Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or any of the characters. I only own Kila Trestin and any other character that doesn't seem familiar. Any of the story line that seems familiar, I most likely do not own.

The streets, usually busy with vendors and customers, were silent. The wind was lazily blowing the grains of sand across the stone paths. The sea was calm today, in anticipation of the event that was happening later in the day.

Today was the Reaping for the 69th Hunger Games.

District 4 was saturated in the feeling of grief, sadness, and fear. Today, two tributes, one male and one female, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, will be chosen to journey to the Capitol and fight to the death in an Arena with twenty other tributes from the other eleven districts.

Kila Trestin was the only person walking through the streets. It was early, the sun just cresting over the horizon. She should be home getting herself and her sisters ready for the Reaping, but she had to see him. He had just gotten back from a visit at the Capitol a few days prior. Kila wasn't sure why he went there all of the time, but she wasn't ready to believe the rumors floating around about him. She knew him better than that. Finding her way to Victor's Village, Kila made her way to the second to last house on the left. Shaking away her nerves, she stepped up to the door and knocked.

Finnick Odair looked just as handsome as he did when she saw him last. She threw herself at his figure, wrapping her arms around his neck so she could give him a hug. Finnick stumbled back as he laughed.

"Well hi," he greeted, returning Kila's hug with as much fierceness as she gave.

"Hi," she mumbled.

Contrary to popular belief, the two weren't mutually exclusive. It wasn't because Kila didn't feel for him that way, in fact, her heart raced whenever he was around. No, it was because Kila was positive that he would never return her affections. So instead of laying her heart on her sleeve, she buried down all of her emotions related to her schoolgirl crush. She would rather be friends with him than risk affecting their relationship by making a move and being rejected.

Their relationship was a strange one, that was for sure. Kila hadn't known Finnick before his Hunger Games. Sure, she knew him from passing, but she didn't know him as well. She wasn't sure that she could even call him an acquaintance. It wasn't until a couple of years after his Games that they met for real. Kila had just gotten her job weaving and selling nets and weaved bowls from fronds when they officially met. She wasn't ever going to forget that moment. He had found out somewhere along the line that she had a knack for collecting seashells. He had brought her a full sand dollar, an item she didn't yet have in her collection. From that point on, Finnick had made a point to stop and make small talk with her whenever he was in the market.

Kila was happy that she finally had more than one friend.

Finnick was happy that there was someone who didn't treat him as a Victor. She only treated him as Finnick.

"Not that I'm not pleased to see you darling, but what are you doing here? You know what today is." Kila tensed from her position where her face was buried in Finnick's chest.

"I just wanted to see you," Kila murmured in response, finally moving out of Finnick's embrace.

He was no longer a fourteen-year-old boy. He was now nineteen, a little over two years Kila's senior. He was extremely handsome and fit. He stood nearly a foot taller than Kila, but she didn't care. Kila was seventeen, this was her second to last year in the Reapings before she was finally free from the ceremony.

"Are you ready for the Reaping?" Finnick asked the question carefully, though it felt like there was sand in his mouth as he did.

"Two more years," Kila muttered, "Then I'm free."

Finnick didn't respond, he just pulled her in for another hug. Kila returned it in earnest.

"As much as I don't want to let you go, we both need to get ready for today." Finnick sighed.

"Okay," Kila reluctantly pulled away from the bronze haired man. She tucked a strand of her own sandy blonde hair behind her ear.

"I'll see you in a few weeks yeah?"

"Yeah."

Kila hated every moment when Finnick was mentoring in the Capitol. For the first few weeks, after he came back, he was always distant. Kila always felt like she was swimming against the current when she tried to help him. Though after time, the wounds would scar and begin to heal. Finnick would slowly come back to her.

"Don't look so sad Seashell, I'll be back before you know it."

Kila let a smile ghost over her lips at the familiar nickname that Finnick and only Finnick could call her.

"See you in a few weeks." Kila left her words behind her as she went to trudge home.

"Kila!"

She turned around at the sound, curious as to why he was calling her.

"May the odds be ever in your favor," the Capitol accent that he could mock so perfectly made Kila let out a much-needed laugh.

She waved before she continued her journey home. Once through her front door, she was attacked by two small girls. The twins, Rosalina and Liliana, were a surprise to everyone. Twins weren't common in her district. They were thirteen, it was their second year in the Reaping. Kila feared more for the two of them than she did herself.

"You two look wonderful," Kila complimented, helping them smooth the creases out in their dresses.

"Go get ready! You're already running late!" Kila's mother yelled out to her.

"Yes, mother!" Kila went to the bedroom that she shared with the twins. The said girls following closely behind her.

"Kila why do we have to go?" Rosalina's eyes were rapidly filling with tears. Liliana was already silently crying.

"Oh no, don't cry. Shh." Kila wiped the tears from Liliana's face and turned to reply to Rosalina, "Because we just have to."

The twins sniffled as Kila pulled on her dress. It was a dark ocean blue, the same dress she had worn to the two previous Reapings. Once being too big, now it fit her perfectly. She pulled her hair into a neat bun before she slipped on her flat shoes. Kila had just managed to shuffle down the hall with the twins still attached to her side. Their mother met them in their small kitchen. She silently nitpicked her three daughters before she gave a wobbly smile to each of them. All three received a kiss to their forehead before the small family made their way to the center of the district for the Reaping. At one point in time, they were a family of six. But her father and older brother had died on a boat due to a fishing accident. Rosalina and Liliana had only been eight.

"You girls go get signed in, we'll all meet afterward okay?" Mrs. Trestin smiled, holding back her tears.

Kila pulled her mother into a hug before grabbing each of the twins' hands. She ushered the twins to go first, both flinching when they had their blood taken. Kila winced but didn't have much of a reaction. She barely heard the attendant tell her to move ahead before she herded the twins to the other thirteen-year-old girls. Kila took her own place with the other seventeen-year-old girls. She had found her only other friend, Annie Cresta, and joined her. Annie silently found Kila's hand. They both took comfort in the other's presence.

District 4's escort, Makeena, walked onto the stage.

"Hello, hello! Welcome to the sixty-ninth Hunger Games! To start off, we have a video from the Capitol!"

The same introduction video that was played every Reaping started to play. Kila was scanning the stage. She caught Finnick's eye from where he sat with Mags. He sent her a quick wink. Kila gave him a half of a smile in return.

"And now!" Makeena's voice made Kila jump, "Time to figure out who this year's tributes are! We'll start with the girls!"

Kila felt her heart jump to her throat as she watched Makeena sift through the pieces of paper in the large bowl. She hoped that it wouldn't be either her sisters or Annie. Makeena had finally grabbed a slip. She cleared her throat as she opened the slip to read off whoever was unfortunate enough to be called.

"Kila Trestin!"

Kila's heart stopped. Her ears were ringing and her stomach was rolling uncomfortably. Annie let out a small noise of pain. Kila made brief eye contact with Annie's tear-filled gaze before she shakily let go of Annie's hand. Kila's entire body was trembling as she was escorted to the stage. She couldn't bring herself to look at Finnick. She was having a hard enough time keeping her tears at bay. The shrieks of her sisters made her close her eyes as she tried so desperately to stop the tears. Her mother had raced over to the twins, pulling them away and trying to calm them through her own despair.

"Finally, we have the gentlemen!"

Kila barely heard the name of the male tribute being called. She was too focused on trying to remain standing.

"West Roslyn!"

The boy who approached the stage couldn't have been more than fifteen. They shook hands at Makeena's order and then they were pushed into the building. Kila had caught Finnick's eye on accident as she was rushed through the doors. The horror and pain that filled his eyes made her heart crack. Static filled her ears as she was pushed into a room where she would wait so she could say goodbye to her loved ones. She wasn't sure if she was glad or not that she didn't have to say goodbye yet to Finnick. The sound of the door slamming open startled Kila out of her thoughts. Her head cleared a little and her hearing returned to normal as she embraced her mother and sisters.

"You have to come back," Liliana sobbed.

"You can use a trident just as well as any of the guys!" Rosalina added through her own tears.

"I'm going to try to come back to you. I will." Kila replied, pulling the twins into her arms.

Kila grabbed her mother afterward and hugged her tightly as her mother rocked the two of them back and forth.

"Oh, my baby. My Kila. My beautiful girl," her mother choked out, "You fight. You are so smart. You can come back to us."

Kila just nodded, afraid that if she said anything else, she'd lose her composure and begin to cry too. The Peacekeepers came to drag her family out of the room. Kila let a solitary tear slip down her cheek as they were pulled out. Her next and last visitor was Annie Cresta. Annie was crying too as she and Kila clung to each other.

"You have to come back. You can't- you just-" Annie couldn't form the words, but Kila knew what she meant.

"Take care of them." Kila asked, "Please."

"Of course."

Kila was left alone shortly after that. The Peacekeepers came to take Annie out of the room. Kila was then escorted to the train platform. She was numb as she found her way into the train car. West's face was damp and red. He had been crying. Makeena showed them both their rooms with a comment to freshen up before they were to eat dinner. Kila closed her door behind her and managed to walk a couple of paces forward before her legs gave out from underneath her. She clamped her hands over her mouth to stifle her sobs as she finally let herself cry. She vaguely registered someone picking her up and placing her on their lap while they sat on the bed in the room. Through her tears, she blurrily saw bronze hair and sea-green eyes.

"Finnick," she sobbed.

Finnick held her tighter and buried his face in her hair.

"You'll be okay. We're going to get through this." Finnick mumbled into her hair, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

Kila allowed herself to cry until she couldn't cry anymore. Finnick being her rock the entire time. The time for dinner started to approach, so Finnick rose to leave to get himself put together for the meal. He left Kila with another hug. Kila went through the clothes in the closet, her hands shaking less than they had been before. She finally settled on some simple trousers and a sand-colored blouse. During dinner, Kila was officially introduced to Mags and West. Her heart broke at seeing this young boy sitting with her at the table. Makeena chattered her way through dinner. She didn't need anyone to respond, it was as if she was happy enough to just hear her own voice. Finally, they made their way to the sitting room to watch the Reaping recaps. Kila looked afraid, but she hadn't cried. Right now she could afford those small victories. The Tributes from Districts 1 and 2 looked brutal. Usually, Four was included in the Career alliance, but Kila would have to see if that was the case this year. West certainly wouldn't be easily accepted, and Kila wasn't sure if she wanted to leave him behind.

"Tomorrow we'll talk strategy before we reach the Capitol. But for now, you both need to get some rest." it was Mags who spoke the soothing words.

Finnick was quick to agree, "We can have a discussion over breakfast. Mags is right. You'll need all the rest you can get."

Kila had changed into shorts and a shirt before curling up underneath the thick duvet. After hours of tossing and turning, she found herself sinking into a restless sleep.