I'm having problems writing the poem Finnick reads during the interviews. If you'd like to help, that would be much appreciated. I'd credit you and be your best friend forever! I promise!

The Opening Ceremonies

"Ow!" I say, rubbing my chest.

The prep team girl that's waxing me knits her brows. "Sorry." She picks up another strip and is just about to position it below my navel when my head stylist, Arita, stops her.

"You lay a finger on his happy trail and I will disembowel you with a pair of gardening shears," she says.

That's what I like about Arita. She doesn't take crap from anyone. Sometimes, I wish I had guts like her. She says what she feels and feels what she says.

She walks out of the room and returns a few seconds later with a golden net in her hands.

"What is that?" I ask.

"Your costume," she says. She gestures for me to stand up. I do, and she and the prep team start wrapping it around me.

"You're kidding me, right?" I say.

"You want sponsors, I'm gonna help you get them." She smiles slightly. "Besides, the audience needs to rest their eyes somewhere. Why not have it be on you?" They start coiling and knotting it around me, leaving almost nothing up to the imagination.

As much as I hate this, I keep my mouth shut.

When I'm done, they set me loose downstairs. The animal handlers have gathered in a group around a table stocked with apples and sugar cubes. I make my way over to them and start grabbing all the sugar that I can carry.

"That's for the horses!" one of them says.

I'm already walking off. "You're for the horses," I mutter.

A quick scan of the area reveals that there are only a few tributes/victors around. There's the guy from 10 whose name escapes me, Reselda from 6, and Bronte from 9. No. There's one more. She's off in a corner like the loner she is, patting her horse's neck. Katniss Everdeen.

Because I'm so bored and so curious, I make my way over to her. I lean against her horse and pop a sugar cube in my mouth. Then I wait for her to notice me. She finally looks up. I look into her gray eyes and grin. "Hello, Katniss."

"Hello, Finnick," she says calmly. But she just looks annoyed.

"Want I sugar cube?" I ask, holding out my hand. "They're supposed to be for the horses, but who cares? They've got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I . . ." – I look her up and down her a moment – "well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it quick."

She stares at the sugar like she's having a conversation with it instead of me. "No, thanks. I'd love to borrow your outfit sometime, though."

"You're absolutely terrifying to me in that getup. What happened to the pretty little-girl dresses?" I run my tongue over my lower lip and hold back a laugh as she cringes.

"I outgrew them."

I pinch her outfit's collar and run my fingers over the material. "It's too bad about this Quell thing. You could have made it out like a bandit in the Capitol. Jewels, money, anything you wanted."

"I don't like jewels and I have more money than I need," she says. "What do you spend all yours on anyway, Finnick?"

"Oh, I haven't dealt in anything as common as money for years."

"Then how do they pay for the pleasure of your company?"

I decide that Katniss Everdeen is a bitch.

But I don't freak out. I just get right up close to her. "With secrets." I tilt my head so that we're nearly kissing. "What about you, girl on fire? Do you have any secrets worth my time?"

She turns bright red, but acts like nothing's happened. "No, I'm an open book. Everybody seems to know my secrets before I know them myself."

I grin. "Unfortunately, I think that's true." I look away from her when I hear someone approach. Guess who it is? "Peeta's coming. Sorry you have to cancel your wedding. I know how devastating that must be for you." I pop another sugar cube in my mouth and go.

Mags is standing beside our chariot. Her dress makes her look like she's literally rising out of the sea. She raises her eyebrows and nods in Katniss's direction.

"Don't ask," I say. I lift her in and then climb in next to her. Next thing you know, we're being rolled out. Everyone starts screaming at the top of their lungs. I smile my best flirtatious smile and wink at the crowd. They scream even louder.

Then I remember that Annie's probably watching this and my heart sinks. But I manage to keep that smile on my face.

I zone out while President Snow welcomes us to the Quell and all that.

When we're back in the Training Center, I lift Mags back out of the chariot. She heads straight for an elevator.

Johanna is standing in front of me, one leg kicked out. Her opposite hip is pushed out to the side. And she's in what can only be described as a tree costume. She tilts her head to the side and in her not-impressed voice says, "Really, Finnick? Really?"

"Bitch, please. I know you're trying not to swoon." I walk over and look her up and down. "You're dressed like a tree. You know that, right?"

"Got wood?" Johanna asks in her best seductive voice. I cock an eyebrow. She sighs. "Are you all right? I saw the reaping and –"

I hold my hand up to silence her. If I talk about it, I'll start crying. And that's the last thing I need right now. "Have you said hello to Katniss yet?"

"Have you?"

"My sugar cubes and I did, yes."

A pair of Capitol attendants start herding us toward the elevators. We're right by Haymitch, Chaff, Seeder, Peeta, and Katniss.

Johanna leans toward me. "Watch this," she whispers. She walks up right next to Katniss and peels off her headdress. She strikes up a one-way conversation on fashion with Katniss. When there's a silence, Johanna removes the rest of her outfit. "That's better."

I snicker quietly.

When I get up to my floor, I find Broadsea and Mags talking with Blight. "Finnick, my good man!" Blight says. "Put some pants on and come talk."

So I do. I come back into the living room and pour myself a drink before sitting down. "What's new?"

Blight sighs. "You know how Haymitch wants us to sacrifice ourselves for his tributes?"

"Yeah."

"Johanna refuses to do it."

I'm not surprised. But I am annoyed. "Damn it, Johanna," I mutter. "I've got bigger things to worry about."

"We're sticking together in the arena," says Blight. "I'll keep her in line. Don't you worry."

I nod. "I'm sticking with Mags. But you come and find me and we can team up."

"Sounds good." He holds out his fist and I bump it with my own. "All right. I gotta go. I will see you at training bright and early tomorrow."

I put my feet up on the coffee table and watch the night's recap on television. Mags comes in eventually and joins me.

"Miss Annie?" she asks.

I nod, then turn to look at her. "Thank you. For volunteering, I mean."

She smiles and talks like she did before the stroke. "It wasn't for you."