Suddenly he falls into a Capitol accent as he mimics Effie Trinket, the maniacally upbeat woman who arrives once a year to read out the names at the reaping. "I almost forgot! Happy Hunger Games!" He plucks a few blackberries from the bushes around us. "And may the odds -" He tosses a berry in a high arc toward me. I catch it in my mouth and break the delicate skin with my teeth. The sweet tartness explodes across my tongue. "- be ever in your favor!" I finish with equal verve. ---------------------------------------------------------- Primrose Everdeen. Katniss Everdeen volunteers. Gale Hawthorne. No one volunteers. ---------------------------------------------------------- "Listen," he says. "Getting a knife should be pretty easy, but you've got to get your hands on a bow. That's your best chance." ---------------------------------------------------------- He leans down and kisses me on the forehead. "Good luck, girl on fire." ---------------------------------------------------------- "Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games Begin!" ---------------------------------------------------------- Deep in the meadow, under the willow A bed of grass, a soft green pillow Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes And when again they open, the sun will rise. Here it's safe, here it's warm Here the daisies guard you from every harm Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true Here is the place where I love you. Deep in the meadow, hidden far away A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray Forget your woes and let your troubles lay And when again it's morning, they'll wash away. Here it's safe, here it's warm Here the daisies guard you from every harm Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true Here is the place where I love you. ---------------------------------------------------------- Gale's voice is in my head. His ravings against the Capitol no longer pointless, no longer to be ignored.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is 23. She thought she had her life figured out. She had her husband, her son, and her career, but of course her feelings had to get in the way. For now, Marinette was going to push her emotions to the back burner and keep her head held high. She was going to open stores in multiple other countries, continue pumping out the latest fashion, and attend a meeting with Adrien Agreste- Adrien Agreste?! Adrien Agreste is 23. He has none of his life figured out. The public thinks he's running the Gabriel brand, but it's really still his father. Adrien just has to memorize the information. Since he is still stuck under his father's thumb, Adrien only has the media to inform him as to what his high school friends are up to. He hasn't been to a single reunion or meetup, too "busy" running a business. Modeling for his father isn't really all that fun. Even though he's supposedly running the family business, he hasn't been to a single meeting in person. Now, he finally has the chance. Shaking hands and greeting people left and right, he almost misses her. After his initial glance, it's a wonder she didn't catch his eyes immediately. No wonder her fashion brand has taken off. During the entire meeting, it takes all of his willpower to keep his eyes off of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. ---------------------------------------------------------- As you can tell, everyone is an adult now 🥳. I haven't seen anything past I think season five? Maybe only season four? So, it's kinda vague how high school was left off. I can't say much or I'll spoil it 🤷🏻‍♀️ I do not edit my stories until they're completely done, even if unpublished, so feel free to point out any mistakes! If there's an inconsistency you find, go ahead and leave a comment so I can fix it, thanks! I hope you enjoy the absolutely beautiful chaos I'm about to cause. (Yes, I'm aware the title isn't perfectly center, don't look at it too hard. It's killing me too, don't worry.)