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Chapter 7
The party ends and we are taken back to the Training Center by limo. Our party slowly makes their way back to the 12th floor, each person exhausted or drunk…maybe a little of both. I change out of my dress and put on something more comfortable before climbing into bed. Not only was today a busy day, but it was also an emotional day as well. I watched both of my parents' Games and found out why my father acts the way he does. To be honest, I'm not sure how he controls himself when that happens. I quickly push it out of my mind. It's not safe to think about so close to bed. Instead, I think of happy things: watching my parents dance at the gala, finding a new friend in Finnick, and the fact that I helped reunite my mother and Gale. I turn out my light and quickly fall asleep.
Unfortunately, the good memories are not enough to keep the bad ones away. My nightmares reel with scenes from the footage of my father's tape. In some scenarios, my father attacks my mother and kills her. In others, my mother is the monster the Capitol tried to make her out to be. The ones that seem the most real are the ones where they come after me. Each time, I jolt from my sleep, weeping and hyperventilating until I can convince myself that it was only a dream. After the 5th nightmare that night, I have had enough. I don't want to sleep if that what my dreams hold for me. I throw on some shoes and leave my room to the desolate hallway. I push the up button on the elevator and hit the rooftop button, hoping some fresh air will do me some good. I hide away in a little garden on the rooftop, not wanting to be seen. I sit on the ground and curl up, hugging my legs as I bury my head into my knees. The tears flow freely. I start to wonder if I cry enough, will the pain wash away? I hear someone calling my name and the sound of shoes running on the concrete. I'm hit with a force arm envelope me.
"Poppy." the voice mutters close to my ear. I recognize it as Finnick's.
"Finnick, what are you doing here?" I whisper, my eyes meeting his.
"Couldn't sleep. Guess you couldn't either."
"The nightmares…what I saw, I just…" I am unable to express what I'm feeling.
"I never should have let you watch that." he comments.
"You think I'd allow that?" I say with a slight laugh. I almost forgot that he doesn't know me that well.
"I'm pretty convincing." he says with a glint in his eyes. I laugh at his response. "You don't think so?"
"I'm not so sure about you." I tell him. I feel my eyes start to droop and my head lowers against his shoulder. I feel like I'm falling and I shoot up when I feel like I've hit the ground.
"Tired?" he asks me. I nod.
"I don't want to sleep." I confide in him.
"Come with me." he says before helping me up. He leads me to a cushioned lounge chair large enough for both of us to fit on. He sits down and guides me so that my head is resting on his chest.
"Get some rest, Poppy." he says.
"I don't want to."
"I'm right here if anything bad happens." he murmurs. For some reason, those words seem to be enough. I let go of my inhibitions and let myself fall into sleep.
Someone grabs my ankle, rousing me from my sleep. I find that I'm still in Finnick's arms, with my head resting on his chest. We must have fallen asleep on the rooftop last night. I turn my attention to the person who interrupted my sleep and find Haymitch at the foot of the lounge chair wearing a smirk. I quickly untangle myself from Finnick and stand up.
"It's not what it looks like." I explain then follow it with a plead. "Please don't tell my parents."
"What were you two lovebirds doing up here?" he asks before bringing a bottle of liquor to his lips.
"We're not lovebirds." I glare back at him.
"It's ok; I know the effect the Odair men can have on women. You're not the first and I doubt you'll be the last." he says with a guffaw.
"We didn't do anything!" I tell him as I follow him to another section of the rooftop. "I came up here because I was having nightmares and he found me here."
"What kind of nightmares?" he asks, taking a seat on a couch. I sit beside him, hesitant to tell him. I'm still not sure if I was supposed to look at that tape. It is Haymitch though and I know he wouldn't blab to my parents.
"I watched something I never should have watched." I tell him as my eyes glaze over.
"Your parents' Games."
"No, well yes. I watched those, but something else. I was in the archives and I found a case with my father's name on it. I wasn't sure exactly what would be on it. They were doing experiments on him. Horrible experiments." I mutter looking down at my lap. For once, Haymitch is silent, not offering any sarcastic remark. I look over at him and find him with a stiff expression. He must at least be aware of the experiments I'm talking about.
"How much of it did you see?" he asks, finally speaking.
"As much as I could stand. It started off with some sort of interrogation but they then started doing things to him. Injecting him with something and making him watch these videos. I'm not sure how they did it but they made videos of my mother. I don't know if that was really her doing that to him."
"Your mother would never hurt your father. They manipulated footage of her to turn him against her. Did a pretty convincing job from what I've gathered."
"But why?" I bellow in frustration.
"It's complicated Poppy." he tells me.
"How am I suppose to understand my parents when all these secrets are being kept from me. I tired of not knowing."
"Can't tell you everything…not enough time for that, but I guess I can cover the basics. At the end of the Quell, rebels broke into the Arena. The rebel side took your mother back to District 13 and the Capitol captured your father. The Capitol was angry that the mentors ruined their Games. It created chaos in the nation. The President thought your father was part of it so they interrogated him to try to uncover the plan and where the others were being held."
"Were my parents part of it?"
"Nope, didn't know a wink of it. Thought it was best to keep them on the outside for that reason alone."
"So my father wasn't lying when he say he knew nothing?"
"Yup. After that, Snow used him as his puppet to try to pacify the Districts. You know how your father has a way with words. Was the same even back then."
"But he couldn't have been on their side."
"He wasn't…at least not before they brainwashed him. Even then, he had to be careful, make sure to keep your mother safe."
"The flashback he has…he sees stuff from those videos, doesn't he?" I ask with tears in my eyes. Haymitch nods. A crying spell starts and I'm surprised when Haymitch draws closer to me to comfort me. "How does he…how can he?" I ask through gasps.
"You're father is strong. He's a fighter…has been from the moment I met him." he says. "You're parents are quite remarkable." I look up at him. That's quite a statement coming from him. "They changed everything. Without them, the Hunger Games would still be around, that's for sure. You should be proud of them."
This is something I've never considered before. I always knew that my parents were part of the Games, that they both won those Game, which is why we live in Victor's Village. I never knew the impact they had on Panem and how they started something so big that it changed the state of our nation. How they made it so much better.
I look across the roof, surprised to see Finnick still asleep after my tirade. My eyes don't leave him as I watch the peaceful expression on his face.
"What happened to his father?" I murmur.
"Killed by the Capitol."
"But how?" I ask as I feel a wrenching in my chest. I know Haymitch's brief words tell me that it was something bad.
"Your parents and him were in a special squad to take down the Capitol from the inside. They infiltrated the area and were on a mission to take out Snow. The Capitol retaliated once they found out they were here. Sent mutts after them in underground tunnels. The mutts were gaining on them. His father stayed behind to make sure your mother could reach Snow."
"He saved her life." I mutter.
"Yes. That's the kind of man Finnick Odair was…loyal 'til the end."
"But what about Annie…she was pregnant. Why didn't he think of her?" I ask confused.
"He had no idea, even she didn't know at the time." Haymitch says. My heart sinks. He never knew about Finnick, that he was going to be a father.
"That's not fair." I whisper. "He should have a father. Everyone needs a father."
"He would have been a good one." Haymitch reflects. "Better get back to loverboy. Looks like he's starting to stir." I glare at him for his comment.
"He's just a friend." I sputter at him before leaving to return to Finnick. I lay beside him as he starts to wake up.
"No nightmares?" he asks, still groggy.
"None." I tell him with a soft smile.
"Good." he says, grinning back at me. As quickly as his grin comes, it is replaced with a frown.
"What?" I ask him.
"I leave today."
"Me too." I reply. There is a quietness between us. I don't think either of us are ready to say good-bye to each other. "We're going to stay with Aunt Johanna for a week."
"That will be fun."
"Have you been?"
"Yes, I've visited her in District 7 before. Have you ever been to 4?" he asks me. I shake my head. "It's nice there. You should see it for yourself. White sand beaches, blue waters, and the best sunsets you've ever set your eyes on."
"The only water we have is a lake in the woods. It's nice enough. If you came to 12, I could teach you to hunt."
"With that bow of yours?"
"Yes."
"I'd like that." he says with a look in his eye that I can't place.
"We should probably get downstairs." I respond, nervously sitting up from the chair. We make our way to the elevator. I get off at my floor and he stays inside. On the twelfth floor, I can hear that people are up and about. Luggage is being wheeled out of the room by workers. I run into Effie on my way back.
"Clothes are laid out on your bed. Your train leaves in a half hour." she comments, guiding me to my room.
Once inside I shower before dressing myself in the outfit picked out for me. The dress is made of flowing white fabric with a sheer overlay of fabric gathered at the waist. It's seems too fancy for a train ride. Perhaps there will be media coverage from the train station or maybe the prep team is just excited to dress me up like their little doll. Lucky for them I don't mind outfits like this. My mother wouldn't be caught dead in this dress. I slip on some low heels before leaving my room for my parents' room. The prep team is in there, trying to coax my mother to put on the outfit they selected for her. It's a simple red dress. It's kind of funny watching the scene of my mother and her prep team. It feels like she is my age all over again, telling them that her pants and shirt will do just fine. One of the prep team members makes her way over to me and brings me to her make up station, enhancing my looks with a little make-up. When I look over to my parents, I see my mother in the dress with a bitter look.
"You're a national treasure. People will be looking to see what you are wearing." Effie says to her.
"I don't care."
"We all need to look presentable." Effie says matter-of-factly.
"For a train ride." my mother huffs.
"There will be cameras there. No one wants to see a sloppy victor. You can wear the pants when you are on the train." My mother doesn't say another words but her look of disapproval is enough. The prep team quickly applies some makeup and then we are carted away towards the entrance. It's not until we are at the lobby that I remember Finnick. I need to say goodbye. I start towards the elevator but am pull backwards.
"This way." Effie comments.
"But I need—"
"Whatever it is, we'll send it in the post." Effie comments. She doesn't understand. It's not a thing. It's a someone. Someone I need to say goodbye to. I am shuffled across the floor, defeated in trying to fight her on it. I know what a stickler Effie is for being on time. I am met with a happy surprise when I see Finnick sitting on one of the lobby couches. I break away from the group and we approach each other.
"I wanted to make sure I didn't miss you." he says before taking me in his arm. I return the embrace, our grip on each other firm. After we've hugged each other for way too long a time, I release myself from him.
"It was nice meeting you." I murmur.
"You too." he replied.
"I never met anyone whose parents were in the Games…who understood what it's like. It was nice having someone to talk to."
"Yeah." he quietly responds. "Have a safe trip."
"You too."
"Poppy!" Effie snaps at me, once realizing I'm not with the group. She takes my hand and lead me out the front door where they rest of my family is waiting. I hear the doors to the Training Center crash open and Finnick is running towards me calling out my name. I break away from Effie and walk towards him. He has something in his hand. When I am closer, I can see that he is holding a piece of paper, folded.
"Here." he says, flustered as he hands me it. I take it and unfold it. "My address and my number…in case you ever need to talk."
"Thank you. I will—"
"Poppy, come on! You'll miss your train!" Effie says with exasperation.
"Bye." I mutter to him as I'm unwillingly dragged away from him. Effie doesn't let go of me until I am in the car with my family and Aunt Johanna. We start off for the train station and I can't help but feel a little sad for the friend I gained and lost so quickly. I can only hope that he meant what he said about keeping in touch. I don't want to go back to being alone, not once I've had a taste of what I had with him.
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