Sea green eyes

1 - Berries of Love

As the winner of the most deadly sport ever made, it's pretty much an unavoidable task to make fun of the newer contestants, otherwise be swallowed by guilt.

"Oh no, but Kasia, how ever can we live without this epic, truly tragic love story?" Johanna Mason quips from beside me, cackling away at herself as she throws nuts at the screen. I snort as Chaff grunts at her to; 'Shut the hell up'. Johanna's one of my best friends, won a few years before me, and we've been as thick as thieves since... Well, since her family died.

On the large, movie theatre screen, the dark haired girl raises her bow at both boys, and a tense moment passes on screen. The rest of the Victors around me murmer, all very ready for these games to be over. Only Haymitch and Brutus are really paying attention now, as their tributes are the only ones left.  I don't bother to remember names. That would only add to my list of people who I knew who are dead.

Suddenly, movement catches my eye from the screen and I see an arrow land directly on District 2's hand, forcing him to let go. He falls to the floor and the horrific mutt-tribute-things attack him immediately, blood staining the ground.

"Shit," Brutus murmers from the corner, and rubs his forehead, while Haymitch looks positively faint. The rest of the Victors whisper around me, sitting back in their theatre chairs. It's horribly symbolic, how the Capitol provides us Victors with what is essentially a movie theatre to watch children die. I'm almost about to doze off when Annie, from the seat behind me, makes a small yelp, and whacks me across the head.

"OW! Annie, what the fuc-"

"Shut it Kas!" Johanna says, and her tone is so unusually serious that I look back at the games.

Scanning the screen intently, I watch as the girl and boy tributes from 12 look at each other, something flickering in their expressions. Leaning forward onto my knees, my eyes widen as the girl - Katniss, was it? Who knows... - Anyway, the girl takes a handful of berries from her pocket and gives half to the boy.

Johanna gasps beside me, and we meet eyes before turning back to the screen. I feel slightly sick as the two start to lift their hands up to their mouths.

"Three..." the girl's voice echoes through the room.

"Two..." the boy responds.

"On-"

"Stop! STOP!" Caeser Flickerman's voice blasts through the room, and the Victors all freeze, eyes wide. Haymitch looks positively faint beside me, and I grab his hand, squeezing it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen... May I introduce the Victors of the 74th Hunger Games; Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!"

"The Victor of the 67th Hunger Games, Kasia Frost!"

"Holy shit," I breathe, turning to Haymitch as the two hug on screen. "This is... a first..."

"Oh god..." Haymitch flinches. "They're not going to take this lightly, are they?" Johanna scoffs.

"Take this lightly? The capital? You must be joking. Those two just outright defied the capital, they'll be lucky to go home and find their families alive."

Haymitch stands shakily, taking a swig from his flask.

"They... I... I have to go find them."

"Go," I nudge him with my foot as he runs out the door. I turn to Johanna.

"We're so fucked." She smiles.

"Eh. Who really cares, we're all fucked up anyway right? They did a bloody good job with that."

"Good that," I smirk, clinking glasses with her.

A male voice laughs from behind me and I tense, leaning backwards over the chair arm to see the grinning, stupidly perfect face of Finnick Odair looking down at me.

"Ugh..." I crack my back, sitting up to turn to face him. "What do you want Odair?"

"The oh so wonderful pleasure of your company, Frost." I snort, rolling my eyes at Johanna. "But, now that the games are over, I really, desperately wanted to know if you two girls are coming to the Victor's party tonight. You're always entertaining when you're drunk."

I hold up my middle finger in his face.

"Yes, we'll be coming, Finnick." Johanna sighs. "Room 4b right?"

"You know it," Odair winks before swaggering away, my eyes burning into the back of his head.

"Why do you hate him again Kas?" Johanna's brown eyes bore into mine. "You know he's hot right?"

"You and I both know that Finnick Odair is an arrogant, good for nothing asshole, Jo. And he might be good looking but that doesn't excuse anything."

Johanna raises her eyebrows.

"Alright, excuse me for trying."

"Just... just stop, Johanna." I stand, storming out of the door. She'll understand. Today is hard on all of us Victors, honestly the main reason we all go and get pissed drunk tonight.

It will never gets easier. I wonder if Katniss and Peeta realize how much trouble they probably would have spared themself by just both dying in that arena like they were supposed to.