Thank you so much for reading my story on Annie and Finnick. I love the support and reviews I'm getting it really drives me to make this story one of the best. I promise that their relationship will get better soon:)

"Annie, you take care of your brother while we're out, okay?" My mother smiled, her dark brown hair falling over her shoulders.

"Where are you going?" I ask her.

"We're going to go fishing. It won't take long, we'll be back in just three days."

"Mommy, I don't want you to go."

"I have to, honey."

"Mommy."

"If we don't go then we'll get in trouble, because there's not enough fish to feed them. We don't want to get in trouble, Annie, so we have to go."

"Please take me."

"The sea is no place for a child, Annie. Then, who'll take care of Rhyal?"

"I want to be with you, mommy."

"I want to keep you with me too, Annie, but I can't."

She raped her soft warm arms around me. "I'll see you soon, Annie, I promise."

I nodded, crying.

"Shh," she said, pulling away and tucking my hair behind my eat. "It'll be okay."

I nodded again.

"I love you." she said, with a sad smile on her face.

"I love you too, mommy."

She kissed my forehead.

"Is squirt crying?" asked my dad, coming from tucking in Rhyal.

"No." I said, wiping away my tears. "No, daddy I'm not crying."

"Aw, so you're not sad I'm leaving."

"I didn't-"

"I know, squirt, I was just kidding." He said, picking me up. "You be a good girl, alright?" He said, with his kind brown eyes.

"Yes, sir."

He smiled, and brought me in for a hug. "Oh, I'm going to miss you!" He said, shaking me around.

I laughed. "I'll miss you too, daddy."

He set me down then kissed my forehead. "You be good for grandma, okay?"

I nodded.

"And be nice to your brother."

"I will."

He sighed. "Remember, I love you."

"I love you too, daddy. Becareful."

"Of course."

"Bye."

They give me a sad look, and wave away. "Bye squirt." said dad at the same time my mommy said, "Bye honey."

I look as I see them walk away.

Grandma came from behind me. "Come on, Annie it's time to sleep."

"I don't want to."

She slowly kneeled infront of me. "Guess what I have?"

"What?" I ask, curious.

"I have chocolate cookies."

"Really?"

"Yep. They're really good."

I smiled and after the cookie I went to sleep. "Thank you, Grandma." I said, before closing my eyes.

"Annie, are you okay?"

I look up at Rhyal. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You've been spacing out a lot lately."

I nodded. "I just get stuck inside my head." Liturally.

"Maybe you should get out of it."

"I don't really know how to."

"Well, the Gathering's today. We can go."

I look up at him. "What?"

"Today's the Gathering, Annie."

"It's already been two months... Everything's flying by." I said, looking far off.

He nodded. "I know but you have the rest of your life to go by now. You can't just sit around." He hugged me. "Come on, sister."

I smiled. "Did you ask the girl?"

"Ugh, no." he said, his cheeks turning red.

I laughed at his shy face. "No? Why not?"

"It's scary, Annie." He laughed. "It's so scary that she might say no."

"How can she say 'no' to you?"

"It's only a two letter word, Annie."

I laughed. "You'll never know if you never try."

"I guess not... I'll ask her to dance. I think it might be too late now to ask her out. But I'm not going if you aren't."

I sighed. "I guess that means I have to go, huh?"

He smiled. "I guess it does."

I sighed. "When does it start?"

"Seven."

"That's in an hour."

"Yep. We can be a little late."

I smile. "We're too cool to be punctual."

He laughed one of those full robust laugh.

I nodded. "I guess I'll go pick things to wear."

"Things?"

I nodded. "Things."

He laughed, showing his odd one dimple. "Well, I guess I have to go find my things too."

I smile and pat his head. Then, I go off to my room and go through all my stuff. This is the first time in a long time I'm actually excited for something. I miss being happy.

I need something nice but not too nice, this isn't a reaping. Something clean, of course and normal. So jeans, not white no one wears white jeans, they would get dirty easily... So, blue jeans will be good. It's still kind of hot so capri's will be better. So, I got the first capri's that I liked and through them to the bed. Then, I try to find a shirt. Try is the key word in the sentence. Red's too much. Yellow clashes with my skin. Pink's so overused... (Okay, I just don't like pink) Then, I found this green blue shirt that's very lovely. Short sleeved knitted top with a white shirt, underneath, would be good...

I look out the window and see Finnick in his room going back and forth.

I close the curtains and put it on. I feel weird going somewhere, doing something. Then, I'm faced with the choice which shoes should I wear? No heals, I'll be stared at. It's too hot for boots. Sandles were something common, but mine were all bedazzled or feathered. I don't want to wear my old shoes with the tear on the back. No one would really notice something that was on my feet, right? So, I choose the sandles.

I open my curtains again and see nothing.

I look at myself in the mirror, and see myself for the first time. Four months since the reaping and I've some how grown years. My hair is long and soft. My eyes tired and worn. My willowy body frail and skinny, not discustingly so but almost there. My skin is creamy, soft, and still without a blemish. I looked older somehow, and unlike turning one year older I could feel myself aging. I felt older but I was still only seventeen.

I touch my face and sigh. "What are you doing Annie?"

I look outside again and see Finnick looking at me.

I close the curtains and leave.

"Are you ready?" asked Rhyal.

"Yeah. Is this good?"

He nodded. "And me?"

"Great." I said, he did with kahki's and a buttoned up shirt.

"Thanks. Let's go."

I nodded, and we were on our way to the Central Circle.

He breathed in from his nose and out his mouth. "I'm nervous Annie."

"About what?"

"Asking her to dance."

I knew he was going to say that, I also knew he would end up regreting it though. I couldn't let that happen, so I did the one thing that would make him do it. "It's fine if you don't do it Rhy. You have enough time, okay? I don't know this girl but I'm sure she'll wait. There so many people here, I'm sure that if you guys are meant to be together then it'll happen, at some point."

"You're right. I don't have much time."

I smiled. He always heard the opposite of what I said; that's why I always say the opposite of what I mean.

"So? Are you going to do it?"

"Maybe." He said, laughing. "Annie, you put so much pressure on me."

"Says the guy who I've been raising for as long as I could remember? All my life, practrically."

"Sorry."

"You better be." I tell him.

"So, what about you?"

"Me? What?"

"Do you have a little crush on someone?"

"I'm not a kid, don't treat me like one."

"You haven't answered my question."

I sighed... Thought's going to Finnick. "Yeah, I like someone but he doesn't like me back."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I don't want to talk about it."

"Did he break your heart?"

I lied, shaking my head.

He sighed. "Oh well, life moves on...So, I guess I should move past my fear and do it anyways, right?"

"Right."

"Well, not right now. I bet no ones dancing."

"You're right... I should get a car. I wounder if I can get one."

"You have the money, why not?"

I shrugged. "No one else does but I'm so tired of walking."

"Maybe you can buy a horse."

"I should! I think I will."

"I think-"

"Rhyal?!" yelled out one of his friends walking with the rest of the gang.

"Oh, hey."

"You can go." I tell him. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Me? Stupid?" He gasped, as if it were unthinkable. "Yeah, okay I promise." he said, laughing then ran over to the guys and greeted each other.

Haven ended up finding me and we walked together to the Annual Gathering. It's been a tridtion since before the ceation of Panem that sailors have this celebartion in honor of a good fishing season. It was like a grand party for all of District Four. From what I know we're the only District that celebrates this way.

Soon, we were walk over the great white Gavity Bridge, that let people enter the Central Village.

The Central Circle was big and full with people. They were already playing the uklayle and getting into four lines perparing for the dance. It was an old dance from centries ago when everyone would dance with everyone, switching partners every three minutes or so. It was fun, I've just never done it.

"Come on let dance." squeeked Haven.

"Wait, wait, wait. I don't know how."

"Just skip five time to the left then to the right, then he'll twirl you and you'll turn and switch with the person behind you then that see the person will be you're partener and it should be two same guys you turn to. If there's an even number here. Don't worry it'll make since as you do it."

I nodded, hoping I wouldn't mess this up.

I followed her to the outside line on the left. Faceing the buildings not the people, who ever I was dancing with was going to be a surprise.

"Okay, turn in one, two, three!" Yelled someone.

Then, the music started I turned to see Roland. He smiles seeing me, he lifts his hand and I follow his lead, doing what Haven told me.

"Well, Annie. I didn't know you knew how to dance."

"I don't."

He laughed. "Well, if this is your first time you're pretty good."

"You're not too bad yourself."

"I'm not bad at all."

I smiled. "I'm sorry this is so late, but don't think I ever told you thank you for helping me find the girls."

"It's fine. I didn't really do anything."

"It ended up helping me a lot." I said.

"Well, you're welcome. Time to switch." He turned me and I switched with the girl behind me and find Finnick there.

"I knew it." He said. "You are following me."

"I am not! You're the one always behind me" I said, our hands almost touching.

"Yeah, right."

"I am right, aren't I?"

"No."

"I just don't get you."

"I don't want you to."

"Finnick why can't you just calm down for a while and be nice."

"I can't take the risk."

"What?" I asked.

"Annie, there things at work here that are too complicated."

"I want to know."

"Switch." Finnick turns me and I switch again back into Rolans arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." I lie.

"What's you're favorite color?"

"My favorite color?" I asked, caught off guard.

"Yeah." He said.

"Ugh, I don't know. Sea green. Yeah, I like sea green."

"Hmm."

"Why?" I ask.

He smiles. "I don't know. I was just curious."

"What's yours?"]

"Yellow."

"Yellow?"

He nodded. "It's bright, alive."

I nodded. "Like I feel now. This is so much fun!" I say, laughing.

He laughed with me. "Switch." He said, and again I turn to the sour Finnick.

"So, where did we leave off."

"Annie, don't go digging for something you're not ready for."

"Your treating me like a kid, Finnick. Shouldn't I have a choice in what I know?"

"Ugh, why did I come this year?"

"Finnick."

"I'm sorry, Annie. You really need to leave me alone."

"You stubborn, and your stuck up and sometimes you're just plain mean, but you're not really like that. You weren't like that the night-"

"I was being nice Annie. Nice and stupid, I'm sorry if you still don't believe that."

"Finnick."

"Annie, why do stay? After all the terrible things I tell you."

I don't say anything at first. "I don't know. Why do you stay even though you say you don't want to be around me?"

"I-I don't know."

"Then we're both equal. We're both crazy."

He laughed. "I am." He touches my hand. "Annie, please stay away from me."

"I don't want to."

"I want you to. Switch."

I don't want to go, I want to talk more. To hear him more. I already got a lot out of him. Maybe he'll tell me what's going on, maybe he'll tell me that he wants me at least a little. I don't stay, I can't, turning to face Rolan.

We comment to eachother little things, but I'm only half listening because I'm paying attetion to what I'm doing. I know when to switch back into his arms, but I'm not in his arms. I'm in a strangers arms, and Finnick is no where in site.