Prologue

As Katniss trundled through the airport, lugging her small suitcase and bag with her, she grabbed hold of her overexcited sister's petite hand with her free one, effectively silencing her high pitched chatter. "Prim?" she asked, "why aren't you nervous?"

"It's simple, Kat. We hated life back home. And… I don't know… I just think that for some reason, living in California is gonna be special." She said the first part in such a monotone voice that it sounded rehearsed, and Katniss always knew when Prim was worried, but in the end, she could still hear the excitement behind her sister's words.

"Yeah, well. There's nothing more entertaining than Uncle Haymitch and his drunken ramble mixed together with Aunt Effie and all her jabber." Sarcasm. Definitely Katniss' strong suit. At 11.17am, they boarded the plane that'll change Katniss' life.

Katniss POV

Prim and I got on the plane, and it was incredibly full. We have to sit apart from each other, sort of. There's only the aisle between us, but it's still enough to annoy me. Soon enough, a young girl came and sat by her. She had that same look of innocence about her that Prim has, so my worries faded away in that moment. But it didn't last long. I heard a soft 'plodding' sound next to me, and turned around to face the most gorgeous man on the earth. I don't think that I could stop staring, his vibrant green eyes kept mine locked.

"Hello, Katniss." He said with a low purr.

With that, I instantly snapped out of the trance that his face put me in, and began to give him the most threatening glare I had. I hoped to god that if looks could kill, he'd be dead.

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh! Ugh… Well… I'm just assuming that that is your little sister who has been trying to get your attention. Blonde plaits, blue eyes… Almost as pretty as you…"

Ugh. He's like a beautiful-man-Glimmer. A player airhead. Narrowing my eyes at him, I turned around to face Prim. "What's up, little duck?"

"That guy, that's Finnick. Rue's brother. Better looking than Gale, if you ask me, so stop zoning out on him, I'd like a brother. Wink wink." …What? I look back and forth between the two thirteen year olds for a bit before they burst out laughing. I turn back around and decide to listen to some music. I slowly drift off listening to 'How to Save a Life' by the Fray. The words are really depressing, to be honest. It makes you think more deeply of life, and how quickly someone might get rid of it… It brings back memories that haunt my dream.

After about an hour, I am viciously yanked awake by… Finnick, that was it.

"Katniss, are you okay?"

I look into his eyes and see genuine worry, and weakly reply. I turn my head slightly to the left to see Prim's sleeping form, alongside Rue. I twist back to my original position to see Finnick staring at me intently. I try to get back to sleep, but I still feel his eyes on me. I open mine, and look at his deep green orbs.

"Can I help you?" I ask him in with an indifferent tone in my voice.

"Yes. Tell me where I know you from." …

"How am I supposed to know? I've never see- wait a second…" It's coming back to me…

It's him.

We were eleven when we first met, it was warm, in the summer, and my mother was having a party. I had to dress up in this stupid gown, and it was very stuffy, and the party was so loud, and just… annoying. So, I went down to my special little lake in the middle of the woods. You could still hear the music, and from an odd position you could see the lights flashing. I lay down on the cold stone with my feet still in the water.

"Hello" said a mysterious voice. "I didn't realise that anyone else came down here." I jolted up and found my 'intruder', and looked at him straight in the eye. But I didn't speak.

"I'm Finnick, and you are…", he inquired with a dazzling smile.

I took my feet out of the water smoothly, and narrowed by eyes before I replied with, "Katniss".

"Well, hello there Katniss. Did you escape that horrible party too, or is it just me?" I looked into his light, dancing sea green eyes, and found myself in a trance. Finally, I had the courage to speak up.

"It's my mothers party. I was out of there at the earliest opportunity." He chuckled at this, and it really lifted my spirits.

"So Katniss. Would you like to go on a walk with me through the forest?" I naturally raised my eyebrow at this, to which he put his arms up in defence. "Hey, hey, it's just my dad's old cabin." Still not convinced… "It has food."

That caught my attention.

We raced and raced, and I just beat him, and that was the first day of our new friendship.

"Yeah. I remember you… Odair." I had always called him that, and he hates it.

"That's good, Kitty." I scowl.

We continued chatting for a but, until he said the thing he was eventually bound to say.

"Why did you have a nightmare?"

This is the question that I always dread.

"Can I trust you?"

"I don't know. Let's play a little game first to see."

"Like what?"

"Well, I don't think it has a name, you just say things. Like this; my name is Finnick Odair. I am seventeen years old. I have a little sister called Rue. My home is California. I love eating sugar cubes, and I still have the wood bracelet you gave my when I left." Woah. Oh my god.

"Ok… My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I have a little sister called Prim. My home will be California. I love eating lamb stew, and I'm wearing the other half of that bracelet." I shakily lift up my right hand, to show him, and he whispers the one thing that I didn't realise that I longed for.

"I missed you."