"Mark my words, one day the Mockingjay will sing and Snow will do what Snow does best. Snow will fall"
Athena was orphaned during the rebel war. Adopted by Casca Highbottom, she was able to go to school in the Capital of Panem. When Athena is assign...
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When Athena got to District 9, the mayor immediately greeted her. He was an upright man with a pocket watch hanging off the loops of his well-stitched pants, and a black shiny top hat stood proudly on his head. To his right stood his son, who seemed freshly 18. He had his hair buzzed off, but even then, Athena could recognize the curly, thick texture of the dark hair. His dark skin was coated with sweat, which surprised her because of the cold, bitter air. District 9 was among the colder districts, along with Districts 1 and 7 and the fallen District 13.
To the mayor's left stood his daughter. She seem near Athena's age, maybe a year or two younger. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun that seemed jelled down by and an unknown product. She wore a grey dress with what appeared to be nylons and a jacket to keep her warm.
"Miss Brightsworth," the mayor greeted, shaking Athena's hand. She felt so small as she looked around. District 9 was known for their grains, so multiple wheat fields filled acres upon acres.
"Mayor Darren," Athena greeted nervously, smiling. She gave an acknowledging nod to the kids before directing her full attention back to the mayor. Her father had left her some money, but she never realized how close to broke they were. She was always under the impression that her father made well, especially being the maker of the games. She was lucky enough that her father had a great relationship with the mayor of District 9, or she would once again be a homeless orphan.
"We welcome you to District 9!" He smiled.
"Thank you for letting me stay with you," Athena thanked.
"Of course!" He guided her towards a carriage. She knew this was probably the only one in the district.
Athena didn't bother to converse on the ride there; she couldn't find the energy to put a smile on longer than she had to. The mayor's house was small but comfortable. It was a two-story house with three bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room. Athena had told them she would stay on the couch until she found a better living situation.
"Don't be ridiculous," Mayor Darren waved her off, grabbing her bag from her hand and leading her upstairs to a room. The daughter, Gracie, had offered up her room. He placed her bags into the foot of the bed before leaving Athena to her thoughts.
She could hear the creaking of the floorboards with every step made in the house. There was the sound of the fire cracking in the fireplace in the kitchen, and the smell of bread filled the house. Athena couldn't help but be grateful for the disturbed silence.
"I can help you unpack," a small voice came from her doorway. There stood Gracie. She now had a lavender dress that matched the purple ribbon wrapped around her bun.
"It would be nice for company," a smile grew on Gracie's face, revealing her crooked white teeth. Athena returned the smile, and the two girls started to go through her bags, unpacking everything.
"This is beautiful," Gracie picked a pink dress out of her bag. Athena never really knew why she had brought the dress; she panicked and shoved clothes into her bag. She didn't have much time to think about what she should get with her.
She watched Gracie's eyes widen and stroked the embroidered corset in awe. "You can have it," Athena suggested.
"No, no, I couldn't, really," she shook her head, folding the dress and handing it back to Athena.
"No, really, it doesn't even fit me anymore," Athena reassured, giving it back to Gracie. A big smile grew on her lips; she hugged the dress to her chest in glee.
"Thank you!" She squealed, pulling Athena into a hug, and for the first time since Sejanus and her father passed, she gave a genuine smile.
"No, thank you for giving me your room," Athena said, hugging her back. They pulled apart.
"I figured you needed some comfort during a time like this," She shrugged, looking at her dress one more time before putting it off to the side.
The two girls conversed for the next hour, packing away all her clothes. She told Gracie about her adventure during the 10th Hunger Games, and the girl soaked in every word.
"Do you think the games are fair?" Gracie asked as she hung up the last piece of clothing.
"Never."
Two weeks passed, then three and four, and Athena adjusted much faster than she had thought.
Finley had adjusted to Athena's presence. At first, he was awkward having another girl in the house, especially someone his age, but eventually, the two broke the ice. Sometimes, they find each other relaxing by the pond, smoking herbs that make their brains fuzzy. Something to get their minds off of the terrible world they lived in.
She and Gracie had grown to love each other company as they began to spend many hours a day with each other. Gracie struggled immensely with her classes; she always complained about how the words on her paper would float or swirl around, making it hard for her to read what was in front of her. So Athena found other study methods, such as reading things out loud for Gracie to understand. They worked on her writing skills and talked to the teachers to accommodate her needs, and Soon enough, her grades began to improve.
The word of Gracie's improvement spread across the district, and eventually, she had parents knocking on the door, begging her to tutor their kids. She even charged money for sessions, making a job out of it. She took on multiple kids daily and brought in good money depending on the family's wealth.
She soon found herself renting out a rundown building near the district's centre. She agreed with the peacekeepers and paid taxes to keep her business going. Gracie helped her clean the shake, painting it a light blue and white. She wanted it to be a bright, peaceful place to study in. Her customers needed clear minds to be able to concentrate. Some of her customers were even Peacekeepers. She found it easy to tutor them and talk to them as she too was once a Capital citizen.
She felt proud of herself when she could finally buy food and make meals for the family that took her in.
One night, she found herself late; her last customer had left about 10 minutes ago, leaving Athena alone. She could hear the stormy wings blowing against the wooden walls. She had pulled the curtains over the windows, hiding the orange glow illuminating the room from the outside.
Athena was organizing the worksheets she had gone through with the kids today before going through the Dailey planner for tomorrow's schedule.
She felt the wild breeze flow into the room when the front door swung open.
"I'm sorry we are closed," Athena called out, not looking up from her paper.
"I heard this is where I can find a tutor?" She felt herself freeze. She knew that voice.
