voice. It made all of them sick to see how happy she appeared about the games, even though district 4 was a career district. A moment of silence washes over the crowd as Ether picks out the slip of paper from the bingo wheel of doom.

"Niamh Murphy!"

Her heart drops to her stomach when Niamh hears her name called from the stage, Callie's hand seems to hold onto her's tighter with a look of fear. Shakily, she drops her best friend's hand and walks past the crowd of teenagers when her name is repeated.

Niamh could feel everyone's eyes on her as she walks to the stage, playing with her bracelet as she does so in an attempt to calm herself. She feels herself being pulled to stand beside Esther in her almost disassociated state.

In the crowds around the adolescents, Niamh could see her family watching. There was nothing they could do. She could hardly even focus as she heard the male tribute being called up beside her.

Nothing seems to get to her until she finds herself being led backstage to the Justice Building. For a moment her eyes met with Finnick's sea green ones as tears fell silently down her cheeks.