STARRY EYES | FINNICK ODAIR

[ 𝐎𝐍𝐄 ]

CHAPTER ONE ; THE REAPING
"in spite of everything, i still believe that people are really good at heart."
— anne frank

    DISTRICT EIGHT. the wind wildly whipped her brown hair around in the air, the soles of her nicest shoes clicking on the cobblestone path leading towards her home. her hands shook with anticipation, but most importantly — fear. juniper rose was preparing her seventeen year old self for the sixty eighth annual hunger games reaping. the reaping.

    a worried look was displayed on her soft features. her eyes, a mixture of hazel and sea green, flickered around to gaze at the children running and playing around her — too young to participate in the reaping. she was happy they were so little, for she couldn't imagine them fighting for their lives in a wicked game. juniper reached her door, pulling it open before entering with shaky breaths. she needed to finish her preparations for the reaping.

    juniper approached her grandmother on the couch, the elderly woman's emotionless eyes staring at the floorboards. "grams, you gotta get up and help me finish getting ready." juniper softly spoke, taking the soft hand of her only family member left. reluctantly, her grandmother — martha — stood and followed the young girl into her small bedroom.

    juniper noticed her nicest dress laid across her quilt covered bed, a sigh escaping her soft lips. the pale and faded yellow color taunted and teased her. it was the dress she wore for the reaping — and only the reaping. juniper plucked the clothing from the bed, hanging it on the door as she removed her shoes and the rest of her garments. quickly, she pulled the dress onto her figure.

    grams sat on the chair in the corner, watching her lovely granddaughter dress herself up. juniper slid her polished, black shoes back onto her feet, fastening the buckle. once finished, the young girl turned to her grandmother. "i'll be fine, grams. there will be lots of names in the bowl, and i'm sure they won't pick mine." she offered her grams a forced smile.

    juniper kneeled down on the creaky wooden floor, staring in the mirror positioned against the wall. she picked up her brush, running the object through her brown locks. after she detangled the soft hair, she elegantly braided two pieces back, connecting them at the back of her head. juniper stood, taking a breath as she smoothed out the fabric of her dress.

    "it will all be okay." juniper whispered once again, glancing over at her grams. "it has to be." juniper swallowed the lump in her throat and forced the butterflies in her stomach to calm down. in the distance, the sound of the horn on the town square building signaled the start of the reaping.

juniper nodded at her grams, walking over to kiss the woman's forehead. "i'll see you there. i love you." juniper gave her another wave before disappearing out of the bedroom and traveling to the street. she nervously twiddled her fingers, picking at the hangnails and scabs she received from hours of careless training. she trained just incase. she trained because it was what her father wanted and what he taught her to do. she kept her head down, staying silent until she reached the line for her age group.