Tangled; mermaid against the tide
Foamy waves licked at Ariel Silvers' bare feet, tickling his toes with its cool touch. His fingers drew spirals of varied shapes and sizes into the sand, creating snail-less shells. Tiny rocks found themselves clinging to his nails and the torn cuffs of his shirt, refusing to let go until he emerged his hands into the water. He was posed dangerously, unbalanced on his hands and feet, his back bent in an arc. The wind, if it kicked up a notch, would probably blow him over. Even the softest of whispers could send him tumbling into the water.
"Ariel! Ariel whatever your last name is!"
Strands of long red hair created a blindfold as he fell, the shallow water tossing about the hair that had taken all morning to dry. He landed on his butt, his hands scraping against throwing rocks as he tried desperately to catch himself. His knees and head poked out of the water, the rest devoured by waves. He normally wouldn't mind taking a dip in District 4's clear waters, but Reaping Day was an exception. Especially when it was Finnick Odair, a previous victor, that was the cause of his second bath of the day.
"Finnick, you bastard," Ariel cursed as he pushed tangled hair away from his face, his big blue eyes focusing on the man who couldn't seem to stop laughing. He rubbed the palms of his hands against his shorts, wiping away the few droplets of blood that seeped through the sore skin. It took him a few tries to stand, much to Finnick's amusement, but once he was finally up, he threw himself at the other, punching his shoulders with 1/4th of his strength. "I'm going to be late because of you."
Finnick held his hands up to protect himself, but the laughs kept rolling off of his lips. His attempts to block Ariel's punches were weak at best and eventually the younger boy gave up. For which he was thanked with the picking of seaweed from his hair. "You're like a mermaid, Ariel. That would be your concept if you ever got chosen from the Games. It's a good thing you're sad."
"Don't say that," Ariel whined and rolled over to lay on the warm sand The shadow of a seagull fell over his body as it passed overhead, flying seemingly low enough that he would have touched it with a high jump. If reincarnation was real, he'd want to be a bird in the next -free. "You're going to jinx me."
"Sorry, but I don't think it'll be you. Ariel...And I know you said you didn't care if you go, since you've got no one to win for, but...what about all these pretty girls? They'll be devastated to hear that you're leaving."
He couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend. Ariel, although his hair made him seem female, was one of the most handsome men in District 4. He was probably number 4 on the kiss list made by the upper class school girls. Finnick Odair was number 1.
"They'll have to live with broken hearts." he replied, a little smile curving the corners of his mouth. It was kind of nice to think that someone besides his closest friend would miss him, even if they valued him for his looks.
They lay in silence for a few minutes, both aware of the time ticking by. They would have to leave soon, separate and go different ways. They'd meet up after and celebrate the end of a cycle that he would have to do no more. He'd need a career then. Perhaps he could use his hook making skills that he learned from Mags to do something with his life.
"You never told me about your father," Finnick said suddenly, shocking Ariel, who wasn't expecting him to bring up the past. "There are no blue eyed men in District 4."
"I'll tell you later." There was no point in hiding anything from the person he trusted most, even if that person had become the Capital's lapdog. "One way or another, by the end of the Reaping, you'll know."