Training day.
I hate it.
"Annie!" Finnick shouts, pounding on my door, his melodic voice sounding more annoying by the second.
I moan and roll over on my stomach, burrowing deeper into my seabed.
"ANNIE OPEN THE DOOR THIS INSTANT!" Agnes shouts, her shrill voice squeaking high, making my ears ring.
I wince and untangle myself from my sheets. I yawn loudly as I trudge over to my door.
I fling open the door, blearily looking at Finnick and Agnes, who is currently glaring at me.
"What are you wearing?" Agnes hisses, her eyes narrowed.
I glance at my outfit, and my face turns beet red. All I'm wearing are some short shorts with a pale tang-top covering the waistband.
I hold up a finger, "One minute." I croak out, rubbing my eyes.
"Annie, get in." Finnick says gently, ushering me inside.
I nod tiredly and let Finnick usher me into the plush bathroom, gently pressing me into a chair as he goes into my bedroom to grab my uniform for today.
I stare blearily at my reflection in the mirror, my heart clenching in fear. My hair is a ratted mess, the amber glowing a soft red now, my dark green eyes wide and enlarged, the bags and shadows under my eyes and cheeks are prominent, that no makeup could ever cover it.
Finnick comes back in with the outfit that I'll be wearing and he gently pulls me to my feet, stripping off my clothes, washing my face, and dressing me.
He knows that today is a hard time for me.
So many memories…
"Annie." Finnick whispers, his eyes soft and caring, "Here's your brush."
I nod gratefully and wince as I start to slowly unravel the knots from my hair. Once my amber hair has turned back to its normal shade and is soft and in gentle, poofy waves, I slick it back into a ponytail, clearing my face from its annoying frizz.
I grab my toothbrush and toothpaste and quickly but tiredly brush my teeth, gagging from the minty taste as I wash out my mouth.
I grab my makeup from the drawer that I smashed in my anger and start to erase some of the dark shadows from my face. I'm starting to put some gentle eye shadow on when Finnick clears his throat. It startles me so much that I jerk, dropping my brush, making a Thunk on the counter.
Finnick leans over me to gently grab the brush, finishing the job that I messed up, clearing the blemish from my skin.
"There." Finnick muses gently, rubbing my shoulder, "Now you're ready to face the day."
I shake my head, turning around to bury my head in Finnick's chest, shaking hard.
"Hey…" Finnick whispers gently into my hair, "I thought-"
"WHAT'S TAKING YOU SO LONG?!" Agnes screams, pounding on the door.
I jump, shaking harder, my eyes wide as I look at Finnick.
He shakes his head sadly and brushes a stray curl of hair away from my face.
He gently grabs my arm and starts to drag me towards the door, but I dig my heels into the ground, stopping in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
I look so lost…
My eyes are wide and lost, the green lost from my iris's swallowing them whole, my lips in a pale, thin, trembling line that won't stop quivering.
My uniform is a dark blue with red stripes along the sides of the thighs and arms, the number 4 stitched into the back, front, and side of the shirt.
My hair is poofy in its ponytail, shaking hard.
"Come on Annie." Finnick whispers, "It's better to get it over now than never."
I shake my head hard, lost in memories.
Finnick sighs, running a hand through his waves, making them stand up straight. All of the sudden, I'm flung over Finnick's shoulder and gently, but firmly carried out into the hallway.
Agnes's blaze orange eyes are wide in confusement and anger as she takes in my current state. She opens her blaze orange lips to say some snide remark I'm guessing, but Finnick shakes his head firmly.
"She's out. That's what you wanted right?" His voice has a dangerous undercurrent threatening her as he speaks.
She nods numbly, her face shocked. Finnick shifts me on his arm as he sighs, "Let's just go to breakfast."
Agnes numbly walks out of the way and Finnick storms past her, Agnes taking up the rear. When Finnick's face is out of view, her show of confusement falls, and her snarl comes back, her eyes never leaving mine.
When he's not there for you anymore, you're going to get it.
I shut my eyes, trying to block out the memories; her snarl, Jake's shouts, Finnick's growl to tell me to stop,
Stop the game,
The act,
And turn back into the normal Annie…
But she's gone.
Finnick gently sets me down in my sea green chair in the dining area and Mags gently takes my hand to stop me from shaking. I look up to her wise gaze and she's staring at me with sadness. A sad smile twists her rose lips, and she squeezes my hand again.
A Avox walks up to my place and silently sets a plate in front of my face, delicious smells coming from the plate that I don't even give a second glance to.
"Thank you." I whisper, nodding numbly to the Avox. He bows and leaves as silently as he came in.
Finnick firmly places a fork in my limp right hand, curling my little hand around the cool, slick fork, shoving the tip into the eggs that are on my plate, forcing me to eat.
He's helping me eat when I suddenly wrench my hand free of his, my fork flying, an Avox ducking to not get hit by the sharp point.
"What's the point?" I cry, burying my face in my hands.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Agnes mutters from in front of me. I hear her chair squeak and her high heels clip on the floor as she storms away.
"What do you mean Annie?" Finnick whispers gently in my ear, trying to wrench my hands away from face unsuccessfully.
I fling my head out from my hands; tears falling freely down my face.
"Why all of this?' I fling my arm, gesturing around the room, Finnick dodging my arm as I sweep past him.
I choke back a sob, "They know I'm no good, why keep me?"
"Sshh!" Finnick presses a finger to my lips and pulls me close to him. "No no no Annie, they don't need you, true, but I need you, as does Mags." He gestures towards Mags who's grabbing a cloth for my tears, nodding firmly.
"But what about Agnes?" I sniff, my eyes still blurry.
Finnick's chest rumbles as he laughs. "Who cares about Agnes? She hates everybody, even me!"
I look up at him in shock. "I thought she liked you!"
Finnick laughs louder this time, plucking the cloth from Mags's hand, wiping up my tears, his head shaking. "Nope. She TOLERATES me, but doesn't like me."
"Finnick, Annie." Mags's soft voice comes behind Finnick. We both turn to look at the elderly lady as she stares at us with pride. "We have to go, I'm sorry."
I nod sadly, grabbing the cool glass frosted with ice from the water, the ice in the glass tinkling as I gulp up the water thirstily.
" I guess I needed that." I blush under Finnick and Mags's surprised gaze as I set my glass gently back down on the table.
Mags shakes her head, standing up slowly. An Avox rushes up to her side, the same one that gave me my food just a little while ago.
I frown, narrowing my gaze at the mute man. Something about his posture…
I shake my head to clear the thoughts as Mags leans up towards the Avox's ear, whispering something.
He nods, and Mags slowly releases that Avox's grip, teetering back towards her room.
The Avox comes up to Finnick and I, his eyes clouded, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tries to form the words to say.
Finally he gives up and gestures for Finnick and I to follow him.
His eyes are like Hunter's…
Could he?
No, Hunter's dead as is Adam.
I'd seen their bodies…
Right?
Finnick gently grabs my arm, dragging me towards the elevator, the Avox looking behind his shoulder in confusion.
"You were staring at him so intently that I had to drag you towards the doors." Finnick muses into my ear. I feel a blush color my cheeks as I jog to keep from tripping from Finnick's long strides.
Once we get to the elevator doors, the Avox hits a button, calling the elevator.
"Excuse me." I gently touch the man's arm, and he jumps under my gentle touch. He turns towards me, his eyes nervous, his Adam's apple bobbing furiously as he keeps swallowing every other second.
A tribute isn't supposed to talk, much less make an Avox known. I'd heard stories of Avox's getting killed because a tribute said their real name. So my hand on his arm could result in him getting killed.
"I'm sorry for creeping you out from staring at you so intently." I manage a wry smile.
He looks so much like Hunter…
He nods nervously, smiling a nervous smile, looking frantically down the hallways, watching for a witness.
I take my hand off of his arm as the elevator doors silently open, the marble casting a glaring glint from the lights shining brightly inside the hard, cold, crisp elevators.
The man gestures for Finnick and I to get in, and I nod curtly, my heartbeat racing.
Finnick grabs my hand gently once we're inside the elevator, calming my breathing.
I look closely at Finnick, not wanting the Avox to get even more nervous from my gaze. I take in his lazy blonde waves, brushing lightly across his right cheekbone, his cool green eyes, calculating, his jaw that's set, his lips in a tight white line. My gaze travels down to his shirt, which is tight from his clenched muscles, the number 4 stretching over his enlarged biceps as he shakes slightly.
I sigh, closing my eyes as I lean my head against his shoulder. He tenses up for a second, and then his hand tentively runs across my hair.
The elevator chimes and I hear the doors silently whoosh open, and the Avox taps my shoulder nervously.
My eyes crack open and I take a sharp intake of breath.
It's just like I remember.
The weapons glint brightly and evilly in the far right corner of the room, reminding me of the knife that beheaded Jake…
I shake my head, clearing the thoughts as I take in the rest of the room. There's the edible plants table, the fire table, the bow and arrow section, the arrows tips glinting, reminding me of Katniss's killing of the District 1 boy after he killed the little girl, her face cold and set, not thinking twice as she shot the arrow towards his heart,
So quick…
I start to breath heavily as my gaze travels towards the net station, the hook station, the dagger station, the weight station, and the fighting station…
The possibilities are endless.
My gaze travels towards the Victor's that are there. There's the District 12 Victors, the District 7 Victors and the District 3 Victors.
That's it.
"Guess we're here just in time for the big party." Finnick whispers into my ear.
I squeeze his hand harder before I nod fast.
"Let's just get this over with." I breathe, my heartbeat flooding my ears.
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