The Capitol left no stone unturned when it came to celebrating Finnicks birthday. The President's Mansion was dressed in decorations, everything had the Victor's face on it. He wanted nothing to do with it.
By the time he arrived, Snow had already found the highest bidder, and felt no shame in telling Finnick how much he was worth. One hundred thousand. Enough to feed a family for many years.
All that.. Just to sleep with him?
Finnick felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. Maybe he could put this money to good use. Donate to the poorer families back home. They might not want this dirty money, though.
He drank himself nearly to death, and around one in the morning, a very tall, and wealthy, woman approached him.
"Finnick Odair.. My name is Melanie. I believe I have the pleasure of taking you home with me?" Her voice was so high pitched, it sent a ringing through his ears.
He followed her into the night, and into a cab. Once they arrived in her home, she pulled him into a deep kiss, and began to undress him.
His nerves began to pester him like crazy, his breathing becoming quick and rigid. Finnick had never gotten intimate with anyone in his life, not even Annie. How could he give this woman what he wanted? How could he do this to Annie? He felt sick, and scared. He felt like the fourteen-year-old boy in the arena, except he wasn't fighting for his life. He was fighting for Annie's.
He broke away and looked at her, feeling very shy. "Melanie, I'm so sorry. I'm afraid I've never done this before, will you be patient with me?" Finnick asked, looking for her response.
"You mean... I get to be Finnick Odair's first?" The way she spoke made him feel as though he was an object rather than a person.
He let Melanie have her way with him. He felt used and dirty. All he could think about was Annie's face, and how crushed she would look if she found out.
Finnick was completely inexperienced in the bedroom. He wasn't sure what was right, or what was wrong. All he knew was that Melanie needed to feel like he cared. He pretended she was the woman he loved, even though it was a lie. She had to know that none of this was real, right?
The night was a blur, and the trip home was as well. He felt as though he had been broken, inside and out. Despite her attempts to be gentle, Melanie had left bruises and scrapes on his skin. He had hickeys from his neck to his hips. Finnick felt destroyed, and was terrified of what he would face when we walked off the train. He only hoped that Annie would forgive him for leaving, and for treating her so cruelly.
But that wasn't the case.
As he walked down the streets, people turned to him in disgust. The golden boy was gone. It seemed as though everyone knew what he had done.
He just wanted to scream out, "It's not my fault! I don't get a choice!" But he knew he couldn't. He was a pawn to Snow at this point. He had to do everything he could to stay below the radar.
Finnick expected to return home, and to feel safe again. He wanted to smell the old cake on the counter, and try a bite. The idea made his mouth water.
He wanted to crawl onto the couch, and watch the waves form on the sea. He wanted to fall asleep, and forget everything that had happened.
Most of all, he wanted to rid his body of Melanie's sickening perfume. It was a constant reminder of what he had done, and what he will continue to do until he is no longer desirable.
He opened the door of his home, expecting silence and peace. Walking down the opening hallway, he smiled. Until he saw Annie sitting in a chair, holding the note from Snow.
He saw nothing in her eyes, and she didn't even lift her head when he walked into the room.
"Annie?"
"Finnick."