Annie
The day of Finnick's return was anticipated highly by everyone in 4. To have a victor at the age of 14 was not only an achievement- it was unheard of. The only thing that our district could talk about was the games, especially the final battle, where it had been down to district four alone.
It was the people in our year at school who didn't seem to join in with the festivities as much. None of us had ever been in the games before and watching a classmate- a friend for some- being murdered by another, consumed us with horror like no other.
It had never really hit us at the reaping, that someone we had known pretty much all of our lives would be dead within the month. It hit us when it happened.
Esme's death hit all of us like a death in the games had never hit us before, the games were given a new appearance among us, what had been an exciting battle of honour became suddenly a ghastly assassination of those who are most innocent.
I finally throw my paper chain of glittering tridents onto the kitchen table, abandoning hope of trying to untangle it, before turning to Cleona. "Cle?" I say cautiously, she gives a small jerk of her head to show she's heard me, I open my mouth, trying to think of the best way to ask her the question that's been burning at the back of my mind for almost a week now. "After…after what…" I pause, sifting through the many ways of expressing it, "When it…happened…you can't…well, you can't any more... seriously be…you can't seriously be thinking of…" I break off early and she purses her lips, maintaining her silence.
I snatch up my bunting and march from the table, leaving Cleona alone. Anger boils inside me. She's changed. Completely, since she's told me what she's willing to do. We spend less time together, she trains in private- I often see her with other people, people who me and her have had fun slagging off together, people who she had always sworn to me that she would never, ever hang out with. I know I shouldn't let this bother me; she doesn't belong to me, she can hang out with whoever she wants to. I feel shit now, about leaving her there, I want to turn back, however a fresh thought of resentment surfaces- she doesn't care, she doesn't care about leaving me alone as she chats and laughs with Adrian and 'the lads' as she calls them.
Cleona's attractive, she gets a lot of attention, from boys especially, but she's never been bothered about wearing makeup to impress them (not that she needs to), or about acting cool around them. I remember when I spoke to her about this, she just giggled and said, "Me and Adrian, well, he's sweet, but hunnay (She has NEVER called me that before) it aint gonna last, I'm gonna need some backup for when I get bored." She saw my expression and grinned, "don't worry, babe, you're still number one," Then she winked and walked off to her gang of followers, leaving me with an empty seat beside me, as she climbed into Esme's usual one. It didn't feel like I was.
Perhaps Cleo would win, being a few months older than me, she would be fifteen, but no. No, she couldn't. She doesn't have it in her to kill; she just can't see that yet.
The rare times I have with Cleona are special, and I just fucked this one over, though given that we remained in a stony silence throughout almost the whole time, special wouldn't have been a word I'd have chosen to describe it.
I miss her.
Is she ever going to come back? Is anything I do going to make her? I doubt it.
Unless…
It was she who told me I could…"It's not gonna hurt, you know… you'll like it, I promise…"
But I couldn't.
I won't.
I cant.
And yet I find myself pulling my dress over my head and stepping further and further, off the sand, onto the pier, right to the very edge. For her? I would do this… for her? … After everything…? I shut my eyes and shiver as the wind slashes at my toes.
Then, taking one last breath of salty air like it's a drug, I throw myself forward.
I meant to put Finnick's POV in this chapter, but it's been a long day, and it's late, and I'm exhausted, so sorry! I am also sorry for the slow update, I forgot to say, I was on holiday so I had no access to the pc.
Again, I'm sorry that this is so short, I have half of the next chapter written so I promise you, it'll be up shortly xxx
