A robe-clad Annie returned to her room, towel drying her endless locks of hair. Before she even opened the door she heard Johanna's alarm, still going off. The blaring from the thing had woken Annie up in the first place. After a short-lived attempt to wake Jo herself, she'd elected to take a long, hot shower. She opened the door and hung her towel back in its place.

"Jo?" she called from a safe six feet away. A mere grunt came in response. "Hey, Jo, it's nearly 8:30." The alarm had first sounded at 7:30. "Johanna!"

"What the fuck time is it?" the black-haired girl murmured, groggy as she pulled herself up.

"8:24," Annie replied feebly. Jo's eyes shot open.

"Why didn't you wake me up? Brainless! Fuck!"

"I-" Annie began to protest, but saw it wiser to just let her roommate vent. Angry exclamations and expletives ensued as Johanna got ready in a frenzy. Annie had set out her clothes the night before (earning light ridicule from Jo), so when the other girl was safely gone she dropped her robe and changed. She had been expectedly panicky the night before and had texted Finnick nonstop. She would have loved to escape into a movie or a long conversation with him, but she knew she shouldn't rely on him so much. She needed to "cut the cord" so to speak. A task which seemed completely impossible.

As she became lost in her thoughts and her heart rate climbed, her phone buzzed from where it lay on her pillow.

Quick coffee before class? -Fin

She smiled and took a deep, calming breath.

Of course! -Annie

Their dorms were in neighboring buildings, so it was understood that they would meet in the middle. Annie collected the books she would need for the day, gently placed them in her navy backpack, and locked the door behind her. When Finnick came into sight she couldn't help her smile or her quickened pace.

"Somebody's nice and clean," he spoke as they embraced each other in a hug. A suprising blush found her cheeks as his words triggered a certain memory from the day before.

"Where do we get coffee around here?" she quickly changed the subject. They found the cafeteria, which contained a coffee counter.

"Feeling better about classes today?" he asked with concern as she took her large brew. She shrugged as he ordered the same.

"It's just so different. I know it's silly to worry, I just can't..." Finnick draped his arm across her shoulders and steered them towards the exit.

"Well you'll have me for the first two hours of the day, so at least you're starting out strong," he teased. She breathed a laugh. They walked closely to an old brick building covered in overgrown vines. They found their Biology class and took seats next to one another. Annie retrieved every item from her bag she deemed necessary for the class and set it all before her neatly. Finnick had slung his bag beneath the table and made no move towards it. They made quiet small talk for the remainder of the time before class started. When their attention was directed forward, Fin recognized the long brown braid in front of him.

There was a TA passing around the syllabus as the professor gave an introduction to the course. Late students trickled in slowly, a practice that was only acceptable the first day. Annie's nerves as well as the caffeine were effecting her and she couldn't help but snap her head towards the door every time it creaked open. A wind-blown looking Peeta rushed in last, and Annie smiled at the familiar face. He caught her eye and returned a brief smile before scanning the room for an empty seat. The only one remained in front of Annie. Peeta didn't move.

"Son, please take a seat. You'll find one right here in the middle of the room," the professor stopped his lecture. Peeta looked petrified as he slowly made his way to the empty spot, and Annie watched as he sat with great apprehension. The professor droned on. Class ended earlier than usual due to it being the first day, and the students dispersed quickly. When the girl with the braid raced out the door, Peeta visibly exhaled.

"Hey, Peeta!" Finnick said with a grin. Peeta smiled and returned the hello.

"Are you alright?" Annie asked softly, "You looked like you'd seen a ghost." He shook his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just, uh, I know the girl I sat by. Well, more like I know of her." Finnick's smile turned mischievous. "Don't start," Peeta warned with a small chuckle. The three walked out together, chatting about what classes they were headed to next.

"Do you guys have a break sometime for lunch?" Peeta asked when they were about to go their separate ways. Finnick and Peeta were both free at the same time, but Annie's schedule was off.

"Guess I'll see you at the swimming orientation later?" Finnick asked, his eyes finding Annie's. She nodded.

"See you, then. And see you later, Peeta!" Finnick found her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

...

Annie's next class was Algebra. She was less than excited about her basic class schedule. She had not picked a major yet so she was getting some basics out of the way. She found the building and room with little trouble and was surprised to find that seating was assigned. A sheet of paper with a rough sketch of the room was taped to the board. Annie found her corresponding seat and quickly pulled out her book, pen, and paper.

"Do you always do that?" a dry female voice was attached to the body sliding into the desk beside her. She looked up and noticed that it was the girl who had sat by Peeta.

"Just like to be ready, I guess," she replied lamely. She noticed that the girl had not a single supply in her hands, nor was she wearing a backpack. Not another word came out of the mystery girl with the braid. The professor for this class was much more concerned with covering the material and after the coursework was passed out, she dove into the first lesson. As Annie read, she kept noticing the girl beside her tapping her fingers against her desk. Whether it was out of anxiety or boredom, Annie didn't know. Just in case, she gradually angled her book towards her neighbor.

"I'm only letting you go early today," the stern woman began to wrap up the class, "so that you can stick with your buddy to work through the first assignment." Some confused expressions found the professor. "If you'll notice, the desks are pushed together in groups of two. The person with the connecting desk to you is your buddy. You may leave the room to do your assignment, but you should stay together. You'll give your buddy a rating based on helpfulness and competence. Questions?" When no one raised a hand she dismissed them.

Annie couldn't help but notice that the girl beside her seemed to be permanently rolling her eyes. Her heart sank at the thought of having to work together, especially as she remembered Peeta's petrified face. The two stood simultaneously.

"Normally I'd say screw this, but I don't have a book so I guess we're stuck together. But I can't think in these walls," she scrunched her nose up before her gaze finally found Annie. "So we're going to work outside." Wordlessly Annie followed and they found a large patch of grass close by. The two poured over Annie's book for the questions, but it was basic stuff so they worked the questions out independently. After a few minutes of painful silence, Annie couldn't stand it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," she said softly.

"That's because I didn't tell you my name," the girl snapped. Annie jumped and the girl found her eyes. A frustrated frown played at her lips. "Sorry, I'm trying to work on that. My name is Katniss. You?"

"Annie," she answered, forcing a smile.

"And, uh, where are you from, Annie?" It was obvious that Katniss was forcing the pleasantries, but Annie didn't want to discourage it.

"California. I'm here on a swimming scholarship," she provided at Katniss's surprised expression. "What about yourself?" she offered.

"Home sweet home, you're looking at it," she sighed. Annie looked around in confusion. "Not the school," Katniss said with irritation, "the town. There's no way I'd be here if I didn't have to be. But I have to stay close to my mom and sister." Annie's lips formed an "oh" and she nodded. The two went back to their silent working for a while. Annie wondered how Peeta knew Katniss, but she could see where his apparent intimidation came from.

Students began to walk in larger groups around the two, and they were nearing the end of their assignment. Annie looked into the crowds and shuddered. She found a hidden courage that surprised her when they had finished and she was packing away their supplies.

"Do you want to get lunch together?" she asked bravely. Katness briefly looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. Then, expression cooling, she shook her head.

"I'm going to bike home to eat. I'm not 'living the campus life'," her voice held mockery as she recited the common University housing slogan.

"Okay, if you'd like. But if you don't want to go through the trouble there is no way I'm going to go through all of my meals. I automatically got the athletic package with my scholarship..." Grey eyes seemed to consider her for a moment.

"Well I'm not going to turn down a free meal," Katniss said with a shrug. The two stood and walked towards the cafeteria. Annie again surprised herself in striking conversation.

"You said you have a sister?" she asked, looking over at Katniss and realizing they were roughly the same height.

"Yeah, Prim is... 13 now. Shit, that's weird." Annie smiled and noticed that Katniss did the same. "What about you? Anyone tucked away back in California?"

"Only child," Annie said with a shake of her head. "My mom is there, though."

"Single parent household for you, too, then?"

"It's a more recent thing. My dad's in this weird mid-life crisis stage. He was never really around anyway, though." She didn't ask why Katniss's dad wasn't in the picture. They shared little tidbits about themselves for the rest of the walk there and throughout their meal. The upfront harshness Katniss showed reminded Annie of Johanna, but where Jo was outspoken Katniss seemed much more reserved.

"Thanks for the meal," Katniss said a little awkwardly as she stood with her tray. Annie took her lead.

"Oh, of course. Any time, really," she said, smiling once more at the hardened face. It softened a bit.

...

Finnick was not a worrier. He was, in fact, the exact opposite of a worrier. He kept his cool under the most dire of circumstances.

Except when it came to Annie.

His mind had been racing all day, hoping that the girl he cared so much for was doing alright. He knew she had it in her to excel in the college environment, but she was so wrapped up in her own head. He paced back and forth in front of the Aquatic Center, anxiously awaiting her arrival.

A flurry of red waves blew in the afternoon breeze and he grinned. She was smiling widely as she jogged to where he now stood still.

"Hey, Fin!" she called breathlessly. He laughed as she collided into him, hugging him tightly.

"Hey, Ann," he replied, holding her a little longer than normal. She gave a breathy laugh as they pulled apart. "Have a good day? Make any friends?"

"Yeah, it was fine," she said as they walked into the building. She was still steadying her breathing. "I wouldn't say I made a friend exactly, but I had lunch with my Algebra Buddy," she beamed. His brows shot up in surprise. "What about you?"

"Well look at you! I had lunch with Peeta, but besides that..." His voice trailed off as they entered the large area containing the most beautiful pool either of them had ever seen. Their high school had a great swimming program, but not much money to upgrade the pool center. The two of them wore giddy smiles.

"I guess if we're robbed of the ocean, this will be a pretty decent alternative." Finnick nodded his agreement and the two found the small group of freshman gathered at the other end.


Endless apologies for the unexpected absence! It's been a crazy month. We moved unexpectedly and then took a while to regain internet, and on top of that I had none of this chapter written out until today. I solemnly swear to do everything within my power to speed up the updates (: Thanks for the continued support and feedback!