Disclaimer: I still don't own THG or any of the characters otherwise Finnick wouldn't have died (and the whole series would have been about Finnick and Annie's relationship hehe).
CHAPTER THREE
APOV
We wake up early again; agonising Cal who has purple and black bags under his eyes from staying up all night because he couldn't get to sleep. Our escort, Lana, who we haven't seen or spoken to since the reaping, joins us for a large breakfast containing all sorts of foods – mainly cheese, fresh bread and rolls, and pastries with multi-colored jelly fillings – and even our stylists make an appearance.
Deyni and Siva stare disapprovingly at the bags under Cal's eyes as the Avoxs and maids give us our hot plates ready for the food. I thank one with a small smile, but the death glare I receive from Finnick cuts me short. The Avox doesn't even flinch – she's most probably used to it – and hands me a beautifully clear glass before turning on her heel and leaving.
"We need to do something about that," Siva says, gesturing to Cal's heavy, tired eyes. Finnick stops glaring at me and scoffs at our stylists.
"No," Finnick says, spreading some orange colored goo on a bread roll and biting into it. "They've got training today."
Siva doesn't address Finnick; instead he turns his attention onto me. "Annie," he says. "You mustn't pick at your nails."
"They're useless now," Mags says and I can't tell whether she's talking about her worn out canes which she's staring disapprovingly at or my nails.
Aside from Lana's occasional few words about the food, or the Capitol, or questions to us about how we're feeling, there isn't must conversation at breakfast. Lana also tells Cal off a few times for yawning saying it's rude at the breakfast table. And then, without another word, she leaves the table, calling over an Avox to take away her plate.
"So what's the deal with training?" I ask Finnick as the Avoxs clear all of our plates and glasses. Mags hobblingly stands up and tells us she's going to attempt to sort out the wobbliness of her canes and Deyni and Siva take Cal away to get ready. I feel a sense of relief that I got an early night from the silent compliment as Siva winks at me.
As soon as they're gone, Finnick turns to me. "There's a large hall with all different stations – plants, fire making, spears, knives. You know? The lot of it. You'll be there today, tomorrow and the next day. It's your training for the actual games."
I nod, taking it all in. The whole deal with the Capitol has overwhelmed me, but I like the idea that the gamemakers can't see us until we show them our best skills in three days. Until then, we'll train alone, unless our mentors want to come with us and if Cal and I choose to train together. We haven't spoken about that, yet, but I assume naturally that he'll want to be with me.
"Will you come?" I ask Finnick.
"If you want me to," he frowns. "But … maybe that's not such a good idea. I mean, there's going to be …"
He stops and I can't help feeling like it's because he just wants to protect my feelings. It's my turn to frown. "Why?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "You …" I remember the rumors I've heard of Finnick before and nod, sure I'm blushing a little. I continue in a quieter tone. "You're busy."
"Thankfully, no," Finnick says. "You've got me all to yourself."
He winks at me and I roll my eyes. He stands up, leaning over the table, and out stretching his hand. "Have a sugar cube," he says seductively. Whatever he's doing, it works. I can feel myself blush again and I take one of them nervously. "Now go and get ready."
…
The training room was a lot different than I imagined. Despite not actually being watched by any gamemakers, there were still peacemakers guarding the door and cameras in the hallway which led us towards it. I wasn't sure, but I thought I felt Finnick squeeze my hand encouragingly as we entered the room.
I was introduced to the different stations briefly by Finnick as Mags and Cal had yet to join us. Even though the other tributes had already gotten practising – some more vicious than others – I don't want to start until Cal was with me.
"Hey."
I jump at a cool hand tapping me on the back. When I turn, Cal is smiling at me widely. His teeth, I notice, are a few shades whiter again and the bags under his eyes are completely white. He must notice my expression at seeing him like this and he chuckles.
"They tried to make me wear some ridiculous training outfit," he says. "And they said they wanted to do the same to you, but that you'd probably tackle them if they tried. You should have seen what they wanted to put us in!"
I grin back. "Well, good," I say, motioning to my plain and simple training outfit. It's black, with bits of red on the shoulder, and our district number in the same color on each shoulder and my back, to remind everybody where we are from. If we didn't look so scrawny and little, we'd probably be seen as careers.
"Let's go, then," Finnick says, his face dead set on staring out the careers who are at the knife station. "We don't want to waste any time."
Cal decides that we should spend an hour at each station, which Finnick agrees with. I barely notice that Mags is with us because she has been so quiet. She smiles at me, though, encouraging me at the knife station – only once the careers leave.
We do as Cal decided and spend an hour at each. I find use in the plants station, the fire burning, and the camouflage, while Cal is better at throwing accurately. When I have a try at throwing a knife, it lands miserably at Finnick's foot, who picks it up and shoots me a wary glance. Quickly, as if it were his turn to train and not mine and Cal's, he turns so flawlessly and throws the knife at a target halfway across the room. It hits the direct middle and stays there until a shaking career pulls it out. Every other tribute turns to me, Finnick, Mags and Cal, and I can feel myself blushing.
"Well done, Annie!" Finnick exclaims. I snap my head up to him, but he just winks down at me. Somebody from another district gulps close to me, and when I turn to them, they quickly direct their attention to the spear they're holding. It falls from their hands, and when I go to pick it up for them, I see that they're shaking, much like the career who now tries so hard to show they're not scared.
"You're lucky nobody was watching you in the first place," Finnick whispers to me once I stand up. Mags smiles at me and shows me a wrinkled thumbs up, while Cal glares at Finnick. When he looks at me, he looks confused, and almost angry. That's the thing I least want to happen here. Cal can't hate me. He can't.
I need him.
"You lied," I scowl at Finnick once everything has seemingly turned back to normal. "That wasn't me. It was you! Now people are going to think I … they're going to think … that I'm strong …"
"Relax," he says. From behind us, Mags is whispering things to Cal that I can't make out. I want to be able to, but I can't, not for the life of me. Finnick smiles, "Tomorrow, I'll help you more with throwing, and then it'll be okay."
"No, thanks," I say. "I think I want to stay with Cal, and it'll be easier for us if we train without our mentors."
"Why?" Finnick scrunches up his nose. "So you can miss again and almost stab somebody's else's foot? I don't think so, Annie."
I glare at him but don't answer. He smiles after a few minutes, "Okay, okay. I get it. You're going to be distracted."
"What?" I spit. "No, no. You've got it all wrong!"
"Don't worry," he laughs. "I knew you'd fall for me eventually."
…
We all walk over to the lift painfully. Mine and Cal's bodies are aching, and with every step, a pain shoots through my leg. It's as if two untrained amateurs have just run a one hundred mile marathon. Though, in reality, we're just two untrained amateurs who have gone under gruelling training to make us better. In Cal's case, it worked. In mine, I just got worse.
Though with the help of Finnick, I'm painted as a person to avoid in the arena. Maybe it will be good for me.
"Hungry?" Finnick laughs as I pile my plate higher with meat and potatoes. I glance at him, glaring, before he raises his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry," he says, grabbing some bread and the same orange goo from this morning to put on his plate. I roll my eyes as an Avox brings him some sugar cubes. "Special order," he tells me, winking.
"Your teeth will rot," I tell him matter-of-factly. I hear Mags laugh a little from the other end of the table. "It happened to old Davis back home when he drank too many cups of tea with hardly any tea and just sugar. You wouldn't have known. You spent a lot of time at the Capitol that year. Girls in school wouldn't shut up about you. Gosh, there were so many rumors about you that year! I'm sure they're not just rumors, though, right?" I smirk.
His hand tenses around the edge of the table, and I'm sure he's going to flip it over. I close my eyes, ready to have bits of lamb and pork flung onto me as the table flips and breaks in half. But, instead, there's just a light bit of laughing.
When I open my eyes, Finnick has leant across the table and is smirking almost seductively at me. "Want a sugar cube?" he asks, fluttering his long eyelashes a little and wetting his lips. I'm almost sure I'm blushing.
"No thanks," I manage as I stand up. "And I'm actually not that hungry."
"Sit, Annie," Mags says, gripping my wrist with her soft hand. "Please. If you thought training was hard today, it'll be worse tomorrow with an empty stomach. Trust me."
Finnick sits back down, laughing, and I glare at him, but Cal takes my attention instead. He's glaring at Finnick darkly, his eyes looking almost murderous. Finnick hasn't noticed, and even if he does, he wouldn't care. In fact, he's probably laugh. Cal has nothing on 'The Great' Finnick Odair.
"Okay," I mutter in defeat. Mags smiles at me as I slump back in my chair. Truthfully, I am hungry, but I won't admit it. I eat my lamb slowly while the others wolf down their meals. Soon, an Avox returns with a tray full of something white and square like.
Well I definitely know what that is.
Finnick smiles in my direction. "Sure you don't want some, Sugar?"
Mags bursts out laughing while I slam my hands down onto the table. "That's it," I say, a little edge of humor in my voice. "I'm going."
I'm allowed some time to take a bath while the table is cleared. Mags is still laughing sweetly at Finnick as I leave, though Cal hasn't loosened up. If he keeps that up, I'll have to worry about my partner getting killed embarrassingly by Finnick Odair before the games even start.
I stay in the bath for so long that my fingers start to look like Mags' do. They're wrinkled and feel funny when touched. The Capitol has so many luxuries – like hot water – that we don't have back at home, and I'm growing used to the lovely, bubbly baths and showers with endless supplies of soap and shampoo that we barely have any of in Four.
It's a shame that I'll be dead soon.
I dry myself off quickly after my fingers actually start to feel gross and rub some moisturiser all over my legs, hands, arms, face and even my stomach. I'm still smooth and golden-skinned from Siva's makeover on me. I change into something more comfortable than my training outfit – a little white dress and a pair of flat shoes with laces.
There are people still in the living room when I leave my room, surprisingly, but Cal isn't there. There are a few people who I don't know – presumably some Capitol whores, for a lack of better explanation – and Finnick, who glares at me as I stand awkwardly at the doorway.
I'm busy, his face reads.
I decide to leave him alone before anybody else other than Finnick spots me. That is probably the safer option.
I check Cal's room to see if he's awake, but his bed is empty and he's left his training gear in a bundled mess on the floor. I smile at that. He reminds me of my sister and how messy she is back home. I push that thought quickly out of my head. It won't be good to start thinking of home now.
After walking around on the floor – dodging peacemakers and various Avoxs who either carry kitchen goods or clean towels and clothes – I find Cal sitting against a wall on the window ledge. He doesn't even look up at me when I sit opposite him.
"Hey," I smile softly at him. Again, he doesn't look up; instead he just raises his eyebrows in what I assume in a hello. "Okay," I breathe. "So what's up?"
He doesn't answer me and I sigh. "What is the matter with you? Why aren't you talking to me?" It makes me angry to think that, for whatever reason, Cal, the closest I have to a friend right now, hates me. "What … what have I done?"
"You haven't done anything," he finally looks at me. "That's the problem."
" … Wait, what?"
"You just love this, don't you? You're sailing through this, Annie. I wouldn't be surprised if you won now! With Finnick, and the knife, and the unwritten promise of sponsors just because he's your mentor. It's so easy for you, you know. You're so lucky."
"That's not my problem," I whisper.
"Yeah, maybe not," he clambers off the window ledge and turns to me. "But it doesn't mean you don't love it. Good luck, Annie."
He starts to walk again before he lets out a laugh and turns back around. "Doesn't matter. You won't need it."
AN – This chapter is kind of a mess and it just got worse, but *sigh* I hope you liked it.