"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨."

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"Abuela! Time for breakfast!" Juniper called, placing eggs on a plate. Lilo sat at the dining table and ate her food quietly.

Juniper and Lilo had finished eating already. Lilo went out with Annie, and Kakalina still hadn't come down.

"Abuela!" Juniper called, making her way down the hall. The door was creaked open.

Her grandmother laid still. Pale. Cold.

"Abuela.. No." Juniper ran to her side, checking her pulse. Cold. She shook her. Nothing. Dead.

Juniper's breath quickened, and tears started forming, she fell to her knees.

A snake bite on her wrist. A letter in her hand. Juniper took the letter and read it.

"Juniper! Can Annie come in?" Lilo's voice called. She shoved the letter in her pocket, going to the door.

"Get the doctor, Lilo!" 

Juniper shot awake to the sound of birds. She held her head in her hands, she had a massive hangover.

She had been staying with Martin for about two months. It was a week until the the reaping. She had gone and got clothes every few days when she knew Lilo wouldn't be home. Martin encouraged her to talk to her sister, however, she saw Lilo in town once and she turned away.

After the situation, Juniper tried not drinking for about a month, but after she had seen Lilo and she did that, she relapsed into it again. She didn't blame Lilo for any of it though, it was her fault.

She walked down the steps and got some water, drinking it on her way down.

"Going somewhere?" Martin asked. 

"Yeah, new clothes and somethin' nice for tonight." Juniper yawned. 

Martin encouraged Juniper to perform a song or two to ease her mind a bit. She hastily agreed, wanting to try and get out there again. But she made Martin promise it would be on the down low and not advertised.

Juniper spent the day walking around town. Taking in fresh air. She wanted to willingly go to the beach for the first time since she was young, but the thought of being near the ocean with all the nightmares she's been having recently scared her, so she didn't go.

She bought a loose purple romper for the song tonight. She was also thinking of chopping her hair off. It was down to her hips, and she was starting to get tired of tying it in a ponytail every single day. 

After going on her short trip, she got back to Martin's and went into the bathroom with a pair of scissors, cutting her hair up to just beneath her shoulders. She played with the style. Her natural hair was wavy, so she kept it the way it was and got dressed.

She took her guitar from her room and made her way down the stairs. There was more people in the pub today, which Juniper sighed at- taking a glance to Martin who shrugged.

Juniper agreed to just give the pub live music, not anything crazy. She wouldn't be singing, she would just be playing music for people to dance along and vibe to.

After about two hours, two teenage girls- definitely too young to really be in a pub came up to the stage and listened to Juniper- who stopped playing and looked at the girl.

"Can you play a new song?" The girl asked cheerfully. 

"New song? Hm, I'm not sure I have one." Juniper said. 

"Please!" The girl's friend asked. 

"Fine, only if you two get on stage and dance with me." Juniper smiled. The two girls looked shocked, but hastily agreed to her offer, climbing on the stage. She counted down to herself.

"Baby doll, you have changed, that's the thing you always say."

"Cursin' me, trash my name. I rained all over your parade."

Juniper hated thinking back to the Capitol and what it had done to her. The reasoning behind her grandmothers strange death. 

"Now you're on my couch, you're fighting tears. You say I'm cruel beyond my years."

"And as I'm walking out that door, say you don't know me anymore."

"Well, I have captors I call friends, I got panic rooms inside my head and I get down with crooked men-"

"But I am the girl I've always been."

"I got wrapped up in the game again, you woke up in an empty bed. And I can't say I'm a perfect ten but I am the girl I've always been."

During her guitar break, the girls spun around each other, Juniper joining with them for a while as she played. 

"So don't say that I've been actin' different, I'm nothing if I'm not consistent!"

"You knew everything you'd be getting' I told you right from the beginning."

The girls at this point had pretended they had guitars of their own in their hand, copying Junipers movements to the best of their ability. The three of them hadn't even realized they now had an audience watching.

"Now you're on my case, how could I go? You never dreamed I'd be so cold."

"Then with venom on your tongue you ask me who I have become..."

Juniper laughed at this line. Flashbacks to a year or two ago went through her mind. She didn't even remember when at this point.

"Well, I have captors I call friends, I got panic rooms inside my head."

"I get down with crooked men, but I am the girl I've always been. I got wrapped up in the game again, you woke up in an empty bed."

"And I can't say I'm a perfect ten. But I am the girl I've always been."

"Yeah, I'm a candle in the wind. I'll turn you out, I'll turn you in. But I am the girl I've always been."

Juniper finished playing and the crowd applauded. The three girls turned and the two teenage girls bowed to the small audience they acquired. People from outside had heard Juniper singing and decided to pay a visit.

After Juniper was done, a few people began to leave. Juniper looked in the crowd and saw Finnick. Her mood dampened.

She took the guitar off of her shoulder and hugged the girls goodbye- watching them run out of the place. She stepped off stage and was followed by Finnick.

"Cut your hair?" He asked, but was ignored. "Juniper, we need to talk."

"What about? I thought I made it clear I want to stay away from you." She kneeled down to put her guitar in the case and started zipping it up.

"The Reaping is next week." Finnick mentioned, making Juniper sigh, standing up from her spot.

"There's a handful of victors among the district," Juniper said. "Who assumes it'll be us?"

"We both know it will be." Finnick sternly said. He was growing impatient with the girl. 

"Listen Odair." Juniper turned to face him. "I don't know how clear I need to be with you. I don't like you, you don't like me. We could never be a team and you know that." Juniper took a step closer to him, and their faces were just a few inches apart.

Juniper realized her position. She could feel Finnick's breath on her face and if she was any closer- what a disgusting thought.

She cleared her throat. Finnick took a step back, nodding slightly. His cheeks flushed.

"I don't know what'll happen next week, but after the stunt you pulled, I really don't know how it'll work."

Finnick let out a laugh. "Just as selfish as I remember." He tilted his head, smiling down at her.

"There's a difference between people who care about themselves and people who only care about themselves. Do you want to compare me to let's say, our dear President?" She looked up at him with doe eyes, batting her eyelashes a few times waiting for his response.

"That's what I thought. I'll see you next week, Odair."

The week passed very quickly. Juniper wanted to stop bothering Martin, so she eventually moved back to her own home. Which- she was reminded- was hers. So she didn't know why she was the one running.

Despite being back, her and Lilo still barely talked. A smile every now and then, but nothing more. 

A knock sounded at her bedroom door. She was dressed for the Reaping completely, she was just waiting to head over.

Opening the door revealed Lilo, who had tears in her eyes. The moment the door fully opened, Lilo jumped on Juniper with a hug.

"I'm sorry." She cried. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Juniper put her hand on Lilo's back, rubbing circles along it. 

"No, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you're older now, you're not that little girl I wanted to protect from the world all those years ago."

"I don't need protecting anymore." Lilo whispered into her sisters shoulder, still buried in the hug.

"I know that. I was going to tell you eventually, but-"

"You don't owe me an explanation, I know it's been hard for you and I'm sorry I made it harder.-" Lilo let go of the hug and backed up, looking at her older sister.

Junipter lightly grabbed her sisters arms. "No, I owe you everything."

Lilo and Juniper were silent and Lilo slightly nodded. Juniper led her over to the edge of the bed and they both sat down.

"Back at the Capitol, during the time of the 71st games, Snow set me up with a man." Juniper said, Lilo was a bit confused. "It was in exchange for something I didn't know. I found no harm in it. I'd never been in a relationship and frankly I thought I would never be for the person I was." 

"He was a kind man at first, bit older. After the 73rd games, Snow told me I had to marry him. He proposed, and I said no. Snow was bewildered. The man was shocked, he thought our relationship was good. It was, but I didn't love him..."

Juniper took a second to herself and Lilo took her hand.

"Mamá always told me to marry for love. I wasn't in love with him. I barely knew him. We never did anything either, maybe a few kisses here and there but... Snow was mad."

"A few days after, when I came home, everything was fine. I should've known something was wrong. That's when I found abuela."

Juniper held her tears back, not wanting to start crying remembering that day. Lilo put her head on Juniper's shoulder. 

"I'm sorry." Lilo said. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you."

"You didn't need to be."

"We are sisters. We need to be there for each other." Lilo said. "I'm older now, you don't need to protect me from the truth. Annie has told me some things, Finnick barely does but still."

"There's something else Snow had me do..." Juniper started.

The killings.

Banging sounded at the front door. The two girls ran down stairs, hand in hand when they realized a bunch of peacekeepers were gathered at their door.

"Juniper Plinth, you must be attended to for the Reaping."

Juniper didn't have time to say goodbye, besides- "I'll see you after the Reaping!" To Lilo.

Every single victor in the village was escorted to the Reaping. Juniper looked in front of her, noticing Annie walking ahead. Juniper could see her trembling even from where she was.

The victors were lined up on the stage. 

Juniper stood beside Mags, Annie, and three other female victors. While about eight male victors stood on the other side of the podium. 

Serenity stepped forward. Juniper smiled, having not seen her for a few months. She was happy to see her again. 

"Welcome District Four, welcome. As we celebrate the 75th- Third Quarter Quell Games." Serenity smiled, announcing to the area. The District stayed quiet. 

Juniper looked amongst their faces. Normally, a career district would be excited for the games. However, today was very different. The people that protected the district, provided for the district, were now being sent back in. They were pissed.

Juniper noticed a few of the teenage girls she would dance with at the pub standing in the first few rows. She noticed Lilo also sneak in the first row. She gave a smile to her older sister, who smiled back briefly.

"As always, ladies first." 

Serenity walked over to the bowl, sticking her hand inside and pulling out an envelope. 

"The female tribute from District Four." Serenity opened the note, Juniper noticed her face drop a little bit. "Annie Cresta."

What? That can't be right.

Juniper looked to Annie, who screamed in fear. Her hands quivering, covering her mouth. She almost fell to the floor until another victor grabbed her, hugging her. Juniper looked to Lilo, who looked shocked. She noticed her blinking a few times- fending off tears.

Annie can't go back.

Mags stepped forward, but Juniper held an arm out, stopping her and shaking her head.

Mags can't go back.

"I volunteer as tribute." Juniper shouted, looking at Serenity. Some people began talking in the crowd. Mags looked up at Juniper shaking her head repeatedly. Juniper gave Mags a hug. Whispering to her that it'll be okay.

Annie took a few deep breathes, and Juniper hugged her. Assuring her that she'll be okay, and she won't be going back.

Juniper took steps to the right, standing next to Serenity. 

"Our female tribute for the 75th Hunger Games, Juniper Plinth."

Juniper stayed silent, looking out amongst the crowd. She noticed a few of them had their hands in fists already, with their pointer and middle finger slightly raised and bent. The symbol of a snake.

"Now for the boys." Serenity said, grabbing a letter and walking back to her podium.

"The male tribute from District Four... Finnick Odair." 

Finnick Odair waved to the crowd slightly and took his position next to Serenity. 

"Our two tributes from District Four. Juniper Plinth and Finnick Odair."

More people throughout the district raised their fists throughout the audience. Juniper smiled. Her District had her back, like she would always have theirs. 

Her forearm was grabbed by a peacekeeper and she was forced through the doors. Lilo was screaming her name.

She never got to say goodbye.

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