AN: I'd like to thank my first reviewer, CherryBomb337, just because I enjoy reviews, and they were first, so CherryBomb337, here's the chapter you were waiting for(:
READ AND REVIEW PEOPLE!
Chapter 2: More than that
Finnick, Age 12
"Finnick! Breakfast!" yelled Mrs. Cresta.
"Coming!" I yelled back. I quickly put on some shorts and a tshirt and jog toward the kitchen. Annie is already up.
"Morning, Finn." she says, as she hands me a plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Being one of the wealthier families in one of the wealthier districts, we eat pretty well. I can't imagine living in district 11 or 12, where I'd have to search for my food.
"Morning, Annie." I say. She smiles and goes back to the counter to make her plate. Her and her mother both sit down at the table on either side of me and we begin to eat. We don't talk as much as usual, but there's a good reason. Today is Annie and I's first reaping.
Annie decides to break the silence. "Hey Finnick, you want to go down to the beach later?" I take that as, I need to talk to you. Let's go somewhere nobody else can hear us.
"How about right after breakfast?" I ask. She nods. I can tell something's bothering her, and that bothers me. I think of Annie and her mom as my family. After all, they gave me a place to stay, food on my plate, a FAMILY. The kids at school call me and Annie best friends. They're wrong. Annie is so much more than that. I can't even describe it. It's almost as if she's my savior. She gave me hope when I had none. I know I can never repay her, but I can at least try, right?
I finish my breakfast, help Mrs. Cresta wash the dishes, and head out with Annie by my side. We walk in silence until we reach the beach. It's the only place that we can speak our minds, be carefree.
"I'm worried for you." she whispers.
"What? Why?"
"Because of the reaping! I'm afraid you're going to get called and then no one's going to volunteer and then knowing you, you're so sweet, you'll go and get yourself killed to save someone's life and then-"
"Annie, my name's only in there once. So is your's. We're going to be fine." I say as I pull her into a hug. She's got a right to be worried. District 4 is a Career District, but not everyone trains to volunteer, and if nobody's ready to volunteer, they'd leave whoever's up there to go into the games.
"I just can't lose you, Finn." She said. Just then, a bell rang, signaling 10:00. The reaping was at 11:00.
"We better go get ready."
As we walked back home, I thought about how much my life has changed in the past few years. Since Annie discovered me. Since my dad died.
A single tear rolled down my cheek. Annie quickly noticed and wiped it away with her thumb. "You know, yesterday at school, someone asked me where my friend was. I had no idea who they where talking about. They said 'you know, that guy you always hang out with' and it finally struck me that they were talking about you. The strange thing about it is that I didn't know it until then. But I realized that that you're not my friend, Finnick." (AN: This is nothing romantic… yet…)
I was confused. Did she just tell me that we aren't friends? Why would she invite me to live with her if we weren't friends?
"You're so much more than that." She kissed my cheek. "Don't get picked," she whispered, barely audible.
"I'll try my best," I replied.
The rest of the day went by in a blur. Fortunately neither me nor Annie got picked. What really bothered me was what Annie had said. You're so much more than that. I spent the rest of the day, well, the parts that I wasn't constantly worrying about Annie's safety, wondering what she meant.
AN: So there you go folks! If you can just remember that there is nothing romantic going on between them yet, you'll understand the story better. I HOPE FOR MORE REVIEWS THIS TIME! PLEASE!