Chapter 4: That Night-Four Years Earlier

He had finally come home, and Annie was happier than she'd ever been in her life! She had waited all day for the train to arrive in District 4, but unfortunately she didn't get to see him when he got off. Everyone had crowded around him, and she tried in vain to yell his name. She then attempted to push her way through the throng of people applauding their newest victor, but she never even got close to him. She thought if she waited long enough then he would come and find her. He didn't. She didn't get discouraged, however, because she figured he must be extremely tired after all of the events.

The next day, Annie made her way to Victor's Village. The gate, however, was being guarded by Peacekeepers.

"Hello." Annie said timidly as she approached the large Peacekeeper. "I'm here to see Finnick Odair. I'm his friend, Annie Cresta."

"No one but official Capitol personnel is allowed in Victor's Village." His tone was final.

"Can't I just see him for a few minutes?"

"No."

Once again, Annie didn't get discouraged. She had waited a long time to see Finnick and a day or two more wouldn't kill her.

She ran home quickly and scribbled a note on a spare piece of paper. Immediately, she took it back to the Peacekeeper outside of Victor's Village.

"Will you give this to Finnick, please?"

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Please."

After rolling his eyes, the Peacekeeper held out his hand. Annie placed the note in his palm and smiled at him.

"Thank you."

He dismissed her with a wave. Annie ran home with a nervous feeling in her stomach. She was hopefully going to see him in the next 24 hours and then she would tell him what she had wanted to tell him from day one. She liked him. She really liked him. Before the games, she never had the courage to let him know. Now, she understood that life was too short to not say what needed to be said. After watching Finnick being dragged away by the Peacekeepers, she had promised herself that if he survived the games, she would tell him. Hopefully when she finally saw him, she would not lose her nerve.

The next day, Annie couldn't concentrate on anything she was supposed to be doing. The note she had written had told Finnick to meet her at his old house at nightfall. Although, she wasn't sure he would actually get the note, the possibility of seeing him made her heart race and made it impossible for her to think about anything else. She had even forgotten to pick up her younger brother, Milo, from school. Usually, she waited outside of school and walked him home. When she wasn't waiting, Milo had walked home himself and Annie's mother had gotten extremely upset. Unfortunately, this was not the first time Annie had incurred her mother's wrath recently. Adelaide Cresta was slowly becoming more and more irritated at the seemingly perpetual day dreaming state her daughter had been in since Finnick's victory.

"Are you sure he will even want to see you, honey?" Adelaide Cresta asked her daughter a few minutes before she was going to leave to meet Finnick.

"Why would you even say that, Mom?" Annie was attempting to tame her short curly hair by tying it up with a blue ribbon.

"He hasn't come to see you yet."

Annie dismissed her mother. "He's been really busy. I don't know if you remember, but he did just win the Hunger Games. Not to mention, he's the youngest person to ever win. "

"Annie, enough with the sarcasm. I know Finnick's been through a lot. I'm not saying he hasn't. I'm simply saying..."

"What?"

"Well it's just that the Capitol changes people, Annie. It can be very seductive." Adelaide pinned back a stray piece of Annie's hair and helped her button the back of her dress.

"Finnick isn't like that. He still wants to be friends with me. The Capitol can't change him like that." One final glance at herself in the mirror and she felt ready to possibly meet him that night.

Adelaide looked at her with sad eyes. "I love Finnick, honey. You know I do, but think about what happened to his mother."

Annie whirled around. "I don't give a damn what people say about his mother. It's not the truth."

When it was clear Adelaide was not going to drop the subject, Annie quickly headed towards the door. Adelaide followed behind her. "His mother was a beautiful woman who became tired of District life. She went to the Capitol and because of her enchanting beauty; she was welcomed with open arms. She left both Finnick and his father to marry a wealthy man twice her age." Adelaide grabbed Annie's arm and made her turn around and face her. "That is what the Capitol does to people."

Annie clenched her fists. "Finnick is a good person."

"So was his mother."

Annie pulled away from her mother and left the house in a huff, slamming the door in Adelaide's face.

Later:

The sun had set almost half an hour ago and Finnick had still not shown up to meet her. Annie told herself that if he wasn't there in the next fifteen minutes then she would definitely go home. She was waiting near the dock where they had first officially met, her hands shaking.

A twig cracking underneath a shoe startled Annie and caused her to turn around quickly. There he was, standing in the moonlight. Finnick Odair. She couldn't hold herself back from running up and throwing her arms around him. He felt stronger and sturdier than she remembered, but he still felt like Finnick. The happiness she was feeling from being in his presence, however, quickly faded. Instead of reciprocating her hug, Finnick's arms hung stiffly at his sides. She let go of him slowly and looked into his eyes. They were empty.

"Finnick, what's wrong?"

"I got your note." His voice was monotone.

Annie attempted a smile. "I'm glad you did. I wasn't sure he would deliver it to you."

"Well, he did. What do you need to tell me?"

"Tell you? I don't understand what you mean."

Finnick seemed annoyed. "Well, I'm assuming since you left me that note; you had something to tell me. If I'm wrong, then you've dragged me out here for nothing and wasted my time."

Annie couldn't believe what he was saying to her. Was this some sort of sick joke?

"Finnick, I brought you out here so that I could see you. I've missed you."

He shook his head. "Pathetic."

"What?"

A look that Annie had never seen on Finnick before crossed his face. Maliciousness.

"Annie, it was cute when you had a crush on me before the games, but now it's just really pathetic. I mean, who doesn't have a crush on me now? I'm the youngest and definitely most attractive person ever to win the games. I'm adored by every woman in the Capitol, and most of them are more beautiful and exciting than you."

Annie was too stunned to say anything, so he continued with his ruthless words.

"In fact, I wouldn't have even agreed to meet you here if it hadn't been for that friendship we shared before the games. You're not really worth my time anymore. You're just so...plain."

"Why are you saying this, Finnick? This isn't you! I know you would never talk to me this way." Annie could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

Finnick grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her to him. "You don't know me anymore."

The tears flowed freely from her eyes now. "You're hurting me, Finnick. Let go of my arm."

He let her go with such force that she tumbled back onto the ground. Finnick moved like he was going to help her up but then a confused look crossed his face, and he stepped back to his original position.

"Go home, Annie. I never want to see you again." He turned like he was going to leave.

Annie got up from the ground and ran towards him. She blocked his way.

"I don't believe you."

"Get out of my way before you get hurt again."

She stood her ground. "No. I refuse to let you just end our friendship. Whatever has happened to you, we can get through it. Just talk to me. What did the Capitol do to you?"

"They showed me the truth. They opened my eyes to the evilness and the worthlessness of the Districts. It's so beautiful in the Capitol and so dreadful here. I wouldn't have even come back if it wasn't my duty."

She still couldn't believe what he was saying. "What would your father do if he heard you say that?"

"My father was a fool."

Annie had never slapped anyone as hard as she slapped Finnick. He recoiled slightly, a look of shock on his face.

"Don't you ever say anything like that about Riley ever again. He was a good man and you don't get to disrespect him." Annie's sadness was being replaced by anger.

Finnick snorted. "He's my father. I'll say whatever the hell I want about him."

"No. He's not your father. You're not Finnick. You're someone else."

His face was emotionless. "Then why are you still here talking to me?"

"I don't know. Maybe I thought…"

"What?"

They looked at each other for a long moment before Annie had to make one of the hardest decisions of her life.

"Goodbye Finnick. If you ever decide to tell me what is going on then I'll be happy to listen. But until then, I'll honor your wishes and stay away from you."

Before Annie left, Finnick said one more thing. "Like mother like son, I guess."

After leaving, Annie never looked back. When she finally got home, she let out all of the tears that had been building up since her encounter with Finnick had ended. Adelaide attempted to comfort her, but she pushed away all of her mother's advances and locked herself in her room. She laid down on her bed and cried herself to sleep, just like the first night after Finnick had left for the Capitol.