As she surfaced on the roof, she was content to see that she had beat Finnick to it, leaving her in solitude. Music and fireworks blared in the distance, celebrations commencing in preparation for the Games. She took a seat on the edge of the roof, her feet dangling over, and in that moment, she let herself relax and all of her worries melted away.
And as soon as it began, the serene emptiness vanished; replaced again by the booming soundtrack and now, the flamboyance that was Finnick. "Your wait is over, the party has finally arrived," he announced, his signature I'm-too-good-for-you smirk on his face.
"I hope the party brought drinks," she responded, rolling her eyes at his undying arrogance. She was still slightly bitter from her previous encounter with her district-mate, in which Blight challenged her "drinking problem". Dick.
When her green-eyed companion handed her a cool glass bottle she wasted no time prying off the aluminum cap and taking a swig, and as soon as the smooth liquid swamped her mouth she spit it out. "Finn, what the hell kind of alcohol is this? It tastes like fucking water,"
Johanna stared at him, waiting for an answer, an even expression settled on his chiseled features. "That's because it is water, Johanna. I called you up here today for an intervention. You have a drinking problem and I refuse to encourage it."
She narrowed her eyes at him, her mouth agape and they sat in an uncomfortable silence because she was Johanna Mason, and how fucking dare him, he was her best friend, and he should know better than to challenge her. And then, Finnick couldn't keep a straight face anymore, he erupted into a fit of hysterical laughter, and she just rolled her eyes because of course this wasn't for real. Of course he knew better. So she muttered a sarcastic "ha ha" and when he still didn't shut up she drew back a clenched fist, and his laughter evaporated.
"Seriously, though, I did call you up here for a reason," he said through wheezy, recovering breaths.
She clenched her jaw, her impatience gnawing at her, wishing he would just get to the point. "What reason, Finn? To act like an eight-year-old?" she replied, harshness in her voice that let him in on the fact that she was suddenly annoyed.
A look of sympathy passed through his face briefly before he thought better of it and concealed it with seriousness. Finnick was the only person who knew the gory details of her past, and exactly what being in the Capitol brought on to her.
"Alright," he paused, closing his eyes briefly as if to prepare for the bomb he was about to drop on her. "It's about Everdeen." And her mind whizzed, she was bad with names, but this one was still fresh in her mind.
"Berry girl," she said through a smirk, recalling the memory of the elevator ride that was still no doubt replaying in the girls mind, she could still see the mortified look on the other girl's face.
"Listen, we need to make this quick, I'm not going to give you all of the details now, this place could be bugged." He said, and looked around the roof top, as if for dramatic effect, but she knew he was serious; the whole Capitol was rigged with hidden cameras and microphones. Johanna listened intently as he explained the situation in a raspy whisper, he spoke about some sort of rebellion and how it was centered around Katniss.
"All of the tributes that are in this thing are already working out plans of attack. Our first shot at this is the interviews; we're going to try to get them to cancel the games. The people don't want this, we're their heroes. All we need to do is plant the seed in their mind that this goes against everything the Games stand for, they'll do the rest."
Thoughts were swimming in her mind even worse that it had been when she was lifted into the arena of her first Game. "And if that doesn't work?" she choked out, Finnick was already shaking his head.
"It will. It has to." There was a look so determined on his face she knew she wouldn't have the heart to let him down.
"What's my job?" she asked, and there was actually enthusiasm in her tone. The thought of getting up close and personal with the Mockingjay didn't sound half bad.
Finnick smirked. "Just be Johanna, especially in your interviews. Don't filter your thoughts; say whatever is on your mind. Get the crowd riled up." And that was just being Johanna. She didn't have anything inside her to not filter her thoughts, and when she was little it was that lack of filter that got her in so much trouble. Yet ever since she won the Games it had become her trademark, and interestingly enough, the crowd loved it. It was as if they enjoyed being insulted by her.
"I've been saving up a few choice words for Snow," she muttered, because this was her true calling. Giving the Capitol the finger on national television had been a dream of hers ever since she won, and she had done it a couple times, but they had always cut it out of the broadcast. She chuckled a little bit at the thought because the interviews were live, there was no way they could clip it, but Finnick didn't join in, and she noticed that the banter between the two of them had been mostly one-sided ever since the topic changed to the Games. She looked over at him expectantly, but he looked pre-occupied. Nudging him a little she asked what his plan was for the interviews. As soon as the question came out of her mouth his eyes clouded over. "Finnick, you can't say anything about…"
"I have to, Jo. Annie's a fine, she's safe even, she's a v-"
"A what, Finn? A Victor? Finnick, in case you haven't noticed, we're Victors too! And guess where we are? Oh yeah, that's right, the fucking Capitol getting ready to go into another interview for another fucking Game." Johanna said and she was so angry because how dare he even consider putting Annie in harms way. She knows that he knows that Annie is anything but safe. "No one is safe, Finnick. Not you, not me, not Annie, and definitely not Everd-"
Just then the door squeaked open and a face came into light. Speak of the devil sure enough, it was the girl on fire herself, and by the look on her face she'd heard the conversation.
Katniss looked back and forth between the two Victors. "I hope I'm not interrupting," she said apologetically. Playing it off as thought she hadn't been eaves dropping, and maybe she hadn't, maybe the girl just had really bad timing. Or maybe this woman was just a really good actress, and no wonder she had the whole Capitol fooled.
Johanna's green-eyed companion looked up, flashing a charming smile. "Actually, I was just leaving," he said, standing up and padding swiftly through the door Katniss held open for him, without even bothering to bid a palpable farewell to Johanna.
"How much did you hear?" Johanna asked, skipping directly to the point, she kept her eyes trained on the smog-laden horizon as the girl took a seat on the concrete next to her.
"Enough," the grey-eyed girl responded, letting her feet dangle over the edge. "Who's Annie?" she asked. Except it wasn't, Johanna thought, as much of a question as it was a demand. Finnick was right this girl was a lot like her, and she kinda liked it.
"Annie Cresta, Victor from four a couple years back," she stole a quick glance at Katniss, but the other girl didn't seem to place the name. "She went a little…"
"Crazy?" she tried, Johanna shook her head.
"Nah, crazy's not the right word. We're all crazy; nobody comes out of that arena sane." Her eyes drifted back to the figure beside her but when she saw Katniss looking on intently, she pulled away. (Johanna didn't make direct eye contact, manners and rules weren't really her thing.) She heaved a sigh "Annie was unstable going in; when she came out she was wrecked. She doesn't get much screen time, I suppose because even the Capitol can't glorify how fucked up her mind is. It's a shame, she's a beautiful person, she just got fucked over by the universe."
"What about you?" Katniss asked.
"I was never a good person, the Games just made me worse," she was shocked by her admission; she's always thought those things but she's never had the guts to say them aloud. "But you… you fucked the Games up pretty good from what I hear." Katniss chuckled a little bit modestly at that, Johanna smiled at her.
"I guess I had something left to fight for," the other woman responded.
That statement caught Johanna's attention. "Oh yeah? Don't tell me it's love, I don't buy that star-crossed lovers bullshit," practically quoting her conversation with Blight from earlier.
Katniss seemed shocked; Johanna guessed no one had ever called her to the carpet for that one before. "Well," she started; Johanna's eyes burned holes in Katniss now. "It was love, just not for Peeta. My little sister, Prim. She's what kept me going." Katniss caught Johanna's gaze now, and the brown-eyed girl couldn't bring herself to disengage the eye contact.
Suddenly Johanna was fuming with rage. Because Katniss was fortunate enough to have someone she loved, someone she needed to protect, and she had gone and done something so ignorant. Gone and painted a huge target on her back for Snow, but Johanna knew Snow, he wasn't kind enough to just kill you, he tortured you instead. He took out your family, picked them off one by one. Then your friends, and when there was no one left that you loved, no one to come home to, when you had nothing left, he let you suffer. She knew exactly how he operated, because he had done it to her.
Johanna stood up and forced her way to the door without a word, leaving behind, she imagined, a very puzzled Katniss Everdeen. "Johanna? Johanna wait!"
And hey, look at that, the grey-eyed woman had remembered her name.
A/N Hello there, friends!I'm really sorry about the wait, I've been kinda busy and I had no motivation to write, but now my motivation is back, so be looking forward to chapter six, it should be up in a couple of days. Thank you for all of your kind reviews and favorites and follows 3. I apologize if anything in this story is a little off, please let me know, I'm one thousand percent open to constructive criticism! Hit me up here or on Tumblr at pine-bundles if you have any advice or anything for me. Thank you guys so much! I hope you enjoyed!