Hey guys!

Here is my third chapter and I really hope you like this!

I'm trying to get the plot up and running:) Don't worry, more cute moments are to come.

I'm going to update soon hopefully, so yeah :)

Please review because it motivates me, and thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope that I am portraying Finnick and Annie in the right way.

As always these characters sadly don't belong to. Wish they did, but they don't. Some do, and you know which ones I'm talking about but anyway, ENJOY!

I sit on the beach, my chin leaning on my knee. I blink and a tear slithers down my cheek. My bottom lip quivers and I stare at the ocean under the sunset. Each wave will crash. Each wave is pulled back in the ocean. I feel like that's what life is like-the waves. Our life forms, like a wave does back in the ocean. Then it grows, we grow. As we turn into a wave, we turn into adults. Then we crash, and that is when we leave our parents, and we are on our own. We spread out along the shore, and once we find a spot that we can no longer pull up, we find who we love, and settle down. As we pull back to the ocean we form a new wave, or we have children. We keep pulling back until they crash, and then we disappear but our force is still there until our grandchildren come, and then after a little we disappear into the ocean.

I make a yelp, and bury my face in my knee. I know that some waves, they are only starting, they are only forming until something cuts it off. Maybe it is a rip current. That was what the Hunger Games could be for me. Perhaps I could be the biggest wave ever, only to be pulled back to death by being reaped. No matter how hard I fight, I will be pulled back.

Tears flow from my eyes as I whimper. I pull my eyebrows together and cry. I jump when two hands weave through my arms, and wrapping around my waist. His head leans on my shoulder, and I feel his breath in my ear, which makes me cry harder. I may never feel that after tomorrow. The feeling of this boys breath on my skin, and his arms around my waist. It is my only comfort, I learned. His essence is the only one that can cure my depression. Though I know if I got reaped I would die, and I will be alone.

"Annie," Finnick's voice says softly. I continue to cry, I am so embarrassed by my weakness around him, but I kept help it. My tears keep overflowing and falling down my cheeks.

"I-" I stutter, and then overcome by a rapid sigh.

He holds me softly and rocks me back an forth. He murmurs slight "it's okay," and "calm down," until I finally stop whimpering and he softens his grip around me. He grabs my hands and intertwines his fingers with mine. I see his face for the first time, and am overwhelmed by him as usual. His green eyes mesmerize me, and his bronze hair is tousled and shaggy and his strands glisten in the light.

"Annie, look at me," He whispers. I ignore his comment because I already am. "Don't be scared," He says, as he releases my hands and runs his fingers through my hair. "You're safe, Annie. I won't let anyone hurt you, I won't let anyone make you upset."

I inhale, and exhale deeply. "Fin..." I mumble. Though I don't finish. What can I say? I bury my face in his shoulder.

"Annie," He coaxes, as I nod in his shoulder. "Do you recall when I was scared to be reaped?" I nod. "And you said, if I were to be reaped, I would be replaced with a volunteer, and you made me pinkie swear I wouldn't die." I lift my head up, and he lightly caresses the line of my jaw. "Do you?" He says softly. I sniffle, but nod. "What makes it different for you?"

I look down. I whisper. "I don't understand why. I don't get it. I feel like something bad is going to happen tomorrow." I wilt my head.

"Why?" Finnick asks, his voice velvety.

I don't answer. I don't know the answer.

"Annie," He mumbles, placing a finger under my chin, pulling my face slightly up. "You pinkie swore to me you would not die until you are an old lady, with your permission to die."

I nod and I wipe a tear from the rim of my eye, and I smile and laugh slightly.

A new thought strikes me. I can feel when something bad is going to happen... "Am I mad?" I moan.

Finnick laughs out loud. I lightly nudge him. "Finnick," I say, almost giggling, but attempting not to. "This is no laughing matter-answer me!"

He calms a bit and wraps his arm around me. "If you are mad, I am insane. You are not mad, and if you are, perhaps we all are." He grips my hand. I look down, attempting a smile, but my eyes, I know, are unconvincing to him.

"We are all mad," I laugh at the ridiculous thought. "I wonder who's sane."

He shrugs, and then snorts under his breath. "Perhaps the people who are insane in our heads."

A thought wipes over my mind as I look off into the distance. It is crazy, and it is stupid, but I ask anyway. "Finnick, if we are mad, perhaps we could run off," He sends me a confused look, but I continue. "What if we were to not show up on reaping day, and just steal a fishing boat and see where these waters go. Live off of fish, and we'd sail until we found somewhere where we could be safe."He smiles to himself, but makes no comment. "Think about it Fin," I say. "Just you and me in the ocean-"

He cuts me off, by laughing. "Annie, you wouldn't be able to live with me for that long," He exclaims. "You'd push me off the boat!"

I laugh at the thought, knowing I would do that, but only out of humor. I sarcastically respond, "Me? Oh I would never do such a thing!" I wait until his laughter dies down to continue. "So what do you think?"

He smiles apologetically, and shakes his head. Confused and annoyed, I avert my eyes scowling, and look into the ocean. The suns bright orange is sinking into the dark blue abyss of water by now. Finnick asks me to look at him, but I turn my head the other way childishly.

"Annie," He sighs. "I would go anywhere in the world with you, you should know that." I turn my head at his remark, and stare at his profile. His bronze hair reflects lights off the sun's dying beams, and his skin is nearly radiating. His green eyes are staring into the distance, as he continues. "Snow's probably watching us right now through a camera somewhere, and they'd catch us. I couldn't bare to see you tortured, I'd rather die. I know that if we attempt, we will fail." His face turns so his eyes stare carefully into mine. "We already live in hell here, and imagine what the capitol would do to us if we didn't follow the rules."

I nod, knowing he's right. I bite my lip, and look slightly downwards, which I always do when I'm thinking hard. "Though there has to be someway..."

Finnick frowns and shakes his head. "There's not," He says, almost to himself. "And if there were, there is no way advanced enough that we could figure it out in one night." I stare into his eyes, and they indicate truth, not fear or weakness.

"We couldn't, you're right," I agree. "I just wish that we didn't have to live like this."

He grins slightly, and jokes, "Perhaps all us mad people believe so too." I laugh at the sudden shift in his tone. He smiles even more widely. "Just seeing your smile," He whispers. "It's what keeps me alive." I stop smiling at that, and he clasps his hands around his neck and makes a joking sound. I giggle at him, and he releases his hands and sighs in fake relief. "Wow, that was close!" He says sarcastically.

I squint at the horizon, seeing just a thin line of sun, peaking above the water. I get back to focus quickly. "Finnick, I won't ever not-smile again," I say, grinning really largely, and squinting my eyes.

He stares at me and backs up with wide eyes. "You look kind of scary to be honest," He laughs.

I relax my mouth and move my bottom jaw back and forth. "Yeah, you're right, I'd get smiling cramps anyway."

Finnick smiles widely. I stare at his face shyly. His eyes are still that amazing green, and he's become probably most of the handsome men in probably all of Panem. I wonder how I got stuck with such a gorgeous, and amazing boy like Finnick. My mind suddenly reflects on what I just thought. Gorgeous? Do I think Finnick is gorgeous? I couldn't possibly like him. He is my best friend. A voice in the back of my head mocks me giddily saying, why do you always want to be with him? Why do you always love it when he's around? His touch always makes you feel warm inside, and his breath on your skin brings life throughout your sad soul. I try to shake off these thoughts, but staring at him, I nearly agree with them. Finnick is gorgeous, and sweet. He understands me, and I couldn't survive without him. Does that mean I like him? I don't entirely know. When I was eight I know I liked him, but now... Do I? No, I don't, I finalize. He is my best friend, nothing more.

I look away before my mind debates with me, and see the sun is now out of sight. I sigh, and stand up. Finnick stands to, wondering why I did. I suddenly feel the yearn to feel his skin against mine before I left. I wrap my arms around the nape of his neck. I pull myself close to him, and he wraps his arms at my lower back. His skin heats my cold skin, and I feel my heart thumping. I lean my head against his chest, and wish this moment could last forever and ever. Finnick still holds me close but mumbles lightly, "Why the hug?"

I breath in heavily, and then exhale. "I have to go," I mumble.

He sighs, and pulls back slightly. "Do you have to?" He asks.

I nod. "My father will actually kill me if I am late." I'm not joking though.

He stares at me concerned. "Is it getting worse?"

I stare at the ground and sigh. I nod, and my eyebrows pull up. My parents have been angry with me, and kicking me out of the house, and locking me in my room. What I didn't tell Finnick was that I am locked in my room right now according to my mother. I sneaked out through my window, and came here.

"Annie," He says wistfully. "Do not put up with this, come with me."

I avert my eyes. "Nero hates me," I say, half laughing. He caresses my cheek and his eyes are sad.

"I will beat the crap out of him if he does anything to you," He says.

I shake my head, and I know Finnick would never do that, he couldn't hurt anyone. I put my hand on his cheek, and he closes his eyes.

"Don't worry," I say, not convincing even myself. "I will be fine." I start to walk away but he quickly grips my hand.

"If you get scared, you know where my home is. Don't be scared for tomorrow, I won't let anyone in the Capitol hurt you," He whispers to me.

I smile weakly, and then run off.

I sprint to down the sand, and go about a half a mile south. I slow down, and breath heavily. I can't take the stress, I can't take it. I bury my face in my hands. I grind my teeth together and continue. No matter what I do I will never be able to stop tomorrow from coming.

It's dark now, and I see a house with a light on in the distance. There was my room. I sprint to the light, and not before long, I am behind my house.

I grip the ivy weaving up to my room along the back of my house. I climb up quickly, and get to my window. It's pushed up high enough for me to squeeze through it. I inhale, and slip through the space, and fall to the ground. I make a loud thump, but don't hear and rushing up the stairs, so I know I'm okay. I stand up and look around. Everything is where I left it, everything is where it should be. This means my parents didn't check my room. I made a fake me out of pillows to try to fool them. I walk to the door and try to open the knob. Locked still.

I walk back to my bed and plop down on it. I sigh and turn off the lamp. My eyes are heavy from all the crying, and I wearily close my eyes. I bite my lip, and wrap my arms around my ribs. I breath heavily, and think about when all the moments I have had with Finnick. My head becomes clouded and soon I am overcome by fatigue.

Reaping day. I have been nervous for this all my life.

My hands are sweating as I enter the town center. The podium is up ahead, and I see a women with orange hair, unnaturally long eyelashes with pink tips at the end, and an ill-fitting orange blouse and skirt. Her heals are about six inches high, and she waits there, with her arms crossed while we are queuing into our squads: girls on one side, boys on another. She wears a fake smile on her fire engine red lips, but her eyes show impatience. We wait as the mayor makes a speech that never seems to end, and I tug on my dress as he speaks, not listening at all. I just stand there dazed as I wait. Finally the speech comes to the end, and everyone almost seems happy it's done, waiting for the most exhilarating moments to end.

"Welcome everyone!" Parthenia Craftline says giddily. "This is a big day! Today we will pick our two tributes to enter our annual Hunger Games." She pauses for dramatic effect as she darts her head back and forth to everyone.

I get into my spot, and turn my head left and right, and spot Finnick's face looking at mine. He's smiling weakly, and mouths it's okay. His eyes are careful as he looks at me. Then I avert my eyes as I stare at the ground, my eyes stinging, ready to burst into tears. I am so scared right now. If I get called, I will die. I know I will. I look up, and feel great rue that I looked down, because now I've lost sight of Finnick, and I feel alone. I stare up at the podium, and see Parthenia standing there.

Her voice sounding excited, like this is an amazing thing, as she says, "As always we will start with the ladies," She says, as she picks up the jar of all the girl's names. "She sticks her hand in and then pauses quickly and adds, "May the odds ever be you favor!" Then her hand goes into the jar. The would seems to stop rotating as those few milliseconds he hands reach into there seems like hours. She grabs a name and pulls it up. This is going to decide one girls fate, whether mine or someone else. She opens the card and my heart is nearly pounding out my chest as I feel great trauma flood over me. Her lips open, and I inhale deeply as she yells, "Calla McFadden!"

I exhale deeply, seeing that the name is not mine. People clap loudly, but I don't because I know this isn't a clapping matter. I see through the slight spacing of bodies a girl with deep auburn hair that is stick straight, and her body strongly built. She walks forward to the podium and I see her face on one of the screens above, as the peacekeepers let go of their grip of her arm, and release her to go up there. Her brown eyes are dazed as she shakes Parthenia's hand. Calla releases her hand and steps back, and her eyes are fierce as she faces forward, knowing the nation is watching her. She looks like a career, and I recognize her as one of the girls in the markets and she's always lifting things, and doing the dirty work. Perhaps she's been training, but I don't know. I haven't really had a life without Finnick, it's like we are in our own little bubble, and no one can enter.

The clapping subsides, and after a few brief moment Parthenia continues, laughing to herself. "Now, for the handsome men," She says. I almost wince, disgusted by her. Her hand hovers over the bowl as all the boys seem to intensely watch. Her hand enters the bowl, and she grabs a name between her index and thumb. Her hand comes up, she opens the paper, and her eyes dart up, almost glowing. Before she can even open her lips my heart drops to my stomach, without even knowing why. Then the name following nearly kills me.

"Finnick Odair!" She yells enthusiastically. I wait for "I volunteer as tribute" to come out of someone's mouth, but nothing happens. Not a sound. Then I see Finnick's face clearly through the space of the girls next to me, and see his eyebrows curve up, and his eyes darting around almost nervously. The clapping starts and he walks up to the podium, and under all the noise, I moan as tears start to come into my eyes, as I see my best friend on the podium.

Here you go! I hoped you liked it, and I left a cliff hanger sorry:)

I hope that you liked it, I'm excited about this story, and I want it to be super cute.

Please review and thanks to everyone who has, that's so nice, and it makes me really happy you enjoyed my story.

Thanks again!