As soon as I enter the room, a large body slams into mine and is obviously trying to suffocate me with very tight hugs.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," I mutter.

Finnick retreats but keeps his hands on my shoulders as he watches me with a large grin spread across his face. "I knew it!" he exclaims enthusiastically while picking me up and swinging me around.

"Yeah, you knew it. Genius," I reply sarcastically even though I am feeling the same excitement he is feeling. "Now put me down."

"Oh, don't be like that Johanna. Just admit, for this one time, that you are happy with this."

"With what?" I ask, playing dumb. "Oh, with going to the Capitol to try to kill Snow. Well, if we don't get killed first that is."

Finnick plants a wet and sloppy kiss on my cheek before going back to the table where everyone is staring at us.

I roll my eyes at them. "As if you all didn't already know he was mentally a bit off."

"Hey!" Finnick calls out in so-called offence.

Gale interrupts my friendly banter with my best friend. "Why didn't they cut your hair?"

I arch an eyebrow. "Seriously? What hair? It's not like I have much left to be cut. And apparently they agreed. They said it would make me more like myself again if I left it like this."

I gently feel my hair. It's not as short anymore, which I'm secretly very happy for, and the scars can be covered by my new hair now. Plus, it's very soft. I feel like a bunny.

Gale just shrugs, not really interested in my hairstyle anymore.

"So," I suddenly say after a minute of silence. "What's the plan?"

All eyes turn from the table or the wall to me. "We still have to wait for others," Finnick fills me in.

"Oh," is all I say.

We wait in silence for a few minutes and eventually Katniss walks in as well and she smiles at us.

"See," I say, "she could keep her hair like that as well! It's no biggie, Hawthorne."

"Oh, Johanna! You're here too, great!" Katness exclaims happily.

I scoff. "You say it like it's a surprise."

"No! I'm just…happy. Glad to know you have my back."

I stand up and walk over to Finnick's chair where I put my hands on his shoulders. "Please, Kitty-kat. I'm only here to have Finnick's back."

"Uh, excuse me, miss Mason," Finnick interrupts. "I'll have you know I won my Hunger Games at the young age of fourteen! You were seventeen when you won yours."

"And I'll have you know that most of the kids in your Games were younger than you were. Plus the career-pack were total pussies."

"Oh, right! Well in that case I am very happy you will be there to have my back. What would I do without you?" Finnick says with a very obvious eye-roll.

"Die," I simply say.

Finnick grins. "The only man who will die on that mission is Snow."

"Boom," I grin back.

"No!" someone interrupts us. It's Coin. "President Snow will not be harmed. He will be taken captive."

She suddenly turns her attention towards Finnick and me. "And you two, please try to act like grown-ups. I can see that this is very hard for you but you will try or I will have you removed from this mission."

"What did we do?!" Finnick asks indignantly.

I smack Finnick on the head and get back to my own chair. "Just give the lady what she wants, Finn."

"Katniss is here," I say to Coin. "Can we start the meeting or whatever this is now? I'm bored."

Coin sighs and takes a step back, making room for Plutarch who will obviously give a speech about our mission. He pushes a button and a holographic image appears.

"You should know that the Capitol is a dangerous place, especially for us rebels. There are booby-traps everywhere. This, for example, is the area surrounding one of the Peacekeepers' barracks. Not unimportant, but not the most crucial of targets, and yet look."

Plutarch taps a few times on a keyboard, and lights begin to flash in a variety of colors.

"Each light is called a pod. It represents a different obstacle, the nature of which could be anything from a bomb to a band of mutts. Make no mistake, whatever it contains is designed to either trap or kill you. Some have been in place since the Dark Days, others developed over the years. To be honest, I created a fair number myself. This program, which one of our people absconded with when we left the Capitol, is our most recent information. They don't know we have it. But even so, it's likely that new pods have been activated in the last few months. This is what you will face."

Katniss takes a step towards the holograph and cups her hand around a green light. I glance at Finnick and see he's tensed up. We're clearly all thinking the exact same thing: this is just another Hunger Games.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Finnick starts whispering, but Katniss finishes his line with a booming voice. "Let the seventy-sixth Hunger Games begin!"

I let out a loud sigh. "No need to be so dramatic about it! We survived two Games already, we'll survive this one too."

Finnick turns around, suddenly angry. "Have you taken a good look at this, Johanna? This is like five arenas combined!"

I stay silent because I know whatever I say, it'll only make him more upset. I'll talk to him tonight, when he's calmed down.

"I don't even know why you bothered to put Finnick, Johanna and me through training, Plutarch," Katniss says.

Finnick jumps in immediately, trying to mask his sudden anger. "Yeah, we're already the three best-equipped soldiers you have."

Plutarch continues his presentation and I have to hold in my laughter when I see Katniss desperately feigning interest and concentration. She can pretend all she want, I don't do pretending. Plutarch knows I'm not listening but apparently he doesn't care. He's more concerned about the Mockingjay than about silly old Johanna Mason.

After the presentation, I follow Finnick and Katniss outside.

"What will I tell Annie?" I hear Finnick ask Katniss.

"Nothing," she responds. "That's what my mother and sister will be hearing from me."

"If she sees that holograph—" he begins.

"She won't. It's classified information. It must be. Anyway, it's not like an actual Games. Any number of people will survive. We're just overreacting because—well, you know why. You still want to go, don't you?"

"Of course. I want to destroy Snow as much as you do," he says.

"It won't be like the others," Katniss says firmly.

"Why not?"

"This time Snow will be a player, too."

Suddenly I trip over my feet and curse under my breath. Both Finnick and Katniss turn around and I see Finnick's cheeks redden in embarrassment.

"Yes, I'm still here. But you know, continue your conversation," I say with a dismissive wave of my hand. "It's not like I can join you two and think about what I'll say to my loved ones."

"Johanna…" he starts but I cut him off.

"Whatever," I say. I push them aside and almost run towards the stairs.

When I'm finally above the ground and surrounded by the trees I let the tears fall down my cheeks. It's very unlike me to be crying like this but the torture in the Capitol made me weaker than ever, not to mention the Morphling. But I am crying. While I was away, Finnick and Katniss got closer. I know my thoughts are ridiculous but I can't help but thinking Katniss replaced me as Finnick's best friend.

"Are you okay?"

I squeeze my eyes shut when I hear his voice. He puts his arm around my shoulder but I shake him off. "Not now, Finnick."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"I said: not now!"

"Why won't you just talk to me and tell me what's wrong? We used to tell each other everything."

He's not using an accusing tone but it makes me snap.

"Yes we used to tell each other everything but it looks like you found someone else to tell everything!"

He looks confused for a moment before it dawns on him. "You mean Katniss?"

I just glare at him. And suddenly he starts laughing.

"Oh Jo, you have nothing to worry about. Katniss has enough boys already, she doesn't need me. Besides, I'd probably be too much for her."

"Oh come on Finnick! If you could see the two of you from the outside-"

"Johanna, she's – "

"No! I am your best friend. It's all I am. I'm not a daughter anymore. I'm not a sister anymore. I'm not someone's lover anymore, not someone's prostitute. But I am your best friend. It's all I am!"

"I know that – " he interrupts but once again I cut him off.

"Let me finish! I was freaking out during that test. They flooded the streets and I was freaking out and about to go crazy and you know what kept me sane? You know why I passed that test?" I ask.

Finnick is clearly contemplating whether he should give an answer or just wait until I start talking again.

"You! Knowing that you needed me to have your back out there in the Capitol, knowing that you'd have my back as well. That's what kept me sane. You're right, it will be like five arenas combined which is why we need each other! We survived our first Hunger Games because we were the strongest and smartest compared to twenty-three other kids. Kids! But we only survived the Quarter Quell because we had each other! And you can talk to Katniss all you want and you can hang out with her and have fun with her and share all your little secrets with her but she will not have your back like I will!"

I'm panting a little when I finish my speech. I didn't intend to say all those things, they just came out of my mouth before I could even register what I was actually saying.

Finnick is looking at me with wide eyes. "I don't think I've ever heard you give a speech like that."

"Yeah, well…" I say uncomfortably. I really wish he'd say something else.

"But," he starts and there a spark of hope in my chest. "Like I said, Katniss is not your replacement. And I am very, very grateful that you are going to the Capitol with me, even though you are acting like my babysitter."

I'm still not fully convinced but I don't say anything.

"Look," he says, putting his arm around my shoulder again, leading me back. "I know you're scared. I'm scared too, okay?"

I want to protest and say that I'm not scared at all, that I want to go and kill Snow and make them pay for everything they did to us. But I know he's right.

"I just want to go home, Finnick," I say in a tired voice.

"Me too."

"No, I don't mean District 7, I mean the Capitol."

He stops and looks at me like I have just said the most shocking thing.

"I have no one in 7 anymore," I clarify. "Now that Blight's dead, I have no one. And however awful the Capitol was, it was my home for a few months in a year. And I wasn't alone. That's where I want to go back to."

A sad looks spreads across Finnick's face. "You know we can't go back to that place you just described. Too many people are dead. It won't feel like home anymore."

I put my arms around his neck and bury my face in the crook of his neck.

"Let's just go to the Capitol, kill Snow and then you can find or build a new home. Okay?" he says while hugging me back.

"Okay," I whisper.