"Yes," I say, making my way over to shake his hand. "You must be Matt."
He shakes my hand too, trying to smile. "Yeah."
Could this be any more awkward?
"I was invited here for the funeral," I explain softly. "I just wanted to introduce myself quickly before tomorrow, but if you're on your way home, then don't let me bother you," I say, stepping back.
He runs a hand through his hair. "No, no it's fine. I was just on my way to get some coffee, would you like to come?"
We walked down the street as the sky slowly dimmed and the streetlights glowed faintly. Halfway to my mother's house, we stopped at a small building with glass windows. There were people inside all sipping from mugs and working on their laptops. The sign above the door read A Cup Of Coffee.
As we sat down and ordered our drinks, it seemed strangely quiet. I realized that we hadn't said a word to each other since we left the Justice Building.
"So..." I start, trying to break the ice, "how's business?"
You idiot, you're supposed to talk to him about his mother, not his job!
Shut up!
All this talking-to-myself nonsense was really getting annoying.
"It's fine," he replies absentmindedly, staring at the table. "So how did you meet my mom?" he asks all of a sudden, looking up at me with his blazing green eyes.
"I was actually a friend of your dad. We met at the 75th Hunger Games," I say.
His eyes reflect pain as I mention his father.
"I'm sorry," I automatically spit out. "I shouldn't have said that."
"It's ok, I asked," he says back. "And you and my dad were... fellow tributes, then?"
"Yes, we were good friends," I say sadly. The memory of Finnick Odair filled my mind, the handsome bombshell from District 4 who won the 65th Hunger Games at the age of fourteen.
Because of his good looks, President Snow - I cringed at the thought of him - would 'rent' him out to Capitol ladies, threatening to kill those he loved, should he refuse. At least Finnick was able to gain inside secrets about President Snow from the gullible ladies. Though everyone knew his one true love was Annie Cresta.
I remember the days we spent in District 13, agonizing over Peeta and Annie, still in the Capitol's control. The loss of Annie had unraveled him completely. Memories of Finnick huddled in a ball, crying, filled my mind. And then I saw him again, endlessly knotting a piece of rope together, and then undoing it. This went on for days until, eventually, I had to join him.
Yes, we were close. We shared the same burden while our hearts slowly ripped in half together.
"Your coffee," the girl interrupts, snapping me back to the present.
"Thanks," I reply softly, taking a sip.
"Are you ok?" Matt asks. "What just happened? You... zoned out."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just... remembering," I say.
"Remembering what?" he asks curiously.
I choose my words carefully. "Everything. When you live through the life that I've had, you learn there are some things you can not forget." The last part was a whisper. "No matter how hard you try."
"I'm sorry," was all he could assure me with.
"Me too."
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Future of the mockingjay
फैनफिक्शनThe devastating war between the Capitol and the Rebels has come and passed, Everyone is living different, peaceful lives... except for Katniss Everdeen. After the tremendous loss of her fellow tributes and her sister prim, will her life ever be the...
