jar of hearts. justice & jacinta. // 80th

Her head is still spinning when she steps out of the car and into the high-rise where the party she was invited to is being hosted. Minutes before her departure, she and Mackenzie got into a fight over mentoring — or rather, her reluctance to mentor. She never outright refused to help Mackenzie until just now, but she made it clear enough by avoiding him and giving him the silent treatment.

Once Jacinta arrives to the party, she makes a beeline for the champagne. It's the only thing that will calm her nerves at this point. Maybe if she drinks enough she can drown the memory of Mackenzie Pryce.




They are on District Seven's floor in the Training Center, where they always stay when they take trips to the Capitol. Jacinta is in her room, which is right across from Mackenzie's, getting ready for tonight's event.

Jacinta has just finished applying the last touch of her makeup, the eyeliner, when she hears a knock at her door. She turns away from the mirror and opens it, thinking it may be the escort.

She rolls her eyes and scoffs when she sees Mackenzie there instead. Without hesitation, she slams the door in his face before he can even open his mouth to speak. Jacinta goes back to the mirror, which hangs above the dresser, and starts changing into her party dress for the night.

"Jaci, god dammit! I know you can hear me in there!" Mackenzie calls out through the door. His words are slightly muffled, but with his voice raised, they are loud enough to be heard clearly.

"GO AWAY, MACKENZIE!" Jacinta yells back, her voice as harsh as the crack of a whip, as she puts her earrings on. She just wants him to leave her alone. Hasn't he done enough already?

"Jaci... I'm trying to do the job of two people here," Mackenzie says, his tone softened now. "And I know you have your reasons but... what if there’s something you could say that would actually save one of them? What if there is something you could say, and we never know because you never showed up?"

"First of all, stop calling me 'Jaci,'" she snaps. That was the name he always called her between pillows and kisses, hugs and warm caresses. "And second, I was under the impression that you don't need me anymore. You can do this on your own — I did for two years."

She doesn't care if the tributes succeed or not. She just wants Mackenzie to struggle. Maybe then, they'd be even.

"C'mon, I—" Mackenzie pauses. "I can't do it without you."

Jacinta puts her heels on, comes to the door again and opens it, her hair blowing back and out of her face as she does. She suddenly feels a bit self-conscious as she realizes that before, she was dressed casually, and now she is standing in the doorway with a partly see-through, form-fitting shimmering silver gown with a steep V-neck.

She looks up at him instantly regrets it; she looks right into those doe eyes, as she always called them. Fuck, she should have just stared at the wall or Mackenzie's torso.

Her heart swells in her chest and butterflies flap their wings in her stomach — she hates this. She hates that Mackenzie still has the power to make her feel this way. But this is what she gets for trying to open herself up to someone.

All of those feelings quickly burn up and turn into anger. Once, his presence was calming, but now it just triggers her defenses.

"Get out of my way," she demands, pushing him aside so she can get past him. "Leave me the fuck alone, Mackenzie. I want nothing to do with you."

As Jacinta heads for the exit, Mackenzie scoffs and crosses his arms behind her.




She spends the first part of the night chatting with Capitolites, all of them eager to shake hands with her. Their eyes seem to linger around the low neckline of the dress, where her cleavage is obviously peeking through. She finds most Capitolites to be rather annoying. All they ever want to talk about is this dress and that dress Colt designed, her time in the Arena, her dead sister, or Mackenzie.

Jacinta is tipsy and eager to get away from them by the time she sees Justice Fray sipping whiskey in the crowd. She and Justice have been friends since her victory, although the last they spoke, she was still with Mackenzie.

She suddenly remembers that night on the terrace two years ago, with her white dress and Justice's wandering gaze. Jacinta has always known that Justice finds her attractive. Maybe that's why she approaches him — maybe he can help her fill the hole that Mackenzie left in her heart.

"Justice," she greets him with a friendly smile as she takes a sip from her glass. "I didn't realize you would be here."