Chapter 1

"Shush" I whisper "This one's mine" I continue. En-cased in my grandfather's hunting jacket I shoot an arrow into the eye of the deer me and my best friend, Coda, have been stalking all day.
"Nice shot, Rue" shouts Coda from behind me.
"Thanks" I reply
"Good girl, Rue you used your manners!" jokes Coda
"Hey!" I giggle and give Coda a playful push. We both smile and jog to where I shot the deer.
I pull my arrow from the eye and clean it on some nearby moss; a trick my mother learnt in the 74hth Hunger Games. "You keeping this?" asks Coda nodding his head towards the dead deer.
"Can do. I could do with a reason for being out all day, you know my mother." I reply. Coda smirks remembering me trying to sneak out of the house at 5am this morning to go hunting with him.
"Ha. You, trying to get out of your window this morning- hilarious!" he chuckles to himself as I smile and pull the deer over my shoulders. "Well come on then. We'll have to make a move now if we want to be home before dark."
We move swiftly out of the forest and across the 'meadow' towards town. We flit from conversation to conversation on the way back to the victors' village, where I live with my brother and parents. We reach my house just as the dark hits and the first flakes of snow stars to fall, my favourite time of year. We walk up the steps to my front door. I reach for the handle then take a step inside. Something stops me – I don't like being restrained. I turn around only to find a strand of my chocolate brown hair from my ponytail caught the holly wreath which is, unluckily, just at my head height. Before I could even think of unhooking my hair, Coda brushes the strand behind my ear. His big, warm hand outlines my delicate face and pulls me closer to him. He leans in to kiss me but stops and holds my gaze for a few moments. He smiles slightly and leans in until our cold noses are touching. Just as he's about to press his lips against mine the door opens and we both fling back looking awkwardly embarrassed.

"What the hell are you two do doing out here in the snow?" taunts my brother Jyames. Before either me or Coda can answer, Jyames grabs my arm and pulls me inside leaving a rather disappointed Coda outside in the cold.

Jyames pushes me into the living room and nods towards the pantry indicating for me to leave the dead deer in there for mother to cook later.

As I turn to leave the pantry I'm confronted by my mother, looking slightly cross.
"Rue, we've been worried sick about you! Where have you been?" she shouts, I know I'm only 16 but she could at least give me a bit of freedom.
"Mother, relax. I've been hunting with Coda. I brought you back a deer." I smile and signal to the pantry - knowing my mother will be pleased with my shooting skills.
"Ok. But Rue, next time let me know or leave me a note telling me where you're going – it's as simple as that. You're only 16 and very vulnerable at this point in your life."
"Mother, I'm always with Coda when I go hunting. He keeps me safe." I explain. She knows Coda would never guide me into trouble porously – he's the most protective person I know (excluding her, of course)
"I know but Coda is 2 years older than you and boys his age have other ideas about girls your age."
"Ok mother first; Coda's not like other boys" I defend. "And second; this conversation is over. I'm home now and you know I'm safe."
"Ok sorry." she apologizes and I turn to leave but she calls me back "Rue, I almost forgot Gale, Delly, Coda and Emilie are coming over in a couple of hours for dinner. Then at 20:00 Haymitch and Effie are coming round to watch the celebrations take place across Panem." My mother enthuses. Obviously trying to put me in a better mood.
"Ok I'll put something nice on" I say with a sarcastic tone. She smiles with relief. I exit the kitchen only then to be met by my brother.
"Did you get in trouble?" he smirks.
"No" I answer.
"Well you will off farther." he sputters, tring to get me into a deeper mess
"And why I'm a total daddy's girl he never has a go at me, Jyames, face it I can sneak out of the house at 5 in the morning - you can't even get away with going to Emilie's after school!" I boast
"Hey, that's only because Emilie's my girlfriend and mum's worried we'll do something inappropriate" he diverts.
"Emilie's coming over tonight with Coda and their parents, maybe you'll get to do something then…" I tease.
"Shut up! And I know, mothers been going on about it all day – it's been driving me mad! Well you best be off so you can make yourself look decent." Says Jyames, looking dis-approvingly at my hunting jacket and boots. I barge past him, purposely knocking his shoulder.
I reach the safety of my room. I wander over to my bed and sigh as I drop onto myself on to it. I think about what would have happened if we did kiss. Would he have enjoyed it? Would I have enjoyed it? Would we be officially together? Or would Coda see it as experimenting? I have to find out if he really likes me!
I wake an hour later to see Coda sat beside me holding a bucket of freezing cold water over my head, ready to tip.
"Your mum sent me up!" he says, looking disappointed at missing the chance to scare me.
"Did she tell you to pour ice cold water over my head too or was that you?" I question sarcastically, knowing my mother would never think of such a thing.
"The water was my idea. And you wouldn't wake up so I took matters into my own hands." he laughs
"Ha, ha, ha Coda. Is everyone here already?"
"No just my mum, dad, sister and me."
"Oh right" I say "well I better put some nicer clothes on or my mother will go ballistic" I giggle
"Ok, shall I save you a seat?" Asks Coda
"Yeah. Rather not be sat next to the star-crossed lovers"
"Ok. I'll tell your mum you'll be 20 minutes?"
"Yeah, thanks" I say rising from my bed. Coda leaves my bedroom and I get ready for dinner. 15 minutes later, I find myself running downstairs uncontrollably. On the way I trip over Delly's coat and land with a thud at the bottom. A chorus of hysterical laughs come from the living room as I try to stand up straight and fail miserably. Coda comes over to help me up as the others are still laughing too much to do anything apart from sit there. Coda's big strong arms easily raise me to a standing position. As I limp into the living room Coda's arms tighten as he sits me down in front of the fire next to him. His arms wrapped around me acting as a guard even though I doubt they'll be any more trouble. Tonight, Jyames and Gale look at Coda in dis-belief realising how much he cared for me once I'd fallen; unlike the rest of them. My mother soon calls everyone in for dinner with a cheery smile, directed to me and Coda (probably because of the deer 'we' shot earlier). I take a seat down next to Coda. We chat while eating deer and potato pie. Gale and my mother tell seemingly endless stories about the countless hours they spent hunting in the woods whereas Delly and my farther speak of the times in District 13 and my father's treatment against the deadly tracker jacker venom. And, as usual, (apart from coming up every couple of minutes for air or food) sit next to each other kissing. Which left only me and Coda hardly speaking, only nod in agreement and laugh at certain parts that are meant to be funny.
After lunch Coda nods his head towards the door, obviously wanting to speak in private so I follow him outside. Once outside I close the door behind me and ask "What's wrong?"
"Well...ummmm…i…well…" Coda stutters, stuck for words.
"Hurry up Coda I'm frozen. I can't believe how much snow has fallen we were last out here!" I say with chattering teeth.

''Yeah…about that. Well, I just wanted to know if you actually wanted to kiss me? You know before Jyames pulled you inside earlier?" as soon as he says it he blushes a bright red. I, on the other hand, don't know what to say. We stand in silence for a while; a very awkward silence.
"Look, sorry Rue.''

''For what?'' I ask, a stupd question

''For putting you on the spot like that." he looks desperate for me to say something, to make the silence easier, but all I can do is walk up to him and embrace him. He holds me tightly, as if he's scared to let me go, like he'll never get me back. We hold one another, breathing perfectly in time.
"Rue?"
"Yes?"
"I think I'm falling in love with you!"
"Me too, I mean; I'm falling in love with you." I blush and then melt into his arms. Happy and in love.