Chapter 21
Lana is coming over later so we can talk about everything that has happened to her while I was on my Victory Tour.
I hear a knock on the door and am surprised with how quickly she has gotten here. I open the door but instead of Lana I see Finnick.
"Hi Annie." He says
Finnick has come back to visiting me everyday and it is usually more than a few minutes.
"Hi." I smile. He comes in and sits on the couch next to the fire.
We stare at fire and don't say anything for a bit just lost in the daze of the flames.
"You good today?" He asks me his eyes not leaving the fire.
"Yeah but I keep thinking about it." I say.
"Don't worry Annie you probably won't hear from Snow until the 71st Hunger Games."
"Gee so in a few months I will he able to know if I will be entrapped and that my loved ones are being threatened 24/7."
"It's okay Annie."
"You lie." I say in a mocking tone.
He smiles and rips something off and throws it in the fire and it starts to float out of the fire place and into the living area.
"Hey don't burn down my house you pyro." I tease.
"Sorry but doesn't it look pretty." He says
I nod and look at him sideways and smile at him.I lean my head on his shoulder and he wraps his arm around me.
"I like it when you come here." I whisper.
"I know." He says in a tone that sounds strange. He stands up quickly causing me to fall on the couch.
"Finnick?" I ask confused.
"Sorry I have to go." He says
"Where?"
"I uh…"
"Did I say something wrong Finnick?" I ask confused.
"No I just have to go, bye." He says and hurries out the door.
I sigh.
A few minutes Lana is here.
"Hey!" She says.
"Hey." I say.
"Look what I brought!" She says and holds up a two hugs of apple cider.
"Apple cider?" I say confused.
"Not just any apple cider Annie, hard apple cider."
"Oooo well aren't we fancy." I smile.
"C'mon lets sit by the fire and drink it."
I nod and we head to the fireplace.
"So what's with the face?" She asks taking a sip of cider.
"What face?"
"You have confused Annie face, what happened?"
"Before you were here Finnick came over to see me."
"He does that everyday day, what's the problem?" She asks confused.
"Well we were sitting on the couch and talking and I leaned my head against his shoulder and told him I liked when he came here. He then got up fast and practically ran out the door."
"Interesting." She says
"I know, what do you think it means?" I ask.
She smiles at me but, she looks sad.
"I think he is trying to tell you he doesn't like you, as in not the way you like him."
"So leaning my head against his shoulder is code for I like you?" I ask confused.
"I don't know how is mind works."
"Well I wish he would just tell me so I could stop wondering." I mutter.
"Well it doesn't look like that is the case." She says and pours me more cider.
"I'm also worried about me turning out like him because of Snow's deal." I say.
"What was he like when he told you?" She asks in a hushed tone.
"Who Finnick?" I ask confused.
"No, President Snow." She says
"Strange he doesn't look very threatening but, I know he could kill everyone I care about in the blink of an eye."
"Oh." She says
"Yeah so, you do anything while I was on my Victory Tour?" I ask changing the subject. I don't want to be reminded of Snow or his deal.
She looks down at the table and starts to pick her cuticles.
"What is it Lana?"
"I think I'm dating Jason." She whispers
"Wait what? What do you mean think and I thought you didn't like him." I say confused and excited.
"Well I lied okay." She mutters but, I can see her blushing.
"Well what makes you think that you are dating?" I ask
"Well nothing official has been said but, the other day he kissed me Annie."
"You say slightly insulted that he did this." I say confused.
"I'm not it's just...
"You don't like him." I say.
"No it's not that it's..."
"What?"
"Well I know you like Finnck and all and I didn't want it to be weird."
I roll my eyes.
"He isn't Finnick."
"But that's his brother it's weird."
"It's only weird because you're making it weird." I say.
"There's something else though."
"What?"
"I don't know how to do this." She whispers.
"Do what?"
"Be in a relationship, I'm the casual girl I don't have relationships."
"I know. Why is that anyways?"
"I won't be able to get hurt." She says.
"Well you have to take the leap of faith I guess. I don't really know anything about Jason because I have never really had a conversation with him but, I'm sure he is nice."
"Better than nice." She smiles.
"Well there you go, you should talk about this with him not me."
"Don't worry I will."
We sit staring at the fire and I end up drinking more cider than I should have because before I know it my words are starting to slur.
"I mean why does Finnick think he is so great." I say.
"Annie I think you've had too much to drink."
"Does he not like me because he thinks I'm below him?" I ask.
I hear the door open and know it is my mother.
"Hello." She says when she see us.
"Hi mom!" I exclaim with glee.
"Annie, are you drunk." She says in a scolding tone.
"Yes, that's probably why I don't feel to good." I say.
"I should be going. Sorry Miss Cresta."Lana says and hurries out the door Lana stopped drinking hours ago but, I kept going. It's not like I have anything better to do.
"It's fine Lana." She smiles.
My mother doesn't care as much because it's legal but I know I will be having a discussion with her tomorrow about this.
My mother leads me towards my bedroom but ,I go to the bathroom and vomit because I was drinking so much.
Instead of going to get up I lay next to the toilet and cry. My mother comes in and wraps her arms around me.
"It will be alright Annie." She tells me and makes shushing noise.
"No it won't, I could end up being owned." I whisper
"Yes it will." She says and kisses my forehead. "It doesn't matter what happens to you. I will always be here for you. I don't care what will happen if you have to go to the Capitol I will still love you."
I realize I'm not crying because I might be enslaved by Snow. I'm crying for a different reason. I think my drunk state is finally letting everything go.
"No not that." I say.
"What's it then Annie?." She asks
I start sobbing.
"Annie you're okay, you're safe here with me." She says and kisses my forehead.
I sit here crying for a few minutes.
"Why don't we take you to bed." She says
"I love him." I say abruptly through sobs.
"Annie?" She says confused.
"What did I do? I thought he liked me." I sob.
"Oh Annie." She says with compassion. I think she knows I'm talking about Finnick.
"It's okay." She says
I don't say anything I just keep crying.
"Sometimes things don't work out the way you think." She whispers in my ear.
"But, I'm in love with him." I whisper.
"You can't make someone fall in love with you." She says gently. "It will be okay." She says and kisses my forehead
I cry here until I fall asleep and I'm not thinking about Snow's deal. I'm thinking about Finnick and wondering what I did wrong that would cause him not to like me.