LOVELY

~ 1.7 ~

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'Feels like a lifetime.
Just tryna get by.
While we're dying inside.
I've done a lot of things wrong.'
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Inhaling deeply, Indiana exhaled methodically before ensuring her wet hair was tightly secured in the tight French plaits before taking a step out of her room and steeling herself to talk to her aunt and uncle for the first time since her outburst on the train. As she rounded the corner, she saw four other people seated on the plush sofa – people Indiana wasn't expecting to see on her first evening in the Tribute Tower. Brutus and Enobaria stood to greet the girl whilst their two tributes remained seated.

"There she is! We've all been waiting for you. I forgot how long you take in the shower." Gloss joked, attempting to keep the atmosphere in the room light.

"Hey, kiddo." Brutus greeted, kissing the young girl on the cheek when he noticed how stiff she was.

"It's nice to see you, Brutus."

"Yeah, it's been a while, kid. It's a shame that we're meeting under these circumstances."

Unable to do anything other than offer a tight-lipped smile, Indiana moved onto Enobaria, giving the scary woman a hug.

"We thought we'd watching the Reaping with Two. You know, because you're going to form an ally pack so it would be a good idea for you to get to know each other." Cashmere explained, shuffling closer to Gloss and patting the free seat next to her.

"It's a good idea." Marvel encouraged, introducing his tribute partner to Cato Hadley and Clove Heartwell.

Bonding instantly, the two girls struck up a conversation and discovered that they both found knife throwing to be therapeutic, before diving into a debate about the best holding technique. However, their conversation got interrupted when the Capitol anthem blared throughout the room and the emblem flickered onto the TV lighting up the previously blank screen.

"Welcome to the run-up of the 74th Annual Hunger Games. We've already met our tributes and some of them left quite an impression. I may have already picked my favourite. What about you, Claudius?" Caesar Flickerman opened, his cheerful tone matching his upbeat look.

"Most definitely, Caesar. There are certainly some interesting characters to chose from this year."

Rolling her eyes at their carefree demeanour, Indiana tried not to show irritated she was at the way Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith were treating children's lives as if they were something trivial.

"As usual, we will be viewing the tribute's Reapings and the Tribute Parade. However, we've decided to shake things up a little this year and start with District Twelve. What a twist." Caesar let out an over-dramatic laugh.

Huddling closer to her best friend, Indiana rested her head on his shoulder as the Reaping of Twelve started playing for the entirety of Panem's viewing pleasure. In an interesting turn of events, Katniss Everdeen volunteered for the Games, in an effort to protect her sister. No one from Twelve ever volunteered – it was practically suicide. Peeta Mellark, on the other hand, looked rather pathetic next to his female partner.

District Eleven was after and when the female tribute trembled onto the stage, Indiana's stomach turned, A twelve year old with large, doe eyes stared at the crowd and looked as if she was about to burst into tears in front of her entire District. It was times like this when the Games went too far.

Tuning out the rest of the Reaping, bored by the lesser Districts, Indiana was comforted when Marvel's warm hand slipped into her own. At least he was still by her side again, just like he had promised he would always be.

Focusing on Clove's Reaping, the younger girl stood on stage with a completely blank face, devoid of any emotion. Indiana had to admit it was an impressive display of strength. Enobaria clapped her tribute on the back, causing the seventeen-year-old to let out a proud smirk. However, when it came to the boy's turn, Cato's name was not the one called out. The moment the tribute's name was called out, a loud voice volunteered. The men in the eighteen section parted to allow Cato to barge his way to the front; his build bigger than those around him.

Turning to gauge Cato's reaction, Indiana was shocked to find that his eyes were already trained on her, hoping to see intimidation on her face. Raising her eyebrows, she showed him just how 'impressed' she was by it.

Her cockiness quickly faded when the District One emblem flashed on TV, a lump forming in her throat. Indiana watched as the TV version of herself straightened up upon hearing her name called, marching over to the stage with some form of determination. Marvel gripped her hand tighter when Finn's name was called and Marvel shoved people out of the way, volunteering with slight desperation. Once the Tribute Parade ended, the TV turned itself off and the lights flickered back on.

"Well, I'm heading off to bed." Cashmere announced, kissing the top of her niece's head.

The other three Mentor's agreed, bidding their tributes a goodnight and warning them to get plenty of rest due to the fact that training was set to begin in the morning.

"Cato, man, that was an impressive Reaping." Marvel praised once the Mentors had dispersed.

"Likewise. Doesn't your District have rules against volunteering though?" Cato replied before the two males launched into a conversation about their training at the Academies, both trying to one-up the other.

"Personally, I thought Clove was far better than the pair of you combined." Indiana interjected, causing her and Clove to laugh at the astonished looks on their partner's faces.

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As the hours passed and the sky darkened, the conversation shifted from fighting stances and weapons to life at home.

"You two seem pretty close. Are you a couple? Is that why you volunteered?" Clove gestured between the pair from One before catching herself. "Sorry if that's invasive."

"Definitely not," the two said simultaneously, a reflex they had developed over the years after being asked numerous times.

Cato raised a questioning eyebrow.

"We've been best friends forever." Indiana explained.

"I'm sorry you two are here together." Clove said sincerely, face turning grave at the information.

"It's getting late and I'm beat. I think I'm going to go to bed." Marvel stood and stretched, cutting the awkward tension as he did so.

"Great idea." Clove agreed, jumping up and collecting her possessions.

"I think you're extremely brave for getting through this." Cato whispered in the blonde's ear once their allies were out of earshot.

As a young boy growing up, Cato had become accustomed to seeing Indiana Summers on his TV screen. She was always stood by her aunt and uncle's side whenever they visited the Capitol and he had managed to learnt all about her past, her personality and bravery, and could understand why she was deemed the Capitol's Sweetheart.

"Thank you," she whispered back, rather surprised at his compassion.

"Well... goodnight." Cato said awkwardly.

In a moment of short thinking, Indiana reached up and hugged him quickly before rushing off to her room, unaware of the heated blue eyes following her form.

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'You know I.
I'm afraid of change.
Guess that's why we stay the same.'
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