Finnick

"Calissa!"

I found myself being pushed under Callie's bed as her mom opened the door to her bedroom. Callie looked up and walked toward her mother, hopefully hiding the mounds of supplies hidden behind her bed.

"Get out, Mom!" Callie screamed.

"I thought I could dye your skin blue today, to match your hair? I have an opening-"

"Out!"

It took a little more pouting and whining on Callie's part, but eventually her mom left and our secret was safe. Callie slammed her door shut, and I carefully crawled out from under the bed.

"That was close," Callie said blankly. "You better learn to get under the bed faster."

"I was asleep!" I answered.

"Excuses, excuses," Callie muttered. She walked around her bed and came to sit next to me. Her hands sifted through a box of her mom's cosmetic tools before she pulled out something sharp and pointy.

"No way," I objected as she held the metal object up menacingly. Callie laughed at me, and then pointed the sharp end of the tool at my leg. I felt moist air spray against my leg. Callie raised an eyebrow at me.

"Calm down, Golden Boy," she smirked. "It's airbrush." I looked down at my leg and saw what Callie was doing. Where there had been a mixture of green and purple bruises, now all I could see was smooth and tanned skin.

"I know the color is still a little off, but nobody will question that here." Callie went back to work, not waiting for my response. I watched in fascination as I slowly transformed from a dead man into the Capitol's favorite prostitute.

I tried to hide my discomfort as Callie worked over me. I felt like I was preparing to go into the next Games, being forced to look perfect for death. I realized that's exactly what I was doing. The war was still going on around me, and while I couldn't deny that I was still too banged up to fight, I knew I had to get back in it as soon as possible.

"I need to get back," I murmured, more to myself than Callie, but, as usual, she had an answer for me.

"No shit, buddy," she snapped. "I'm not doing this for fun."

"Why are you doing this again?" I asked. "I can't remember what your reason was," I said smugly. I could be sarcastic, too.

"There's the Golden Boy we all know and love! I was wondering where you went," Callie replied smoothly.

"I've been a little busy lately, sorry."

"Having too much fun with the ladies? Wait, it's the other way around, isn't it?"

"At least I can get some action," I fired back at her.

"I saved your ass."

"You kissed my ass," I said, laughing.

"Yeah, while you were sleeping."

"That's disgusting, I haven't showered in about a month."

"Golden Boy," Callie yelled.

"Blue Girl," I responded.

"That wasn't very creative, you know."

"I'm much better at arts and crafts."

We both burst out laughing, unable to continue our banter any longer. I let Callie finish covering up my bruises. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Callie concentrated on the makeup, and I tried to come up with a plan to get back to Katniss, the rest of the team, and my Annie.

"You're not so bad, Golden Boy," Callie admitted.

"Funny, I actually get that a lot," I told her. Callie finished covering my face with the spray and held up a mirror for me to see her work. I looked absolutely normal now, and it was time to go help.

"You're not ready to go out there yet," Callie said, reading my mind.

"I have to-"
"No," she cut me off. "You don't have to do anything. If you go out there, you won't be any help to anyone. You can barely walk, Finnick." Callie said my real name like it stopped the conversation from going any further, but I didn't take orders from anyone.

I used my hands to help pull myself up. I stood up shakily, but quickly felt myself falling back to the floor. Callie reached out to steady me, a victorious smirk on her face. I propped myself up by leaning on her bed, frustrated.

"Help me start walking around, then," I said. "Please," I added, almost forgetting how much Callie was sacrificing for me. I just knew I had to help my team before something terrible happened.

Callie grabbed my hand and helped me walk around the room. As much as I didn't want to, I swallowed my pride and allowed myself to lean on her strong shoulders as I limped around. Slowly, I was able to move more easily as the muscles I hadn't used in days were forced to work. It was rough and painful, but after a few hours, I could walk around without any help.

"I feel like you're a baby taking his first steps," Callie smirked. "Should I congratulate you?" She was teasing me, but I couldn't help grinning. I was so glad to finally be getting my strength back.

"She's a lucky girl. Annie,' Callie clarified. "You'd do anything for her, wouldn't you?" I looked at Callie closely and saw a strange expression on her face. Her gaze was far away, and I knew she was in a memory, thinking of another time and place.

"Absolutely," I said firmly. "That's why I need to get back out there as soon as I can." Callie gave me a silent nod but didn't say anything. I suddenly felt a strong wave of protection for Callie, a teenage girl who might be from the Capitol, but was obviously like the rest of us too. I wanted to know what pain she had experienced, what it was that had made her different from the rest of the them.

"Callie," I said softly. "Why did you save me?" I questioned. When she didn't answer, I asked the more important question.

"What happened to you?"

Callie looked at me, her usually fierce brown eyes vulnerable for just a moment. She took a breath, and I waited to hear her story. I think she would have told it to me, too. Of course, it was at that very moment that everything went wrong.

Footsteps came closer to the bedroom, and I threw myself under Callie's bed. I couldn't help groan as my bruised body hit the floor, but I clamped my mouth shut immediately. Silently cursing, I wondered if I was born with the curse of terrible timing.

I thought that Callie's mom was the only one coming into the room, but I quickly realized something was wrong when Callie didn't start yelling and whining.

"What's going on?" came Callie's voice, soft and maybe even a little scared.

"It's just protocol," came a gruff voice. "You are to come with us now."

I froze, realizing we were caught. Callie had risked everything to save me, and now she was going to lose everything. I put my hands on the floor and got ready to push myself out from under the bed. If I was fast enough, maybe I'd be able to knock out the Peacekeeper here for Callie before he realized what was going on. Just before I could jump out, I felt a sharp pressure on my hand. I looked quickly to my side and saw that Callie had deliberately stepped on my hand, her foot out of sight of the Peacekeeper.

Don't move, was Callie's silent warning to me. It took all of my willpower not to jump out and grab the Peacekeeper in a choke hold, but I forced myself to stay under the bed.

"Why?" Callie asked, and I heard the stubbornness in her voice as she spoke. So did the Peacekeeper. I heard footsteps from the hall come into Callie's room. I peered under the bed and saw the hard boots of a second Peacekeeper enter through the doorway.

"All children must report to President Snow's facilities for shelter from enemy fire," said the second Peacekeeper, reciting the words he'd memorized.

"It's true, Clarissa," said her mother's voice. "Jimmy and his sister across the street just left, too. It will be so exciting to see the President's house!" Callie's mom left the room, murmuring something about giving Callie one last makeover.

"Take what you need," continued the Peacekeeper. "All other possesions will now be the property of the Capitol. Searches will be promptly conducted in each household. Anything may be taken."

Callie stiffened, and I knew that neither of us were safe. Snow didn't give two cents about what happened to the kids, and I would be found as soon as Callie left. I didn't know what Callie suspected, but she knew enough not to trust the Peacekeeper's lies.

"I'd much rather stay here, thank you," Callie said stiffly. I heard her mother gasp in shock.

"This is not a discussion," said the first Peacekeeper in a monotone voice.

"I don't really care-" Callie's voice cut off and I heard her hit the wall next to me. I felt the vibrations from the wall shake the floor, and I knew she had been thrown hard.

I tried to pull myself out, knowing I had to protect Callie, but a shiny weapon was suddenly pressed against her head. Even in the Capitol, I could tell that the Peacekeeper was holding some kind of gun. Callie's eyes met mine for a moment, and we both looked at each other with a terrible understanding. I couldn't save Callie without getting us shot or killed.

I expected the Peacekeeper to help Callie to her feet before taking her away, but instead he knocked her in the head with the end of his gun. Callie slumped over with a cry of pain, and the Peacekeeper threw her over his shoulder, ignoring her small struggles. The door slammed shut and the noises in the hall faded away. I cursed silently.

They had taken her. I was right here, under their noses, and they had taken her. Next to me, I heard the lazy footsteps of the remaining Peacekeeper who was sifting through Callie's belongings. He let some things fall to the floor and continued looking through one of Callie's drawers.

Ignoring the pain in my ribs, I pulled myself out from under the bed and grabbed the Peacekeeper in a choke hold. I saw his surprised face and watched him try to reach for a button clipped to his waist. In one swift movement, I pushed my fingers against the soft spot in his throat and knocked his head into the lamp on the table. The Peacekeeper crumpled to the ground, alive but unconscious.

I quickly looked out the open window for any sign of Callie. I could just see the Peacekeeper carrying her around the corner. Children were being taken from every home on the street. They were being quickly walked toward the inner depths of the Capitol. As I took in the scene before me, I recognized the soft hum of hovercrafts in the air that had been there for weeks.

Walking to the open box next to the bed, I looked for anything that might be helpful. I saw dyes and brushes everywhere, and there were a couple syringes in the box. I thought of taking some of the drugs and a needle for protection, but quickly realized I wouldn't be able to carry it without hurting myself. I grabbed a jacket hanging from Callie's closet that was such a bright green it hurt my eyes. I swept some of the powdered dye under my eyes like I had seen on Capitol men, knowing the strange shimmery color would make it harder to recognize the distinct eyes of the Capitol's Golden Boy.

I knew I didn't have any more time to disguise myself. Whatever was happening with Callie and the other children was going to unravel soon. I stopped for a moment, hearing footsteps coming from down the hall. Without another second to think about it, I climbed out of the open window and let myself hang from the fragile windowsill.

I refused to look down, knowing I had to make the drop. I hated heights, but if I didn't move, I would be found in a few seconds. I felt my hands, already slipping, let go of the window's base as I fell to the ground.

I landed on my feet, but my knees buckled and I fell forwards, swallowing a mouthful of dirt. Despite my protesting muscles, I forced myself to stand up and walk into a nearby alley. I quickly zipped up the jacket, allowing its strange collar to cover the bottom of my face. Not wanting to waste any more time, I quickly started walking toward the center of the capitol, staying close to the walls and shadows.

As I got closer to Snow's mansion, I saw that it wasn't just kids being pushed around. The center of the Capitol was crowded and full of colorful Capitol citizens. I pushed through the crowd, keeping my head down. I tried to go as fast as possible without attracting too much attention. While many people seemed to be worried about something, other Capitol citizens were trying to act like today was just a typical day in the Capitol's history.

I couldn't help overhearing bits and pieces of conversations as I frantically searched for Callie. Two men were busily reading a newspaper, ignoring the slowly growing chaos around them.

"I've heard our scientists are actually developing primitive forms of telepathy and mind reading," said one man, his Capitol accent hitting me like a wave of nauseating perfume.

"How very interesting!" said the other. "I wonder what they will come up with next!"

Their calm conversation disgusted me, so I wasn't exactly sorry when I bumped into the first man and made him spill his drink all over the newspaper.

I moved into the crowd, where people had started to become frantic. Even if I hadn't been worried before, I had a good reason to be now. Everyone knew that when the Capitol citizens were afraid of something, you should run screaming in the other direction.

Suddenly, a spray of gunfire ripped through the crowd. Screams echoed in my ears, and I had to look down to make sure I wasn't hit. I didn't see any blood, so I kept moving. I saw a young girl bent over her mother, crying and begging for her to wake up. I froze, shocked still by the raw sadness in this little girl. I wanted to help her, but I knew there was nothing anyone could do for her now.

In that moment, the little girl looked up and saw me. Her eyes locked with mine, and I saw recognition flicker in them. I don't know what I would have done next. Maybe I would have taken her with me, or maybe I would have just walked away. I don't know.

The little girl's face turned into a fresh wave of agony and screams ripped out of her as she fell to the ground. The last thing I noticed before tearing myself away was the girl's bright yellow coat, splattered with blood.

Waves of bullets kept coming, but I just ducked my head and ran. I had to ignore the people screaming, the children crying. Later, they would add to the pile of faces that tortured me at night. I tried to help an old man with a bullet wound in his leg, but before I could reach him a pod went off and shot spikes right through his chest.

I jumped out of the way just in time. One of the spikes had sunk itself into my leg. Gritting my teeth, I pulled myself off and forced myself to limp away. The next instant, I dropped to ground as another round of bullets ricocheted across the entire block. Behind me, a woman collapsed, the bullets killing her instantly.

I pulled myself together and got back to my feet. I had to find Callie. In this mess, she could already be gone, but I refused to let myself think that way. I could only hope that, for once, the Capitol had kept its word. Maybe Snow really had let the children take refuge in his home. I almost convinced myself, but then I took a look around me, at the chaos that had unfolded in just minutes, and I knew it wasn't possible.

I used what energy I had left to break into a run, heading for the circle at the center of the town. Everything hurt, but I shook off the pain and kept moving. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I heard a fresh round of cries and screams.

I almost stopped right there. I wanted to scream at everyone for being so careless, for letting this happen. I wanted to grab some stupid, fancy Capitol girl and demand to know who was responsible for this. I needed to know who was responsible for ruining my life, my world.

Even louder screams came from somewhere closer to Snow's mansion, and I knew who the person to blame was. I thought of Callie, and how she was technically another stupid, fancy Capitol Girl, but she had given up everything to help me. Snow had taken her, he had taken Annie, and he had tried to take me. He was going to pay.

I turned in the direction of Snow's mansion, my anger giving me the energy I needed to keep going. I was about to move when I was distracted by the sound of a girl yelling. Something about it had triggered a memory in my mind, and I couldn't help myself as I turned around. Across the block, I saw a girl yelling and gesturing frantically to a man.

"Katniss?" I yelled, but the girl didn't respond. Even if she could hear me, I knew it couldn't be her. The girl didn't look like Katniss. Still, there was something about the way she moved that stuck with me. She seemed determined to get somewhere, but she also kept stopping to look for the man she was with. I saw the girl scan the crowd quickly, searching for someone. Something happened on her side of the block, because I heard her suddenly shout and stumble backwards. I was staring at her, too shocked to move or think clearly.

"Run!" she screamed, and I just knew it was her.

"Katniss!" I screamed, trying to move forward towards her, but something stopped me. I looked down and realized I was falling. The floor that had been beneath me suddenly crumbled as a new pod was activated. A giant, gaping hole was opening in the road, sucking in anyone in its path. I was only on the edge of the hole, but it was still too late to stop myself from falling.

I quickly grabbed the doorknob of the house next to me, somehow still standing on the outskirts of the hole. I felt a popping sensation as my shoulder was jerked from the rest of my body. I hung from the door, my shoulder flaring in agonizing pain. I tried to breathe, refusing to stare down into the dark hole, deep as the abyss. Again, I really don't like heights.

With the strength of adrenaline coursing through me, I managed to throw myself up and to the side of the hole, away from its destruction. My feet still dangled over the side of the hole, which was becoming larger, so I pulled myself up and ran blindly forwards, my legs numb.

I was on the floor. My legs had given out, unable to take the pressure any longer. I knew my left leg was bleeding heavily, and I didn't have the time to fix my dislocated shoulder. Here, I was an easy target for Peacekeepers, but nobody was concerned right now with me. The gunfire had stopped as people ran, simply trying to survive.

Looking up, I saw that I had made it to the circle. Children were being held in the front of the mansion, looking scared out of their minds. Callie had to be here. I scanned the crowd frantically, looking for any sign of her. Instead, I stopped again.

I saw Prim. Prim, Katniss's sweet sister who had taken care of me so many times in Thirteen. I didn't know if Katniss knew she was here, or if she had been taken without her knowing. How had she even gotten here? I screamed her name over and over, but she was too far away to hear me.

I was struggling to get up, to reach Prim, when the world exploded.

The bombs from the parachutes kids were holding showered the circle with debris. The screams and cries bounced around in my mind, and I dimly wondered how it was possible that I heard even louder screaming. I pushed myself to my knees, unable to feel whatever injuries I had just gotten, land searched for Prim. I couldn't see her over the bodies and debris. Medics blocked my view as they tried to tend to the injured children.

That's when I realized what was happening. I remembered overhearing bits and pieces of Gale discussing his plan with Beetee. The chaos around me faded and the world fell silent as I remembered.

It was no coincidence that the bomb had been dropped here, in front of the children. This attack was from the rebels, not the Capitol. And it wasn't over.

It was that moment when I saw Callie. She was stuck in the crowd of children, kneeling down at someone's side, trying to comfort and help them. Again, Callie had stopped to help someone, and she was going to lose everything because of it.

I thought of Prim and of Katniss, and of where they were now. Were they even alive? Did Katniss know what was coming? Could she be doing the same thing as me, trying to save a hopeless disaster?

All of these thoughts ran through my mind as the chaos of the world came crashing back to my ears and I surged forward. Callie didn't even see me; she was too busy trying to help. She didn't know. The last few seconds flew by me in a rushed daze, as if they didn't even exist.

And that's when the rest of the parachutes go off.

That's the end of the chapter! This chapter is supposed to show what Finnick is going through at the same time as Katniss without them ever really interacting. Who do you think had a harder time? Do you notice any similarities between this and Chapter 24 of THG? Tell me what you noticed in the comments, and I'll reveal everything in the note after the next chapter.

What do you guys think happened to Finn and Callie?

Oh, and can we please talk about the fact that Sam Claflin is Finnick? I'm dying to hear everyone's opinion, and I'll post mine at the end of the next chapter! Can you picture Sam as the Finnick in my story?

Lastly, ohmyfreakinggeez THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH:) All of your support is so amazing and I'm so happy to have so many people reading this story! I love reading all of your comments, especially the crazy long ones. As to my self-proclaimed number one fan, I wish you would come off anon so I can thank you for kinda being the best person ever.

And don't worry, my story isn't ending for a long time.:)

So, sorry for the very long note. Go back to whatever you were doing before you read this. But first! Maybe let me know what you're thinking in the big box below? :D

~ Just an ordinary girl :D