Hello everyone! Since its New Year's I decided to give you a longer chapter enjoy!

THERE'S ME- Annie.

Everyone has that one favourite thing that they love most. Some girls love their cell phones, laptops, clothes, boyfriend (if that's even an object to them) but me? Well, they're my worn out Chuck Taylors that I got two summers ago. I wear it everywhere and with anything basically. So there's me today in my beach shorts, Marvel's old sports t-shirt and my worn out Chuck Taylors writing in my little-book-of-shenanigans at the beach on a windy day. I don't write about trouble. It's just this little black notebook Rory got from New York with a picture of a pair of Chuck Taylors on the front and he told me to write a bunch of shenanigan nonsense in it though I'm using it for a different purpose. It's like a thought book in case I forget something I thought about. It's silly, I know but that's just what I do. I look at the waves as they collide with the tide. I smile and breathe in the lovely familiar salty air. I don't know how to describe how salty air smells like but I think you know what I mean; beach-like smell. My thoughts get disrupted by a certain someone who seems to be everywhere I go since the night of the Yacht Club party. He's running towards me in only his swim shorts and his sandals.

"Hey Annie. What brings you here on this lovely fine day?"

"Hello Finnick Odair. It's my regular thing to come down here."

"It's a perfect day for swimming, you know?"

"Is that what you've been doing judging by your incomplete dressing and wet hair?"

"Yeah, just can't stay outta the water." He takes a seat next to me. "So…what are you writing?"

I shut my notebook. "Nothing."

"Come on, what is it?"

"Confidentially private, if you don't mind." I say and stuff my book into my bag.

"Private even to a strapping guy like me?"

"Especially to guys like you."

Finnick chuckles. "Okay, okay. So how was Gloss's performance yesterday with Cashmere?"

"He seemed to have done it pretty well. Gloss said it went alright. He says she's a little shy. Apparently she has the hots for him according to Rory."

"By the sounds of it, well, I think she does like him."

I nod. "So how about you? Had any girlfriend?"

"Oh…uh, well, no to be honest."

"Really? A guy like you?"

"Yeah, just crushes really. I'm sure you've thought a sixteen year old guy like me should have had already tons of girlfriends. But no, I'm just…I want the right person. Anyway… how about you, Miss Cresta?"

I laugh. "Are you making fun of me? Obviously, no."

"Well, they are really missing out."

"I don't think so. They like all the preppy girls-blonde, panda eyed, low-cut clothes and the latest fashion. I think they're really satisfied with what they have. There are guys like you with the almost perfect everything- hair, eyes, body-shape, athletic type, friendliness, and smile. I mean, it only make sense if guys like you go for girls like that. Finally, there's me-Annie Cresta the brunette haired girl who is boring and has a problem socializing with people and is not even close to pretty and is close to being seen as nobody. So, I doubt they're missing out."

"You're not what you say you are. You have no problem talking to me."

"Well that's different. I mean, you're um…you."

"Oh, really?" He smirks.

I roll my eyes. "The only reason I can talk to you is because I have three brothers and you're like them."

"Well, you don't think your brothers are handsome."

"Yes, I don't- I never said I thought you were handsome!" I exclaim and glare at him again.

"I didn't say anything about that." He grins.

"You are so…"

"Hot? Gorgeous? Sexy?" Finnick strikes a pose.

"You're so infuriating." I roll my eyes again.

"Thank you. You know, you're pretty cute when you're pissed off."

"Oh, shut up, Odair." I say and shift further away from Finnick.

"I've actually come to the liking that you say my last name."

"Why is it that wherever I go, I see you?"

"Well, it's a small town and I'm mistakably your crush according to Rory."

"Wait- So now, you Mister Finnick Odair is my crush?!"

"Certainly. Well, to be honest, I wouldn't mind if you had a crush on me, Miss Cresta."

I give Finnick the sarcastic-are-you-serious look. "You've got to be joking."

"Not at all. With all due respect, I think you're really different and I like that."

"In what way?"

"A good different. You aren't…like the other girls who care about what people think of them and you're just you and you don't feel that you need to impress anyone."

"It's never good to care about what other people think of who you are. Really, there's nothing much about me to like. I'm a sadistic realist who spends hours alone in my own world and I'm an antisocial. What can you like from that?"

"I like everything. If the world were full of optimistic fantasisers, we'd be doomed and that's why we need sadistic realists though I don't think you're a sadist realist. You're the type of girl who has this desire that nothing in this world that can fulfil because you were never made for this world but you were made for another."

"That quote by C.S. Lewis is a powerful thing to say but in the eyes of this world, I'm the sadistic realist."

"I don't think that matters. Listen, Annie, you're beginning to be unsure of yourself. You think that people around you don't like who you are and you're beginning to become those girls that you've talked about. Whatever happened to it's never good to care about what other people think of who you are? Look, I'm going to be very frank with you and tell you that I like the way are and that you should never wonder if people like you or not."

I press my lips together and shrug. "I suppose. I guess that's what happens when you spend most of your time alone."

"Well I hope you don't want to anymore." Finnick smiles and strokes my cheek with his thumb.

"You've been awfully nice."

"Are you disappointed that I am?"

"Not exactly though Marvel is nicer than you are."

"You are one difficult girl."

Finnick dropped me off after our little chat. Unfortunately for me, Haymitch seemed to have woken up from his drunkenness and invited Finnick and his family over for dinner so here I am now, in my room, being forced to wear a dress by Effie, our housekeeper who has a mind that thinks fashion is most important when guests are coming by. Well, at least I don't feel so bad because Rory and Gloss had to wear their button up shirts.

"Oh, child! You're not going to wear those disgusting shoes of yours with your dress!"

"They're not disgusting shoes, Effie. They're Chuck Taylors and no, I'm not going to wear high heels."

"What am I ever to do with you, child? Your mother always wanted a girl in this family and so did I. But what do I have now? A ruffian indeed! Now wear them high heels, child!"

"High heels are like cages for feet! Haven't you not thought of that? Besides, the high heels give me a backache. Didn't mother used to mention that?"

So, I get to wear my Chuck Taylors after all. All it needs is a little persuasion and a mention of mother and voila! She lets me. I'm not misusing my mother. It's just that my mother always told me that I could be whatever I want no matter what other people said. The door bells rings and I rush down the stairs mumbling and grumbling to myself. I open the door and am greeted by Finnick who is fully clothed (thankfully) and his grandmother.

"Oh Finnick, where's your parents?"

"They're…they can't make it. I'm terribly sorry about this last minute information."

"It's alright. We now have more than plenty of food to go around then."

Marvel arrives in his work clothes- smelling like dog shampoo.

"Hello Finnick, Ma'am. How are you?"

"Hi Marvel. Good, thank you."

"You must be Annie's oldest brother. Aren't you, young man?" Finnick's grandmother says.

"Yes, I am. Though did my sister already introduce herself yet?"

"Oh there isn't a need, Finnick's been talking about her."

I swear Finnick went a little red. "Um, that's highly unnecessary, Gran."

I press my lips together and am thankful Rory comes bursting down the stairs.

"Finnick, my man! How are ya?"

"Pretty well, wingman."

"Wingman, are you serious?" I say.

"Why, Ann? Don't I look good with wings?" Rory says and flaps his arms. Finnick and his grandmother laughs while Marvel and I look at each other and sigh. Rory definitely does not act his age.

Haymitch comes down- dressed nicely in a violet shirt and his best black pants. For a moment, Haymitch and Finnick's grandmother stares at each other as if something really struck them both in the head.

"M-Maysilee?"

"Mitch, is that you?"

Finnick looks at me and I look at Marvel who looks at Rory.

"What did I do-Oh…oh, okay. This is a very, very small world."

Turns out, Haymitch and Maysilee, Finnick's grandmother used to know each other and they met here, in Starcreek.

"Goodness! What a coincidence that Finn met your granddaughter right here in Starcreek as well and during the Yacht Club party as well."

"Yes, indeed. Who knew, right Ann?"

I just nod.

"So…Ann, huh?" Finnick grins.

"Seriously, Finn?" I say and giggle.

"Hold on, I'll be back." He says and gets up from his seat. He's presumably going to the toilet.

Rory takes a seat beside me a pops open a can of coke.

"Having a lovely time?" He says.

"Oh shut up." I say and snatch his coke and take a long sip.

"Ooh, look like someone's being touchy."

I punch Rory in the ribs.

"Ouch! Hey, what was that for?"

"Come on, Rory, Let Ann be. When was the last time she actually had hots for a guy?" Marvel laughs and so does Rory.

I glare at Marvel. "You are next!"

"Okay, whoa, chill Ann. Just sayin'."

"I don't have hots for Finnick, okay?"

"Well, he does."

I stare at Rory who's casually sipping his coke.

"What do you mean he does?"

"Haven't you noticed how he looks at you?"

"On the contrary, no I have not."

"Well, what Rory means to say is that maybe you should start noticing."

"Why would that be part of my division?"

"Well, let's just say you might come to like him and who knows? You might become more than friends." Marvel says.

"Are you match-making me or something?"

"Something like that, yeah." Rory says with a chuckle.

"He's thinking it that way, not me." Marvel says.

I just roll my eyes and change the subject. "Anyway, I was wondering…where's Gloss?" I say.

"He's got a date!" Rory chirps.

"Who does?" Finnick says as he enters the room.

I look at Marvel who winks at me.

"Gloss and Cashmere. I think they're lookin' good together." Rory says.

"So…Marvel, where's Glimmer tonight?" Finnick asks.

"Eh, she's working late tonight."

"Gloss mentioned that she looked bitchy the other day." Rory says.

"Doesn't he always say that?" I say.

"He does but Glimmer ain't a bitch even though she can act like one sometimes." Marvel says.

"So anyway, Finnick, do you have hots for my sister?"

I kick Rory in the shins and Marvel's eyes widens.

"Well, your sister is pretty."

"Ahah, elaborate please." Rory says.

"Must he really answer?" I say while grinding my teeth.

"It's alright." Finnick says.

"Well, go on, Finnick." Rory says.

"I wouldn't use the word 'hots' to quite describe this but I wouldn't mind if your sister had a crush on me."

"So you would have her at the category; a possibility of more than friends?"

"Under the circumstances, I think I would."

"OKAY, I think I'm gonna leave y'all to your little match making thing you have going on."

At this particular moment, I feel overwhelmed. I go outside to the deck and sit myself on one of the chairs. No one has ever felt the way Finnick does about me and I feel strange because I don't think I feel the same way about him. The thought of it overwhelms me. Someone slides the glass door open. I don't bother to check who it is because whoever it is, I don't feel like talking about it.

"Annie?"

I turn around. "Yeah, Finnick?"

"Sorry…about just now. Was I being too honest?"

I shrug. "Well, it is overwhelming…no one has ever felt the way you do about me."

"Well, I don't count as no one."

I stare out to the dark sea and sigh. "That's true, I suppose."

Finnick takes a seat next to mine and I get that feeling that he's looking at me again and this time, he looks as if he's going to kiss me and thank God he didn't.

"Your brothers might be talking and teasing about…well, what I said earlier and well, to be honest, I should not have answered that. It's stupid, really."

"What is?"

"What I meant is that, I don't really know you, Annie…Cresta."

"So do I, Finnick Odair."

"That's the thing. I don't know you very well and you don't either. It's complicated. It's just that…I happen to…like you."

"You are very likable, Odair. Who wouldn't want to be liked by you?"

"Well, there is this girl in particular who reminds me of Rachel Weisz who I always see spending time alone."

"Your old friend?"

"I wish. I'd rather we were old friends so it'll be like a regular day when I can just tell her that I like her to the certain extend it doesn't sound stupid because my dear Annie, of all the things I want right now, is just to know you better now."

"I don't know, Finnick. I'm who you see-the loner."

"I didn't ask for the warnings about you, Miss Cresta." Finnick smiles and kisses my hand like he did before and leaves me to my solitude.