Azalea Rose Willow loves three things above everything else:
summer, the only season that mattered in her mind.
singing, alongside the comforting embrace of her guitar.
but above all, the easy camaraderie with the boy who lives next door to her, and...
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Finnick and Azalea were both sat on her bedroom window, the sunrise casting a beautiful light inside her home.
"I cannot believe it's the end of august already," Finnick smiled at his girlfriend, as he placed a strand of hair behind her ear. Azalea smiled back as she looked out the window, deep in thought.
Azalea loved summer with a passion that burned bright within her heart. The carefree days spent basking in the sun's warmth, the refreshing breeze caressing her skin, the vibrant hues of nature painting the landscape – these were the elements that made summer her most cherished season.
Tomorrow, however, would bring an abrupt end to this idyllic world.
The day Azalea hated the most every year.
It was the end of summer.
A season that brought warmth, laughter, and the promise of carefree days spent with Finnick. The thought of bidding farewell to the vibrant hues of summer, the gentle sway of the palm trees, and the soothing sound of the waves crashing against the shore everyday filled her with a profound sadness. Azalea would spend the whole winter, waiting for it to be summer again.
It's not as if it got very cold within district 4, or the scenery changed that much from season to season, but these activities could not be truly enjoyed once everything returned to its routine. The lazy days of sun-kissed adventures would be replaced by the harsh realities of Panem, where fear and oppression reigned supreme.
The end of summer coincided with the Reaping day for the Hunger games. The day when the fate of two unsuspecting tributes from each district was sealed in the arena of the Hunger Games.
The thought of two of her fellow citizens, two of her potential friends, or herself, being forced to endure such a fate filled Azalea with a deep sense of dread. She couldn't help but imagine the fear, the pain, the desperation that would consume them as they faced the odds stacked against them.
The prospect of returning to school, the day after the Reaping, seemed an affront to the tragedy that had just unfolded. The Capitol, in its callous disregard for human life, expected these children to resume their studies, to pretend that everything was normal when their world had been turned upside down. And what was worse, is how they were all mandated to watch once the games started in 7 weeks. It was horrendous.
Azalea felt a surge of anger and frustration towards the Capitol's hypocrisy. How could they expect these children to focus on their studies when their friends were fighting for their lives? How could they pretend that the Reaping was just another day in Panem? And It all happened tomorrow. She hated tomorrow.
Well, there is just one more reason tomorrow was the worst day ever.
Tomorrow was also Azalea Rose Willow's birthday.
Since turning twelve, the age at which one became eligible for the Hunger Games, Azalea had abandoned the rituals and festivities that once accompanied her birthday. Her friends, understandably preoccupied with spending their morning hours with their families before the Reaping, had gradually stopped acknowledging her birthday altogether. She had asked them to, as well.
