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ACT III
CHAPTER XL
the waiting game
THANA AND JOHANNA, the two young women spending every waking moment together as soon as their district partners left for home. From the trainings building where they slept to the fancy expensive building, they had to watch the games in. The two had become quite bored of it, sure things were happening in the arena, but if you must watch it every day while doing nothing, it sets you on edge. Especially when the thing the whole capitol wants to see are two awkward teenagers, they call the star-crossed lovers. Districts 12 strategy still blooming further into the arena. Even when it seems they despise each other, seeing as the boy is with the careers and the girl has just been cornered by them.
"I swear these people here want to see those two having sex or something." Johanna remarks as once again the screens show shots of just the tributes from district 12.
"Oh, I am sure they will try to make that happen," Thana gives Johanna a smile, "the capitol would go crazy for that while they violate the privacy of two minors."
"That for sure yeah," Johanna nods slowly, sipping from her coffee. "I am happy that you are not pushed into that position yet, you know where your privacy and so much more gets violated." Johanna smiles sadly trying to push back memories.
"You and me both," Thana squeezes Johanna's hand, giving a soft smile. "My heart and soul will forever be thankful it hasn't happened yet." Thana looks around before whispering, "I am always here for you, okay?"
"I know," Johanna smiles, "that is why I like you so much, why I let you in and like to spend so much time with you."
"I love our moments together," Thana agrees, "I really like how easily we talk about everything. You are my best friend, and I will always accept you."
"You know, I broke my rules for you," Johanna muses.
Thana raises her eyebrows, "rules?" She asks unsure of what her friend means.
"I promised after I lost my family that I would never let anyone get close to me or get close to them," Johanna raises her eyes to meet Thana's. "Obviously I let you in," she smiles sadly.
"I am so sorry for your past," Thana sips from her herbal tea, "but I am glad that we got to know each other."
...
"Finnick lasts tribute is gone," Johanna announces as they walk into the building again, "she fell because of tracker jackers."
"Tracker jacker, huh," Thana looks at her friend, "that isn't a nice way to go. Who did it?"
"The girl from 12," Johanna says, leading them towards a seating place, "she's receiving help from the girl from 11 now and the boy from 12 has disappeared."
"Well at least we don't have to deal with those two for now," Thana smiles, "Finnick is coming this way by the way."
"Can't that man give us some rest ever?" Johanna dramatically rolls her eyes, making Thana snicker.
"Hello ladies," Finnick lets himself fall right between the girls, "waiting here as well I see."
"You lost your tribute only last night," Thana muses, "we lost ours 6 days ago or something."
"Can't argue with that," Finnick shrugs nonchalantly, "hoping I could hang with you two until this is all over."
"Of course," Johanna mutters, "and what if we say no?"
"Then I'll gladly third wheel your coffee dates," the boy smirks at the girls who sit there unamused.
"Fine," Johanna says after a silent conversation with Thana, "only because you will annoy us to death anyway."
"I knew I could depend on you guys," Finnick gets up, holding his hands our for the girls, "come, let's go."
Once Finnick leaves the girls alone for a few minutes to go to the toilet, you can feel the atmosphere change between the girls.
"I always forget how much presence he is," Thana says, "I like him, but he needs a lot of attention."
"Our little attention whore," Johanna agrees, "he is lucky we like him."
Thana smiles at Johanna, taking her glass in her hands before softly blowing on the hot drink. At the screen they see yet another tribute falls to the games.
"Horrible," Johanna says, "it is that I can take blood, but otherwise I wouldn't want to drink this anymore."
"We are so alike sometimes," Thana grins, "but at the same time so different."
"Different for sure yeah," Johanna gives the girl a smirk.
"You know, I would've joined my mother and sisters in the hospital if this didn't happen." Thana shares, "of course only when not everybody is needed on the fields. As long as you are young you must help on them."
"The hospital, I wouldn't have put that behind you," Johanna says in interest.
"That is because I much rather would've worked in a bakery or any other place I could bake or cook," Thana smiles sadly, "but you only could do that if your family was in that business, sad for me of course."
"I would've still been using axes daily," Johanna smiles in memory of days before her games, "I liked the physical aspect of it, and I was good at it of course. But in a few years, I would move to safer work, 'women have to stay safe and close to home for the children'." Johanna sets up a funny voice for the last part of her sentence, "load of bullshit if you ask me."
"I would see you cutting trees down yeah," Thana smiles, "you are that badass."
"Badass?" Johanna laughs, "you don't need to be badass for that, you just need the strength."
"And you have that," Thana says, "I find that badass."
"And I find working on the fields filled with grain badass," Johanna softly kicks against Thana's legs.
"Then we simply are two badass women who coincidentally are friends as well," Thana laughs, and she is soon joined by Johanna.
Unknown to the women, Finnick stands a couple of metres away from them, talking to Haymitch who intercepted him from his way back to them.
"They are close," Haymitch muses as he follows the younger one's gaze. "Didn't realise that, but I am happy for them. It is good to have such bonds with fellow victors."
"It sure is," Finnick smiles, "I am happy for Johanna. She deserves a good friend, a better one than I or anyone else could be for her."
"Don't beat yourself up," Haymitch says.
But Finnick shakes his head, "not in that way," he says, "in the way I am positive they would marry and live their lives together till their last days in peace if they could."
"Oh, love," Haymitch smiles at Finnick, "you are thinking about yourself here too."
"I am," Finnick agrees, "but they don't know it yet that what they feel is more than just friends."
"Like I said my boy," Haymitch pats his back, "they are close."
...
Nora speaking here!
Kind of a filler chapter, I am so done with this act. I wanna move in to catching fire so bad. But here we are, writing comfy scenes that display the relationships between some of the victors.
As some might've seen I added some things to the epigraph and the first two lines of their ship 'you feel like home' are in this chapter.
Oh, and I finally changed the title of this story after debating on it for a solid 2 months.
Thanks for all the love people <3
You have no idea how honored I feel that you all read it and vote, thank you from the bottom of my heart <3