The 74th Hunger Games

"Are they still looking at the cave with those two from 12?" Johanna asked aloud as we all were in the Mentoring room. I was watching the 74th Hunger Games with Finnick, Johanna, Mags, and a couple of the other Mentors, including Oliver. Ever since we kissed on the rooftop sometime before, Oliver and I wanted to have a relationship together, but to keep it as secretive and private as humanly possible. That was a lot of ask for since we were Victors and our lives were no longer our own. But we were making it work, and I was fine with it. Visiting each other at our homes and spending time alone was everything I needed to escape the world I was in. The more we were together, the more I wanted to have a life with him. Yet we knew that would be impossible, given the circumstances that we were being watched by the Capitol.

Oliver stood behind me and watched the screen, his hand on my shoulder and he holding his hand on my shoulder. With this year's Hunger Games, it was a interesting sight to see two tributes from District 12, whom were supposedly lovers. They played the roles well, too well. Katniss Everdeen, of the Girl on Fire, was the tribute everyone was looking at for this years Games, everything about her intrigued the public and made her the favorite.

"They lasted this long, didn't they?" Oliver asked behind me, having me smirk.

"And I doubt the public would want to seen either of them die since they are 'so' in love." Johanna said aloud in a sarcastic tone, using her fingers a quotes for the "so" part of the sentence. I shook my head in amusement.

"Where's Haymitch?" I asked aloud in wonder, thinking that he would be somewhat pleased with the fact that both of his tributes were still alive.

"He's off finding sponsors, since the boy from 12 isn't going to make it without medicine." Finnick said aloud from his spot next to Johanna. I looked over at him for a second, seeing him look at the screen.

"Somehow he's been sober this year." Johanna said aloud in a humorous tone, making me think about what she just said. It was true, I hardly saw him hit the liquor, since every year he would be drunk since day one when his tributes would be dead. But now that both of his tributes were still alive and still going through the games, it was different for him now. He was going to try and make sure his tributes were staying alive for as long as possible, even if that meant talking to people in the Capitol in order to have them give the tributes whatever they needed. He was good with manipulation, and getting what he wanted through words.

"How long do you think they're going to make it?" Oliver asked behind me.

"Who knows, even your own tribute made it this far just from hiding." I replied back to him, seeing him smile. His female tribute was still alive, only hiding out on her own and being rather fast when she would run out of sight.

"I'm going to grab a drink, want to come with me Willow?" Oliver asked me, his voice was a bit lower only for me to hear. I nodded my head, feeling him take my hand in his and we both turn to leave the room. As I walked out, I saw Finnick out of the corner of my eyes, winking at me. He knew about Oliver and I, as did Johanna and Mags. Haymitch might of gotten a hint of it, but Finnick would joke about it with me once in awhile. I stuck my tongue out at him as we left the room and walked down the hall. I kept close to Oliver, holding his hand gently and going into a rhythm of a walk with him. I looked up at him, seeing him stare off in front of us with something on his mind.

"What's wrong?" I asked him aloud with curiosity. He looked over at me, having me see the wheels turning in his head.

"Ever since the tributes from 12 came to the Hunger Games, I could see things changing." He replied to me, having me raise an eyebrow.

"Change?" I asked him.

"Don't you see it, how the two from 12 are shifting things around here. They're love story is really making people think about their own circumstances." Oliver explained to me, having me still confused a bit.

"You think they're going to start something in the Hunger Games?" I asked him in curiosity.

"I think they've already have." Oliver replied back to me, having me look at the passing screens on the walls of the restaurants and bars that we past. There they were, the two lovebirds in the cave talking about surviving together. Was this all a gag that they were playing? I had no clue, since i have never seen something like this before in the Games, especially from a poorer District like 12. This was new to the routine of the Games, and if I knew how the Games should be worked, and how President Snow was.

New was not good.


Present Time

The train door opened and both Sampson and I looked up, thinking that it was Vaughn coming to give us a rundown as to how we were going to handle being in the Capitol. But we were both surprised, seeing that it was in back Veetro. He was wearing his Victor clothing, the same he wear hours before at the Reaping. I smiled widely, knowing that this meant only one thing.

He was going to be our Mentor.

"Hello you two." He said aloud, having me walk over to him and hug him tightly. He hugged me back, and I had a small sense of hope that he was going to help us in any way he could. Since I was the mentor for Distrcit 8 for the past 5 years, Veetro was going to take over my job. I was glad it was someone I knew, and I didn't mind if it was Chase. Both Chase and Veetro knew us, and I was beyond glad it was a friend to be a Mentor.

"Im so sorry that it lead to this." he said to me as he pulled away from each other. I nodded my head., understanding what he meant. I knew he was sad for the two siblings going in together. He looked over at Sampson as I watched Sampson get up from his chair. They both shook hands and nodded at each other.

"I'm glad you're our Mentor, Veetro." Sampson said to him and a relived tone.

"Well, if I wasn't going to compete in the Games, the least I could do is help the two of you get through it." Veetro explained to us, having me walk over to the both of them, "But enough about that, we need to watch the Reaping of the other Districts."

Sampson, Veetro and I sat down in the car of the train as the screen popped up on the wall. We watched each District's Reaping and my heart was dropping as each Reaping was showed. I knew of at least one of the tribute from each District being Reaped, since they were Mentors in the past. But the worst was District 4. I shot up from my spot when I saw Finnick stepping forward and raising his hand in the gesture of rebellion.

"Oh Finnick." I said aloud in a sorrowful tone, feeling Sampson take my hand in his and squeezing it. He knew my pain, since Finnick was a close friend of ours and now we had to fight him. This was worse then I feared. But then, Annie's name being called made me sit back down in utter shock. I watched her sob in front of the camera, but Mags next to her raising her hand up in volunteering status. The same way Sampson did it of Veetro. She was saving her from death. But knowing that it was Mags, the one woman I saw as a grandmother and good friend, made this whole situation down right terrible. I held my head in my one open hand.

For District 7, Johanna was Reaped. I knew that was going to make her go on a rampage. And Blight from 7 was Reaped for the males. I only talked to Blight once or twice, but I knew Johanna was going to hate this. This was getting worse and worse for me. My friends were going to have to fight me in the arena, there had to be something we could do. I winced from the mental pain and then heard Veetro speak up.

"District 5 went earlier today." he explained, having me shoot my head up and look over at him. He knew that I was looking particularly at 5, since Oliver was there and he had a one in 5 chance. I was petrified, showing it in my eyes to Veetro. Did he get Reaped? Was I going to have to kill as well as my own brother, Finnick and Mags.

"Oliver was not Reaped." He said to me in a calm down, having me gasp and sigh in relief, almost a chocked sob coming out my mouth. My heart was beyond glad for the mere fact that Oliver was going to be safe and sound from the Games. I didn't have to hurt him, but I knew I already was. He would have to watch me die and fight others. That would kill him.

"And, shockingly enough, the Victors from last year." Veerto said aloud as we watched the Reaping from District 12. Katniss was in the same position as I, being the only female in her District. But Peeta volunteered in the place of Haymitch, making me watch Katniss's reaction as she watched Peeta step up. It must of been hard, then again I had to do the same for Sampson. I was going to says something when the screen changed. From the Reaping of 12 to the view of another train. But the person on the screen was in fact Haymtich. We were on his train from 12 going to the Capitol.

"Willow and Sampson Trenton. Are you there?" He asked aloud, looking at us from the screen. Sampson and I stood up from out spots and looked at the screen, watching Haymitch intently. We had no idea that he could something like this, but he was clever. This was new for us, communicating from one train to another.

"Haymitch?" I asked aloud, seeing him nod his head.

"Nice to see you Freckles, and your brother Muscles there." Haymitch said aloud, looking to Sampson, "I wanted to talk to the both of you before we get to the Capitol."

"What do you want to talk about?" Sampson asked aloud in curiosity. Haymtich looked behind him, seeing if he was alone and then looking at the both off us. I could see that the mood changed and this was about to get serious.

"I have a plan, but I need your help."