I get to training feeling a bit sorry for myself. What did I really expect from him? Finnick Odair is never going to be in love with anyone, I should have seen that coming. Why did I even bother asking? If he had have said that he did, though… I'd have told him the truth, because I think I'm in love with him. But, seeing as he didn't, I'm just going to have to try and convince myself otherwise. I'm not sure I can, but I'll give it a go. It's the best I can do. I don't want to be stuck in the arena being depressed, because that's a sure fire way to get myself killed. And I need to get home… for Regan if nothing else. He was right, I'll see my mum eventually, I need to keep my head in the land of the living.

Anika's waiting for me at training, and it would appear I'm late. Nick came down before me, and he's nowhere to be seen. Everyone's already started with the stations, and I manage to slip in unnoticed.

'What time d'you call this?' Anika grins at me, tapping her non-existent watch.

'Sorry,' I try and smile back. 'didn't realise what time it was.'

'Patched things up with Finnick, then?' She asks me casually, as we start walking. I'm not really sure where we're going, but she seems sure. I do wonder where this swimming pool is though…

'Sort of,' I say with a sigh. 'I don't really want to talk about it, if that's alright.'

'No problem,' Anika shrugs, as we take a sharp turn into a door in the training room that wasn't there yesterday. And there it is. It's a huge swimming pool, with those blue tiles that make the water look unnatural. I've never seen an actual swimming pool before, because if we go swimming back home, it's in the sea. I've only seen the pools on television, and only briefly. Nick's already in there, making a desperate attempt at teaching the District 1s to swim. He's not succeeding, though, and keeps changing his mind. They look like such idiots right now…

I follow Anika into one of the small rooms off the pool room, and pick up a swimming costume off the side. I know it's mine because we're in the girls' changing rooms and there's obviously only one costume with a four on the front. I get myself a cubicle and get changed quickly, then wait for Anika, but she doesn't take very long.

'I've never even tried swimming before,' She tells me, a little nervously, as we get back to the pool room. Oz is there now, just sitting on the side, apparently waiting for us. He smiles, but he seems a bit reserved about it now, too.

'Don't worry about it,' I assure Anika. 'it's fine, really.' My eyes catch Nick again, and see he's made absolutely no progress with the District 1s whatsoever. I make a mental note to help them out if I have time.

I get into the pool quickly, because I'm not bothered by water, but it takes Anika and Oz a lot longer to even get themselves into the water. I swim around for a bit while I'm waiting for them to get used to it, and when I stop and return to them, I realise that I've got an audience. Nick's District 1s have stopped trying whatever stupid technique he was trying to teach them, and are just holding onto the side, watching me. I smile weakly back at them. The guy grins at me, and the girl just looks a little bit jealous. Nick snaps her attention back quickly, but the guy's still watching me. I pretend it's not bothering me, and turn back to Anika and Oz.

'You okay now?' I ask them.

'Yeah, fine,' Oz answers with a smile. 'weird, isn't it?'

'No… not really.' I say slowly, but grin at him and he seems pleased with this. I start trying to teach them how to tread water, because I figured that would be basic enough to start with. But, after a few minutes, Anika swallows some water and starts coughing and spluttering. The chlorine probably isn't helping matters. Oz hits her on the back, but that doesn't really assist her, and she only turns back around and punches him.

'Ow!' Oz protests, but Anika's grinning at him now. I get the feeling that they'd rather just mess about than learn to swim, and I'm getting bored.

'Hey, District Four!' I hear a guy's voice call me from nearby. I turn around in the water and see the District 1 boy looking at me. 'It's Annie, right?' He asks, though he's not actually coming any closer. He's made it to the middle of the pool, but stayed where he can still stand up in the water.

'Yeah,' I answer unsurely, wondering why he's decided to speak to me. He seems quite nice, actually, for a District 1, I mean. He doesn't look half bad, either, he's got mop-like dark hair, and blue eyes that could rival the unnatural blue of the pool.

'I'm Dixon.' He introduces himself. I glance at Anika and Oz, who seem quite happy to stay there splashing each other, and have remained completely oblivious to this newcomer, so I swim away from them to meet Dixon in the middle of the pool. 'I saw you swimming earlier,' He continues.

'I saw you watching me swimming earlier,' I grin at him and he drags his wet hair off his face.

'Yeah… sorry,' but he doesn't mean it, he's only joking. 'but you're really good. I was just wondering, y'know, if you could teach me?'

'Oh,' I'm slightly shocked at hearing this, because I might just be able to combine District 7 and the Careers… or I might just have to choose. 'yeah, sure. I thought Nick was teaching you?'

Dixon snorts and glances back at his district partner, who's given up on learning to swim, and is playfully pushing Nick around in the water.

'His attention wasn't really on me…' Dixon says with a smirk. 'I think he and Ruby are best suited to training alone.'

Ruby? That must be her name. I can't help feeling a little jealous of her as I actually take in what she looks like. Sure, she's muscular, but not in the weird way – in the way that means that her swimming costume clings to her figure and makes everything look in completely the right proportion.

Dixon seems to be able to tell what I'm thinking. 'I liked her at first,' He says quietly. 'but then she met Nick yesterday and let's just say, I realised she's probably way too much for me anyway.'

'Is that so?' I grin at him, slightly unable to believe a District 1 would say that. 'And you think Nick could handle that?'

He laughs softly. 'I don't know… and I don't really want to.'

I giggle, and I'm surprised at how girly I sound. Dixon smirks at me and the conversation seems to get a little awkward as a silence creeps in.

'So,' I start, getting back to the issue at hand. 'can you even swim a little bit?' I ask, trying to gage what I'm working with.

'Er,' He thinks about this for a while. 'I guess… I could get to the other side really slowly.' And he beams at me.

I laugh, but I'm getting cold standing around doing nothing, so I swim in a circle around him, and it's actually funny to watch him spin around trying to keep talking to my face.

'Come on, that's not fair,' Dixon chuckles, after about the fourth spin. 'just teach me, okay?' and I stop swimming around him and just grin at him.

'Alright then,' I start, taking a few strokes in front of him in the water. 'just kick your legs and see how far you go.' He does what I say, and all credit to him, he's trying; but he looks like what would happen if you dropped a kitten into a lake.

'Okay… maybe not.' I say finally, and he gives me a mock glare, then breaks a smile. 'Just try and copy me.' I try another approach. I slow down my movements so he can actually take in what I'm doing, and I swim back in the opposite direction. 'See what I'm doing?' I ask him, as my feet touch the floor again.

'I think so…' He says quietly. Dixon tries again and swims back towards me, and he's actually done it a lot better, and picked up a bit more speed.

'Great!' I congratulate him, and I get the sudden urge like I should hug him. I don't, but it's strange that I felt compelled to do that.

'That felt better,' Dixon agrees. 'I think it helped that I could watch you.' But there's something else behind his voice. I smile before I can even think about how to react. He grins at me cheekily. 'Show me again?'

'Sure,' I agree, even though I know he's not specifically watching my technique. I swim past him one more time, and when he tries it again, he's pretty much got it. How does anyone learn something this quickly?

'That's really good…' I tell him, though I am a little suspicious about him now.

'Yeah,' He says slowly, a cheeky smirk on his lips. 'maybe I lied when I said I could only swim a bit…' I laugh, because I can't help it. I'm kind of flattered that he made me try and teach him to swim because he wanted to talk to me. That's really sweet… then I remember that one or both of us could be dead by this time next week.

'So, you mean you can swim?' I clarify. He shrugs and grins at me.

'Not half as well as you, but yeah, I can swim.'

'Well, thanks for wasting my time.' I smirk at him and his eyes change a little.

'You think this has been a waste of time?' He asks quietly, and I can tell he's flirting with me now. But I don't mind, I mean, why should I? I wanted something to take my mind off Finnick, anyway.

'No.' I say finally, and he beams at me.

'You should come sit with us at lunch,' He continues. And that's when I can feel my expression suddenly turn colder. What about Anika and Oz?

'Us?' I ask, wondering how many other people he means.

'Yeah,' He nods, and I can tell he's wondering what's suddenly gone wrong. 'me, Ruby, Nick… and the District Twos.'

I knew he was going to say that. That'll be this year's Career pack then, won't it?

'I don't think that's a good idea…' I say quietly. 'I mean, I probably ought to sit with them.' I nod back to Anika and Oz, who I'm happy to say, are back to learning to swim, and are helping each other out. They've made a miniscule improvement, but it's better than nothing.

'Oh,' Dixon answers sadly. 'right, yeah, okay. Well, the offers there if you want it. We best go and get changed, it'll be lunch in a minute.' He flashes me a quick, half-hearted smile, before swimming off to the other end of the pool to get out. He can swim really well, actually. I mean, he's got nothing on me, but he'd manage in watery conditions if there was any in the arena. I sigh and dip my head under the water for a moment, to clear my head. I feel bad for declining his offer, but I know I'd feel even worse if I took it.

I sit on the same table again at lunch, with Anika and Oz, and once again, Anika's ecstatic to get her coffee fix again.

'So,' Oz says once we've all finished eating. 'saw you talking to District One earlier. What did he want?' Now that's a good question.

'He wanted me to teach him to swim,' I tell him honestly, because initially that is what he wanted.

Oz smirks at me. 'He seemed to be able to swim fine.'

'Yeah,' I shrug. 'I'm just a really good teacher.' Oz laughs, and Anika tunes herself back into the conversation after a few minutes of staring at her empty coffee cup.

'Reckon he wants you to join the Career pack?' Anika asks suddenly, surprising me a bit.

'Well, he did ask me to sit with them today.' I answer quietly, a little ashamed of admitting that.

She gives me a warm smile, because she knows I rejected the offer. 'Good on you,' She grins at me. 'they need to know they're not all that.' I smile back at her, but I still feel guilty. Dixon's a really nice guy, he doesn't have the typical Career attitude, and he seems like a genuinely friendly person. Under any other circumstance, I'd have been happy to spend time with him.

Lunch ends and I say goodbye to Anika and Oz, but I have no intention of going back to my floor. I don't particularly want to see Finnick right now, even though I know I'm just putting it off. Dixon slips into the elevator, just as the doors are shutting, and he grins at me.

'Hey, again.' He says, leaning against the back of the elevator.

'Too lazy to get the stairs to the first floor?' I ask him, knowing that's where District 1 will be.

'No,' He laughs. 'I'm not going to my floor.'

'Where are you going?' I ask curiously. I'm planning on going to the roof, it would just be weird if-

'The roof,' He smirks at me, almost like he knew.

'Really? Coincidence.' I reply coolly. He chuckles to himself as the elevator doors open and we're hit with the cold breeze of the roof.

'How was lunch?' Dixon asks me casually, pacing out ahead of me and sitting down on the centre of the roof.

'Alright… thanks,' I answer unsurely, dropping to the floor next to him – but not too close. He glances at the gap between us, but doesn't comment. 'and you?'

'Great,' He says. 'your mate Nick's a bit of a joker, isn't he?'

'Is he?' I ask, unable to stop myself. Dixon gives me a quizzical look. 'I don't really know him that well.' I explain quickly.

'That's odd,' He shrugs. 'but then again, you don't really hang out together, do you?'

'Not really.' I answer with a sigh. We probably should talk more…

'Probably too busy spending time with your mentor, ey?' Dixon teases with a smirk.

'I was,' I say truthfully. 'but I'm going to have a bit more time on my hands now, I guess.'

'Really?' He asks it a little too eagerly. I look at him and he purposely dampens his smile so he doesn't look too pleased. 'I mean, oh, really?' He says casually, then we both laugh.

'You should come with us, you know,' Dixon continues, the smile falling slowly. 'in the Games, I mean. You'd be safer.' He tilts his head and looks me in the eyes. I know he's right.

'I know, and thanks again for the offer, Dixon,' I tell him. 'but the Careers are the powerful ones in the beginning, but then they start picking off the weakest ones in their group. I'd be the first to go, I think we both know that.'

He nods slowly. 'True.' He sighs, then lies back on the concrete to star at the cloudy sky. 'But they're not going to take me out soon, are they? So, while I'm still around, I'll make sure they don't take you down.'

I don't know what to say… why would he do that? Why not just have done with it, because I'll probably die, anyway!

'Why would you do that?' I ask finally, looking down at him just lying there.

'You don't deserve to die, Annie.' He says softly.

'No one deserves to die.' I correct him quickly.

He shakes his head. 'Some more than others. I mean, me and Ruby, we've spent our whole lives in training for this, so I think we deserve to die sooner, at least. We've had an unfair advantage.'

'That's not true…' I try and say, but in a way he's right. He simply looks at me and I stop talking.

'Yes, it is,' He sighs, and I don't argue this time. 'and I'd rather go out protecting someone else, than myself.' He continues sadly. I don't want to hear this! I don't want someone to die so I can live! It's not right!

'Dixon, don't talk like that…'

'Why?' He says quickly, his blue eyes teeming with determination. 'I've got nothing left at home. I had a brother, but he had a disability and couldn't even survive the training for this. I loathe my parents for forcing me to train all my life, and due to that, I've got no friends to go back to.'

'Aw, come on, don't be that way,' I tell him softly. 'you must have something to make you want to go home.'

He shakes his head again. 'I don't have a home.'

'Yes, you do,' I tell him strongly. 'everyone has a home.'

'I don't.'

'Home doesn't have to be a physical place, Dixon,' I say gently. 'home can be a memory, too.'

He stares at me for a moment, like he's taking me in to remember at a later date. 'Then my home's here.' He decides. 'With you.'

'Why?'

'Because I've finally found someone who doesn't treat me like a machine. You treat me a like an actual person.'

'Oh, Dixon,' I try to find something else to tell him, because I'm certain it can't be as bad as he's saying. But that glow in his eyes tells me that every word is true. He sits up again and he's become closer to me now.

'I mean it, Annie.' He tells me quietly, then slowly brings his eyes up to meet mine. I know I must look embarrassed right now… He breaks into a smile, evidently amused by my embarrassment. He surprises me then, by pulling me into a friendly hug. 'Thanks for teaching me today.' He whispers to me.

'No problem.' I answer, as he releases me.

'I really wish you'd join with us, though,' He says again. 'allies, I mean.'

I shake my head at him. 'I already agreed to ally with District Seven, and I can't go back on that.' Then I have an idea. 'You could always come with us, you know.'

He sighs and shrugs. 'I dunno. I'll think on it. I just don't want to make you – and myself – the number one targets for deserting them. Because they don't look kindly on that.' I understand that, and I thought he'd say something like that.

'If I talk to Anika and Oz-'

'Who?'

'District Seven.' I explain. He nods in realisation. 'If I talk to them, and they agree, could we come with your group? All of us?'

'Er… I don't know… I'll talk to Ruby. I mean, they'd be fine with you, because you're Four, you're a Career, but them? They're… not.' He says awkwardly. He thinks I'm a Career. I'm not going to correct him, purely because, if I don't ally with him, he could use it against me.

'Right. Well, we'll see tomorrow then.' I tell him, ending this whole topic.

'Yeah, great,' He smiles at me and we both get up off the floor, realising we should be getting back. We get in the elevator, and he drops me off at my floor first, and I'm met with the harsh gaze of Finnick. I swallow and barely say a goodbye to Dixon before the doors shut again. I glance around the room and see Nick sitting awkwardly at the dining table, the chair opposite him pulled out, evidently where Finnick had been sitting before he heard the elevator. What's Nick been telling him? Is Finnick jealous? Because he said there was nothing going on… he said he didn't love me…