I wake up to another cold morning and roll over so I'm facing my alarm clock. "Early?" I say to myself in a morning voice. Today being a Sunday I usually don't wake up until at least after dinner time. As I go to pull the sheets over my head I'm interrupted by a voice. "This is early for a Sunday, you must have really hurt your ankle!" Without even looking I know it's Finn and before I get a chance to reply he's already lifting me out of my bed so that I dangle over his shoulders. He takes me to the bathroom and gets some clothes from my wardrobe. I usually wear very plain clothes, a long, baggy t-shirt and leggings –mother says I'm lucky I get clothes like t-shirts and leggings, they didn't have them a few years before I was born because they couldn't afford them- but Finn brings in some of the clothes I have hidden because they aren't me. It's a yellow top with white diamond shapes on it with a white skirt and little shoes.
I look at him in disapproval but he looks back at me in the same way, only I can tell he's disagreeing with me. "Why?" I ask him. "You mother asked me to try, and try I will" When he tells me this I just stare at him and sigh. I take the clothes and he smiles then walks out, closing the door behind him. When I'm ready, I limp my way out of the bathroom to see him leaning on the banister. "Can we go now?" I ask him and as he turns around he is speechless. I've never known him to be lost for words like this. He simply walks towards me and holds the braid in my hair. He loosens the bobble and unravels the complex style. My hair drops into loose ringlets and he brings them forward. "There" he says as suddenly picks me up again and takes me down stairs. As we enter the eating area where everyone is, all of the time, there is a huge sigh. Not the type of sigh to say I looked horrible, the type to actually make me feel like I looked nice. Nice? No, I think I looked beautiful for the first time in my life.
Annie stands from the table and makes her way over and kisses my cheek. "Wren, you look beautiful" Annie speaks with a very gentle tone. "She's a keeper Finn" My cheeks flush as she says this but for some reason I feel shadowed with guilt and the first name that comes to mind is Aksel. I look at Finn to see he has a very approving look on his face. "Can we...?" I don't even have to finish my sentence before he's asking Darius to get a coat for me. He brings it over and helps me put it on. "Thanks Dar" I tell him.
As we're walking to the doctors we're back to our usual conversations, just like any other day. But this time a new one is brought up. "Wren, do you ever feel like just getting up and leaving district 12? Maybe move somewhere closer to the Capitol? Or even to the Capitol?" There's an unusual tone to Finn's voice that surprises me. "Every single day" I tell him. I couldn't lie to him, I never do. He already knows that, but he knows I never would. "Then why don't you?" Finn asks me, but I have never actually thought about why. There's only plausible option. "I'm scared"
"What if I came with you?" He asks me. I never in a million years thought I'd see the day that Finn Odair wants to leave district 12. "What about Annie and Darius? My parents and Lock? Haymitch?" I start to panic at the thought of leaving these people behind, the thought of Finn leaving them behind, possibly even leaving me behind. "I don't know Wren. All I know is that I don't think I want this whole set up in 12. My life seems so planned out. I get an average job to help my mother, I marry you, we have children and the cycle goes on and on" After Finn tells me this he realises what he's said. My heart feels like it has sunk into my stomach and my throat tightens. "Marrying me? You want to leave so you don't have to .." I can't seem to gather my thoughts and speak them and my voice trails off. "Well what else did you expect to happen? You really think I'd marry one of the other girls from school? And you're not going to find anybody else" I feel my anger burning up and now I have plenty of words ready to throw at him. "I'm not going to find anybody else? What is that supposed to mean? Am I not good enough for anybody else? And because you're too good for all the obsessive girls in school you feel the need to marry whoever isn't like that? You can't just settle for me Finn because I refuse to settle for you" I'm screaming now and finding my way out of his arms. He tries to stop me but fails. "You know what Finn, go home" I don't even give him an opportunity to get a word in. Fighting through the pain I find a way to run. I run towards the forest because I knew Darius would be there hunting. My mother taught him how to do it and he's a natural, so he goes every day, catches and prepares meals for those in district 12 that have nothing. There isn't many people left in 12 that have no food, but for those who are hungry, Darius helps them. I'm at the fence I can see Darius through some trees. Panting heavily I shout "DARIUS!"
As soon as I have his attention he comes running over to meet me. As he approaches I turn my head to see Finn walking towards us. Darius is only a few metres in front of me now and I start running in his direction, grab his hand and pull him with me into the forest. I fall on some vines that tangle around my feet which only makes my ankle worse. My grip of Darius's hand has slipped and I use both hands to remove my foot from the vines. Darius lifts me from behind and keeps running until we reach an area he feels it's safe. He catches his breathe while getting his words out "What was that all about? Aren't you supposed to be with Finn at the doctors" He settles me down on the floor and examines my ankle. "We had an argument, a real one. I had to get away from him Dar" He stops when I tell him this, not sure whether to be concerned or laugh at how I responded to it. "Did he try to hurt you?" He asks in a serious voice. "No, well, not physically" Darius looks at me as if to say I'm being ridiculous, but I can tell he knows what I'm trying to say. There's a nice silence for a while that's interrupted by the singing of birds all around us. As soon as they start to sing a huge smile appears on Darius's face. Out of nowhere I decide to ask him "will you each me to hunt?" His smile vanishes and he's biting his lip, avoiding eye contact. "I can't" He replies. "Why not?"
"Mother, she told me I'm not allowed to teach you" I can't tell Darius is serious when he tells me this. "Fine, I'll teach myself." Stubbornly I get up and wonder off into the forest. Darius stays nearby to keep an eye on, but I find a way to get out the way of him. I start to try and climb a tree, the highest tree I can find. I drag my ankle up with me which makes it a littler harder, but for the first time in my life I've climbed a tree and the view is amazing. I can't manage to climb it to the top, but I'm high enough to see district 12 but if I look past it, I'm pretty sure I can see district 11.
"Ever been to 11?" A voice says from higher above me. "Aksel! No, I've only ever been here and 13, and 13 was only last night." I'm relieved to see him actually, I can tell he's older than me, maybe the same age as Darius, but he is extremely handsome. Not in the same way as Finn, he has a more rugged look to him. There's also a hint of danger to him, but I feel completely safe in his company. "Have you?" I ask him. He stares off into the distance for a few seconds, then he climbs down to my level. "I've been everywhere" Aksel speaks with an enchanting edge in his voice. "I could show you too" He continues. He turns to face me and our eyes meet, I examine them to find they are crystal blue and beautiful, but they don't have the draw-in affect that Finn's do. Aksel's raises his hand and places it on my cheek. I turn away quickly. "Aksel, where are you from?" I ask quickly, trying to pass the moment. "I'm from district 3. You'd like it there, much better than here"
"If it's so much better than here, why are you here?" I fire back, hoping to stop him in his tracks. "You live here, and I couldn't bear to not see you again. There's something about you Wren, something that scares me and intrigues me at the same time. I don't scare easy" He talks about it so openly, his words are clear and thought out, an area Finn lacks. I don't like comparing them, they are completely different people and completely different situations. "I don't know what to say" I finally respond. "You don't have to say anything. I want you to come with me, Wren. If you want to leave this behind, I mean, why wouldn't you? Go to the train station in district 3. I'll be there at noon." He's holding my hands in his and staring me dead in the eye. He lets go and begins to climb again, higher and higher until I can barely see him. "Oh, don't let anybody know" he shouts down as he jumps to the next tree. He's like a monkey they way moves and before I know it he's gone. I'm speechless and I sit still for about five minutes before Darius finds me. "It's like a constant game of hide and seek with you Wren, shame your hiding places are never too hard to find." His words send blood to my cheeks and I feel myself ready to turn into a full blown tantrum, but then I think of Aksel's invitation. "One day I'll win Darius, just wait and see"