A/N : One more try then I will give up. Thank you if you stuck with me for the past two stories that have failed, thank you for giving me one more chance.
Disclaimer: The hunger games belongs to Suzanne Collins.
Chapter 1.
Finnick Odair.
Ladies swoon at the mention of his name. Honestly, he kind of bothers me really. He is 19 years old and the hearth throb of most ladies in Panem. I don't get it really. Sure he is good looking and all, his wavy sandy brown hair and bright green eyes would show interest to anyone but its his muscular tone that attracts most. Ever since he won the Hunger Games five years ago, he has been all anyone can talk about. Quite frankly, its bothering me.
Right.
I forgot. I am Annie Cresta. My full name is Annabelle Joan Cresta, but I prefer Annie. I live in District 4 of Panem, and I am 18 years old. That means this is my last year in the reapings. The reapings. Where once a year every year for the past 70 years a child between the ages of 12 and 18 are picked and forced to fight to the death in the Capitols enjoyment.
The Capitol. The crazy part of Panem. Literally, they wear bright colours and get excited over kids killing each other. Its pretty sick.
The reapings. Were to take place today. I sit in my room that I share, with my two sisters, both younger than me. Hannah and Ariella. Hannah is 14 and Ariella is 12.
"Come on Annie, hurry up and maybe we can get a good view of Finnick" Hannah squeals and I roll my eyes.
"He is just another guy." I say flatly.
"Another attractive guy!" She says clapping. I am dressed in my reaping clothes. A plain white lace dress, they said it was used as my mothers wedding dress, my mother passed away giving birth to Ariella. We were poor and couldn't afford a doctor. I was 6 then, and I don't remember her much. My father comes in and looks at us and smiles warmly.
"You all look beautiful." Ariella jumps up and twirls in her purple puffy dress. Somehow we managed to afford her a dress. Hannah checks her hair in the mirror, her long blonde hair is pulled back into a pony tail, her green eyes match mine perfectly. Thats the only way you could tell we are related. Ariella and I look more alike, more like our father, Hannah looks like our mother.
Ariella giggles and sits back down on the make shift bed we have in our tiny room. I get up and walk out of the room and into the larger room. We live on the ocean, its easier for my father to keep his fishing business going, he fishes crabs, we don't have enough money so I have never had crab before.
I look over to the ocean and sigh. After today, I have two more weeks of school until I am expected to get a job and get married. I dont want to though.
Hannah comes up beside me and puts her hands on her hips. She was skinny, we all were, there was never enough food.
"We should go." She says and I nod looking out over the water one last time. I turn and follow her out of the door and I take Ariella by the hand. She is scared, but she wont admit it. She is a strong willed girl. People stare at me while we walk by and Hannah grabs my hand, looking the other way.
People don't like me. Its understandable. I don't really like them either. I stay quiet most of the time and I read. I won't associate with people. Hannah turns her head but I know it bothers her. She will never tell me, but I know what people say about me, it bothers her, makes her ashamed. I don't hold it against her though, I am more focused on surviving.
We walk towards the town square and I see a sea of people flooding around the stage. Probably trying to get a glance of Finnick. When he won his games, the girls went berserk here, they flooded the train when he got home and cheered. He didn't like the attention then. He stuffed himself in his huge house in victors village, he didn't come out for weeks. He wouldn't eat or anything.
Then he started going to the Capitol and became a cocky asshole. Hence why I hate him. Its no secret what he does in the Capitol, I have seen him on dates with other women. Its just typical.
I walk with Ariella towards the 12 year old booth where she has to check in.
"It doesn't hurt Arie." I say and she nods looking past me, her green eyes filled with tears. I hug her quickly and take her hand leading her towards. "I have to go now, I will see you after." I call and walk towards the 18 year old booth.
The lady pricks my finger and I flinch, but a bead of blood rolls down on the paper and she calls out 'Next'.
I was pushed by peacekeepers towards a roped of area. Peacekeepers are everywhere with large guns. It scares me. I wrap my arms around my torso and look at the my feet and walk. I stop when I am told to and I search for Ariella's face.
I cant find her and its to late because here is people coming out onto the stage. First its Finnick. The girls all sigh as he walks on the stage and winks into the stage and I heard a girl beside me say;
"Isn't he so dreamy?" I rolled my eyes and stiffed a laugh. The next came Mags. She had to be at least 75. She was old and it was sad to watch her, I never saw her games, it was way to long ago.
Then came the district 4 escort with the Mayor. The mayor stepped out and read out the treaty and a whole bunch of stuff about the rebellion, I never really paid attention to it.
The escort walks up and starts talking.
"Welcome welcome to the 70th annual Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Her accent is intense and ridiculous. "Ladies first." She walks over to the bowl and my heart thuds against my rib cage. Her hand pulls into the bowl and swerves it around until she grabs one piece of paper. By now my stomach feels like it may jump out of me and my heart feels low. She takes her time walking back over to the microphone and then she unfolds its nicely.
"This years female victor is..." My palms are sweaty so I grip my dress. "Annabelle Cresta." I looked up. Every face turned towards me. A few girls around me backed away from me.
"Annabelle Cresta?" She asks again and I look around frantically. I see Hannah looking away from me, no doubt embarrassed. Ariella is crying. I can hear her. A feel a nudge on my back and I turn around to see who it was but they pointed forwards. I shook my head and took a step forward. I couldn't feel anything. Maybe fear had numbed everything out because I couldn't feel a thing. I walked up to the steps and I tried to take a step but almost tripped. I could hear a murmur in the crowd and when I got up there I could see everybody in the district staring at me.
"Are there any volunteers?" I half expected Hannah to call out, but she didn't. She looked away. I knew Ariella wouldn't, and I didn't want her too.
"Alright, boys next." She waddles over to the boys bowl and pulls out a slip of paper. "Marcus Louis." I knew him. He was my age, he went to my school.
"Any volunteers?" Nobody said a word. "Alright you two shake hands." I wiped my hand on my dress and shook his hand, looking into his cold eyes, he was ready to kill. I felt the coldness go through his hand into mine. It made me shiver and then the escort pulls us raising our hands in the air.
"The tributes for District 4 Annabelle Cresta and Marcus Louis!" No body clapped. Thats usually how it was.
I was rushed off into the justice building where I sat on the red velvet couch looking at the stupid pattern on the wall. The door opened and Ariella rushed in, tears streaking her beautiful face.
"Annie, don't go." She wrapped her arms around my neck and I place mine on her back , burying my face into her hair.
"I have to Arie." My mouth felt dry and there was a lump in my throat. I look up and Hannah is looking out of the window. I peel Ariella's arms off of me and I get up stand, leaning against the window.
"Hannah." I start but she looks at me with hard eyes.
"Annie, come home ok?" I nod at her and I swallow the lump in my throat but it hurt. She puts her hand in mine and leaves something in it. I go to open it but she stops me,"Not until you're ready."
I wrapped my arms around her and I squeezed. The peace keeper comes in and take them away from me. I can hear Ariella's protesting shouts even after the big wooden doors slam shut. I throw myself onto the couch and I try and keep my breathing steady. The door opens and my father steps in.
"Annabelle." He says and I run into him, now sobbing. I stayed strong for my sisters, but this was my dad, he understood.
"Daddy please." I cried into his shirt. He smoothes my hair out. He pulls me over to the couch where I collapse into a heap, my hand still clutching whatever Hannah gave me.
"You're going to come home, your mother would have liked you too." My head snapped up and I looked at his straight face. He never talked about our mother since she died. It was like when she died a part of him too, he stopped being fun but he still care for us, just the light left his eyes, even when he smiled.
I studied his face and then a peacekeeper comes in and tells him its time to go. I grab his shirt and I try and pull him back, but I am held back by another peacekeeper. I cried and cried until the big doors slammed shut, then I slumped back onto the couch and sobbed into the pillow.
A few minutes later I heard a faint knock on the door and no one but the Finnick Odair, walked in. He didn't look cocky and he looked caring, it shocked me. He sat down on the edge of the couch and I sat up rubbing my eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asks and I almost laugh.
"Really?" I ask and he cracks a smile.
"Stupid question I am sorry, I'm Finn-"
"You don't have to tell me." I said a little to harshly.
He ran his hand through his hair, "I guess I don't" He sighs and looks off towards the window. "I wish sometimes people would not know who I am, you know?" He gets up and walks to the window, leaning on it. I sit rather awkwardly on the couch still, kinda taken aback by his honesty with a stranger.
"For once, I would like to be able to introduce my self as Finnick Odair, not THE Finnick Odair." I get up and walk over to him tapping him on the shoulder then stuck out my hand.
"Hi Finnick Odair, I am Annabelle Cresta." I smiled at him and he returned it, grabbing my hand and shaking it.
"Nice to meet you Annabelle."
I stop shaking his hand, "Call me Annie."
"Call me Finn." He smiles and my heart flutters. Why.
"Will do." I drop his hand and look down at my feet.
"I saw your family, your sister, the small one, she looks just like you."
I smiled, "Ariella, I get that alot."
"Its true." He shrugs and I walk over sutdying the book cases.
"You like reading?" He asks picking out a book.
"I do."
""For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn? Pride an-"
"Pride and prejudice," I jump in finishing the sentence for him, a light blush rose up to my cheeks.
"I take it you've read it then?"
"To many times." I laugh.
He glances at the clock, "I hate to say it but we have to go." My heart dropped. The reapings I forgot about, I forgot, I was on my way to head to the Capitol to die. I nod curtly at him then walk towards the door. He walks over to me and places his hands on my shoulders, his eyes made it so I don't want to look away..
"You can do this Annie." I looked away because I know if I didn't now, I never would. Maybe Finnick wasn't so bad after all.
The big wooden doors are pushed open and I brace myself. The cameras are on us instantly. Finnick put on a cocky grin and walked in a manor that made him look crazy. Its all an act though. The Capitol eats it up, but I know, Finnick Odair.
I walked guided by Mags behind me, and Marcus behind her. I almost forgot he was here. I tried to smile, but I couldn't. My eyes felt heavy, no doubt they were red and puffy.
Finnick holds the door as I get into the car and winks at me, I blush a bit but then shift into the seat.
Mags sits beside me. I look at her old face, and she tries to smile at me, but I can tell, shes sad. Marcus is grinning as he pulls in. It made me feel sick to my stomach the way he looked at the reapings, like he was excited to be here.
I rested my head on the glass, it was cool, compared to the hot humid weather district 4 has. I watched as we passed the fountain. The fountain is where the rich people would go and throw money in claiming its how they wish for something. I saw it as an oppourtunity to eat.
When it would get dark Hannah and I would go and collect as many coins as we can. It was illegal to steal from the Capitol and the fountain so we had to be quick and sneaky about it.
The car pulled up to the train station and there were more cameras. This time when I got out of the car Finnick placed a hand on the small of my back. I flinched away from it but then relaxed a bit. We rushed onto the train and the doors shut.
Finnicks grin was wiped off his face. I walked in and was greeted by the most beautiful room I have ever seen. There was food every where and nice big couch that was blue. The tv was mounted to the wall and displayed a Capitol symbol.
Marcus strolled in and lounged on the couch kicking his shoes off.
"Glad to know you feel welcomed." Finnick said dryly.
"Of course I am pretty boy."
Finnick rolled his eyes and walked over to one of the two chairs, he looked at me then patted it down. I crossed the room and sat down.
"Should we watch the reapings?" Mags asked and Finnick nods, then clicks something on.
The tv comes to live and I am shocked. We have a small beaten down tv used only to watch the games or mandatory viewings.
First district one came up, a girl named, Courtelle, she was 18, then the boy, Jermaine. He was also 18, both volunteers.
District 2, they looked tough, and scary. They volunteered wihtouht hesitation. The girl named, Jasmine and the boy named Franklin were both 17.
District 3 looked average, ready to fight but they were reaped not volunteers, I didn't catch their names..
Then we came on. Lucinda.. (our escort) calls out my name and the camera flashes to my face. I look like a little girl again, like I was just called to my first day of class. The look on my face made it seem like I was lost. It almost, almost, made me sad. Marcus was called and his face broke out into a grin as he mounted the stage. The handshake looked awkward, then it flicked to district 5.
I zoned out after that, I let it go to 12 until Finnick turns off the tv.
"You guys have an okay chance."
"Okay?" Marcus snorts. "I have a better chance then those careers."
"Don't be so cocky." Finnick snaps at him.
"Why it gets you a far way." Marcus stands up and looks at me.
"Why dont you go cool off before dinner?" Mags suggests.
Marcus storms down the hall.
"Cocky asshole." Finnick curses and I giggle a bit, earning an eye brow raise from Mags.
"Your dress, it was your mothers." Mags notes and I nod. "I was there, at their wedding, she looked as beautiful as you do in it." I smile sadly at her.
"Thank you."
She waves, "Not a problem dear." I look down at my lap and my hand is still clenched around whatever is there. Mags gets up, saying something about a headache and leaves Finnick and I there alone.
"You havent moved your hand.." He notes.
"She said when I'm ready.."
"Are you?" He asks.
"Yes." I whisper. I open my hand, and there lies a gold locket. I open the locket and one side has a picture of my mother and the other the words engraved 'Annabelle J Cresta' My eyes fill with tears and I stare at the locket.
"Its beautiful." Finnick whispers grabbing it. He wraps the chain around my neck and claspes it shut. "Token." He says and I nod wiping tears that leaked over my eye lids.
"Thank you Finnick." I say and I mean it.
"I will do anything, to get you out of there, I am your mentor after all." He smiles genuinely at me and I return it. His hand finds mine and I lace my fingers with his, closing my eyes listening to the train move.
A/N : I like this so much better yo. Review Review Review.
