❝There is this boy that I love. He is a little bit damage, a little bit broken, he is a beautiful disaster... Just like me.❝
❝She's the girl who is hard to get along with. She overthinks a lot. She's a ticking time bomb. She's nervous and spontaneou...
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𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅 (𝖥𝗂𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗂𝗌 13 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖠𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗂𝗌 12)
1 year later
The waves splash against my chest as the wind blows against my hair. For people who live in District 4, the ocean is a comfort—where worries are washed away. I grew up in the deep of the ocean, riding in a small boat fishing for purpose and safety.
The beach that is usually crowded is a wasteland. Everyone is preparing for the annual Reaping. My father usually lets me go to the beach to clear my thoughts, but this year my head only crawls with them. I can't imagine leaving home and going to the Capitol to die.
I couldn't sleep last night because of my mother's weeping. Being an only child is difficult, if I was chosen she would be heartbroken. My father always tells me that no one in our family has been chosen, but that doesn't mean I won't be the first.
Annie is a bit calmer for it being her first reaping. She has opened up quite a lot, but I still feel that she's a bit distant. Annie is like a little sister to me, my mother absolutely adores her and treats her like a daughter. I can tell Annie likes having a mother figure back in her life. She isn't as cold-hearted but still stubborn. Ever since she almost drowned, she hasn't dared to step foot in the ocean.
"Oh my gosh!" I scream.
Annie's eyes shoot up from her book. Her face shows fear and worry.
She lets out a quiet gasp. "What?"
I throw a piece of seaweed at her making her almost scream herself. When she realizes it's just seaweed her face is plastered with a scold. I let out a gasp of a laugh, trying to make light of the day.
Even without effort, she looks beautiful. She's always dress is worn plain clothes with her hair in a ponytail, but it's her effortless look that makes her original. I can always point her out her at school because she doesn't try to impress anyone. Her face looks older and more full even though it's only been a year.
"You're such a joke sometimes," she mocks, rolling her eyes playfully.
I smile. "I know."
She signs. "I better go get ready for the Reaping. I'll see you there, bye Finn."
I smile at her nickname she calls me—Finn. She accidentally called me it once and it kind of stuck. It's something we share that I didn't with anyone else.
She shakes out her blanket and walks away towards her house. Annie was probably my best friend and I was hers but neither of us would admit that.
+++
When I make it home my mother greats me with a hug.
"I picked out some clothes for you," she whispers.
I pull away from her hug and gave her a smile. "Thank you."
"Make sure to wash the sand out of your hair," she adds.
I nod. "Okay."
I make sure to scrub every particle of dust and sand from my hair and nails, leaving the water a musky color. Although my family wasn't poor we never bought luxury items such as a shower. We only have a small tub that I barely fit in. My father and mother are very giving people, always giving poorer families an extra fish or lowering the price on a bigger one. Something I always forget to do. My father always said that sometimes happiness comes from the little things—that we don't need a shower when we could give someone a meal instead.
After my shower, I find the clothes my mother laid out for me. Tan pants, black shoes, and a mint green button-up shirt. After I'm dressed my parents and I walk down to the Justice Building.
My mother holds my hand tightly tears in her eyes. I try to make a joke, but nothing pops in my head. No one around us dares to speak a single word, making the silence feel like torture.
My dad pats me on the back, trying to hold a steady smile. My mother hugs me so tightly I feel as if I might be squashed. After she pulls away I give her a firm smile. They both then walk away towards the other parents. Once they leave I notice a dark-haired girl talking to her father. When I reach her, she looks at me with unquestionable worry.
"I'll see you in a bit, father," she smiles.
He nods, walking away.
"Come on," I tell her.
I grab her hand trying to calm her. We walk side by side towards the check-in. Her dark hair is out of its normal ponytail, hanging in waves down her shoulders. Her normal worn clothes are replaced with a dark purple dress. As we walk we are shot down with stares from classmates. Annie seems to notice because she keeps staring around her.
"Do you think it's possible to shoot a real dagger from your eyes?" She asks jokingly.
"Might be possible we better duck," I joke back.
After we're checked in, we are closed in an area surrounded by ropes. The youngest towards the back and oldest towards the front. My stomach feels that turning feeling daring to shoot up my last meal. Many faces around me are so pale they could be ghosts. I repeatedly wipe my hands against my pants. When the mayor comes out to do his normal speech, I block out every word focusing on the smell and feel of the wind. The calm blow feels nice and the salty fish that clouds my nose smells like home.
My tension quickly restores when a thick Capital accident echos into the microphone. Zetta Stales District 4 escort speaks into the microphone with too much enthusiasm. Her happiness makes my skin crawl. Her face a powder white, while her hair is a violet color. She straightens her coral colored dress while she speaks.
"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" She speaks in a giddy tone.
She complements the beautiful oceans here before she goes to pick the first name. Each step she takes is like a step closer to someone's death. She stirs her hand around the girl's bowl before finally picking a slip. She trots back excitedly, opening the slip, and reading it to herself. She clears her throat before calling the name.
