Chapter 01
The sun was beating down hard today; but that was no hindrance to the hardworking citizens of district 4. Beads of sweat trickled down tanned backs, huffs and puffs of breath in the distance, the result of the men working hard, hauling in their latest catch onto their boats. Like usual, the men were out fishing, teaching their sons the art of throwing tridents to catch fish, while the women taught their daughters to make fishnets. Every day was like this. The district awoke in the early hours of the day, all the better to catch the early streams of fish rushing through the chilled waters. There was a goal to reach, a certain amount of kilos of fish to be delivered to the Capitol by late afternoon. But there was one girl who was not with her mother, tying knots, her long brown hair flowing in the wind as she ran across the beach, giggling at the sensation of freedom. Today was simply one of those days she didn't feel like working, much to her mother's distress. But she looked all too happy, her grin wide on her face, and her mother didn't want to take that away. Not today. Not on her birthday.
She ran past several fishing boats, her laughter so loud and gleeful, surely she would be disturbing the fish, scaring them off, with how loud she was being. Several of the fishermen stopped their work, ready to scold whoever was making such a fuss, but seeing the young brunette, the sand rustling around her feet as she ran, they simply smiled and got back to work. Today was her day, her day to feel free, happy and carefree. It had been all too long since she had been laughing like this, with her having school and then work. And her work was something she was excellent at. Every fisher family in the district would request the nets she had tied, knowing that no fish would be able to escape. They even paid extra, even if that meant she would have to sit for four full days, making a new one. And the demand was massive. But not today. Today she was allowed to sprint though the sand, allowed to be the eleven year old she was. And she was celebrating in the best way she knew. By being a young girl.
Her feet couldn't have been moving faster as she sprinted through the sand, and with her eyes closed it was no wonder she ran smack into somebody, two bodies falling into the hot sand.
"Ouch," she exclaimed angrily, taking a moment to get a feeling of her surroundings, realising she was lying with her legs draped across the back of a boy. He groaned in annoyance, pushing himself up, resulting in her tumbling around herself.
"You could watch where you're running, you know," he told her, as she fumbled up to her feet. It wasn't until then she realised who she had run into. It was none other than Finnick Odair. He was all but two years older than her. She had seen him around school, and his family were avid buyers of her nets.
"I could. But I wasn't, was I?" she retorted, brushing the sand off her white dress, glaring at him. He didn't seem phased by her comment at all, as he was smiling at her. And she couldn't understand why. Had she said anything funny? Was she amusing him? The smile was teasing, she knew as much. The brunette folded her arms in front of her chest, staring him down. And to her annoyance, he even had the guts to laugh.
"What's so funny?" she demanded, stomping her foot in the sand. Finnick's smile took a turn to something more than teasing. Taunting would be a better word for it.
"What?" she demanded once more, getting ready to turn on her heel and simply walk away. Yes, she had heard of Finnick Odair, and his way with other kids. He was a charmer, someone everyone seemed to like. All but her, though, as he wasn't exactly making the best impression on her, laughing her in the face. In fact, she got so annoyed; she was just about ready to just leave, when Finnick walked towards her, his one hand reaching out to her head.
"Just stand still," he told her, and the brunette froze. What was he going to do? His fingers tugged a little at her hair, and when he withdrew his hand, he held a piece of seaweed in his fingers. "You know, you looked awfully cute with that in your hair, but you're cuter now," he told her. And she couldn't help the blush that reached her cheeks, feeling her skin heat up at his compliment. And there he was, the charming Finnick Odair that every girl in district 4 was hoping to have a chance to talk to. But she wasn't all that interested, not really.
"This is where you thank me for taking this out of your hair," Finnick said, throwing the seaweed into the sand, and she just stared at him, eyes wide, the green reflecting the ocean like a mirror.
"No," she replied, brushing the remaining sand off her dress, and turned on her heel to leave for her favourite spot on the beach. And she didn't even turn to see if he had followed until she reached her destination, the shadow from a tree shielding her from the sun. This was her go to place whenever she felt like being alone, whenever her fingers were too ruffed up from tying knots all day. The water was, for some reason, cooler here than in the rest of the ocean, and it worked as medicine for her rough fingers. Just as she had sat down, she felt the trunk of the tree move, and Finnick was leaning against it.
"Why aren't you working? You're the girl who makes the good nets, aren't you?" he asked, and she didn't even look at him. He was in her spot. Her very favourite spot. And no one had ever been there with her before. Of course, she hadn't tried hiding where she was going, but he didn't have to follow her. Finnick was just getting on her nerves.
"Because it's a special day," she replied shortly, keeping her green gaze at the waves far out in the ocean. She couldn't help but wonder if they would reach their goal today. The sun was burning, which was why she had gone to her shaded location, hiding from its strong beams. The ocean was quiet, silent even, which might make it easier to catch the fish. Finnick didn't even ask as he took a seat beside her.
"Why is it a special day?" he asked her, and she shook her head.
"That's none of your business."
"Come on," he coaxed her, and she turned to glare at him. How could he charm anyone? He was probably the most annoying boy she had ever met. Not that she was friends with an awful lot of people. Mostly, she kept to herself, doing her homework, doing well in school, and when she got home, she was immediately set to work on her nets.
"It's my birthday," she told him, her voice softening a little. No matter how annoying he was, she couldn't let him ruin her day. Not her birthday.
"Well then, we should celebrate," he said, getting up to his feet, and without asking, dragged her up to her feet along with him, pulling her towards the ocean.
"No, no, I can't," she whimpered, panic setting in. It had been years and years since she had been in the ocean, if not to dip her toe in the cold water, but she didn't know how to swim, and frankly, she had been scared off from ever trying it again. The water terrified her. Finnick stopped dead in his tracks, looking back at the brunette with worried eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't go in the water. I just can't," she replied quickly, pulling her hand back from him, and he let her. Still, his expression was one of worry, and he stepped towards her, his bronze hair shimmering in the sunlight.
"I just can't. Not since…" She drifted off, shaking her head in denial. Today was not the day to face her fears; today was not the right day.
"I can't. Because the last time I was in the ocean, I almost drowned," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head quickly. No one, unless they had been through the same, would ever understand her fear of water.
"Okay, here's the deal. We go out, just to our knees, and we stay there. There's nothing to worry about. And I'll be there to look after you," Finnick said, giving her a kind smile. It was unlike any smile she had ever seen. Maybe that was the reason so many people adored him. His kind smile. And she couldn't help but nod in agreement, and once more she took his hand, allowing for him to lead her out into the cold blue.
"You're okay," he promised, leading her out until the water reached her knees, soaking the bottom of her dress, but she didn't care. The water felt absolutely wonderful on her skin, taking away some of the heat the sun was bringing.
"I am," she agreed, the smallest of giggles leaving her lips, but still she clung onto his hand, afraid that she would fall under if she let go. Her fears were irrational, she knew that, but it wasn't something she was quite ready to beat just yet.
"What happened? When you almost drowned?" he asked, and she couldn't meet his intense gaze. Her own gaze was fixed at the water around her legs, trying to get accustomed to the feeling.
"My dad wanted to teach me how to fish," she began, not meeting his gaze. "And I fell out of the boat, and got stuck underneath it. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't get back up. I haven't been in the water since," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. They were painful memories, not being able to breathe, her lungs screaming for air, feeling the certainty that this was her last living moment. What brought her back from her thoughts was the squeeze of her hand, and finally he looked back up at him, seeing his kind smile once more.
"You're okay. I'm not gonna let anything hurt you," Finnick whispered, and just like that, she decided that she liked him. He was a good boy, a kind boy. And then he led her back out of the water, only for her to realise that it was getting late.
"I have to go," she announced, letting go of his hand once they reached the sand. "It's time for dinner."
"How can you tell?" Finnick asked curiously, his eyebrows knitting together. And she laughed, and pointed to the sun.
"It's position," she told him, and gave him a light wave as she ran back towards her house.
"Hey wait, what's your name?" he called after her, and she turned to look over her shoulder, her hair cascading around her face.
"It's Annie. Annie Cresta."