The Tribute From the Ocean (A Hunger Games Fan Fiction)

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"Do you like it?" Riverlily asks once I'm secured into my dress. I look at it in the mirror and smile. I liked it, honest. It was sleeveless with a white silky top and the bottom was fluffy and seaweed green. There was a diamond belt around my middle. The dress trailed behind me a few feet and followed me like I was a Queen.

"Yes." I answer simply and look away from the mirror. Riverlily didn't seem satisfied but turned away anyway. She came pack with a tray of cookies and tea.

"I thought this would be nice before the interview, you know?" She says and sits in the seat beside of me.

"Thank you, Riverlily." I tell her softly and accept the small plate of cookies she hands to me.

"Do you want milk or sugar in your tea?" She asks me.

"Both please." I reply, taking a small bite of the cookie in my hand. She hands me the cup of tea when she was done and I slowly sip at it. If it had been before the games, I would've been pretty open with Riverlily, but now I was scared. I didn't want to talk about anything I had went through with her yet. For some odd reason I held a grudge against her for being part of the Capitol. The same Capitol that got Brandon killed. I didn't want to act like this toward her, but I felt distanced from everyone.

"When you move into Victors village, you'll have a phone there. So if you like i Can give you my number so that we can talk some." She suggests. There weren't a lot of phones in most places in the districts. One and Two had the most but even four didn't have a lot. I didn't have one with Keyon. I shiver as I think of his name. I didn't want to go back to him. I didn't want anything I had now to be contributed to him. I hated him.

"Sounds great." I smile at her. Soon, we were done with our small snack. She touches up my makeup and we head out. Thankfully, she gave me flats to wear instead of heels, but I was still unsteady and unbalanced. In one corridor, we run into Finnick.

"Are you here to take her up?" Riverlily asks him. He nods and she turns back to me and smiles. "Good luck!" She says happily. I smile, but my face feels forced into a frown. Once she's left it's just me and Finnick.

"After my games I liked to talk to people. So let me know if you need me okay?" Finnick says after we'd walked down a small flight of stairs.

"Thank you." I murmur and look away from him. I didn't like him or Annie to see me in this situation. I didn't like any of them to see me like this. "Where do I go after this?" I ask him.

"We get to go on the train to ride home." He smiles, almost happily but with sadness. I wondered what I'd do all alone in my own house for hours with nobody but myself to occupy myself with.

"Good." I nod and follow him. We get to a small room with a small set of stairs leading to a small opening. I heard murmura of a crowd above me but nothing too drastic. I became nervous and held my arms close to me.

"I'll be in the crowd. Right by the front, so just look at me if you need anything alright? Annie will be there too." For some reason, seeing Annie I feel a different connection with her than I'd had before.

I nod and he walks away leaving me alone. I walk hesitantly up the stairs and close my eyes as I walk to final steps onto the stage. Suddenly, I'm surrounded by flashing cameras and voices all around me.

I stumble, and step backwards. I hadn't expected it at all. I couldn't make out the words the crowd cheered but it slowly turned into a chant, shaking the ground beneath me.

Fight! Fight! Fight! I hear them all say louder and louder. I cover my ears and sink to ground beneath me.

Arms were on mine in a second. I flinch away until I realize they belonged to Annie. She had bent to the floor beside of me and held both my arms in hers.

"It's okay, Kya." She says to me, looking me in the eye. The chanting slowly started to die in the distance. "They won't hurt you here. It's live television in public. They won't hurt you with so many people around." And I believed her. It made plenty sense. I'm sure she's used to same excuse herself.

I nod and follow her to the chair. Suddenly, another familiar hand touches my arm and I flinch at first.

"It's only me." Finnick says in my ear. I slowly shake my head as they both convince me to come to the single chair for me only. I didn't want Annie nor Finnick to leave my side. I didn't want them to go back into the crowd so that I was alone.

"It'll be okay." Annie says softly to me. I nod slowly and try and make my way to the chair.

"I don't think we should be doing this today." Finnick says through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry." Caesar Flickerman apologizes, but it was nearly pointless. Annie leaves, but Finnick sits me in the seat and leans close to my ear.

"I'm going to be right there. Don't worry. It'll be over soon."

And I just hoped he was right.