Hey everyone! I really wanted to write a story about Finnick and Annie, partially because they are some of my favorite characters, and partially because there are so many Katniss/Peeta/Gale stories that I feel Finnick and Annie don't get the publicity they deserve. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :)
Don't Forget Me, Annie
"Finnie, wait up!" giggled Annie Cresta, hiking up her skirt and running after her friend. The soft sand felt cool between her bare toes.
"Oh fine," said Finnick, feigning disappointment. He stopped running and let his friend catch up to him.
"Finnick Odair, how many times have I told you not to run so fast?" said Annie sternly, puffing for breath.
Finnick laughed. "Why, are you afraid I'll beat you?" he asked Annie arrogantly.
"No, of course not!" Annie giggled. She plopped down onto the sand and watched the gentle waves lap up onto the sand. The sun was still rising, illuminating the sky with pink and yellow streaks of color. The water glittered with traces of sunlight.
"I don't want to be picked," said Annie suddenly.
Finnick came over and put his arm around her. "I know," he said. "I don't want to be picked either. But you know what?"
"What?" asked Annie softly.
"You're only thirteen," said Finnick. "Your name is only in the reaping ball two times. There are thousands more people in District 4. You won't be picked, Annie. Don't worry!" he said confidently.
"But what about you, Finnie?" Annie asked. "What if you get picked?"
"Annie, I'm only fourteen," replied Finnick calmly. "My name's only in there three times. You know that. So quit worrying and have some fun with me before the reaping!" Finnick tugged on Annie's chocolate brown braid and smiled at her.
"Okay, Finnie," Annie consented. She smiled and scooped up some of the water that was splashing around their heels and chucked it at Finnick. "Take that!" she laughed, running away from Finnick as fast as she could. Finnick easily caught up with her and pushed her into the waves.
"Take that," said Finnick smugly.
"Thanks a lot, Finnick!" said Annie disdainfully from down in the water. She got up and tried wringing some of the water out of her pale green sundress, which was now all soaked.
"I'm sorry Annie," said Finnick, sounding serious for once. "I didn't mean to. Besides, you're all sandy anyways."
Annie glared at Finnick with her sea green eyes, but the longer she glared, the harder it was to stay angry with him. She eventually gave up and laughed.
"Oh well," she said. "It's not like I was going to wear it to the reaping."
Something bumped up against Annie's feet. She knelt down and found a small pink shell. It was smooth and beautiful. Annie cradled it in her hands and smiled at it. She rose and put it in her pocket gently.
The sun was now high up in the sky, shining down upon the two. Annie held up her arms to the sunlight and twirled around in it.
"I love the sun," she said. "It feels so nice."
Finnick smiled at his friend. "I agree," he said. "Listen, we'd better get going. Try to eat something, okay? It's better to have a full stomach than to have an empty stomach before the Reaping."
Annie nodded, looking very sorrowful. Finnick hugged her tightly and whispered, "Annie, it's all going to turn out fine. You won't get picked. I'm sure of it." He let her go and swatted at her arm playfully. "Now run along, Annie, and go get ready!" She didn't move. Finnick seemed to get that she needed a moment alone, so he simply said, "I'll see you later," and took off running down the beach path that led to their village. Annie followed, but this time she did not run.
—
Annie's mother ran the shell comb through her daughter's long hair slowly and carefully. Mrs. Cresta kept her eyes on her task, for she feared that if she saw her daughter's sorrowful face, she'd cry, and she wanted to stay calm and brave for her daughter's sake. Annie seemed to sense this, and wanted her mother to know that there was nothing to be afraid of.
"Mother, Finnick said I wouldn't get picked," said Annie gently. "My name has only been entered in the Reaping ball two times. He's probably right. Isn't he?"
Annie's mother was silent. Mrs. Cresta laid the shell comb down on Annie's dresser and rose slowly from the bed. She exited the room for a minute and came back with a pretty cotton dress of a pale pink color. She took a deep breath and looked at her daughter's lovely face.
"I love you, Annie. You're growing up to be such a beautiful, brave girl. I'm so proud that you're my daughter," Mrs. Cresta told Annie. She handed Annie the dress. "I want you to wear my dress today. Even though I can't stand by you during the reaping, at least you'll have a little piece of me watching over you. Nothing bad will happen to you as long as you know that I love you."
Annie took the dress in her hands and rubbed her cheek against the soft fabric. "The color reminds me of a pretty little shell I found today," she said softly. "It's beautiful. Thank you. I love you, too."
Mrs. Cresta smiled and squeezed Annie's hand. "You'd better put on the dress soon, my love. They're calling us to the square in half an hour."
—
"Welcome, my friends!" gushed District Four's escort, Mellie Gridops. "I'm just so excited to draw the names of this year's tributes for the 65th Annual Hunger Games! It's going to the best Hunger Games ever, I'm sure of it!"
Finnick rolled his eyes. These Capitol people were complete animals. He hated the way they enjoyed watching children murder each other every year.
"All right! Let's get started!" giggled Mellie, clapping her hands in delight. "First, I'll be choosing the tribute from the ladies' ball."
The crowd was so silent that Finnick could hear the far-off seagulls as clearly as if he was standing on the beach right under them. Mellie reached into the girls' ball to draw out a name. She seized one of the papers. All Finnick could think was, Please not Annie. Please not Annie. Please not Annie.
Mellie cleared her throat. "Eh hem, the District 4 lady tribute for this year's Hunger Games is… Annie Cr – hmm, I don't know how to say this – Cr…" as she mumbled to herself, Annie looked across the girls' group over to the boys' side in a desperate attempt to find Finnick. She found him and locked eyes with him. Finnick seemed to be mouthing, "It's okay. I'm here," but Annie kept shaking her head. She mouthed back, "No! It's not okay! I'm scared! I'm gonna die!" Finnick opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Mellie, who had apparently found out how to pronounce the name of the girl written on the slip of paper.
"Oh! I got it! Annie Crotty, please come to the stage!" boomed Mellie in her ridiculous Capitol accent.
A girl of about seventeen walked up to the stage silently and took her place besides Mellie. As Mellie put her arm around her, the girl stiffened and clenched her jaw. Mellie didn't seem to notice.
"Everyone give a big round of applause for Annie Crotty, the female tribute from District 4!" There were a few half-hearted claps, but most people refused to clap for something so abominable as sending a young woman away to her death.
"Lovely!" piped Mellie. "Now it is time to draw the name of our male tribute!" She grinned widely, exposing her horrid artificially blue teeth. Stupid Capitol fashions, thought Annie to herself silently. Mellie reached into the boys' ball and selected one small slip of paper. She unfolded it and read, "Will Finnick Odair please come to the stage?"
"No!" gasped Annie. Finnick smiled sadly at his friend as he passed her section on his way to the platform.
"My, my!" said Mellie, pressing a hand to her chest. "I wasn't expecting our male tribute to be so handsome!" she flirted.
Annie gritted her teeth. Stop flirting with my friend, she thought.
Finnick held his head high and said, "I appreciate the compliment, Mellie."
Mellie swooned. "So charming!" She sighed. "Alright. Finnick, Annie, please shake hands."
Annie Crotty took Finnick's hand and they shook.
"Alright, off with you dearies now," Mellie said, shooing Finnick and the other Annie through two doors in the Justice Building. Mellie turned back to the crowd. "Both tributes have an hour to say goodbye to all of their friends and family before they leave for the Capitol," she advised the people. "If you want to bid them goodbye, please be courteous and try not to take up all of their visiting time. I'd imagine that there are many people who would want to bid the tributes good luck and well wishes! Thank you very much, my lovely District 4. I'll see you again next year!" And with that, Mellie Gridops turned and disappeared through the doors of the Justice Building as well.
"I have to see Finnick!" Annie said softly. "I just have to!"
—
A Peacekeeper came into the room. "Another visitor," he barked at Finnick, then roughly pushed a small girl with dark brown hair into the room.
"Annie?" gasped Finnick, the concern evident in his green eyes.
"You have five minutes, and five minutes only," said the Peacekeeper, then he closed the door.
Annie rushed over to Finnick and gave him a hug.
"Finnie, you lied!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "You said you wouldn't get picked!"
Finnick patted her soothingly. "I'll be just fine, Annie," he said quietly.
"Stop saying that!" Annie said angrily, stomping her foot. "I've had enough of 'it's alright' and 'I'll be fine', Finnick! Everything is not alright! You won't be just fine! I don't want to lose my friend, Finnick! I don't want you to go!"
"Oh, Annie!" pleaded Finnick. "Listen to me! I've been training all my life in case this ever happened. You know that. I'm a Career. I have a pretty big chance of winning. I… I just need you to believe in me. Can you do that for me? Please?"
Annie stared at the ground. Finnick sighed and ran his fingers through his bronze-colored hair.
"Annie, no matter what happens, just don't forget me, okay?"
"Finnick, don't–"
"Don't forget me, Annie," he insisted.
Just then, the Peacekeeper came into the room. "Time's up!" he ordered.
"No! Please!" Annie begged, beginning to cry again.
"I'm sorry, but rules are rules," the Peacekeeper bellowed, not sounding the least bit sorry for the girl.
"Fine, I'm coming," Annie said quietly. "Just a second." She pressed something into Finnick's hand. He opened his palm to reveal a small pink shell the same color of Annie's dress. He recognized it as Annie's shell from earlier in the morning.
The Peacekeeper came and gripped Annie's shoulder. "I said your time was up!" he told her angrily. He started steering Annie towards the door.
"Just come back, Finnick!" Annie called over the Peacekeeper's shoulder. "And I do believe in you!" As the door was closing, Annie managed to squeeze in one last thing: "Finnie, I won't ever forget you!"
The door closed, leaving Finnick alone in the room.