CHAPTER 2: Happy Hunger Games...


I wake to someone shaking my shoulders, and I gasp as I bring my right fist up so it collides with someone's jaw.

"Ah, hell, Penelope!" it's Finnick.

"Oops, sorry," I tell him as he rubs his jaw and then he doesn't look at me as he says, "Didn't know you could hit so hard."

"Sorry," I repeat, then frown, "Why'd you wake me? Was I screaming again?"

I'd had the tendency to start crying, talking, and screaming in my sleep.

"No, we're nearly home," he says, still not looking me in the eyes.

"Finnick?" I ask, a sick feeling starts in my stomach, I can tell that he's hiding something from me, "Why did you wake me?"

"Peacekeeper called the train's phone," he tells me, and I feel my heart drop to my stomach as he says, "Your father and brother..."

That's all it took for me to burst into tears, no no no no no.

No.

I felt Finnick's strong arms wrap around me and I started to sob into his chest, I cried for my father and brother as he held me tightly, "I know, Penny, I know."

The Capitol had already put me in my own personal hell once, and now they'd gone and done it again.


When we arrived at District 4, my home District, I felt numb. Very, very numb and tired. The Peacekeepers of our District guide Mags, Finnick, and I to the burial grounds so we can watch my father and brother's remains from the "Fishing accident", as our head Peacekeeper called it, be buried next to other Victor's relatives.

I lean on Finnick's shoulder for support while I bury my face in the crook of his neck while he rubs small circles on my back and Mags has her hand on my shoulder.

"Welcome back to District 4, Penelope. President Snow hopes that you find your new life as a Victor pleasing," our head Peacekeeper, Julius, tells me and I swallow the lump in my throat as I meet his eyes and nod. I look back as the last of my family's remains are buried and I feel tears well in my eyes.

"Shhh, you're okay," I hear Finnick whisper beside me as he pulls me into a hug and I grasp the fabric of his sweater tightly while I let out a few sobs before silently crying.


(5 YEARS LATER)

I sit beside Finnick in his compartment on the train ride to the Capitol, it's my fourth time being a mentor and it isn't getting any easier. We've only had one other Victor, a girl named Annie Cresta who's gone off the tracks into crazy town. She's gone crazy from seeing her District partner beheaded. Every other child that's gone into the Games have died terrible deaths and Finnick and I were always the ones who had to tell the families. It makes me sick to my stomach.

"It'll be okay," Finnick muttered from beside me as his thumb brushed my bangs from my face, I close my eyes and sink into his touch, "We both know that's a lie, Fin."

"I know," Finnick sighs as he wraps his arms around my smaller form, and I rest my head on his chest, "I hate this place."

"We'll be home soon, the Games will go just as quickly as they do every year," he says and I frown, "It's disgusting."

"Yeah," Finnick agrees, and we lay in silence as we both start to drift off to sleep. Soon enough, my eyes are closing and the only noise I hear are Finnick's heartbeat and our breathing.


"You have to have someone you love," President Snow taunts as he paces in front of me and I swallow the lump in my throat, "The only people I've ever loved are deceased."

We're standing in President Snow's mansion, and at the moment, he's interrogating me. Just like he's been doing. For five freaking years. I'd only been in the Capitol all but one day and he'd already cornered me.

"Come now, Penelope, you're twenty-three years old, you should know the right decision by now," I roll my eyes at his statement and he frowns, "There must be someone that you love that can help... persuade you to accept my offer," the President says and I clench my jaw as I sit on the white futon, "No, there's not. Like I said, they're all dead."

"Yes, but not even dear old Mags or maybe Mr. Finnick Odair could help?" He asked and I bit back a glare, he can't know how close I am with either of them. Especially my lover, Finnick. If Snow knew about us, he'd have one of us dead by morning. Most likely me, I've got no use for the Capitol.

"No," I tell the evil man, "I'm only close with them because I have to be, if it were up to me I wouldn't talk to them. They annoy me, I don't love them," I lie with a frown, the President nods, obviously believing me, "Understood, now, are you sure that you won't accept my offer? Again?"

"Positive," I pronounce every syllable as I stand, "May I leave now?"

"Yes, you may leave, and good luck with your tributes!" he says as I make my way towards the mansion's grand doors.

"Happy Hunger Games," I say in mock happiness, using my best Capitol voice.


I sit alone at the small café area at the training center as we all wait for our tributes to finish with getting their scores, other Victors sit and stand, gossiping and making small talk. I catch Finnick's eye from where he stands beside the male Victor from 6, I can't remember his name though, and as soon as the Victor from 4 sees me, he gives me a small smile, silently telling me that he's sorry for not being able to speak to me alone here in public.

"Hey, 4," a female voice says and I turn my head to see that Johanna Mason, a Victor who has an axe fetish, was now sitting across from me with a small smile. We've never really spoken, at least not on a friendly level, we'd exchanged a few... colorful words with one another when Johanna near attacked me when I first started to Mentor. She'd started screaming at me while she pushed me into a glass wall, yelling something along the lines of 'You idiot! You stupid idiot! Why would you do that to him?!' At first I thought she was talking about the Tribute from her District, but then I remembered that I hadn't killed the boy.

"Um, hi, Johanna," I said, uneasy with how friendly she was being.

"I, uh, I wanted to apologize for my little outburst a few years back," she told me, then lowered her voice as she leaned forward, "I thought you were just trying to slut him up and that you'd give him up to President Psycho to be killed, but I see the way you look at him, you really do love him."

My eyes widened slightly and I looked at the woman in front of me, "I, um, I don't, uh -"

"I won't tell anyone, your secret's safe with me," she promised, and glanced at where Finnick stood, "I care about him too, he's like an annoying little brother, I'm not gonna get him killed. And I guess since he's kept you, I'll try to be friends with you too."

"Thanks, Johanna," I tell her sincerely, "I'd like to be friends too. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm still the outsider here."

Johanna looked around us and nodded before looking back at me and giving me a crooked grin, "They're a bunch of tools anyway."

I let out a laugh at that and Johanna joined along before frowning slightly, "By the way, heard about your family, sorry."

I tense up and meet the girl's eyes, "You too."

I'd heard of Johanna's past, Finnick told me about how her whole family was murdered by President Snow too, and that she'd been reckless and rebellious ever since. Always claiming that the Capitol and the President couldn't hurt her anymore. That there was no one else that she loved left.

Johanna shrugged, "Just makes it a hell of a lot easier to hate this damn place."

I nodded, "Between that and the fact that twenty-four kids have to die each year."

Johanna simply nodded and before she spoke again, a large hand landed on my shoulder, and I jumped in surprise before the owner of the hand came into view: Finnick.

I sighed, "Don't sneak up on me, Odair."

He let out a chuckle before pulling up a chair to at the small table, "Apologies, Longshot."

"So, no fights this year?" Finnick asked us and we shook our heads, "Nope."

"Good, 'cause I think we've got bigger problems," he muttered and we looked at him with a frown, "What?"

"Apparently 12 scored some pretty high scores," Finnick said and my eyes widened as my eyebrows shot up to my hairline, "What? 12?"

"Yeah, and tons of sponsors are going for the girl," he told us and I sighed, "So what do we do?"

"We've got to find some sponsors," he sighed and we both know what he was referring to: The fact that he'd have to sell himself for sponsors.

My jaw clenched as my light eyes met his dark hues, he knew how much I was against it. I didn't think any lower of him, but the fact that he was forced to do it pisses me off, especially because it meant that Snow was winning his sick game. We stared at one another for another moment before he sighed and looked at his hands they were resting on the table, "It's what we have to do."

I clench then unclench my jaw again, "I suppose."

"Well, 4, as fun as this all was, I've got to get training the little hell raisers," Johanna said as she stood and gave us both mock salutes, "See ya around, dweebs."

"Bye, Johanna," I smile as I return the gesture then turn to Finnick, "You really think our tributes have a chance?"

"I don't know," he sighed, meeting my eyes again, "The girl from 12's worrying me."


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! Thank you soooo much for your awesome feedback, I'm really excited for this story, and again, I'm sorry that this update took so long! I have two other fan fictions that I'm working on and I have to take my time with each, so sorry! I hope you don't mind that I added a 5 year time shift, but there's a reason for my madness, I promise you! I'll update again ASAP! Bye! :3