I dug my fingers into the snow, a smirk creeping across my lips as I looked up at Johanna. She was just across the square of District Two. The destruction and ashes left from the war were covered in fluffy white snow. The kind of snow that was perfect for snowmen or, in this case, a great snowball fight.
The cold crept through my bones when the wind blew brusquely across my face but I couldn't bare to pass up the opportunity to wallop Mason with the perfect snow ball. Just as she looked across at me I took aim and threw a fastball right at her. It landed on her back with a loud smack, and snow flakes scattered into the air.
"You are handsome, but did you really think you were going to get away with that, Soldier Hawthorne?" Johanna said, still shaking the snow out of her short dark hair.
"Sure did. What are you going to do about it?" I smirked watching her cross her arms and give me a look of disapproval. We were here to help clean up this mess, Paylor's orders. I was actually glad I'd gotten stuck here with Johanna though. After everything, she had become one of my best friends. One of the only people I could talk to, one of the only people who understood what I'd been through. I still didn't know everything she'd been through in the Capitol but sometimes I'd find her opening up about things and for the first time in a long time I was beginning to realize that maybe things would be better. Day by day.
"I know where you sleep," was all Johanna said and I waggled my eyebrows at her.
That night once we'd all settled in after the long day of clean up in District Two I found myself in a familiar place; sitting in front of the fireplace with Johanna. She and I often met here after dinner because it beat sitting alone in our rooms. Garland was hung around the common room, signifying the holidays. We never really celebrated Christmas in District Twelve but some people in The Capitol had maintained the tradition from many years ago. It didn't hold the same meaning as in our history books but people in The Capitol never passed up an opportunity to celebrate anything.
"It smells like pine needles in here, all this garland and shit. I don't see the point of any of it." Grumbled Johanna looking around at the decorations.
"I don't either." I admitted, "But I guess it smells like home right?"I said curiously.
"Yeah, but sometimes I don't want to remember home. It doesn't even feel right calling it home anymore. Everything has changed so much. This is my home now. District Two, sitting on the stone hearth with the handsome Gale Hawthorne." She said, a smile curling up the corners of her mouth.
Something about her smile reminded me of someone else though. Something about this moment seemed to trigger déjà vu.
I saw her blonde hair first as she opened the door to her home and flashed her signature smile, so bright the dimples in each cheek shown.
"Would you like some strawberries?" I asked, holding up the basket to Madge.
"I'll ask my father." She said, opening the door. "You can come in, I'll go get him."
I hesitated at first but I'd sold strawberries to the mayor plenty of times, I guess it was okay to step inside, I was invited.
Madge closed the door behind me with a soft click and for the first time I looked around the living room of her home. It was large, with gleaming hardwood and a rock fireplace in the corner. I imagined the only thing in District Twelve finer than her home was one of the houses in Victor's Village but I had never ventured to go look.
"You can have a seat on the hearth. I'll be right back." She said turning and walking up the stairs.
I walked over, placing my basket of strawberries next to me and sat down by the fire letting it warm me. The winter snow had just settled in, coating our coal dust covered district in a blanket of pure white. If it wasn't so cold, it would be one of my favorite times of the year.
I looked around the room while Madge was gone, surveying the upholstered love seat and matching chair and my eye settled on the twinkling lights strewn across a small tree in the corner. I was so distracted by it that I hardly noticed Madge coming back down the stairs.
"He'll be down in just a moment." She said, walking over and sitting next to me. She must have noticed my attention on the tree in the corner because she smiled.
"My parents got invited to the Capitol when I was eight. It was around this time of year and I don't really remember much about the trip except they had a tree three times this size. It was covered in lights, so many that I couldn't count them all. It was spectacular."
I tried to imagine what that would look like, it was probably spectacular, just like Madge said but it was a waste.
"What's the point in it?" I asked, feeling confused. "Just a reason for them to celebrate while we starve?"
Madge shrugged going quiet, just like she always did when I disagreed with her. I couldn't help but think sometimes that she had no idea what it was like having to worry about what she would eat, or what she would drink. She'd never have to worry about that and some part of me was jealous, I guess. Suddenly I felt a little guilty for being so rude so I grabbed a few strawberries from the basket and held them out to her.
"I'm sorry." I said, placing a handful of the fresh fruit in the palm of her hand.
Just for a moment, her lips curled upwards into a smile as she clasped her fingers around the savory fruit in my hand.
"Gale? Earth to Gale?" Johanna said, snapping her fingers in front of my face and pulling my attention back to the moment.
"Huh?" I said, pulling away from my thoughts and looking at Johanna.
"You all right there, handsome?" She asked, gripping my shoulder slightly.
I managed a nod as I looked up at her.
"Hey did I ever tell you about Madge?"
"Mayor's daughter right? Not really... Was she a girlfriend? We're you caught kissing her behind the slag heap?" Johanna laughed, nudging my side lightly.
I shook my head.
"You do realize that I never got caught, right?" I smirked, poking her back.
"So you were kissing her then?"
"No. She was just a friend, or I think she was. She died in the fire bombing in Twelve. I thought she'd be safe since she was the mayor's daughter..." I trailed off, for the first time having admitted it out loud.
"No one was ever safe from the Capitol, Gale. But things are different now." Johanna said, scooting closer to me and igniting a flame in the pit of my stomach from her closeness. It was a feeling I wasn't sure that I was ready for, but one that I wasn't sure I wanted to fight.
"Yeah. I know. Now I have you."