Hello! How can I help you? She said softly, I remember as I walked into the shop with my Father. She was so young, I barely remember her face. My father and Mr. Cresta did business trading old nets for new ones with the exceptional trade of fishing stories. I had been going into the shop numerous times and saw only flashes of long brown hair, and the occasional glace of blue eyes from around the counter but this was the first time I actually looked eye to eye with her,7 year old Annie Cresta. Hello Annie is your dad in? My father asked to which she jumped down off her stool and ran to the back. As we heard them walking we heard Mr. Cresta say "who?...well what's he look like?... OH Finnick!" and I wondered what could be happening Mr. Cresta came out from behind the curtain and said well look at that! My two best customers, Mr. O'dair and Finnick. Finnick have you met my daughter Annie?" I stuttered to find the words "uhh…no….sir? No sir!" "Well now's as good a time as any I guess" Mr. Cresta encouraged. She stood there for awhile just looking at me then finally said "Hi Finnick" to which I couldn't think anything but two things, one what a pretty voice, and two, how does she know my name? Then I was brought back to reality when my dad said "well say something boy" so I said "hi Annie" and with those passing words she ran off behind the counter. I never saw her again for the next hour, and right when my dad was ready to leave she ran out and yelled "wait fin! Uhhh fin?" "Finnick" I corrected, to which she said i'm sorry and hung her head down in shame, I said "no no its ok you can call me fin I don't mind" that put a smile on her face. "So what's up Annie?" she said "I made you something" she giggled "want to see?" "Why not?" I said she ran to the back and grabbed a tightly knotted rope which turned out to be little pieces of fishing string made into a bracelet that said, "Annie and fin friends for life" "do you like it fin?" she asked "oh yeah" I said "you and me can be friends for ever now fin" she said and with those words I went home with the bracelet on my wrist, I swam with it, I fished with it, I did everything with it. I didn't see much out of Annie unless I was in the shop, and she was always working hard so I never disturbed her. but every day at lunch during school we would sit and talk. Then came the reapings, I was put in the reapings when I was twelve and when I was thirteen Annie was there when she turned 12 I held her hand and said "you see this Annie?" and pointed to my wrist "this means we will be friends no matter what!" I encouraged. After that day Annie and I drew closer, we would go to the water and she would watch me fish and I would show her how to float and look at clouds without drifting away. We were the best of friends, we told each other everything until the day I was reaped. I was fourteen Annie only thirteen. It was hard, Annie came running up to me before I left and hugged me and said, "come home to me Finnick you can win I know you can. Will you take our bracelet as your token?" to which I promised "of course!" it was a long and brutal hunger games, but I made it home. Annie and I weren't the same for weeks then one day she found me by the water wanting to go in but couldn't. Annie took me by the hand and said, "c'mon fin lets look at clouds" I hugged Annie, then dove in the water, it felt so good the water took away any memory I had of the arena. Annie and I went back to fishing and swimming every day, then Annie got reaped I ran to Annie! The peace keepers hit me over the head but I had to get to Annie! I shouted, I yelled, I made a big scene until they hauled me off. They locked me in a room for an hour until I forced myself to calm down. I only could because I kept saying "they wont let you out until you calm down, the sooner you calm down the sooner you can see Annie" and on and on finally, I got out and ran to see Annie, to which the guards said "hey kid you cant go in there!" to which I replied "oh yeah watch me! Do you know who I am?" I looked him in the eyes and said the words that scared him out of my way "Finnick O'dair the tribute from last year" to which his friend said to him "denying a tribute is punishable by forty lashings let him in" I almost broke the door in, Annie raced too me, tears filled my eyes I hugged Annie like I never had before, I said "Annie I'm so sorry ill do anything just don't leave me" she said "I cant help it fin I have to go or ill die" "ok then ms Cresta wear our bracelet as a token and come home to me, you have too Annie I need you…I love you Annie" and to my surprise she said "ok Mr. O'dair ill do it" she hugged me once more and whispered in my ear "I love you too fin." I watched all the close calls and the pain she went through, sent her every gift I could afford, and when it was all over I welcomed her home, but something wasn't right I hugged her and she never would hug me back. I kissed her cheek and nothing happened, just a mindless girl what had happened to Annie Cresta? The next few years I tried everything, and then I had an idea I thought would bring her back, I took Annie by the hand one day and took her into the room where she made our bracelets so many years ago, I reminded her of that little girl, but to my surprise that just made her mad and she stormed out. I found her at the lake just sitting there, and I took her by the hand again but she pulled away and said "what do you want Finnick?" and I said "whoa whoa take it easy when have I ever been known as Finnick? I'm fin remember ? Besides all I wanted was to look at the clouds. Remember that Annie? Remember this? Our bracelets I thought we would be friends for ever Annie! Where is that all now Annie Cresta tell me where?" I yelled as I pointed at my bracelet, that snapped her out of it, she ran to me crying and held me tight and said "oh fin I've missed you so much!" I held her for awhile then said "I've missed you too Annie. I'm sorry for yelling" Annie looked up and me and said "no fin I'm sorry for everything, how I acted, all of it! Its ok if you don't love me any more" and I was shocked and looked her in the eyes and said "hey hey hey its ok ill always love you little shop girl" to which she looked at me and said lets go look at those clouds fish boy."