➳𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴➳

chapter 7

I lean back on the velvet seats and I suddenly become aware of how fast the train to the Capitol was moving. I couldn't help but notice that my parents kept on giving each other worried glances. We went past: District 6, 5, 4, 3 and all I could think is about how I would see Phoenix soon. When we had gone past District 4 I asked Aunt Effie (who wasn't really my aunt but I counted her as it) why Phoenix wasn't on the train yet and she told me that he had got to the Capitol a day earlier. Now I sat there as we passed District 2, looking out the window I saw a mass of ruins, for some reason, being protected by a thick barbed wire fence; on a sign that was so big I could read it from the train it said "The Nut". Absolutely nothing else, no other text, just those two words.

The train screeched to a halt and I was bounding with excitement, I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt even though I hadn't seen him yet. I grab my bags and jump off the train onto the grey stone floor, my eyes darted around the train station to where I expected to see him.

"WILLOW!"

I hear a shout from behind me and I turn around so quickly my hair smacks in the face and for a second I think about how I should've tied my hair up. I see Phoenix standing there, his golden blonde hair shining in the sunlight and his sea-green eyes reflecting the emotion on his face... happiness. I slam my bags on the floor creating a loud BANG and I start running as fast as I can towards him and he does the same, we meet in the middle and I give him such a big hug it could probably suffocate a person. My eyes start watering from happiness, reunited, once again. It was like we were the only people in the world, I suddenly realise how fast my heart is beating and I try calm down my breathing. We pull back from the hug and I say

"Phoenix... I missed you... so... so... much" I wipe my eyes from the tears staining them.

"I missed you too Lulu" He pulls me back into a hug and buries his face in my hair, and a sense of warmth encloses me. He made me feel so safe... so calm, like I could stay here in his warm embrace forever. But I couldn't...

"Phoenix?" I hear an unfamiliar voice came from behind him, I lift my head up to look and he pulls away from me sharply. "Phoenix?" She repeats, "Who... is this?" 

Her eyes lock on me piercing blue, with her long blonde hair perfectly framing her face. She looked at me with daggers in her eyes and the only thought going round my head was: 'If looks could kill'...

"Willow, this is Brianna. Brianna, this is Willow" Phoenix replies,

"Hi" She says in a obviously fake happy tone.

She reaches her hand out for a handshake and I cautiously take it, I didn't get a good feeling from this girl... how did Phoenix know her. Once our hands touch I feel her fingernails dig into my palm and her hand squeezed mine so hard it hurt and I swear it gave me a bruise. I release my hand and pull back sharply taking a quick step away.

"Don't worry, you can call me Bri for short." She adds, with a smile. I push down the thoughts of her not really liking me, maybe that was just an accident... maybe I was overreacting.

"So..." I begin "How do you guys know each other?"

"Bri is my girlfriend"

WHAT! It was all I could do to not run away right then and cry into my pillow. I could feel tears forming in my eyes but I held them back and placed a smile on my face and said

"Oh... uh... congratulations"

"WILLOW" Rye called from the other side of the train station. "COME GET YOUR BAGS THEY ARE TAKING US TO WHERE WE ARE STAYING"

Thank God, it couldn't be better timing when Rye called me and so I end the conversation with Phoenix and Brianna

"Well I'll... see you later I guess, bye"

I turn around and start walking towards my family when I take a quick look back at Phoenix and Brianna, there was not a worse time to turn around. I saw Phoenix and Brianna kissing, his hand was in her hair, I felt my heart break in two and I turn around again and start walking. A single tear rolls down my face from my left eye and another tear comes, I blink it away quickly, it getting caught in my eyelashes. I wipe my eyes just before I come within three meters of my family. I bend down and grab my bags, composing myself and I let them guide us to where we were going to be staying and try to forget about my feelings.

➳2 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳➳

I sat on my bed in my room, it was lush: perfect sky blue curtains flowing down framing the glass doors leading to the balcony. My room was on the 6th floor of this massive building and looking over the fence that bordered the balcony it was a long... long way down. Suddenly I see my door open and my mother comes in and sits next to me on the bed.

"Hey Willow, are you ok?"

"Yeah Mum, I'm alright"

"Okay..." She sighed, I knew that she knew something was up but she realised I wasn't going to tell her anything so she lay off of it "Anyway, I came here to tell you they want to interview you, all of us really. It's gonna be broadcasted everywhere"

"Everywhere!? What!? Why!?"

"Probably because we are famous"

I look at her with a confused expression on my face and she continues,

"When you were first born, we had to go into the Capitol and..."

My mother and I chat for a while and it soon becomes dark outside and I realise it's really late in the evening.

➳1 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳➳

I curl up under my blanket replaying what happened today and I soon realise that I won't be able to get to sleep so I pull the pure white covers off of me and swing my legs around to the edge of the bed. Suddenly, all the thoughts in my mind stop rushing around and I can just form one thought:

"I love Phoenix"

I get up from the bed and walk towards the sky blue curtains and pull them open, revealing the beautiful city below, all of the lights from the windows accenting each other perfectly. I tug on the glass door handle trying to not make any noise. I finally get the door open and the fresh night air encloses me and I breath it in, a smile forms on my face. I walk out to the edge of the balcony looking right over it.

"Willow..." 

I turn around, Phoenix stood behind me. I didn't even hear him come in.

"Hi..."

"I'm sorry... I need to do this"

He pulls me in and kisses me, I kiss him back. Happiness floods my body, I feel his hand stroke through my hair just like he did with Brianna... Brianna... I pull back, shocked and turn back around to face the city leaning on the balcony fence placing all my weight on it.

I hear a SNAP and I feel myself hurtling forwards. I realise I'm falling, my legs are unstable and I scream. Wind failing through my hair... I scream louder. But I realise nobody can help me and this was my fate. I'm falling... falling... falling... I see the floor below me, hard grey concrete... falling... falling... falling... my heart pounds in my head... falling... falling... falling... and I scream as loud as I can but now I know I will surely die, I mutter a quick I love you to my family and close my eyes.