Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Johanna grabbed a fistful of lettuce and planted it on the freshly toasted bun, then she threw a patty on it.

“You forgot the mayo,” Finnick said as he walked past.

“Fuck if I care!” Johanna spat. “What are they gonna do? Fire me? We’re already understaffed!”

Finnick grinned at her. “Put the mayo on the sandwich, Johanna.”

“Whatever.”

__

“So what do you have to offer this establishment?”

“I’m very clever, I’m fast too,” the ginger girl said.

“Right. You have no past history with employment. Is that correct?” the elderly man asked.

“Yes, I’m very observant, though.”

The man rubbed his temple. “Sorry, we’re looking for something else.”

The girl scowled but stood up. She collected her résumé and gave the man a nod before leaving.

“Is that it, Plutarch?”

“No, no, we have two more,” he replied.

“Disappointing. Bring the next one in.”

A young girl, lanky and skinny, pushed open the door. She wore an off-white top with a hunting jacket, unconventional in today’s warm weather.

“Sir,” she greeted. She attempted a smile, but it came across as a grimace.

“You are…”

“Katniss. Katniss Everdeen.”

“Ah.” He nodded, writing her name down on his clipboard.

Katniss took in the interior of the small room. She didn’t like the outside of the restaurant; it was too minimalist and plain. The inside was no better. This room in particular was completely bare; the only furniture was a square table and two chairs on opposing sides.

The man, whose name tag read Coriolanus, cleared his throat. “Why are you interested in this role?”

“Well, Coriolan—”

“Snow.”

Katniss swallowed. What a strange nickname. She guessed it could refer to his snow-white hair, or maybe it was a surname.She hoped she hadn't offended him.

“Sorry. Snow, I need a job. And you were hiring. I can fully commit myself here, of course.”

She only added that last bit when he squinted at her.

“I envy your honesty. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

This was where Katniss usually messed up—here or the “polite greetings.” She just didn’t know what to say. She either waited too long to answer or answered too fast, making no sense.

Katniss took a deep breath. “I’m sufficient. I’m not the best with customers, but I get things done. If I really do need to, I can communicate with co-workers or customers.” She bit her cheek. “I’m adaptive too. I can learn all of the techniques or such in about a week.”

She tugged on her shirt cuff. She wasn’t sure how much of that was a lie; she went off what people told her.

A smirk tugged at Snow’s lips. “What is your biggest weakness?”

Katniss felt like she had a gun to her neck. Her mother had mentioned that they would ask her something of the sort, and Katniss shrugged her off.

“I’m a little stubborn,” she blurted. She felt her cheeks burn.

Snow laughed. “Good. How often are you available? What schedule are you open to?”

“Anything but school hours, really.”

Snow nodded, wrote something down, then looked up. “Four to nine. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. Be here tomorrow.” He didn't ask her. He told her the time and the day.

Katniss nodded, dazed. She stood up. “Thank you.”

She slipped out the door, shut it behind her, and stood idly for a second, trying to understand what just happened. Trying to figure out if she imagined everything.

She got the job.

She could run home and smile at Prim and exclaim, “I got the job!” and she and Prim would celebrate. Prim would hug Katniss and congratulate her and she would feel bliss.

She got the job.

She could repeat it another thousand times.

She walked stiffly to the exit and held the door open for someone. Still trying to steady herself, she froze when Peeta Mellark passed by.

For a heartbeat, their eyes met—then he walked into the interview room.

She doesn’t have to worry about that right now; she can spend tonight happily.

He probably forgot anyway.

Chapter Text

"You'll be back at nine?" Prim asked, handing Katniss her jacket.

Katniss took her jacket and started to put her arm through one of the sleeves."I plan to. But y'know traffic and all," She said.

"This is great, Katniss!" Prim exclaimed, but her wide smile faltered.

"Prim..." Katniss crouched down to her height. "I'll be back before you know it. And I'll get you some fries!"

Prim smiled again,"You promise?"

"Promise."

She gave Prim a kiss on her forehead and left.

She had to walk all the way to the bus stop. It wasn’t too long, but she felt vulnerable. She used to have a bicycle, but it was long gone-
destroyed when a car hit her on the crosswalk.

Katniss never got a new one.

She stepped onto the train, dropping her fare. It was packed. Rush hour, of course.

Her head rested on the window as the bus snaked down the street.

She got off on her stop, the bus letting out a loud sigh as it slowed.

She looked around. The street was unfamiliar, although she lived in this town her whole life.

Without the big sign that read "Mcdonald's" she wasn't sure what she'd do.

"Hello?" Katniss called out as she stepped in."It’s my first day here."

She looked around, the store was empty. A table was clearly recently occupied, burger wrappers and fry boxes, but whoever was there was gone.

Just when Katniss was about to leave, a man appeared from the back. He stopped in his tracks when he saw her, and immediately grinned.

"I thought Plutarch was lying when he said they hired someone!" He practically purred.

"He wasn't," She said.

"Well I can see that. Finnick. I'm the manager today," He stuck out his hand.

Katniss shook it, trying to hide her hesitation."Katniss. Is it... just you here?" She asked, the desolation of the restaurant disturbed her.

Finnick looked around,"No, Johanna is cleaning the toilets," he said with a pleased grin," Cashmere is taking drive-thru orders, and Haymitch is on the grill. It's kind of slow today."

"Ah." Only four people working right now? No wonder Katniss was hired, they're desperate.

Katniss followed Finnick to the back, taking the apron and hat that was set up for her. She scribbled her name onto a tag and stuck it on her chest.

A clearly agitated woman walked past them, her apron was drenched in water, presumably toilet water.

"Hey, Jo!" Finnick chirped to her, his enthusiasm clearly meant to anger her more.

"Kill yourself!" Johanna spat, storming off.

"She seems friendly."

"Definitely. She's just a little moody today," Finnick said, patting her shoulder.

Katniss frowned.

Finnick introduced her to the grill and fryer, which seemed simple enough. She insisted he left her alone.

Haymitch lurked over the fryer, not making an effort to introduce himself. Katniss didn't mind.

"Hey newbie," a woman said. She took the Big Mac Katniss set aside to the drive-thru. Katniss assumed she was Cashmere.

A moment later, someone barked through the window."This isn't my order!" He shouted.

Cashmere looked impassive."What?"

"I asked for no pickles! I want a new sandwich!"

"If you make me take those pickles out for you I'm dropping the sandwich on the ground and spitting on it," She said in a soft, monotone voice.

The customer opened his mouth to retort, but Cashmere slammed the window shut.

She turned to Katniss."It’s just easier."

Katniss slowly nodded. She wondered about the repercussions for disrespecting customers, probably nothing major (or nothing at all) because Cashmere seems like shes been doing it the whole time she's been working here.

Katniss attempted to use the fryer, which resulted in a boom of fire so close to her face that had she stumbled back, heart leaping into her throat. The oil hissed and spat like it was alive, flames licking up toward the metal hood. She cried out obscenities, making everyone in the restaurant turn to her.

Katniss needed help from Finnick, who advised that she stuck with the grill.

About two hours later, Katniss had a 15 minute break. She wasn’t quite sure what to do, so she scarfed down fries and spent the rest of the shift staring outside, watching the cars drive past.

The loud, busy street was a stark contrast to the bright, sterile atmosphere of the restaurant.

"Katniss," Johanna greeted, startling Katniss. Johanna hadn't talked to her, she didn't even acknowledge her the entire day.

"Hi...Johanna."

"Oh shut-up," She snorted,"I need a favor."

A favor? Katniss thought. She must think I'm defenseless. That she can easily take advantage of the new girl. That she can humiliate me.

"Ask Haymitch," Katniss replied,"I'm sure he doesn't have plans."

Johanna scowled."I'm asking you. Haymitch melted his brain on that rotgut and I need someone who won't vomit on me."

Katniss cringed at the thought.

Johanna clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Fine," Katniss said through gritted teeth. She'd do it with no enthusiasm. Whatever "it" was.

"All I need you to do is stock the freezer," Johanna said, and Katniss' shoulders dropped.

She had expected something dangerous, reckless, something that could get her fired.

"You want me to...do my job?"

Johanna stared at Katniss for a moment, before breaking out into laughter. Shelaughed so hard she had to brace herself against the counter. “Oh my god,” she wheezed, “you actually thought I was gonna ask you to, what, rob the place?”

Katniss scowled, she had been pranked on her first day.“With the way you asked? Maybe.”

Johanna smirked, straightening. “Cute. You’ll fit right in.”

Katniss huffed.

Johanna tossed her a pair of gloves. “C’mon, newbie. Freezer’s this way. Don’t pass out from the cold — we already lost one kid to frostbite last winter.”

Katniss blinked. “Seriously?”

Johanna shrugged. “No, but that lawsuit sure as hell made it feel like it.”

They passed Haymitch, who was leaning on the counter gulping down a large soda that Katniss knew wasn’t just soda. She gave Johanna a glance, but she shrugged in response.

The freezer was small, the air biting as soon as Johanna opened the door. Katniss grabbed a box of frozen fries, shoving it onto the shelf.

“So, what’s your deal?” Johanna asked casually. “You don’t talk much. Runaway? Fugitive? Witness protection?”

Katniss rolled her eyes. “None of the above. Just needed a job.”

“Uh-huh.” Johanna smirked. “We all did.”

Katniss didn’t ask what that meant. She figured she’d find out soon enough.

By the end of her shift, she was exhausted — arms sore, head spinning from the smell of fryer grease. She clocked out and grabbed her bag.

Finnick waved from behind the counter. “Good work today, Kat! You survived your first shift — that’s more than I can say for the last guy.”

“What happened to him?” she asked.

Finnick grinned. “He cried in the mop sink.”

Katniss pushed open the door to leave, stepping into the cool night air. Her body ached, but there was something oddly satisfying about it — like she’d earned her exhaustion.

The bus rumbled up a few minutes later, and she slumped into a seat. Through the window, the golden arches glowed in the dark like some sort of taunt.

She thought about Prim. Fries, she remembered. Don’t forget the fries.

Tomorrow, she’d be back at nine. And maybe—just maybe—it would be easier.

⸻

The next morning, Katniss stepped through the restaurant doors, tying her apron as she went. The breakfast rush hadn’t hit yet; the place was quiet.

Finnick was leaning on the counter, phone in hand. “Morning, Everdeen. Big day today. We’ve got a new hire.”

Katniss frowned. “Already?”

“Yep.” He nodded toward the door.

The bell jingled as someone walked in — a young man with messy blond hair, blue eyes bright despite the early hour. He looked nervous, holding his uniform in one hand.

“Uh, hi,” he said, offering a tentative smile. “I’m Peeta. First day.”