It was December, and Finnick and I had been friends for a few months now. Every Saturday we went to the beach, no matter what. Some days, he would go to the beach, when it was later. I went there almost every night, as I always did.

I was sitting on the beach, my feet far from the water. It was too chilly to sit with my toes in the water. I wore a long sleeved shirt, with a pair of shorts. The wind was blowing my dark and wild hair into my face. The waves were so high, they had white caps on them. Most of the time, District Four didn't have winds that caused white caps on the water. When it was windy enough, it was in the winter

I had been on the beach for almost an hour, and I could tell it was almost ten or so. It was hard to tell, though, because the sun was hidden behind the thick, gray clouds.

Just then, a smiling boy came to sit by me.

"Hey, Fin." I gave him a smile.

"Hey."

He lay his head back on the cold sand, looking at the eerie clouds.

"It's going to rain, soon." Finnick pointed it out, as if it wasn't obvious.

"I know," I looked at him.

"Good for you." Finnick said it sarcastically, and I laughed.

We sat there for a second, in the quiet.

"Are you seriously only ten? I mean, you look like a ten year old, kind of. But most of the ten year olds in the district are running around and screaming all obnoxiously. You're so calm, and... Not annoying."

"Last time I checked, I was ten...But thanks...I guess." I giggled.

"My pleasure." He flashed me a grin.

I rolled my eyes.

It was then, when the rain began to fall.

It started with a rumble, a few sprinkles, and then a full downpour all at once.

"Are you kidding me?" I screamed.

"No, I think this is for real..." Finnick laughed. He spread out his arms, letting the rain soak him.

"What on earth are you doing? You're insane!" I didn't even know if he could hear me over the roaring of the storm.

My clothes were now drenched, and so were Finnick's.

He walked up to me, grinning.

"You're no fun." He was almost taunting me. I was fun, sometimes. He walked up to me, still chuckling.

I give him a look, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Sorry, but I only speak the truth." He gives me a wink, and I just rolled my eyes.

The rain was falling down even harder now, and I wasn't concerned about my clothes anymore.

For as long as the storm allowed us to, Finnick and I ran in the rain, laughing and smiling like there was nothing wrong. In that moment, we were really only a twelve year old and a ten year old. Maybe my true age was shining through. I secretly hoped so.

As the rain began to die down, I found my hands and feet clammy, and my legs and dress covered in muck. My mom was going to be angry, but I didn't care. This is what being a kid was about, right? Living in the moment and making mistakes.

Finnick started walking up the beach, to the trail that lead to my family's very small cabin. I attempted to brush off the mud, but it just stuck to my skin and my clothes.

"Don't worry about it. If your mom gets mad, just tell her I pushed you in a mud puddle." Finnick said it like he knew what I was thinking. I suppose he did, too.

I just shrugged.

"It's part of being ten, I suppose." I mimicked his wink he always gives me, and he just chuckled.

"Oh, Annie Cresta, what am I going to do with you?"

"You're probably gonna throw me in another mud puddle, that's what."

"I can make that happen, if that's your wish..."

"Hmmm... I think I might have to pass... Thanks for the offer, anyways."

"My pleasure."

We walked for a little more, teasing each other and laughing as we did so. It was so easy to talk to Finnick. Sometimes, if a silence came along, I knew he didn't care. I knew I didn't mind it either. Silence can be louder than words are, sometimes. That's something my dad taught me. My dad was full of all kinds of wise words. Now, looking back, I wish I would've listened to him.

Finnck came to a stop as we approached the back of my house.

"See ya, Annie." He gave me a smile, and turned to walk away.

"If anything goes wrong, It's on you!" I yelled with a laugh. Finnick stopped for a second, but then continued walking, his chest rising and falling with his chuckles.

[A/N: I'M SO SORRY THESE CHAPTERS ARE BORING. PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON ME. I KNOW A LOT OF YOU WANT FANNIE, BUT I CAN'T REALLY DO THAT UNTIL THEY'RE GROWN UP. AND I CAN'T SKIP THROUGH THE WHOLE STORY. PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS AREN'T REALLY LIKING IT, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WANT ME TO CONTINUE, BECAUSE I'M FEELING GOOD ABOUT HOW THIS WILL LAY OUT IN THE END. THANKS GUYS.]