STARRY EYES | FINNICK ODAIR

[ 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄 ]

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE ; THE VICTOR WHO LOST IT
"do you ever sit in silence and find all the things you ran away from never left?"
— bridgett devoue

THEY WERE GREETED BY THE FAMILIAR CRIES AND CHEERS. capitol citizens screamed the names of both tributes and victors from above, flowers falling from the rooftops overhead. juniper picked up a small daisy, smiling as she twirled the flower in her fingertips. it reminded her of alice. alice.

    juniper managed to get her post traumatic stress disorder under control, but with the hunger games back in town — all of her mental health progress seemed to disappear into nothing. she struggled to sleep without nightmares, eat without vomiting, and breathe without choking up. it was getting hard for her to simply live. again.

   "keep your chin up high. smile and wave." woof and porsha told their two tributes, alexander and odessa following the directions they were given. the screams seemed to magnify, the arrival of district four causing the men and women of the capitol to freak out at the sight of finnick odair. juniper swore she witnessed a few people faint.

    she glanced over in finnick's direction, the blonde boy already staring back at her. he nodded at juniper in a comforting way, offering her a small, genuine smile before plastering on a fake grin for the capitol. juniper sighed to herself, giving him a small wave before jogging to catch up with her district.

juniper fell into place beside cecelia, walking behind the two tributes. she crossed her arms over her chest, staring intently at the ground with a small pout. they neared the elevator, odessa and alexander soon swarmed by their new preparation teams. juniper winced at the thought of having her own body prepped for the games, another wave of painful memories invading her jumbled mind. porsha, juniper, and the rest of the victors entered the elevator and traveled to the district eight floor.

juniper crossed her arms over her chest as she entered the familiar area, but this time — she was a victor, not a tribute. she won her games, she wasn't going to compete in them. it was hard for her to wrap her head around the simple and obvious fact. she was afraid — afraid that somehow, she would be thrown back into the arena.

    another powerful wave of nausea hit juniper, the girl immediately sprinting down the hall and into her designated room. she barely made it to the bathroom, emptying her nearly vacant stomach. the brunette kneeled before the toilet, leaning against the wall. her shaky hand rose up to flush the vomit, the girl then wiping her mouth. she leaned over, laying down on the cold tile flooring. juniper shut her eyes, trying her best at swallowing the nauseating feelings that flooded her body.

there was a knock at the bathroom door before it was slowly opened, juniper keeping her eyelids shut. she breathed heavily, her shaky hands cradled against her chest. she brought her knees to her stomach, skin pale and clammy.