Chapter 39
"Hey Fiona. What's that you're holding?"
It has been a month since our parents died. Fiona comes here after school every day and spends the night, she pretty much lives here now. In here hand she has a decent amount of papers.
"I went to the house today to collect the mail and look at all of this stuff."
I look through the mail and see that most of it is bills to pay for the house water, gas, heat , electric.
"There bills for the house." I state
"I know, they are monthly but how do we pay them?" Fiona asks
Fiona and I are not very good at taking care of ourselves. We barely know how to cook so when we eat it is usually just soup from a can. The other victors have all been to my house. I was surprised when Dylan came here and he truly did seem sorry but was still a jack ass.
"I don't know, maybe we should ask Mags when she comes over here." I say
Mags comes over every day to make sure we are still alright. She usually gives us something to eat. She doesn't know that we can barely cook anything.
"Do you have to do this stuff for your house?"
"No it is one of the perks of being a victor." I say with disgust in my voice.
She nods and heads to the kitchen table to do school work.
Mags comes over in about an hour.
"Hello Finnick, Fiona."
"Hi, Mags we had a question for you." I say
"Alright what is it."
"Fiona went to the house to get the mail and she found the bills that we need to pay but, we don't really know how to pay them." I say sort of embarrassed
"Don't worry I can help you. I should teach Fiona because you aren't the best with math." She jokes
"I am not."
She smiles and then goes to put something in the fridge and sees that we have barely have anything in there.
"Finnick do you need to get groceries?"
"Um no… we have enough."
"You don't know how to cook do you."
"We can make a few things but nothing very good." Fiona says
She sighs "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
"We were eating I didn't think it mattered." I say
"Well you should be eating something healthy."
For the rest of the night she teaches Fiona how to pay the bills and then she teaches us both how to cook. She says she will be coming here every day and teach us something new, and at least one day a week we have to make a meal for her so she knows we know how to make something.
"Alright it is getting late I should probably get going." Mags says
"I'll walk you out." Fiona says
We walk Mags back to her house even though she doesn't need it. We feel like we should do something.
After they leave the house, the phone starts ringing.
Wonder who that is?
I don't get many phone calls. Most of them come from Mags and James.
I pick up the phone and hear the bone chilling voice that haunts my dreams.
"Hello Mr. Odair." Says President Snow.
"Hello?" I say confused and with a hint of anger.
"I heard about your parents accident such a shame when something could have been avoided but, I'm not just calling you to offer my condolences. I was wondering if you had rethought that deal I offered you."
As soon as he says this I know he killed my parents. Haymitch's conspiracy theory was true except he didn't kill everyone I loved he kept Fiona alive. Why did he keep her alive?
"You killed them."
"I heard it was a faulty wire but, who knows accidents happen. It would be a shame if something like this happens to your sister." He says evilly
"Are you threatening me?"
"Threatening is such an evil word. I would like to think of it as giving you two choices. In one choice you do what I want and no one gets hurt. In the second choice you don't do what I want and the people you love get hurt."
"So if I accept this deal of having relations with people from The Capitol you will leave my sister alone?"
"Exactly, does this mean we have a deal?"
I want to say no but, I know if I do he will kill her.
"This why you kept her alive, to use her as leverage" I say through clenched teeth
Snow laughs "You are very smart Finnick but, you didn't answer my question. Do we have a deal?"
"Yes."
"Excellent you will be given further instructions and I know you will follow them."
"Is that all?" I ask angrily
"Yes I will be seeing you soon Mr. Odair."
And the phone clicks and I am left here alone. I just sold my soul to protect my sister.
Now I understand why the other victors took the deal it's because they didn't want the people they loved to get hurt. I wish I would've asked about the repercussions or just taken the deal. How could I be so blind and naïve?
Fiona comes through the door.
"Are you ok Finnick?" Fiona asks
"Yes, I'm fine."
No, I'm not as soon as I turn 16 I will be fresh meat for the people in The Capitol. It doesn't matter Finnick. You have to do it to protect Fiona.
The rest of the month passes and Fiona and I both know how to cook and pay bills. It is also time to get ready to celebrate the new victor because the Victory Tour will be coming to 4 tomorrow.
James comes over to explain how it will work.
"All of the mentors attend the Victory Tour as I'm sure you remember. You just have to shake hands and then go and celebrate."
"Ok when do we head down there."
"Around 4:30 the victor is expected at 6:00 but us mentors have to get ready."
"Get ready for what sitting in a room?"
"Basically, yes."
It's 4:15 and I leave my house. When I do I can hear someone shouting my name.
"Finnick, Finnick!"
I turn around and see that the voice belongs to Dylan
"What do you want?"
"Someone is grumpy I just wanted to see if you would want to walk together but, if you don't I can just trail behind you awkwardly."
I roll my eyes "Aren't you supposed to make sure Marina is coming?"
He sighs "I tried already."
"Does she not like or something?"
"As I said before most the victors do not like me."
"You're not that bad. Maybe if you weren't such a smart ass people would like you a little better."
"I've thought of that but, it would be too much work."
"But seriously why doesn't she want to leave the house with you?"
He sighs "She was my mentor. She was disgraced with how I played the games and doesn't want to see my face anymore."
"Oh, what did you do that disgraced her?"
"Do you really not remember my games? I didn't win that long ago just three years before you."
"Sorry isn't ringing a bell. I was only eleven."
"Well I –
James interrupts us.
"Everything alright here?"
"Yes." Dylan says annoyed
We walk a little more and are in The Justice Building. Mags and Marina are close behind. We get taken to the room where we had the mentors meeting except this time it is just us.
"So the new victor what is she like?"
"Like the rest who win from 1." I say
"Thanks for painting such a pretty picture Finnick." Dylan says
"Didn't you watch the games?"
"They were on, doesn't mean I paid attention."
There is silence
"Why do we have to wait here for an hour and a half? What is the point of it? We aren't going to talk to each other."
"That is because some of us want to forget about you." Marina says coldly
"And you think I don't want to forget? You know Marina I am so sick of you doing this. Everyone in this room has killed someone."
"Yes we have but what you did was disgraceful and inhumane."
Dylan rolls his eyes. He doesn't say anything else because he knows it won't matter. But I'm curious because I can't remember.
"What did he do that was so disgraceful?"
Marina turns to me "The fact that you don't remember is also disgraceful. I would expect better from you Finnick."
"Well I was only eleven."
"Doesn't matter."
"You know what Marina I saw the weather report today it said it was cloudy with an 100% chance of acid rain." Dylan says laughing.
Marina starts visibly shaking and yells Shut up!
For the rest of the hour it is Marina and Dylan bickering on and off.
We are finally released from the room and introduced to the Victor whose name is Annabelle. We listen to her speech boasting about how she is the best. She is then taken to the Justice Building where we sit and talk with each other. It is just as boring being a mentor as it is being the victor. I don't want to be here and I don't want to be celebrating.
When she leaves I am glad. I don't stay to talk to anyone so I just go home and go to sleep.
The rest of the week goes by and nothing exciting happens until Saturday.
I go downstairs and can tell my sister is making something.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to make something special for you."
"Why?"
"You'll see." She winks and goes back to cooking
After 30 minutes she comes over to me with a cupcake that has a candle in it.
"Happy Birthday! I kept it low key because I know that is what you like." She smiles
Oh yes my 16th birthday. Now I am officially allowed to have sexual relations with anyone I want in The Capitol or should I say anyone I am forced to.
"Do you not like it?" Fiona says with a worried expression. I must have been staring at the thing for a while.
"No it just looks pretty that's all."
She nods I take a bite out of it. It tastes wonderful.
"Mom used to make these sometimes, on our birthday." I say
"I know that's why I made one, was it a bad idea?"
"No I like it ,thanks Fiona. But for your birthday don't expect anything."
"No duh you can barely make toast."
"Whatever." I stick my tongue out at her and she sticks hers out at me.
I six months is the 67th Hunger Games, and that is when I will probably get further instructions but, I'm not allowed to mentor this year. So how exactly is this deal going to work.