PART ONE: FINNICK ODAIR

"Of course it's Finnick, who seems to have spent his childhood doing nothing but wielding tridents and manipulating ropes into fancy knots for nets"- Catching Fire, Chapter 16

HAYDEN (1)

Hayden Odair, aged 17. District 4

Hayden always finds school interesting. There always seems to be something new to learn about, something he hasn't considered before. Like how water forms clouds, which form rain. Or how an object floating on water depends solely on the weight of the water it displaces. Who would have guessed? He loves facts, and he collects them like shells. Which is why he is rather upset when he has to leave school early.

It isn't unusual. Lots of his peers have already left to help their families with the fishing quota. There is only so much you needed to learn from books when you're destined to be a fisherman, after all. And Hayden, as the eldest child, is the only one who can really help his father and uncle now their grandfather has passed on.

Still, it doesn't stop the bitterness he feels settle into his gut every time he watches his two younger siblings getting ready for another full day of learning. Yet again Hayden finds himself cursing the day he was born first. Being the oldest sibling is a responsibility. Relied upon more, asked more of. Reaped first. He isn't really angry at his parents for asking more of him than the younger siblings, but it is irritating on a day like today when he gets to watch them playing in the surf, having finished school for the day, whilst he helps his father and uncle pack away the boat and haul up the fish they'd been up early to catch.

Looking across to them, he can see they are playing Finnick's kicking ball game which he had devised several years ago. There aren't many rules, the main one seeming to be keep the ball out of the sea. Finnick likes to dribble it along the flat sand next to the surf, which always makes their little sister Sammy laugh and screech, thinking that the ball will end up in the water and be swept out with the tide.

Finnick is always making people laugh. It's the sort of thing that comes easily to him, but that Hayden never seems to be able to do. Sammy finds him hilarious, and he is always cracking up uncle Benjen when he comes round, no matter how much of a mood he's in to start with. Hayden wishes he wasn't jealous of his fourteen year old little brother, but it's difficult being related to Finnick.

No matter how similar they are in appearance- long limbed, bronzed skin and hair, sharp features- they couldn't be more different in personality. Most people would probably describe Hayden as boring- an adjective he would vehemently protest, as being quiet and thoughtful, and being boring are quite different things. However, Finnick could never be accused of being mundane. Even before the Hunger Games, people know who Finnick Odair is. He's charming, he's funny, he's beautiful. And he's top of his class at the Career Academy. When he's eighteen, he'll volunteer, and maybe he'll come back.

The Career Academy is open to anyone in District 4, as long as their families can afford to spare them time to train. Some parents, like Tomas and Kay Odair, don't like the idea of teaching their children how to kill other children, especially since people in Four don't need to be afraid of the reaping as mostly of the time there is always a volunteer. However, many people still sign up for training in hope of a better live for themselves and their families. Each year the Career tributes are chosen from the Academy, before the reaping. The top tributes from this year's class have probably already been picked to volunteer for the 65th Hunger Games. Finnick had begged their father to let him train at the Academy and somehow their father had come round. Finnick can always be persuasive. He literally wouldn't let the point drop until their father eventually couldn't take it anymore and gave in. Hayden isn't really sure why Finnick was so obsessed with the idea, but it probably has something to do with the fact that he's realised his only other potential future is fishing. Patience is one thing that doesn't come naturally to Hayden's brother.

As it stands, District Four is fairly successful in the Hunger Games. This year, District 4 can currently boast eight victors, although only seven are living. The most recent Victor, Seaton Pura, won five years ago after strangling the other tributes in nets he had made. Hayden didn't think the Capitol liked his Games very much though. Not bloody enough. Or maybe they just didn't find him interesting enough as a Victor.

Realising he's focusing too much on watching Finnick and Sammy's ball game, instead of the task at hand- lowering the sail, Hayden tries to turn his back on the pair of them, letting the rough, wet rope slide across his palms. The muscles in his back are beginning to hurt and he can't wait to get home and sit down. His father has followed his gaze and spotted his two younger children on the edge of the shore.

"Finn! Sammy!" he calls out to them, gesturing for them to approach.

"Oh to be young, eh?" Hayden's father's younger brother, Benjen, sighs dramatically, as they watch the two children running towards them. Sammy's red hair streams out behind her. Benjen throws Hayden a lopsided grin, which Hayden returns half-heartedly as he continues to work on removing the sail from the boom.

Benjen has an easy-going sense of humour, if somewhat lewd and self-deprecating, and the two of them had never been particularly close until Hayden began working on the boat with him and his father. He always gets the sense that Benjen isn't quite sure how to interact with him, especially with his father around, so they are still trying to adjust to being in each other's presence for long periods of time. Benjen's own child, his cousin Leah, is still just a toddler so Hayden supposes he just isn't really used to teenagers.

As Finnick and Sammy come up level with them on the dock, their father starts dolling out baskets of fish for them to carry. Sammy's cheeks are pink from the running, and Finnick's bronze curls look a little unruly.

"That's not too heavy for you is it sweetheart?" their father is saying to Sammy as he balances a basket across her outstretched arms. The fish held within it are balanced so high that you almost can't see her little red head over the top.

"I'll take that one," Finnick cuts in, plucking the basket up and out of the reach of her outstretched fingers. She protests against his theft and tries to grab the basket back, but Finnick just holds it higher and sends her a cheeky smile.

It doesn't take long in the end to unload all the fish, and drop off the Capitol quota that each fishing boat must meet at the quay. The group make their way home slowly, where Finnick's mother has prepared dinner for them. It's fish of course, and it's very welcome after the tiring day Hayden has had.

A couple of hours later Hayden finds himself sitting out on the beach with his brother and some of the neighbourhood kids as they work on repairing nets. There are five of them, the usual gang: Hayden and Finnick, lanky Joe and his twin sister Mab, and Leila, whose grandmother lived down the lane.

They are sat together around the strange blue-green flames of a driftwood fire. The sun is setting now, but the air is still warm, smelling like sweat and fish. The sky is bathed in beautiful shades of pink and orange, whilst the colours of the driftwood flames dance over the black waves. The beach is quiet that night; the heaviness of tomorrow's reaping hangs over the whole District.

They don't talk much as they fix the nets, but it's a companionable silence that's settled between them. Hayden wonders if the others are nervous about the reaping tomorrow. Hayden's name is only in there six times as their family has no need to take out tesserae. One advantage of having a fishing boat. Finnick's is even safer than him with only three slips, and even if they are picked there is likely to be a volunteer. Still, Hayden can't help feeling a little scared, and wonders if the group's silence is telling.

Digging his toes into the sand and enjoying the warmth against his skin, he watches his brother's sun-browned fingers as they lithely move over the strings, pulling knots. When they were children Finnick had hated this job. He found it monotonous and fiddly and tried to find any excuse not to have to do it. Hayden had loved it because Finnick was terrible at it. Over the years though, Finnick has improved, although he's still not fond of the task.

"I saw you with Valeria Alves the other day," Mab is saying to Finnick, causing him to blush. Mab laughs at his reaction, and scrunches up her freckled nose. The girl they are talking about, Valeria Alves is a girl with long curly brown hair and big brown eyes and Hayden knows that Finnick is a little bit in love with her. He had met his little brother's sort-of girlfriend a few times and she seemed nice enough, if a little quiet. She's not Hayden's type, he thinks as his eyes flick over Mab's sharp features and bright eyes. No, Valeria Alves isn't Hayden's type.

"I didn't realise you knew her," Mab continues, launching into a story about the girl which Hayden doesn't bother listening too. He's finished repairing the hole in his net sits by now, and instead turns to Mab's brother Joe and they start up a game of stone skipping.

They skip stones until the sun is nearly gone and a chill returns to the air. When they finally leave Hayden has almost forgotten what day it is tomorrow. The sea is calming and familiar and it's in his blood. Being a fisherman may not be his first choice (if he had a choice) but its his life and he's content with it.

As they clamber back over the dunes to get home, he glances over at his brother, but Finnick's expression is unreadable.

X

The next day his mother wakes him up.

"Come on, Hayden. We have to be down by the Justice Building soon. You've overslept."

Today is reaping day.

Hayden isn't scared. Not exactly. Still, there's a certain tension in his muscles and he tries to ignore the way his heart is racing in his chest.

The reapings across all the districts are held at different times. District 4's is at 10.30, meaning he only has about half an hour to get ready before they need to leave the house.

He quickly gets dressed in an old suit of his father's and tries to tame his bed hair, but gives up so that he has time to eat some breakfast. His parents and siblings are already at the table.

Sammy is only eight, and so not old enough to be reaped yet, but Finnick at fourteen had already been to two reapings. He looks pale this morning, tugging nervously at the tie knotted around his neck, and frowning as their mother tries to smooth down his bronze curls. They don't talk much and tension is heavy in the air as they arrive at District 4's Justice Building half an hour later. Finnick slopes off to join the other fourteen year olds and before long Hayden finds himself penned into a roped off area with all the boys he used to go to school with.

Looking up to the stage Geena, the Capitol representative for District 4 stands, ready to pick the names of the next Hunger Game tributes. Tall, blonde with cosmetically enlarged violet dyed eyes and pure white, apparently unblemished skin- Geena is the perfect example of a Capitol woman. She has been around years though, suggesting that she isn't as young as she appears. Behind her Hayden can see the previous victors. There are seven of them, all with the same blank expressions painted on their faces.

He tenses as Geena clears her throat on the stage.

"Ladies first as usual," She says, dipping her hand into the glass reaping ball. Her long talons catch a slip of paper and she glances at it. Scanning the crowd of girls she smiles sickly sweet, and in her clear Capitol accent, reads out the name, "Auricula Rankine".

The girl in question however doesn't even have time to react before a dozen voices shout, almost in unision, "I volunteer!" Three girls have stepped forwards, and after a moment of discussion the tallest one is picked.

The girl steps up to stage and Hayden can't help appreciating the way her long golden hair shines in the sunlight and how low cut her dress is. They find out that this girl's name is 'Blye Yale' and that she is eighteen years old. She looks like a typical career.

Geena reaches into the male reaping ball next, and brings a slip of paper to her eyes. She reads out the name and it's not Hayden.

"Citron Pitvale"

The crowd jostles, and a small sandy haired boy appears. His face is white and he looks like he's about to be sick. Just looking at his thin arms and lanky body Hayden knows that this boy will be one of the people to die straightaway. Still, he can't help but feel a rush of relief that it's not him. That he's free for another year. Just one more year now, and then he's free. Forever.

The pale boy take a single step in the direction of the stage, but then suddenly a voice cuts across the hush of the crowd. A volunteer. And the crowd begins to jostle again until a new boy appears. Citron Pitvale almost collapses in on himself in relief, but Hayden isn't watching him anymore. Instead he's watching long golden limbs climb the stairs, and suddenly there's a rushing in his ears and he feels warm and he can't breathe. He can't breathe.

"My, my, District 4 have a handsome one this year," Geena croons. "What's your name then?"

And the boy steps forward. And Hayden realises then that he never should have been afraid for himself.

"Finnick Odair."

X

"Finnick's always been vulnerable," their mother had once said to their father. "He tries to hide it, but he really is a sweet boy. He's not made for this fisherman's life."

And he wasn't. Finnick wasn't patient. He couldn't sit still and wait for the fish to bite. He hated mending nets and all he ever wanted to do was swim. But up until their grandfather died Hayden had never understood what their mother meant by vulnerable. Finnick had always seemed larger than life. He was confident, and fun and knew how to talk to people. How could a boy like that be vulnerable?

Then their grandfather had had a heart attack. It was very sudden. One day he had been fine and happy and joking like usual. The next day he was dead. Hayden didn't even know what the last thing he said to him was. What do you say to someone when it might be the last time?

Finnick had cried at the funeral but Hayden had stood there stoically, watching as his body was taken out to sea. A proper fisherman's burial. Finnick kept crying. Hayden heard him at night in the room they shared when he was trying to sleep. He wondered how his brother had so many tears, yet he couldn't even manage to summon one.

"He spent his whole life fishing for the Capitol," Finnick had said later. "He lived and he died as a fisherman. Just like everyone else who lives here. Just like we will. But I don't want that to be my life. I can't stand it. I want my life to mean something."

X

Hayden's mother is hysterical. Her fingers are white where they are gripping tightly to his father's arm, but he doesn't seem to notice. They are ushered through the Justice Building and into a room with thick red carpets and velvet couches. Finnick is sitting in the middle of one of them and Hayden can't remember a time he's seemed so small. Vulnerable, his mother's voice echoes in his head.

But he smiles when he sees them, even as the tears fall down their mother's cheeks and she launches herself at him. She's sobbing something but the sound is muffled where her face is pressed into his shoulder.

Later, Hayden can't remember what they say. What do you say to someone when it might be the last time? All he remembers are his mother's tears, and his father's silence and the wide look in his little sister's eyes. He doesn't remember what they say, but he does remember what they don't say. It's when they all turn to leave, and no one has said it, and why has no one said it?

When he's the only one left in the room, it suddenly rushes out of him.

"Why did you do it?"

But even as the words form, Hayden knows the answer. He's always known somewhere deep down that it would come to this. But still he needs to hear it.

But Finnick stays quiet, and Hayden hates him more than anything in that moment.

But his eyes are speaking. That can't be my life, they say.

Finnick says nothing, but Hayden understands and he tries to accept.

X

There are no cameras on the platform, no crowd to send they on their way. Their escort Geena, and two Victors, appear, escorted by guards. Mags, the seventy-year-old woman, and Seaton, the twenty-something-year-old, must be the mentors this year. Peacekeepers hurry everyone on to the train and slam the door. The wheels begin to turn.

Watching out the window as District 4 disappears around a corner; Finnick Odair says a final goodbye, wondering if he'll ever return.