So we're here at twilight [open]

I hadn't had much of a good day. I had just about had enough of those sickening prissy 'friends' of mine, so I'd argued with them. And everybody knows I just love arguing. But then they outsmarted me, which is kinda the last straw with them. So I had returned home and I had talked to Ellen about it all. Ellen's really trustworthy, so I go to her if I have any problems, and she gives me excellent advice that helps my situation. Only her advice was to admit to them that I was wrong and make up. No, that was the last straw, I told her. She said that I should 'suit myself'. I just sighed, and slammed the door on the way out.

It was dark when I left the house unseen, and my parents were in bed already. Ellen had been asleep for hours. I hadn't caught up with any sleep yet. I think I'm developing insomnia. I walked across District 4, towards the beach. You can get instant solicitude at the beach at night, and it's really soothing. I've sneaked out before, just to filter my thoughts, and procrastinate all my worries and just meditate by the cooling waves. Meditating is kind of a regular thing in my family, because it helps calm your thoughts. Generally you sit cross-legged on a soft surface like sand, and close your eyes. Then you just sit in silence and never force yourself to think anything. You just let your thoughts float around, and it's really relaxing.

When I was about 10, I couldn't meditate - I just had to find something to think about, and I usually just got songs stuck in my head and whilst meditating just forced myself to listen to that song. But when I became about 12, I realized meditating was easier than it used to be. So I started doing it more often, and it became a regular thing. I taught Ellen how to meditate, and it took her a few sessions before she completely grasped it all. She mastered it better than I have ever. My parents are true masters of meditating, and they do it every night.

I trudged along the sand, then suddenly: "What are you doing here?" I was surprised, really, that somebody else was there. I ran my fingers through my long brown hair and then I walked further towards the person, deciding to make a snappy come-back to the question.

"Oh, so the beach is private property now, is it?" I asked, showing my appearance. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. It was a male who was there. Usually boys fall for me because I'm 'pretty'. I never thought myself remotely pretty. I wasn't ugly, but I thought myself average appearance. But others think differently. My emerald green eyes shone by accident, another thing that makes people like me. I looked at the ground, and bit my lip hard. Oops.

“Um…well…I did not actually say that.”

I knew this, and I smiled. "I'm sorry. It's been a rough day. I shouldn't be taking out my anger on strangers." I sat down cross-legged on the sand next to him, and he continued. “You could stay here, of course, I was just surprised to find out that a girl could come here. I mean, there aren’t a lot of visitors to this part of the beach, because it’s too distant from the houses, what to say about girls. They seem pretty scared from that place, I have no idea why.”

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? I had no idea girls from 4 are cowards." I was talking as if I were a boy, which I am thankfully not. "The only cowardly girls I know are my friends..." Why was I talking about this to a stranger? My voice trailed away.

“If you want, we can start this again. I’m Kai Wimund, and this is not my beach.” Kai. A very exotic name. Then again, Irene, Ellen, Adelaide - they were all pretty exotic names. "I'm Irene Waters," I introduced myself. "And I'm sorry that I snapped at you. I had a massive argument today and nobody's being particularly helpful to me." I was referring to Ellen's only bad piece of advice which had been given earlier on in the day. I shook my head. "Well, what are you doing here so late at night?" I asked him.

What was happening as they spoke? The 61st Annual Hunger Games. The words sounded eerie in my mind. The male tribute from District 4 still remained alive, and maybe he'd win against the tributes from Three. Although I had thought the girl from Three looked rather interesting. My family had been watching the Games all day - there were only three tributes left, called Mahlah, Klaus and Fitz.

Back to the conversation. I looked back at Kai. “Nice to meet you,” he told me. “It’s okay, I do the same when I’m angry,” he replied to what I had said. “I had a fight with my brothers earlier. This happens quite often and I come here each time I feel angry to make my mind easy. This is the only place where I can come alone and think, without being interrupted. You know, I can’t be angry in here. It’s just impossible. Sometimes it’s harder to calm myself down but then I swim and when I swim it feels that my siblings are all away and can’t enrage me anymore.” I nodded.

“Sooo, yeeah, I think that’s the reason. And you? Do you come often here because I’ve never seen you before?” he asked. I just tucked my hair behind my ears and replied, "No, I don't come to this particular beach often. I like to sometimes go to various other beaches. Or maybe the town square. But now I mainly watch the Games like my family back home, or I go fishing with my dad." She stopped there, because she didn't want to bore the stranger.