Chapter four
Finnick's POV
I silently sneak back into the training center and press the 'four' button when I enter the elevator. I slide through the door to my bedroom and make a mad dash for the shower.
I spend about a half hour in there, scrubbing away the despicable things the woman did to me. If only I could scrub the memories away with the fruity smelling soap.
I put on flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt and decided to grab a midnight snack. When I exit my room though, I find I'm not alone in the hallway.
Annie stands across from me, leaning against the doorframe of her room. She wears a green t-shirt and pink polka-dot pajama shorts, her feet are bare.
"Another business trip?" she asks, her voice soft. She knows of my "job" even though we have never actually talked about it.
I nod and avoid her eyes, ashamed.
"You hungry?" I ask. "I was just about to get a snack."
"Sure." She shrugs. She takes my hand in hers and leads me down the hall to the kitchen. It's the middle of the night, so there are no Avoxs around.
Annie tells me to sit on a stool at the counter, then she goes to the fridge, pulls out a slice of chocolate cake, and grabs two forks. She sits on the stool across from me, the cake between us. We both take a fork and dig in.
It's silent for a few minutes until Annie speaks up.
"Was she at least pretty?" she asks, a smirk playing at her lips.
"Hideous." I say, disgust clear in my voice, which makes her giggle. "She was dyed all purple."
"Like a grape?"
"Yes, exactly like a grape." We grin at each other. I reach over and play with one of the turquoise streaks in her hair that she didn't bother to remove after the opening ceremonies. She tilts her head so her cheek is suddenly resting in my palm.
I stare at her, memorizing her face; lightly tanned skin, a cute little nose dotted with freckles, wide green eyes with blue around the rims, soft pink lips.
I find myself gazing at her lips, and I before I know it, my own lips are pressed against hers. My hands are on either side of her face and hers are wrapped around my neck.
We brake apart, only because of the need for oxygen. She watches me for a few moments before sliding off her stool.
"Night." She says, and skips done the hall to her room.
I've known Annie my entire life, and yet she still surprises me.
