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I'm making another Finnick and Annie story called "I'll Never Lose You" and I decided to start this one also because I wanted on where Finnick and Annie met as little kids. Tell me if you like it, and tell me if you don't. As always please review, it's make me super de duper happy!
None of these characters belong to me, they all belong to Suzanne Collins.
Enjoy :)
Four years before the 65th annual Hunger Games.
/Annie/
I knot the rope tightly, and then repeat the steps. My hands work diligently as I tie the net. My eyes are focused on my fingers, and even though they ache I continue. "Is that good?" I ask the ten year old boy next to me.
He nods. "Really good. Now connect these two." He grabs two of the strings and hands them to me. He ties the first one as an example. Then he let's me take over.
I start tying the two together. I do this over and over again. This is what I get for asking him to help me make a net, I continuously scold soon the circulation drains from my fingers after a little and they become numb. "I think..." I whisper. I drop the net and flex my fingers and make them into a fist, and repeat this gesture. "I need a brake."
Finnick laughs. "Yes, you can take a break Annie." I grin at him in thanks. Finnick stands up in the sand and squints at the sky. His bronze hair glistening off the sun. His tan skin is glowing in the light, as he raises his hand to shade his sea green eyes. I have known this boy my whole life, we found other randomly as toddlers on the beach, and I vaguely remember pinky swearing him we were to meet here from ten in the morning until two in the afternoon, and here we are. Once he started school we met on afternoons. Never once had one of us broken our promise to each other.
He peers around, trying to think of something to do. He looks around and then halts. He kicks my foot to get my attention and stares down at me. I stare at him, and wait for him to say something. He points at a distant tree that is off the beach and on the street. He smiles and gets a deviant look on his face. "I'll race you to that tree." His eyes are eager and challenging.
I cross my arms and lay back in the sand. I do not care if my hair gets covered in it. I feel the warmness of it heats my arms, as I outstretch them in the sand. "I'm very tired Finnick, maybe later. Can we just rest for a moment?" I ask innocently. I close my eyes and see orange instead of black because the sun is so bright. I open my eyes and see Finnick standing in front of my feet, his head blocking the sun from view. I see a smirk on his face, and his eyes mocking.
"Sure, I understand," He says, kicking sand on my foot. "Just because you're a little girl, you can rest for now."
My blood boils and a trigger just got set off in my mind that should always be left alone. I hate it when people make me feel inferior, especially when Finnick teases me about being a little girl. I get up almost automatically and peer at him. His smirk is still there, and he raises an eyebrow. "Oh Ann, it's okay, just lay down and relax for a little okay? You need to rest, I know how hard the day is for a little one like you." He pats the top of my head, which is only reaches about his mouth. He tugs lightly on a piece of hair to bother me even more.
I smile sweetly, and grab his wrist of the hand that was tugging on my hair. "Finn, I'm not a little kid. I'm only two years younger than you. If I'm a kid you are a kid."
Finnick laughs breezily. "I am not a kid. Two years is a long time!" He says wiggling his hand out of my grasp. "Besides, I will just win anyway, no use in trying," He says, tugging on my hair once quickly, and then backing away before I can slap his hand.
"Not this time fishboy," I say, and ready my position. My eyes glaring at the tree. Finnick still is standing there. "You are going to have a hard time winning like that, just standing there," I point out. Finnick still is smiling and gets ready. "Your call when to start," I say and then quickly add, "No letting me win!" He doesn't look at me but he nods, his expression highly amused. I wait, my heart pounding my eyes narrowed.
"Ready," He says, "On three. One... Two... Three!" He yells and we begin sprinting.
At first we are side by side, and then I start to drift a bit ahead. My legs are rushing, going as fast as they can. The tree's closer, only a few yards away. Faster! Faster! I push myself. I kick sand up with every step. I'm almost on the pavement. When I hit it my feet ache, but I still keep going. I don't even look back to get perspective where Finnick is, I continue to run. I am almost at the tree, I am so close. Yards away, and I feel victory pumping through my veins until I see a figure race by me and in a split second I see Finnick slamming his hands on the tree, right before I can. I scowl at him while he grins widely, too widely to be serious.
"What was that about you winning?" He teases.
"I let you win!" I exclaim breathlessly, crossing my arms.
"So you let me win every time I guess?" He asks playfully. I bite my lip and avoid eye contact as I nod. He begins laughing and so I step on his foot. He just continues and tries to step on mine but I avoid his foot.
"And what happened to no letting me win? You should honor our agreements," He says, sarcasm bubbling in his voice.
"You aren't even that good!" I complain. "Says the loser right," He says. He grabs my hand and gives it a little reassuring squeeze.
"I'm not the loser because I let you win!" I mumble.
"Only a little kid would say that," He whispers in my ear.
"I'm not a little kid!" I demand. He huffs up his chest and moves toward me, making me feel towered so I step back. I stand on the tip of my toes but it still does nothing, I'm still way shorter than him. He exhales and puts his arm around my shoulder. We begin walking back, regaining our energy. I stare at my feet, Finnick stares at me. I live in mind and doze off, not noticing what's going on around me. I would beat Finnick someday right?
Then out of nowhere a figure pops up and I run into it. I look up horrified to see its a peacekeeper. My lips tremble as I stare at the man's angry face. "Watch where you're going kid!" Yells the peacekeeper. He pushes me over so I stumble into Finnick's arms. Finnick holds me defensively as the man grimaces in disgust as he walks away.
Finnick scowls, and yells after him, "She is not a kid sir!"
I stare at him confused and shocked.
The peacekeeper turns around and stomps over to us. "What did you say," He points his index finger about and inch away from face.
Mortified, I hear Finnick begin to repeat the statement.
I put my hand over his mouth, and quickly say, "Nothing, he didn't say anything, neither did I. I will try to stay out of your way sir I apologize." I quickly turn around and intertwine Finnick's fingers in mine as I drag him back down to the beach.
He's growling unintelligible things at me, angrily saying that I let the peacekeeper get away unharmed. I lead him to my net and tell him to tie some ropes. He snarls at me, but grabs the nets and starts tying strings. He's breathing heavily, and whenever he stops to complain I tell him to be quiet and keep on tying knots. I sit there and rub circles on his back. Eventually we make a game where I trace a letter on his back, and he has to guess it. After a little, his rapid breathing slows down a bit, and stare at him carefully. I ask him if he is okay, and he nods. His face is no longer red and his eyebrows aren't furrowed anymore. After a little I ask him the question that has been bewildering me.
"Why did you stand up for me? To the peacekeeper I mean." He puts down the net and stares at me seriously.
"We can't let the Capitol boss us around, Annie." He grasps my hand. "No one can be mean to you like that, without me telling them off."
I smile a little. "As for you," I say. I release his hand and let him go back to knotting. I sit there for a little, living inside my mind, watching the waves, but not entirely seeing them. Each one is crashing closer and closer. I let Finnick stop knotting, and I lean my head against his shoulder. I look at the sun and see it's lower, and it's probably past four o'clock. I stand up, and he looks at me curiously. "Time for me to go home," I say, feeling upset.
Home, I hated my home. My father betrayed me, my mother hates me, and my siblings ignore me because they believe I'm mad.
Finnick holds up his hand and I try to pull him up, and after great struggle because he's not helping me at all as a joke. I pull him up finally, but I stumble backwards. He grabs my waist, and pulls me up close to him and steadies me. I look into his green eyes, and feel a strange warmth in me that I hadn't ever felt before. He looks at me seriously, and I feel my blood boiling, and I know I'm blushing. Embarrassed, I pull away from his grasp and look at the ground smiling. What is happening? I think to myself.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" He asks, almost hopeful.
Without even thinking about it my head nods eagerly. He walks next me, and in silence, but it was nice, so I could think. Why was I feeling so different about Finnick all the sudden? Why did I blush whenever he touches me, or talks to me. My heart is pounding right now. "Finnick?" I say once we get to my house.
"Yes," He responds. "Why did you tell the peacekeeper not to call me a kid?" I ask, curious for what the answer is.
Finnick stops and thinks for a moment. His gorgeous face glistening in the light. He smiles lightly at me, his cheeks blushing to my surprise; he never blushes. "That's my name for you, he stole it."
"Kid?" I ask. That's a weird nickname.
He sighs. "Annie, I don't call you kid because you are a kid, I call it that cause I you're my best friend and I like to mess with you," He says, as he nudges my chin lightly with his fist. I laugh lightly and nod. "Don't worry, in a few years it won't be kid anymore. I'll think of something else, more original for you, because he stole it."
"Annie's okay," I say laughing lightly. Then I stare at my house. "Goodbye," I whisper. My body reacts before my mind does, and I wrap my arms around him. I lean my head on his chest. He wraps his arms around my waist and leans his head against mine.
"I..." He starts, then stops.
I feel heated, and the feeling of his arms around me makes it seem like I don't have a trouble in the world. He pulls away, and I walk towards my house. I wave to him lightly, and then walk inside. As soon as I close the door my mind is racing. My heart's pounding and it seems like Finnick has invaded my mind. He's all I can think of at the moment. Then it hits me- I have a crush on Finnick Odair. My best friend.
Okay, that's all for chapter one, I hope you found it cute, and please, again review because I want to know how I'm doing.
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